Company Description
Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac) (NYSE: AGM) is a federally chartered instrumentality of the United States that operates as a secondary market provider for agricultural and rural infrastructure financing. Often referred to as Farmer Mac, the company focuses on increasing the accessibility of financing to provide vital liquidity for American agriculture and rural infrastructure. Its secondary market activities support agricultural and infrastructure businesses across rural America.
Farmer Mac’s stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AGM for its Class C non-voting common stock and AGM.A for its Class A voting common stock, with multiple series of preferred stock also trading on the NYSE. According to its SEC filings, Farmer Mac is a federally chartered instrumentality of the United States and reports under Commission File Number 001-14951.
Business focus and mission
Farmer Mac states that it is driven by a mission to increase the accessibility of financing and provide liquidity to American agriculture and rural infrastructure. Through its secondary market, the company provides liquidity to agricultural and infrastructure businesses, supporting what it describes as a vibrant and strong rural America. It emphasizes support for financial institutions’ growth, liquidity, risk management, and capital relief needs across several markets.
According to the company’s public statements, Farmer Mac’s activities span diverse markets, including agriculture, agribusiness, broadband infrastructure, power and utilities, and renewable energy. The company describes itself as uniquely positioned to facilitate competitive access to financing that supports growth, innovation, and prosperity in rural and agricultural communities.
Lines of business and segments
Based on available descriptions, Farmer Mac’s operations consist of several segments that reflect its focus on agricultural real estate, rural housing, and rural infrastructure finance. These segments include:
- Farm & Ranch – related to mortgage loans secured by agricultural real estate and rural housing.
- Corporate AgFinance – focused on agricultural-related corporate financing.
- Power & Utilities – addressing financing needs for power and utility infrastructure in rural areas.
- Broadband Infrastructure – supporting broadband projects that serve rural communities.
- Renewable Energy – linked to financing in renewable energy projects in rural settings.
- Funding – associated with Farmer Mac’s funding and capital activities.
- Investments – related to investment activities supporting its overall business.
The company has indicated that under its Farm & Ranch line of business, it purchases eligible mortgage loans secured by first liens on agricultural real estate and rural housing. A subsidiary also purchases portions of certain agricultural, rural development, business and industry, and community facilities loans that are guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Role in the secondary market
Farmer Mac describes itself as the nation’s secondary market provider that increases the accessibility of financing to provide liquidity for American agriculture and rural infrastructure. Its secondary market provides liquidity to agricultural and infrastructure businesses by supporting lenders that serve rural America. Public disclosures note that Farmer Mac provides liquidity and lending capacity to lenders serving rural America and that its portfolio is diversified by commodity and geography.
The company has also discussed its use of securitization as part of its platform. For example, it has announced securitizations of agricultural mortgage loans into agricultural mortgage-backed securities (AMBS), describing these transactions as part of its effort to support a vibrant and liquid AMBS market aligned with its mission to improve credit accessibility in rural America.
Capital structure and listed securities
According to Farmer Mac’s SEC filings, the company has multiple classes and series of securities registered on the New York Stock Exchange. These include:
- Class A voting common stock (trading symbol AGM.A).
- Class C non-voting common stock (trading symbol AGM).
- 5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D (trading symbol AGM.PRD).
- 5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E (trading symbol AGM.PRE).
- 5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F (trading symbol AGM.PRF).
- 4.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G (trading symbol AGM.PRG).
- 6.500% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series H (trading symbol AGM.PRH).
The company has reported issuing preferred stock as Tier 1 capital through public offerings and has disclosed dividends on its common and preferred stock in its press releases and related Form 8-K filings.
Regulatory status and reporting
Farmer Mac is identified in its SEC filings as a federally chartered instrumentality of the United States. It files periodic reports, including annual and quarterly reports and current reports on Form 8-K, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company also provides investor presentations and uses non-GAAP financial measures such as core earnings, core earnings per common share, and net effective spread to describe aspects of its financial performance, as discussed in its public disclosures.
In its communications, Farmer Mac explains that it uses these non-GAAP measures to evaluate corporate economic performance and business trends, while also providing reconciliations to comparable GAAP measures in its SEC filings.
Management and governance developments
Farmer Mac’s recent filings and press releases describe several governance and leadership developments, including:
- Announcements related to the planned retirement of its Chief Executive Officer and the appointment of a President and Chief Operating Officer who has been designated as the future Chief Executive Officer.
- Changes in board composition involving presidential appointees, as disclosed in Form 8-K filings.
- Appointments of senior executives such as a Chief Legal Officer and a Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, with details of their roles and compensation arrangements described in current reports.
These disclosures illustrate the company’s practice of reporting significant leadership and governance changes through SEC filings and related press releases.
Investor focus areas
Investors researching AGM stock can find information on Farmer Mac’s outstanding business volume, portfolio composition, capital position, liquidity, and use of non-GAAP measures in its quarterly and annual reports. The company has highlighted metrics such as net interest income, net effective spread, core earnings, capital ratios, and days of liquidity in its public communications, while also discussing risk factors and forward-looking statements in its filings.
Farmer Mac also holds earnings conference calls and posts investor slide presentations, which it references in its Form 8-K filings. These materials provide additional context on its financial condition, results of operations, and strategic priorities related to its mission of supporting American agriculture and rural infrastructure through the secondary market.