Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
(Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019. All dollars are in thousands, except per share amounts, unless otherwise noted.)
The following discussion and analysis provides information that the Company’s management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of the consolidated results of operations and financial condition of the Company. The discussion should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements included in the 2019 Annual Report.
Forward-looking and cautionary statements
This report contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on management's current expectations as of the date of this document. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's plans and expectations for future financial condition, results of operations or economic performance, or that address management's plans and objectives for future operations, and statements that assume or are dependent upon future events, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “scheduled,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions, as well as statements in future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
32
The forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by management in light of management's experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments, and other factors that management believes are appropriate under the circumstances. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause the actual results and performance to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the risks and uncertainties set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of the 2019 Annual Report and subsequent reports filed by the Company with the SEC, including the "Risk Factors" section of this report, and elsewhere in this report, and include such risks and uncertainties as:
• risks and uncertainties related to the severity, magnitude, and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, including changes in the macroeconomic environment and consumer behavior, restrictions on business, educational, individual, or travel activities intended to slow the spread of the pandemic, and volatility in market conditions resulting from the pandemic, including interest rates, the value of equities, and other financial assets;
• risks related to the ability to successfully maintain and increase allocated volumes of student loans serviced by the Company under existing and any future servicing contracts with the U.S. Department of Education (the "Department"), which current contracts accounted for 30 percent of the Company's revenue in 2019, risks to the Company related to the Department's initiatives to procure new contracts for federal student loan servicing, including the pending and uncertain nature of the Department's NextGen procurement process (under which awards of new contracts have been made to other service providers) and the impact of the reported cancellation by the Department of the previous EPS component of NextGen, the uncertain timing and nature of the outcome of the Company's protests of the reported decision by the Department as to the Company's proposal for the BPO component of NextGen and a protest by another interested party regarding the BPO solicitation, the possibility that awards or other evaluations of proposals may be challenged by various interested parties and may not be finalized or implemented within the currently anticipated time frame or at all, risks that the Company may not be successful in obtaining any of such potential new contracts, and risks related to the Company's ability to comply with agreements with third-party customers for the servicing of Federal Direct Loan Program, Federal Family Education Loan Program (the "FFEL Program" or "FFELP"), and private education and consumer loans;
• loan portfolio risks such as interest rate basis and repricing risk resulting from the fact that the interest rate characteristics of the student loan assets do not match the interest rate characteristics of the funding for those assets, the risk of loss of floor income on certain student loans originated under the FFEL Program, risks related to the use of derivatives to manage exposure to interest rate fluctuations, uncertainties regarding the expected benefits from purchased securitized and unsecuritized FFELP, private education, and consumer loans and initiatives to purchase additional FFELP, private education, and consumer loans, and risks from changes in levels of loan prepayment or default rates;
• financing and liquidity risks, including risks of changes in the general interest rate environment, including the availability of any relevant money market index rate such as LIBOR or the relationship between the relevant money market index rate and the rate at which the Company's assets and liabilities are priced, and changes in the securitization and other financing markets for loans, including adverse changes resulting from unanticipated repayment trends on student loans in FFELP securitization trusts that could accelerate or delay repayment of the associated bonds, which may increase the costs or limit the availability of financings necessary to purchase, refinance, or continue to hold student loans;
• risks from changes in the terms of education loans and in the educational credit and services markets resulting from changes in applicable laws, regulations, and government programs and budgets, such as changes resulting from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") and the expected decline over time in FFELP loan interest income and fee-based revenues due to the discontinuation of new FFELP loan originations in 2010 and potential government initiatives or legislative proposals to consolidate existing FFELP loans to the Federal Direct Loan Program or otherwise allow FFELP loans to be refinanced with Federal Direct Loan Program loans;
• risks related to a breach of or failure in the Company's operational or information systems or infrastructure, or those of third-party vendors, including cybersecurity risks related to the potential disclosure of confidential loan borrower and other customer information, the potential disruption of the Company's systems or those of third-party vendors or customers, and/or the potential damage to the Company's reputation resulting from cyber-breaches;
• uncertainties inherent in forecasting future cash flows from student loan assets and related asset-backed securitizations;
• risks and uncertainties related to the ability of ALLO Communications LLC to successfully expand its fiber network and market share in existing service areas and additional communities and manage related construction risks;
• risks that the conditions to the reported approval of federal deposit insurance and an industrial bank charter for Nelnet Bank may not be satisfied within a reasonable timeframe or at all, thus delaying or preventing Nelnet Bank from commencing
33
operations, and the uncertain nature of the expected benefits from obtaining an industrial bank charter, including the ability to successfully launch banking operations and achieve expected market penetration;
• risks related to investments in solar projects, including risks of not being able to realize tax credits which remain subject to recapture by taxing authorities;
• risks and uncertainties related to other initiatives to pursue additional strategic investments, acquisitions, and other activities, including activities that are intended to diversify the Company both within and outside of its historical core education-related businesses; and
• risks and uncertainties associated with litigation matters and with maintaining compliance with the extensive regulatory requirements applicable to the Company's businesses, reputational and other risks, including the risk of increased regulatory costs, resulting from the politicization of student loan servicing, and uncertainties inherent in the estimates and assumptions about future events that management is required to make in the preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements.
All forward-looking statements contained in this report are qualified by these cautionary statements and are made only as of the date of this document. Although the Company may from time to time voluntarily update or revise its prior forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in the Company's expectations, the Company disclaims any commitment to do so except as required by securities laws.
OVERVIEW
The Company is a diverse company with a purpose to serve others and a vision to make customers' dreams possible by delivering customer focused products and services. The largest operating businesses engage in loan servicing; education technology, services, and payment processing; and communications. A significant portion of the Company's revenue is net interest income earned on a portfolio of federally insured student loans. The Company also makes investments to further diversify both within and outside of its historical core education-related businesses, including, but not limited to, investments in real estate, early-stage and emerging growth companies, and renewable energy.
GAAP Net Income and Non-GAAP Net Income, Excluding Adjustments
The Company prepares its financial statements and presents its financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP. However, it also provides additional non-GAAP financial information related to specific items management believes to be important in the evaluation of its operating results and performance. A reconciliation of the Company's GAAP net income to net income, excluding derivative market value adjustments, and a discussion of why the Company believes providing this additional information is useful to investors, is provided below.
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019
GAAP net income attributable to Nelnet, Inc.
$ 86,482 24,619 45,950 66,210
Realized and unrealized derivative market value adjustments
3,911 37,060 24,513 67,635
Tax effect (a)
(939) (8,894) (5,883) (16,232)
Net income attributable to Nelnet, Inc., excluding derivative market value adjustments (b)
$ 89,454 52,785 64,580 117,613
Earnings per share:
GAAP net income attributable to Nelnet, Inc.
$ 2.21 0.61 1.16 1.65
Realized and unrealized derivative market value adjustments
0.10 0.93 0.62 1.68
Tax effect (a)
(0.03) (0.22) (0.15) (0.41)
Net income attributable to Nelnet, Inc., excluding derivative market value adjustments (b)
$ 2.28 1.32 1.63 2.92
(a) The tax effects are calculated by multiplying the realized and unrealized derivative market value adjustments by the applicable statutory income tax rate.
(b) "Derivative market value adjustments" includes both the realized portion of gains and losses (corresponding to variation margin received or paid on derivative instruments that are settled daily at a central clearinghouse) and the unrealized portion of gains and losses that are caused by changes in fair values of derivatives which do not qualify for "hedge treatment" under GAAP. "Derivative market value adjustments" does not include "derivative settlements" that represent the cash paid or received during the current period to settle with derivative instrument counterparties the economic effect of the Company's derivative instruments based on their contractual terms.
34
The accounting for derivatives requires that changes in the fair value of derivative instruments be recognized currently in earnings, with no fair value adjustment of the hedged item, unless specific hedge accounting criteria is met. Management has structured all of the Company’s derivative transactions with the intent that each is economically effective; however, the Company’s derivative instruments do not qualify for hedge accounting. As a result, the change in fair value of derivative instruments is reported in current period earnings with no consideration for the corresponding change in fair value of the hedged item. Under GAAP, the cumulative net realized and unrealized gain or loss caused by changes in fair values of derivatives in which the Company plans to hold to maturity will equal zero over the life of the contract. However, the net realized and unrealized gain or loss during any given reporting period fluctuates significantly from period to period.
The Company believes these point-in-time estimates of asset and liability values related to its derivative instruments that are subject to interest rate fluctuations are subject to volatility mostly due to timing and market factors beyond the control of management, and affect the period-to-period comparability of the results of operations. Accordingly, the Company’s management utilizes operating results excluding these items for comparability purposes when making decisions regarding the Company’s performance and in presentations with credit rating agencies, lenders, and investors. Consequently, the Company reports this non-GAAP information because the Company believes that it provides additional information regarding operational and performance indicators that are closely assessed by management. There is no comprehensive, authoritative guidance for the presentation of such non-GAAP information, which is only meant to supplement GAAP results by providing additional information that management utilizes to assess performance.
GAAP net income increased for the three months ended June 30, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 primarily due to the following factors:
• The recognition of a $51.0 million ($38.8 million after tax) gain to adjust the carrying value of the Company's investment in Hudl to reflect Hudl's May 2020 equity raise transaction value;
• The increase in loan spread on the Company's loan portfolio and related derivative settlements;
• A decrease in net losses related to changes in the fair values of derivative instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting.
These factors were partially offset by the following items:
• The decrease in the average balance of loans due to the amortization of the FFELP loan portfolio; and
• The decrease in net income from the Company's Loan Servicing and Systems operating segment due to a decrease in revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and incurring additional costs to meet increased service and security standards under the Department servicing contracts.
GAAP net income decreased for the six months ended June 30, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 primarily due to the following factors:
• The recognition of an incremental provision for loan losses totaling $63.0 million ($47.9 million after tax) in the first quarter of 2020 related to the increase in expected life of loan defaults as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic;
• The recognition of $34.1 million ($25.9 million after tax) of impairment charges in the first quarter of 2020 related to the Company's beneficial interest in consumer loan securitizations and certain venture capital investments due to adverse economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic;
• The decrease in the average balance of loans due to the amortization of the FFELP loan portfolio;
• The decrease in loan spread on the Company's loan portfolio and related derivative settlements; and
• The decrease in net income from the Company's Loan Servicing and Systems operating segment due to a decrease in revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and incurring additional costs to meet increased service and security standards under the Department servicing contracts.
These factors were partially offset by the following items:
• The recognition of a $51.0 million ($38.8 million after tax) gain in the second quarter of 2020 to adjust the carrying value of the Company's investment in Hudl to reflect Hudl's May 2020 equity raise transaction value;
• The recognition of a $18.2 million ($13.8 million after tax) gain from the sale of consumer loans in the first quarter of 2020; and
• A decrease in net losses related to changes in the fair values of derivative instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting.
Operating Results
The Company earns net interest income on its loan portfolio, consisting primarily of FFELP loans, in its Asset Generation and Management ("AGM") operating segment. This segment is expected to generate a stable net interest margin and significant amounts of cash as the FFELP portfolio amortizes. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had a $19.8 billion loan portfolio that management anticipates will amortize over the next approximately 20 years and has a weighted average remaining life of 10.8 years. The Company actively works to maximize the amount and timing of cash flows generated by its FFELP portfolio and seeks to acquire additional loan assets to leverage its servicing scale and expertise to generate incremental earnings and cash
35
flow. However, due to the continued amortization of the Company’s FFELP loan portfolio, over time, the Company's net income generated by the AGM segment will continue to decrease. The Company currently believes that in the short-term it will most likely not be able to invest the excess cash generated from the FFELP loan portfolio into assets that immediately generate the rates of return historically realized from that portfolio.
In addition, the Company earns fee-based revenue through the following reportable operating segments:
• Loan Servicing and Systems ("LSS") - referred to as Nelnet Diversified Services ("NDS")
• Education Technology, Services, and Payment Processing ("ETS&PP") - referred to as Nelnet Business Solutions ("NBS")
• Communications - referred to as ALLO Communications ("ALLO")
Other business activities and operating segments that are not reportable are combined and included in Corporate and Other Activities ("Corporate"). Corporate and Other Activities also includes income earned on certain investments and interest expense incurred on unsecured debt transactions.
The information below provides the operating results for each reportable operating segment for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in millions). See "Results of Operations" for each reportable operating segment under this Item 2 for additional detail.
(a) Revenue includes intersegment revenue.
(b) Total revenue includes "net interest income" and "total other income/expense" from the Company's segment statements of operations, excluding a COVID-19 related impairment expense during the six months ended June 30, 2020 of $26.3 million, and the impact from changes in fair values of derivatives. Net income excludes changes in fair values of derivatives, net of tax. For information regarding the exclusion of the impact from changes in fair values of derivatives, see "GAAP Net Income and Non-GAAP Net Income, Excluding Adjustments" above.
Certain events and transactions from 2020, which have impacted, will impact, or could impact the operating results of the Company, are discussed below.
Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic
The rapid outbreak of the respiratory disease caused by a novel strain of coronavirus, coronavirus 2019 or COVID-19 (“COVID-19”), was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020 and a national emergency by the President on March 13, 2020. Beginning on March 15, 2020, many businesses and schools closed or reduced hours throughout the U.S. to combat the spread of COVID-19, and states and local jurisdictions implemented various containment efforts, including lockdowns on non-essential business, stay-at-home orders, and shelter-in-place orders. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to the U.S. and world economies, including significantly higher unemployment and underemployment, significantly lower interest rates and equity market valuations, and extreme volatility in
36
the U.S. and world markets. As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and federal, state, and local government responses to COVID-19, the Company has experienced and may in the future experience various disruptions and impacts to the Company's businesses and results of operations. The following provides a summary of how COVID-19 has impacted and may impact the Company's business and operating results.
Corporate
The Company has implemented adjustments to its operations designed to keep employees safe and comply with federal, state, and local guidelines, including those regarding social distancing. As of March 25, 2020, the majority of our 6,600 associates were working and continue to work from home. Substantially all Company associates working from home are able to connect to their work environment virtually and continue to serve our customers.
The Company has investments in real estate, early-stage and emerging growth companies (venture capital investments), and renewable energy (solar). The Company identified several venture capital investments that were negatively impacted by the distressed economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and recognized impairment charges on such investments of $7.8 million (pre-tax) during the first quarter of 2020.
Loan Servicing and Systems
The CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, among other things, provides broad relief for federal student loan borrowers. Under the CARES Act, federal student loan payments and interest accruals were suspended until September 30, 2020 for all borrowers that have loans owned by the Department. The Department instructed servicers to apply the benefits of the law retroactively to March 13, 2020, when the President declared a state of emergency related to COVID-19. Although the Company will receive less revenue per borrower through September 30, 2020 based on borrower status, the Company currently anticipates more borrowers being in a current status subsequent to September 30, 2020, at which time the Company's revenue per borrower will increase. Currently, the Company anticipates no adverse impact to the total amount of revenue earned during 2020 under the Department servicing contracts as a result of the CARES Act. However, servicing revenue was negatively impacted in the second quarter of 2020, is expected to be lower in the third quarter of 2020, and is currently expected to be higher in the fourth quarter of 2020, than in corresponding prior periods. While federal student loan payments are suspended, the Company's operating expenses have been and will continue to be lower due to a significant reduction of borrower statement printing and postage costs. In addition, during the second quarter of 2020, revenue from the Department for originating consolidation loans was adversely impacted as a result of borrowers receiving relief on their existing loans, thus not initiating a consolidation. The Company currently anticipates this revenue will continue to be negatively impacted while student loan payments and interest accruals are suspended.
During the second quarter of 2020, FFELP, private education, and consumer loan servicing revenue was adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to reduced or eliminated delinquency outreach to borrowers, holds on claim filings, and reduced or eliminated late fees processing. In addition, origination fee revenue was negatively impacted as borrowers are less likely to refinance their loans when they are receiving certain relief measures from their current lender. The Company anticipates this trend will continue in future periods that are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the magnitude based on the extent to which existing or additional borrower relief policies and activities are implemented or extended by servicing customers.
If the student loan borrower relief provisions of the CARES Act were potentially extended past September 30, 2020 and/or new legislative or regulatory student loan borrower relief measures similar to such provisions of the CARES Act were to become effective, the levels and timing of future servicing revenues could continue to be impacted in a similar manner through the extended period of time that such provisions or measures are in effect.
Due to decreased servicing and transaction activity as a result of suspended payments under the CARES Act as discussed above, the Company has been able to transition associates to help state agencies process unemployment claims and conduct certain health tracing support activities. These contracts were awarded to the Company as a result of the Company's technology, security, compliance, and other capabilities needed to conduct such activities.
Education Technology, Services, and Payment Processing
This segment has been and will continue to be impacted by COVID-19 through lower interest rate levels, which reduce earnings for this business compared to recent historical results as the tuition funds held in custody for schools produce less interest earnings. If interest rates remain at current levels, the Company anticipates this segment will earn minimal interest income in future periods. In addition, as a result of COVID-19, demand for certain of the Company's products and services during the second quarter of 2020 was negatively impacted. Enrollment declines in higher education and K-12 schools, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could continue to negatively impact schools' demand for the Company's products and services in future periods.
37
Communications
As a result of COVID-19, ALLO has experienced increased demand from new and existing residential customers to support connectivity needs primarily for work and learn from home applications. Along with offering 60 days free for eligible customers, ALLO has partnered with school districts to provide more connectivity to students, often at discounted rates. ALLO signed the FCC Keep Americans Connected Pledge and did not suspend customers for non-payment, charge late fees, and apply suspension fees during the period from March 15, 2020 to June 30, 2020.
A prolonged economic downturn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic could adversely impact customers’ ability to pay for ALLO services. However, to date the impact has been minimal as the services ALLO provides are viewed as critical by both residential and business customers. Due to losses from COVID-19, in the future some businesses may not be able to re-open, which would adversely impact ALLO’s results of operations and cash flow.
In view of the importance of ALLO's technicians being able to connect new customers while maintaining social distance and protecting community and associate health and safety, ALLO has adjusted operational procedures by implementing associate health checks, following CDC and local health official safety protocols, facilitating customer screening, and adjusting the installation process to limit the time in the home or business as much as possible.
Asset Generation and Management
AGM's results were adversely impacted during the first quarter of 2020 as a result of COVID-19 due to:
• An incremental increase in the provision for loan losses of $63.0 million (pre-tax) resulting from an increase in expected life of loan defaults due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A $26.3 million (pre-tax) impairment charge recognized on the Company's beneficial interest in consumer loan securitizations. The Company's estimate of future cash flows from the beneficial interest in consumer loan securitizations was lower than originally anticipated due to the expectation of increased consumer loan defaults within such securitizations due to the distressed economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, during the first quarter of 2020, variable loan spread on the Company's federal student loan portfolio decreased due to a widening of the basis between the asset and debt indices in which the Company earns interest on its loans and funds such loans. The significant widening during the first quarter of 2020 was the result of a significant decrease in interest rates in March 2020 as a result of COVID-19. In a declining interest rate environment, student loan spread is compressed, due to the timing of interest rate resets on the Company's assets occurring daily in contrast to the timing of the interest resets on the Company's debt that occurs either monthly or quarterly. As the Company's debt reset at lower interest rates during the second quarter of 2020, the Company's variable loan spread increased.
During the first half of the second quarter of 2020, interest rates continued to decrease. As the Company's debt continues to reset to these lower interest rates during the third quarter of 2020, the Company expects variable loan spread will continue to increase from current levels. In addition, as a result of the decrease in interest rates in March 2020 and the first half of the second quarter of 2020, the Company has received and anticipates to continue to receive an increase in fixed rate floor income earned on its federally insured student loan portfolio.
The CARES Act, among other things, provides broad relief, effective March 13, 2020, for borrowers that have student loans owned by the Department of Education. This relief package excluded FFELP, private education, and consumer loans. Although the Company’s loans are excluded from the provisions of the CARES Act, the Company is providing relief for its borrowers.
For the Company's federally insured and private education loans, effective March 13, 2020 through June 30, 2020, the Company proactively applied a 90 day natural disaster forbearance to any loan that was 31-269 days past due (for federally insured loans) and 80 days past due (for private education loans), and to any current loan upon request. Beginning July 1, 2020, the Company discontinued proactively applying 90 day natural disaster forbearances on past due loans. However, the Company will continue to apply a natural disaster forbearance with an end date of September 30, 2020, to any federally insured and private education loan upon request. Federally insured loans in forbearance increased to $5.4 billion, or 27.7% of the portfolio, at June 30, 2020, compared to $1.3 billion, or 6.6% of the portfolio, as of December 31, 2019. Private education loans in forbearance increased to $21.9 million, or 7.5% of the portfolio, at June 30, 2020, compared to $3.1 million, or 1.3% of the portfolio, at December 31, 2019. Federally insured and private education loans in forbearance declined in June 2020 from May peaks of $6.0 billion and $38.6 million, respectively. The Company anticipates that loans in forbearance will continue to decline in the third and fourth quarters of 2020, absent any intervening policy change, when borrowers are currently scheduled to exit forbearance. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, most borrowers continue to make payments according to their payment plans.
38
In addition, for private education loans, effective March 13, 2020 through September 30, 2020, the Company is delaying final demand letters and default activity, while replacing collection calls with borrower outreach on relief options. For both federally insured and private education loans, effective March 13, 2020 through September 30, 2020, borrower late fees are being waived and borrower payments made after March 13, 2020 are refunded upon a borrower's request.
For the majority of the Company's consumer loans, borrowers are generally being offered, upon request and/or documented evidence of financial distress, a two-month deferral of payments, with an option of additional deferrals if the COVID-19 pandemic continues. In addition, effective March 13, 2020 through September 30, 2020, the majority of fees (non-sufficient funds, late charges, check fees) and credit bureau reporting are currently suspended. The specific relief terms on the Company's consumer loan portfolio vary depending on the loan program and servicer of such loans.
The Company will continue to review whether additional and/or extended borrower relief policies and activities are needed.
The Company is not contractually committed to acquire FFELP, private education, or consumer loans, so the Company has been and will continue to be selective as to which, if any, loans it purchases during the current period of economic uncertainty. As a result of the economic uncertainty, the Company has identified certain opportunities to deploy capital. In March and April 2020, the Company purchased residual interests in certain FFELP securitizations for $33.5 million. In addition, the Company has purchased $89.3 million of investments in student loan asset-backed securities during the six months ended June 30, 2020 (net of proceeds from sales of such securities). A majority of the student loan asset-backed securities purchases were funded via a participation agreement with Union Bank (a related party).
Liquidity
The Company currently believes its cash and anticipated cash generated from operations on an annual basis will be sufficient to fund its operating expenses and business activities for the foreseeable future. In addition, the Company does not currently believe the COVID-19 pandemic will have any impact regarding compliance with covenants on any of the Company's debt facilities, including its unsecured line of credit.
See further discussion regarding the Company’s strong liquidity position below.
Other Risks and Uncertainties
The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented and continues to evolve. The extent to which COVID-19 may impact the Company's businesses depends on future developments, which are highly uncertain, subject to various risks, and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the ultimate spread, severity, and duration of the pandemic, travel restrictions, stay-at-home or other similar orders and social distancing in the United States and other countries, business and/or school closures and disruptions, and the effectiveness of actions taken in the United States and other countries to contain and treat the virus. For additional information on the risks and uncertainties regarding the impacts of COVID-19, see Part II, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted our results of operations, and could continue to adversely impact our results of operations, as well as adversely impact our businesses, financial condition, and/or cash flows" in this report.
Investment in Agile Sports Technologies, Inc. (doing business as "Hudl")
On May 20, 2020, the Company made an additional equity investment of approximately $26.0 million in Hudl, as one of the participants in an equity raise completed by Hudl. Prior to the additional 2020 investment, the Company had direct and indirect equity ownership interests in Hudl of less than 20%, which did not materially change as a result of this transaction. The Company accounts for its investment in Hudl using the measurement alternative method, which requires it to adjust its carrying value of the investment for changes resulting from observable market transactions. As a result of Hudl’s equity raise, the Company recognized a $51.0 million (pre-tax) gain during the three months ended June 30, 2020 to adjust its carrying value to reflect the May 20, 2020 transaction value. This gain is included in "other income" on the consolidated statements of income.
Department of Education NextGen Procurement
Nelnet Servicing, LLC ("Nelnet Servicing"), a subsidiary of the Company, earns loan servicing revenue from a servicing contract with the Department. Revenue earned by Nelnet Servicing related to this contract was $37.4 million and $40.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, and $76.0 million and $80.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. In addition, Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc. ("Great Lakes"), which was acquired by the Company on February 7, 2018, also earns loan servicing revenue from a similar servicing contract with the Department. Revenue earned by Great Lakes related to this contract was $45.2 million and $46.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, and $91.7 million and $93.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
39
Nelnet Servicing and Great Lakes' servicing contracts with the Department previously provided for expiration on June 16, 2019. On November 26, 2019, Nelnet Servicing and Great Lakes each received extensions from the Department on their contracts through December 14, 2020. The most current contract extensions also provide the potential for two additional six-month extensions at the Department's discretion through December 14, 2021.
The Department is conducting a contract procurement process entitled Next Generation Financial Services Environment (“NextGen”) for a new framework for the servicing of all student loans owned by the Department. On January 15, 2019, the Department issued solicitations for three NextGen components:
• NextGen Enhanced Processing Solution ("EPS")
• NextGen Business Process Operations ("BPO")
• NextGen Optimal Processing Solution ("OPS")
On April 1, 2019 and October 4, 2019, the Company responded to the EPS solicitation component. On January 16, 2020, the Department released an amendment to the EPS solicitation component and the Company responded on February 3, 2020. In addition, on August 1, 2019, the Company responded to the BPO solicitation component. On January 10, 2020, the Department released an amendment to the BPO solicitation component and the Company responded on January 30, 2020. The EPS solicitation component was for a transitional technology system and certain processing functions the Department planned to use under NextGen to service the Department's student loan customers for a period of time before eventually moving to OPS in the future. However, on April 3, 2020, the Department cancelled the OPS solicitation component. The BPO solicitation component is for the back office and call center operational functions for servicing the Department's student loan customers.
On March 30, 2020, the Company received a letter from the Department notifying the Company that the Company's proposal in response to the EPS component had been determined to be outside of the competitive range and would receive no further consideration for an award. On April 13, 2020, the Company filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office ("GAO") challenging the Department's decision to cancel the OPS solicitation component without amending the EPS solicitation component. On April 27, 2020, the Company filed a supplemental protest challenging a number of bases for the Department's competitive range exclusion of the Company's proposal from the EPS solicitation component. On July 10, 2020, the Department cancelled the solicitation for the EPS component. In its cancellation description, the Department indicated that it continues to be committed to the goals and vision of NextGen, and that it will be introducing a new solicitation to continue the NextGen strategy in the future. Based on the Department's cancellation of the EPS procurement, on July 14, 2020, the GAO dismissed the Company's protests as moot. The Company fully intends to compete for the servicing system solution as the Department proceeds with their NextGen strategy.
On June 18, 2020, the Company received a letter from the Department notifying the Company that the Company's proposal in response to the BPO solicitation component was determined to be ineligible for award, claiming the Company's response did not meet certain requirements related to small business participation. The Company immediately requested a debriefing regarding the Department's basis for this decision. Prior to providing the Company a debriefing, on June 24, 2020, the Department awarded and signed contracts with five other companies in connection with the BPO solicitation. On July 13, 2020, the Company filed a protest with the GAO challenging on a number of bases the Department's determination that the Company's BPO response did not meet small business participation requirements. In addition, on July 20, 2020, the Company filed a supplemental protest challenging the Department's decision to proceed with awards of contracts for the BPO component, when it cancelled the EPS component and a new EPS solicitation is expected to be released. On July 24, 2020, the Department provided the Company a debriefing regarding the Department's June 18, 2020 decision to eliminate the Company from the BPO competition. On July 28, 2020, the Company filed a second supplemental protest challenging the Department's BPO decision. Under applicable law, contract awards to other parties for the BPO component are subject to a stay of performance until the protests are resolved. A decision by the GAO is due on or before October 22, 2020.
The Company cannot predict the outcome of the current protests regarding the BPO component, or the timing, nature, or ultimate outcome of the Department's NextGen contract procurement process.
Adoption of New Accounting Standard for Credit Losses
On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-13 , Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (“ASC 326”), which replaces the incurred loss methodology with an expected loss methodology that is referred to as the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) methodology.
The CECL methodology utilizes a lifetime “expected credit loss” measurement objective for the recognition of credit losses for financial assets measured at amortized cost at the time the financial asset is originated or acquired. The expected credit losses are adjusted each period for changes in expected lifetime credit losses.
40
The new guidance primarily impacted the allowance for loan losses related to the Company’s loan portfolio. Upon adoption, the Company recorded an increase to the allowance for loan losses of $91.0 million, which included a reclassification of the non-accretable discount balance and premiums related to loans purchased with evidence of credit deterioration, and decreased retained earnings, net of tax, by $18.9 million. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2020 are presented under ASC 326 (recognizing estimated credit losses expected to occur over the asset's remaining life) while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable GAAP (recognizing estimated credit losses using an incurred loss model); therefore, the comparative information for 2019 is not comparable to the information presented for 2020.
Nelnet Bank
On March 18, 2020, the Company announced that it received notification of approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) Board of Directors for federal deposit insurance and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions (“UDFI”) in connection with the establishment of Nelnet Bank as a Utah-chartered industrial bank. Nelnet Bank would operate as an internet bank franchise focused on the private education loan marketplace, with a home office in Draper, Utah.
The approval from the FDIC and UDFI is subject to a number of conditions, including compliance with the terms of the orders from the FDIC and UDFI. In addition, Nelnet Bank will have to meet a readiness review by the FDIC and UDFI before commencing operations. Although a formal timeline has not been established for these items, the Company currently believes Nelnet Bank could be approved and operational by the fourth quarter of 2020.
On June 26, 2020, Nelnet Bank, Nelnet, Inc. (the parent), and Michael S. Dunlap (Nelnet, Inc.’s controlling shareholder) entered into a Capital and Liquidity Maintenance Agreement and a Parent Company Agreement with the FDIC in connection with Nelnet, Inc.’s role as a source of financial strength for Nelnet Bank. As part of the Capital and Liquidity Maintenance Agreement, Nelnet, Inc. is obligated to (i) contribute capital to Nelnet Bank for it to maintain capital levels that meet FDIC requirements for a “well capitalized” bank, including a leverage ratio of capital to total assets of at least 12 percent; (ii) provide and maintain a revolving line of credit for the benefit of Nelnet Bank in an amount equal to the greater of either 10 percent of Nelnet Bank’s total assets or such additional amount as agreed to by Nelnet Bank and Nelnet, Inc.; (iii) provide additional liquidity to Nelnet Bank in such amount and duration as may be necessary for Nelnet Bank to meet its ongoing liquidity obligations; and (iv) establish and maintain a pledged deposit of $40.0 million with Nelnet Bank.
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the Company incurred incremental direct costs associated with Nelnet Bank of $1.3 million and $2.5 million, respectively. Nelnet Bank will be funded with an initial capital commitment of $100.0 million from the Company. Nelnet Bank will operate as a separate subsidiary of the Company, and the industrial bank charter will allow the Company to maintain its other diversified business offerings.
Liquidity
• As of June 30, 2020, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $67.5 million. In addition, the Company had a portfolio of available-for-sale investments, consisting primarily of student loan asset-backed securities, with a fair value of $142.2 million as of June 30, 2020. As of June 30, 2020, the Company has participated $86.7 million of these securities, and such participation is reflected as debt on the Company's consolidated balance sheet.
• The Company has a $455.0 million unsecured line of credit with a maturity date of December 16, 2024. As of June 30, 2020, the unsecured line of credit had $30.0 million outstanding and $425.0 million was available for future use. The line of credit provides that the Company may increase the aggregate financing commitments, through the existing lenders and/or through new lenders, up to a total of $550.0 million, subject to certain conditions.
• The majority of the Company’s portfolio of student loans is funded in asset-backed securitizations that will generate significant earnings and cash flow over the life of these transactions. As of June 30, 2020, the Company currently expects future undiscounted cash flows from its securitization portfolio to be approximately $2.28 billion, of which approximately $1.51 billion will be generated over the next 5 1/2 years (through 2025).
• During the first six months of 2020, the Company completed three FFELP asset-backed securitizations totaling $1.1 billion.
• As of June 30, 2020, the Company had $348.9 million, $92.6 million, and $126.4 million of capacity under its FFELP, private education, and consumer loan warehouse facilities, respectively, to purchase additional loans.
Subsequent to June 30, 2020, the Company made the decision to sell an additional $60.8 million (par value) of consumer loans to an unrelated third party, who securitized such loans. As partial consideration received for the consumer loans sold, the Company received a 25.4 percent residual interest in the consumer loan securitization. The Company currently anticipates recognizing a gain in the third quarter of 2020 of $14.8 million (pre-tax) from the sale
41
of these loans. After the completion of this loan sale, $46.8 million was outstanding under the Company's consumer loan warehouse facility and $153.2 million was available for future funding.
• The Company has a stock repurchase program to purchase up to a total of five million shares of the Company’s Class A common stock during the three-year period ending May 7, 2022. Year to date, through June 30, 2020, the Company has repurchased 1,497,934 shares of stock for $68.5 million ($45.75 per share), of which the vast majority was purchased during the second quarter of 2020. As of June 30, 2020, 3.3 million shares remained authorized for repurchase under the Company's stock repurchase program.
• The Company paid a second quarter 2020 cash dividend on the Company's Class A and Class B common stock of $0.20 per share. In addition, the Company's Board of Directors has declared a third quarter 2020 cash dividend on the Company's outstanding shares of Class A and Class B common stock of $0.20 per share. The third quarter cash dividend will be paid on September 15, 2020 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 1, 2020.
The Company intends to use its strong liquidity position to capitalize on market opportunities, including FFELP, private education, and consumer loan acquisitions; strategic acquisitions and investments, including anticipated capital commitments to Nelnet Bank; expansion of ALLO’s telecommunications network; and capital management initiatives, including stock repurchases, debt repurchases, and dividend distributions. The timing and size of these opportunities will vary and will have a direct impact on the Company’s cash and investment balances.
CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
An analysis of the Company's operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 compared to the same periods in 2019 is provided below.
The Company’s operating results are primarily driven by the performance of its existing loan portfolio and the revenues generated by its fee-based businesses and the costs to provide such services. The performance of the Company’s portfolio is driven by net interest income (which includes financing costs) and losses related to credit quality of the assets, along with the cost to administer and service the assets and related debt.
The Company operates as distinct reportable operating segments as described above. For a reconciliation of the reportable segment operating results to the consolidated results of operations, see note 10 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Part I, Item 1 of this report. Since the Company monitors and assesses its operations and results based on these segments, the discussion following the consolidated results of operations is presented on a reportable segment basis.
Three months ended Six months ended
June 30, June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019 Additional information
Loan interest $ 146,140 238,222 327,933 480,555 Decrease was due primarily to decreases in the gross yield earned on loans and the average balance of loans, partially offset by an increase in gross fixed rate floor income due to lower interest rates in 2020 as compared to 2019.
Investment interest 5,743 8,566 13,141 16,819 Includes income from unrestricted interest-earning deposits and investments and funds in asset-backed securitizations. Decrease was due to a decrease in interest rates.
Total interest income 151,883 246,788 341,074 497,374
Interest expense 85,248 186,963 219,366 378,733 Decrease was due primarily to a decrease in cost of funds and a decrease in the average balance of debt outstanding.
Net interest income 66,635 59,825 121,708 118,641 See table below for additional analysis.
Less provision for loan losses 2,999 9,000 79,297 16,000 The increase during the six months ended June 30, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 was due to provision expense recognized in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of an increase in expected defaults as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and an increased provision for loan losses on loans acquired in 2020 to reflect life of loan expected losses as compared to loans acquired in 2019 for which the provision for loan losses was recognized based upon an incurred loss methodology.
Net interest income after provision for
loan losses 63,636 50,825 42,411 102,641
Other income/expense:
LSS revenue 111,042 113,985 223,778 228,883 See LSS operating segment - results of operations.
ETS&PP revenue 59,304 60,342 142,979 139,502 See ETS&PP operating segment - results of operations.
Communications revenue 18,998 15,758 37,179 30,300 See Communications operating segment - results of operations.
Gain on sale of loans — 1,712 18,206 1,712 The Company sold a portfolio of consumer loans in the first quarter of 2020 and the second quarter of 2019 and recognized gains of $18.2 million and $1.7 million, respectively.
Other income 60,127 14,440 68,408 23,507 See table below for the components of "other income."
42
Impairment expense
(332) — (34,419) — During the first quarter of 2020, the Company recognized impairments of $26.3 million and $7.8 million related to beneficial interest in consumer loan securitization investments and several venture capital investments, respectively. Such impairments were the result of impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Derivative settlements, net
5,821 12,972 10,058 32,007 The Company maintains an overall risk management strategy that incorporates the use of derivative instruments to reduce the economic effect of interest rate volatility. Derivative settlements for each applicable period should be evaluated with the Company's net interest income. See table below for additional analysis.
Derivative market value adjustments, net
(3,911) (37,060) (24,513) (67,635) Includes the realized and unrealized gains and losses that are caused by changes in fair values of derivatives which do not qualify for "hedge treatment" under GAAP. The majority of the derivative market value adjustments related to the changes in fair value of the Company's floor income interest rate swaps. Such changes reflect that a decrease in the forward yield curve during a reporting period results in a decrease in the fair value of the Company's floor income interest rate swaps, and an increase in the forward yield curve during a reporting period results in an increase in the fair value of the Company's floor income interest rate swaps. During the first quarter of 2020 and first and second quarters of 2019, there were significant decreases in the forward yield curve resulting in decreases in the fair value of the Company's floor income interest rate swaps that resulted in a loss during these periods. Although the decrease in the forward yield curve was more substantial in 2020 as compared to 2019, the notional amount of derivatives outstanding during 2020 was much lower than compared to 2019.
Total other income/expense 251,049 182,149 441,676 388,276
Cost of services:
Cost to provide education technology, services, and payment processing services
15,376 15,871 38,181 36,930 Represents primarily direct costs to provide payment processing services in the ETS&PP operating segment.
Cost to provide communications services 5,743 5,101 11,325 9,860 Represents costs of services primarily associated with television programming costs in the Communications operating segment.
Total cost of services 21,119 20,972 49,506 46,790
Operating expenses:
Salaries and benefits 119,247 111,214 239,125 222,272 Increases were due to (i) increases in personnel in the LSS and corporate operating segments to meet increased service and security standards under the Department servicing contracts; (ii) increases in personnel in the LSS operating segment to develop a new private education and consumer loan servicing system; (iii) increases in personnel to support the growth in the customer base and the development of new technologies in the ETS&PP operating segment; and (iv) a decrease in the amount of salary and benefit costs capitalized in 2020 as compared to 2019 at ALLO. See each individual operating segment results of operations discussion for additional information.
Depreciation and amortization 29,393 24,484 57,041 48,697 Increases were primarily due to additional depreciation expense at ALLO.
Other expenses 37,052 45,417 80,439 89,233 Other expenses includes expenses necessary for operations, such as postage and distribution, consulting and professional fees, occupancy, communications, and certain information technology-related costs. Decreases were due to (i) cost savings in the LSS segment from an increase in the adoption of electronic borrower statements and correspondence and a decrease in printing and postage while loan payments were suspended as a result of COVID-19 borrower relief efforts; and (ii) reduction of travel expenses and the cancellation of on-site conferences in the ETS&PP segment. See each individual operating segment results of operations discussion for additional information.
Total operating expenses 185,692 181,115 376,605 360,202
Income before income taxes 107,874 30,887 57,976 83,925
Income tax expense 21,264 6,209 11,131 17,600 The effective tax rate was 19.7% and 20.1% for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and 19.5% and 21.0% for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company currently expects its effective tax rate for 2020 will range between 19 and 21 percent.
Net income 86,610 24,678 46,845 66,325
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
(128) (59) (895) (115)
Net income attributable to
Nelnet, Inc. $ 86,482 24,619 45,950 66,210
The following table summarizes the components of “net interest income” and “derivative settlements, net.”
Derivative settlements represent the cash paid or received during the current period to settle with derivative instrument counterparties the economic effect of the Company's derivative instruments based on their contractual terms. Derivative accounting requires that net settlements with respect to derivatives that do not qualify for "hedge treatment" under GAAP be recorded in a separate income statement line item below net interest income. The Company maintains an overall risk management strategy that incorporates the use of derivative instruments to reduce the economic effect of interest rate volatility. As such, management believes derivative settlements for each applicable period should be evaluated with the Company’s net interest income as presented in the table below. Net interest income (net of settlements on derivatives) is a non-
43
GAAP financial measure, and the Company reports this non-GAAP information because the Company believes that it provides additional information regarding operational and performance indicators that are closely assessed by management. There is no comprehensive, authoritative guidance for the presentation of such non-GAAP information, which is only meant to supplement GAAP results by providing additional information that management utilizes to assess performance. See note 4 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Part I, Item 1 of this report for additional information on the Company's derivative instruments, including the net settlement activity recognized by the Company for each type of derivative for the 2020 and 2019 periods presented in the table under the caption "Consolidated Financial Statement Impact Related to Derivatives - Statements of Income" in note 4 and in the table below.
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019 Additional information
Variable loan interest margin
$ 30,133 44,310 60,499 88,260 Represents the yield the Company receives on its loan portfolio less the cost of funding these loans. Variable loan spread is also impacted by the amortization/accretion of loan premiums and discounts and the 1.05% per year consolidation loan rebate fee paid to the Department. See AGM operating segment - results of operations.
Settlements on associated derivatives
7,129 807 9,242 3,140 Represents the net settlements received related to the Company’s 1:3 basis swaps.
Variable loan interest margin, net of settlements on derivatives
37,262 45,117 69,741 91,400
Fixed rate floor income
31,866 10,840 50,625 21,265 The Company has a portfolio of student loans that are earning interest at a fixed borrower rate which exceeds the statutorily defined variable lender rates, generating fixed rate floor income. See Item 3, "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk - Interest Rate Risk" for additional information.
Settlements on associated derivatives
(1,308) 12,165 816 28,867 Represents the net settlements received (paid) related to the Company’s floor income interest rate swaps.
Fixed rate floor income, net of settlements on derivatives
30,558 23,005 51,441 50,132
Investment interest
5,743 8,566 13,141 16,819
Corporate debt interest expense
(1,107) (3,891) (2,557) (7,703) Includes interest expense on the Junior Subordinated Hybrid Securities and unsecured line of credit. Decrease due to a decrease in interest rates and in the average balance outstanding on the Company's unsecured line of credit.
Net interest income (net of settlements on derivatives)
$ 72,456 72,797 131,766 150,648
44
The following table summarizes the components of "other income."
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019
Gain on investments, net of losses (a) $ 53,151 4,258 49,286 3,831
Management fee revenue (b) 1,914 2,277 4,544 4,350
Investment advisory services (c) 922 731 3,724 1,441
Borrower late fee income (d) 319 3,161 3,506 6,674
Other 3,821 4,013 7,348 7,211
Other income $ 60,127 14,440 68,408 23,507
(a) During the second quarter of 2020, the Company recognized a $51.0 million (pre-tax) gain to adjust the carrying value of its investment in Hudl to reflect Hudl's May 2020 equity raise transaction value.
(b) Represents revenue earned from providing administrative support and marketing services primarily to Great Lakes’ former parent company in accordance with a contract that expires in January 2021. Decrease for the three months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was due to a reduction in administrative support for Great Lakes’ former parent company. Increase for the six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was due to an increase in marketing and administrative support provided to other clients primarily in the first quarter of 2020.
(c) The Company provides investment advisory services through Whitetail Rock Capital Management, LLC ("WRCM"), the Company's SEC-registered investment advisor subsidiary, under various arrangements. WRCM earns annual fees of 25 basis points on the majority of the outstanding balance of asset-backed securities under management and up to 50 percent of the gains from the sale of asset-backed securities or asset-backed securities being called prior to the full contractual maturity for which it provides advisory services. As of June 30, 2020, the outstanding balance of asset-backed securities under management subject to these arrangements was $1.3 billion. In addition, WRCM earns annual management fees of five basis points for certain other investments under management. The increase in advisory fees in 2020 as compared to 2019 was the result of an increase in performance fees earned.
(d) Represents borrower late fees earned by the AGM operating segment. The decrease in borrower late fees for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same periods in 2019 was due to the Company suspending borrower late fees effective March 13, 2020 to provide borrowers relief as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
45
LOAN SERVICING AND SYSTEMS OPERATING SEGMENT – RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Loan Servicing Volumes
As of
December 31,
2018 March 31,
2019 June 30,
2019 September 30,
2019 December 31,
2019 March 31,
2020 June 30,
2020
Servicing volume (dollars in millions):
Nelnet:
Government $ 179,507 183,093 181,682 184,399 183,790 185,477 185,315
FFELP 36,748 35,917 35,003 33,981 33,185 32,326 31,392
Private and consumer 15,666 16,065 16,025 16,286 16,033 16,364 16,223
Great Lakes:
Government 232,694 237,050 236,500 240,268 239,980 243,205 243,609
Total $ 464,615 472,125 469,210 474,934 472,988 477,372 476,539
Number of servicing borrowers:
Nelnet:
Government 5,771,923 5,708,582 5,592,989 5,635,653 5,574,001 5,498,872 5,496,662
FFELP 1,709,853 1,650,785 1,588,530 1,529,392 1,478,703 1,423,286 1,370,007
Private and consumer 696,933 699,768 693,410 701,299 682,836 670,702 653,281
Great Lakes:
Government 7,458,684 7,385,284 7,300,691 7,430,165 7,396,657 7,344,509 7,346,691
Total 15,637,393 15,444,419 15,175,620 15,296,509 15,132,197 14,937,369 14,866,641
Number of remote hosted borrowers:
6,393,151 6,332,261 6,211,132 6,457,296 6,433,324 6,354,158 6,264,559
Nelnet Servicing and Great Lakes' servicing contracts with the Department previously provided for expiration on June 16, 2019. On November 26, 2019, Nelnet Servicing and Great Lakes each received extensions from the Department on their contracts through December 14, 2020. The most current contract extensions also provide the potential for two additional six-month extensions at the Department's discretion through December 14, 2021. The Department is conducting a contract procurement process for a new framework for the servicing of all student loans owned by the Department. See "Overview - Department of Education NextGen Procurement" above for additional information.
The Department currently allocates new loan volume among its servicers based on certain performance metrics that measure the satisfaction among separate customer groups, including borrowers and Department personnel who work with the servicers, and that measure the success of keeping borrowers in an on-time repayment status and helping borrowers avoid default. Under the most recently publicly announced performance metric measurements used by the Department for the quarterly periods July 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019, Great Lakes’ and Nelnet Servicing’s overall rankings among the nine current servicers for the Department were tied for first and tied for third, respectively. Based on these results, Great Lakes’ and Nelnet Servicing’s allocation of new student loan servicing volumes for the period March 1, 2020 through August 31, 2020 are 19 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
46
Summary and Comparison of Operating Results
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019 Additional information
Net interest income $ 24 531 296 1,028 Decrease was due to lower interest rates in 2020 as compared to 2019.
Loan servicing and systems revenue
111,042 113,985 223,778 228,883 See table below for additional information.
Intersegment servicing revenue
8,537 11,598 19,591 23,815 Represents revenue earned by the LSS operating segment as a result of servicing loans for the AGM operating segment. Decrease was due to the impact of borrower relief policies implemented by AGM in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the expected amortization of AGM's FFELP portfolio. FFELP intersegment servicing revenue will continue to decrease as AGM's FFELP portfolio pays off.
Other income 1,914 2,277 4,544 4,350 Represents revenue earned from providing administrative support and marketing services primarily to Great Lakes’ former parent company in accordance with a contract that expires in January 2021. Decrease for the three months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was due to a reduction in administrative support for Great Lakes’ former parent company. Increase for the six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was due to an increase in marketing and administrative support provided to other clients primarily in the first quarter of 2020.
Total other income 121,493 127,860 247,913 257,048
Salaries and benefits 68,401 66,496 138,894 132,715 Increase was due to an increase in headcount to provide enhanced service levels to borrowers under the Department servicing contracts, and to develop a new private education and consumer loan servicing system.
Depreciation and amortization
9,142 8,799 17,990 17,671
Other expenses 13,380 17,118 30,870 36,047 Decrease for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same periods in 2019 was due to cost savings as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting CARES Act, primarily associated with the fact that while student loan payments are suspended there is a significant reduction of borrower statement printing and postage costs. See "Overview - Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic - Loan Servicing and Systems" above for additional information. Decrease was also due to cost savings from an increase in the adoption of electronic borrower statements and correspondence. Decrease for the six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was also due to a decrease in the provision for servicing losses.
Intersegment expenses 15,996 13,604 32,235 27,362 Intersegment expenses represent costs for certain corporate activities and services that are allocated to each operating segment based on estimated use of such activities and services. Increase was due to an increase in security service levels related to the Department servicing contracts.
Total operating expenses 106,919 106,017 219,989 213,795
Income before income taxes 14,598 22,374 28,220 44,281
Income tax expense (3,504) (5,370) (6,773) (10,628) Represents income tax expense at an effective tax rate of 24%.
Net income $ 11,094 17,004 21,447 33,653 The LSS segment incurred additional costs during 2020 to meet increased service and security standards under the Department servicing contracts. In addition, revenue in 2020 has been negatively impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the segment's net income and operating margin decreased in 2020 as compared to the same periods in 2019.
Before tax operating margin 12.0 % 17.5 % 11.4 % 17.2 %
47
Loan servicing and systems revenue
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019 Additional information
Government servicing - Nelnet $ 37,360 40,459 76,010 80,099 Represents revenue from Nelnet Servicing's Department servicing contract. Decrease was due to a decrease in revenue from the administration of the Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Discharge program, decrease in fees earned from the Department for originating consolidation loans, and decrease in revenue earned per borrower as a result of certain provisions included in the CARES Act. See "Overview - Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic - Loan Servicing and Systems" above for additional information.
Government servicing - Great Lakes 45,213 45,973 91,660 93,050 Represents revenue from the Great Lakes' Department servicing contract. Decrease was due to a decrease in fees earned from the Department for originating consolidation loans and decrease in revenue earned per borrower as a result of certain provisions included in the CARES Act. See "Overview - Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic - Loan Servicing and Systems" above for additional information.
Private education and consumer loan servicing 8,196 8,985 16,805 18,465 Decrease was due to a decrease in the number of borrowers serviced, a decrease in origination fees, and the impact of borrower relief policies implemented by private lenders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. See "Overview - Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic - Loan Servicing and Systems" above for additional information.
FFELP servicing 4,917 6,424 10,531 13,119 Decrease was due to a decrease in the number of borrowers serviced and the impact of borrower relief policies implemented by lenders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. See "Overview - Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic - Loan Servicing and Systems" above for additional information. Over time, FFELP servicing revenue will continue to decrease as third-party customers' FFELP portfolios pay off.
Software services 10,651 10,021 21,969 19,762 Increase was due to an increase in borrowers and services in which the Company provides hosted FFELP guarantee activities.
Outsourced services and other 4,705 2,123 6,803 4,388 The majority of this revenue relates to providing contact center outsourcing activities. Increase was due to providing temporary outsourcing services to state agencies to process unemployment claims and conduct certain health tracing support activities. See "Overview - Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic - Loan Servicing and Systems" above for additional information.
Loan servicing and systems revenue $ 111,042 113,985 223,778 228,883
48
EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY, SERVICES, AND PAYMENT PROCESSING OPERATING SEGMENT – RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
As discussed further in the Company's 2019 Annual Report, this segment of the Company’s business is subject to seasonal fluctuations which correspond, or are related to, the traditional school year. Based on the timing of revenue recognition and when expenses are incurred, revenue and pre-tax operating margin are higher in the first quarter as compared to the remainder of the year.
Summary and Comparison of Operating Results
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019 Additional information
Net interest income $ 399 1,648 2,373 3,657 Decrease was due to a decrease in interest rates in 2020 as compared with 2019, including the significant drop in interest rates in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If interest rates remain at current levels, the Company anticipates this segment will earn minimal interest income in future periods.
Education technology, services, and payment processing revenue
59,304 60,342 142,979 139,502 See table below for additional information.
Intersegment revenue 3 — 14 —
Total other income
59,307 60,342 142,993 139,502
Cost to provide education technology, services, and payment processing services
15,376 15,871 38,181 36,930 See table below for additional information.
Salaries and benefits 24,522 22,823 48,218 45,830 Increase was due to an increase in headcount to support the growth of its customer base and investment in the development of new technologies. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in headcount due to operating efficiencies gained related to the acquisition of TMS in November 2018.
Depreciation and amortization
2,362 3,324 4,749 6,835 Amortization of intangible assets related to business acquisitions was $2.2 million and $3.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $4.4 million and $6.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Other expenses 2,326 5,805 8,418 11,116 Decrease was due to a reduction of travel expenses and the cancellation of on-site conferences as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Intersegment expenses, net 3,429 3,148 6,756 6,447 Intersegment expenses represent costs for certain corporate activities and services that are allocated to each operating segment based on estimated use of such activities and services.
Total operating expenses 32,639 35,100 68,141 70,228
Income before income taxes 11,691 11,019 39,044 36,001
Income tax expense (2,806) (2,645) (9,371) (8,640) Represents income tax expense at an effective tax rate of 24%.
Net income $ 8,885 8,374 29,673 27,361
49
Education technology, services, and payment processing revenue
The following table provides disaggregated revenue by service offering and before tax operating margin for each reporting period.
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019 Additional information
Tuition payment plan services $ 22,947 24,655 54,534 54,829 Revenue recognized during the first six months of 2020 is primarily related to payment plans for the 2019-2020 academic year for K-12 schools and the spring and summer 2020 semester for institutions of higher education. As a result, fees for the majority of payment plans were received and are based on school enrollments prior to the conditions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, tuition payment plan services revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2020 decreased as compared to the same period in 2019. Enrollment declines in higher education and K-12 schools as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic could negatively impact tuition payment plan revenue in future periods.
Payment processing
21,168 21,311 52,910 50,290 Decrease in revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was due to a decrease in the volume of payments processed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Enrollment declines in higher education and K-12 schools as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning with the fall 2020 academic term could result in a corresponding decline in the volume of payments processed, which would negatively impact payment processing revenue in future periods.
Education technology and services
14,927 14,096 34,980 33,805 Increase was due to an increase from FACTS Student Information System (“SIS”) software subscriptions and an increase in volume for the Nelnet Campus Commerce refunds service. The growth rate in the Company’s financial needs assessment service was flat compared to 2019 , resulting in an overall growth rate that was lower than historical periods. The COVID-19 pandemic could negatively impact enrollments and schools’ demand for certain of the Company’s products and services, which would negatively impact the Company’s revenue in future periods.
Other
262 280 555 578
Education technology, services, and payment processing revenue
59,304 60,342 142,979 139,502
Cost to provide education technology, services, and payment processing services
15,376 15,871 38,181 36,930 Costs primarily relate to payment processing revenue and such costs decrease/increase in relationship to payment revenue.
Net revenue
$ 43,928 44,471 104,798 102,572
Before tax operating margin
26.6 % 24.8 % 37.3 % 35.1 %
50
COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING SEGMENT – RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Summary and Comparison of Operating Results
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019 Additional information
Net interest income $ — 1 — 3
Communications revenue
18,998 15,758 37,179 30,300 Communications revenue is derived primarily from the sale of pure fiber optic services to residential and business customers in Nebraska and Colorado, including internet, television, and telephone services. Increase was due to additional residential households and businesses served as a result of the completion of the Lincoln, Nebraska network build out in 2019 and continued maturity of ALLO's existing markets. See additional financial and operating data for ALLO in the tables below.
Other income 392 362 745 487
Total other income 19,390 16,120 37,924 30,787
Cost to provide communications services 5,743 5,101 11,325 9,860 Cost of services are primarily associated with television programming costs. Other costs include connectivity, franchise, and other regulatory costs directly related to providing internet and voice services.
Salaries and benefits 5,570 5,192 10,986 9,929 Certain salary and benefit costs qualify for capitalization as ALLO develops its network. Overall, there was a decrease in gross salaries and benefits paid in 2020 as compared to 2019 due to a decrease in headcount. However, the amount of costs capitalized in 2020 was lower than 2019, resulting in an overall increase in salaries and benefits, net of capitalized costs.
Depreciation and amortization 10,824 7,737 21,330 15,099 Depreciation reflects the allocation of the costs of ALLO's property and equipment over the period in which such assets are used. A significant amount of property and equipment purchases have been made to support the Lincoln, Nebraska network expansion. The gross property and equipment balances related to this segment as of June 30, 2020, December 31, 2019, June 30, 2019, and December 31, 2018 were $332.6 million, $315.3 million, $298.2 million and $273.9 million, respectively. Amortization reflects the allocation of costs related to intangible assets recorded at fair value as of the date the Company acquired ALLO over their estimated useful lives.
Other expenses 3,774 3,865 7,463 7,342 Other expenses includes selling, general, and administrative expenses necessary for operations, such as advertising, occupancy, professional services, construction materials, and personal property taxes. Decrease for the three months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was due to a reduction in travel expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Intersegment expenses
536 716 1,160 1,380 Intersegment expenses represent costs for certain corporate activities and services that are allocated to each operating segment based on estimated use of such activities and services.
Total operating expenses 20,704 17,510 40,939 33,750
Loss before income taxes (7,057) (6,490) (14,340) (12,820)
Income tax benefit 1,694 1,558 3,442 3,077 Represents income tax benefit at an effective tax rate of 24%.
Net loss $ (5,363) (4,932) (10,898) (9,743) The Company anticipates this operating segment will be dilutive to consolidated earnings as it continues to develop and add customers to its network in Lincoln, Nebraska and other communities, due to large upfront capital expenditures and associated depreciation and upfront customer acquisition costs.
Additional information:
Net loss $ (5,363) (4,932) (10,898) (9,743)
Net interest income — (1) — (3)
Income tax benefit (1,694) (1,558) (3,442) (3,077)
Depreciation and amortization 10,824 7,737 21,330 15,099
Earnings before interest, income
taxes, depreciation, and
amortization (EBITDA)
$ 3,767 1,246 6,990 2,276 For additional information regarding this non-GAAP measure, see the table below.
51
Certain financial and operating data for ALLO is summarized in the tables below.
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2020
2020 2019 2020 2019
Residential revenue $ 14,209 74.8 % $ 11,890 75.5 % $ 27,766 74.6 % $ 22,955 75.7 %
Business revenue 4,619 24.3 3,816 24.2 9,091 24.5 7,230 23.9
Other revenue 170 0.9 52 0.3 322 0.9 115 0.4
Communications revenue $ 18,998 100.0 % $ 15,758 100.0 % $ 37,179 100.0 % $ 30,300 100.0 %
Internet $ 11,930 62.8 % $ 9,297 59.0 % $ 23,125 62.2 % $ 17,726 58.5 %
Television 4,218 22.2 4,050 25.7 8,440 22.7 7,939 26.2
Telephone 2,812 14.8 2,395 15.2 5,502 14.8 4,575 15.1
Other 38 0.2 16 0.1 112 0.3 60 0.2
Communications revenue $ 18,998 100.0 % $ 15,758 100.0 % $ 37,179 100.0 % $ 30,300 100.0 %
Net loss $ (5,363) (4,932) (10,898) (9,743)
EBITDA (a) 3,767 1,246 6,990 2,276
Capital expenditures 10,077 15,040 17,240 26,998
As of
June 30, 2020 March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 September 30, 2019 June 30, 2019 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018
Residential customer information:
Households served 53,067 49,684 47,744 45,228 42,760 40,338 37,351
Households passed (b) 144,869 143,505 140,986 137,269 132,984 127,253 122,396
Households served/passed 36.6 % 34.6 % 33.9 % 32.9 % 32.2 % 31.7 % 30.5 %
Total households in current markets and new markets announced (c) 171,121 171,121 160,884 159,974 159,974 152,840 152,840
(a) Earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, and amortization ("EBITDA") is a supplemental non-GAAP performance measure that is frequently used in capital-intensive industries such as telecommunications. ALLO's management uses EBITDA to compare ALLO's performance to that of its competitors and to eliminate certain non-cash and non-operating items in order to consistently measure performance from period to period. EBITDA excludes interest and income taxes because these items are associated with a company's particular capitalization and tax structures. EBITDA also excludes depreciation and amortization expense because these non-cash expenses primarily reflect the impact of historical capital investments, as opposed to the cash impacts of capital expenditures made in recent periods, which may be evaluated through cash flow measures. The Company reports EBITDA for ALLO because the Company believes that it provides useful additional information for investors regarding a key metric used by management to assess ALLO's performance. There are limitations to using EBITDA as a performance measure, including the difficulty associated with comparing companies that use similar performance measures whose calculations may differ from ALLO's calculations. In addition, EBITDA should not be considered a substitute for other measures of financial performance, such as net income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of EBITDA from net income (loss) under GAAP is presented under "Summary and Comparison of Operating Results" in the table above.
(b) Represents the number of single residence homes, apartments, and condominiums that ALLO already serves and those in which ALLO has the capacity to connect to its network distribution system without further material extensions to the transmission lines, but have not been connected.
(c) During the first quarter of 2020, ALLO announced plans to expand its network to make services available in Norfolk, Nebraska. ALLO is now in twelve communities, including ten in Nebraska and two in Colorado.
52
ASSET GENERATION AND MANAGEMENT OPERATING SEGMENT – RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Loan Portfolio
As of June 30, 2020, the Company had a $19.8 billion loan portfolio, consisting primarily of federally insured loans, that management anticipates will amortize over the next approximately 20 years and has a weighted average remaining life of 10.8 years. For a summary of the Company’s loan portfolio as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, see note 2 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Part I, Item 1 of this report.
Loan Activity
The following table sets forth the activity of loans:
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019
Beginning balance $ 20,605,065 22,082,643 20,798,719 22,520,498
Loan acquisitions:
Federally insured student loans 460,513 570,092 809,574 840,107
Private education loans 33,303 — 80,908 —
Consumer loans 22,980 114,633 85,811 184,754
Total loan acquisitions 516,796 684,725 976,293 1,024,861
Repayments, claims, capitalized interest, and other
(1,124,686) (873,466) (1,437,265) (1,378,186)
Consolidation loans lost to external parties (166,778) (255,386) (383,105) (528,657)
Consumer loans sold — (47,680) (124,245) (47,680)
Ending balance $ 19,830,397 21,590,836 19,830,397 21,590,836
Allowance for Loan Losses and Loan Delinquencies
On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-13 , Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (“ASC 326”), which replaces the incurred loss methodology with an expected loss methodology that is referred to as the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) methodology.
The CECL methodology utilizes a lifetime “expected credit loss” measurement objective for the recognition of credit losses for financial assets measured at amortized cost at the time the financial asset is originated or acquired. The expected credit losses are adjusted each period for changes in expected lifetime credit losses.
Upon adoption, the Company recorded an increase to the allowance for loan losses of $91.0 million, which included a reclassification of the non-accretable discount balance and premiums related to loans purchased with evidence of credit deterioration, and decreased retained earnings, net of tax, by $18.9 million. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2020 are presented under ASC 326 (recognizing estimated credit losses expected to occur over the asset's remaining life) while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable GAAP (recognizing estimated credit losses using an incurred loss model); therefore, the comparative information for 2019 is not comparable to the information presented for 2020.
Management has determined that each of the federally insured, private education, and consumer loan portfolios meet the definition of a portfolio segment, which is defined as the level at which an entity develops and documents a systematic method for determining its allowance for credit losses.
For a summary of the activity in the allowance for loan losses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, and a summary of the Company's loan status and delinquency amounts as of June 30, 2020, December 31, 2019, and June 30, 2019, see note 2 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Part 1, Item 1 of this report.
Provision for loan losses was $3.0 million and $9.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $79.3 million and $16.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The increase in the provision for loan losses for the six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was due to an incremental provision recorded in the first quarter of 2020 of $63.0 million for the increase in expected defaults as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and an increased provision for loan losses on loans acquired in 2020 to reflect life of loan expected losses as compared to loans acquired during 2019 in which the provision for loan losses was recognized based upon an incurred loss methodology.
53
The Company's provision expense for the three months ended June 30, 2020 was also impacted by the Company's estimate of certain improved economic conditions as of June 30, 2020 than what was used by the Company to determine the allowance for loan losses as of March 31, 2020. These improved economic conditions were partially offset by the Company extending its reversion period (to the Company's actual long-term historical loss experience) as of June 30, 2020, as the Company currently believes the economy will take longer to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic than what was originally estimated as of March 31, 2020.
The Company's total allowance for loan losses of $209.4 million at June 30, 2020 represents reserves equal to 0.7% of the Company's federally insured loans (or 29.1% of the risk sharing component of the loans that is not covered by the federal guaranty), 8.7% of the Company's private education loans, and 26.2% of the Company's consumer loans.
Loan Spread Analysis
The following table analyzes the loan spread on the Company’s portfolio of loans, which represents the spread between the yield earned on loan assets and the costs of the liabilities and derivative instruments used to fund the assets. The spread amounts included in the following table are calculated by using the notional dollar values found in the table under the caption "Net interest income after provision for loan losses, net of settlements on derivatives" below, divided by the average balance of loans or debt outstanding.
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019
Variable loan yield, gross 3.09 % 5.00 % 3.55 % 5.02 %
Consolidation rebate fees (0.84) (0.84) (0.83) (0.84)
Discount accretion, net of premium and deferred origination costs amortization
0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02
Variable loan yield, net 2.27 4.18 2.74 4.20
Loan cost of funds - interest expense (1.67) (3.42) (2.14) (3.44)
Loan cost of funds - derivative settlements (a) (b) 0.14 0.02 0.09 0.03
Variable loan spread 0.74 0.78 0.69 0.79
Fixed rate floor income, gross
0.63 0.20 0.49 0.19
Fixed rate floor income - derivative settlements (a) (c)
(0.02) 0.23 0.01 0.27
Fixed rate floor income, net of settlements on derivatives 0.61 0.43 0.50 0.46
Core loan spread (d) 1.35 % 1.21 % 1.19 % 1.25 %
Average balance of loans $ 20,242,054 21,837,774 20,517,906 22,075,522
Average balance of debt outstanding 20,217,401 21,536,878 20,417,086 21,761,723
(a) Derivative settlements represent the cash paid or received during the current period to settle with derivative instrument counterparties the economic effect of the Company's derivative instruments based on their contractual terms. Derivative accounting requires that net settlements with respect to derivatives that do not qualify for "hedge treatment" under GAAP be recorded in a separate income statement line item below net interest income. The Company maintains an overall risk management strategy that incorporates the use of derivative instruments to reduce the economic effect of interest rate volatility. As such, management believes derivative settlements for each applicable period should be evaluated with the Company’s net interest income (loan spread) as presented in this table. The Company reports this non-GAAP information because it believes that it provides additional information regarding operational and performance indicators that are closely assessed by management. There is no comprehensive, authoritative guidance for the presentation of such non-GAAP information, which is only meant to supplement GAAP results by providing additional information that management utilizes to assess performance. See note 4 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Part I, Item 1 of this report for additional information on the Company's derivative instruments, including the net settlement activity recognized by the Company for each type of derivative for the 2020 and 2019 periods presented in the table under the caption "Consolidated Financial Statement Impact Related to Derivatives - Statements of Income" in note 4 and in this table.
54
A reconciliation of core loan spread, which includes the impact of derivative settlements on loan spread, to loan spread without
derivative settlements follows.
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019
Core loan spread 1.35 % 1.21 % 1.19 % 1.25 %
Derivative settlements (1:3 basis swaps) (0.14) (0.02) (0.09) (0.03)
Derivative settlements (fixed rate floor income) 0.02 (0.23) (0.01) (0.27)
Loan spread 1.23 % 0.96 % 1.09 % 0.95 %
(b) Derivative settlements consist of net settlements received related to the Company’s 1:3 basis swaps.
(c) Derivative settlements consist of net settlements (paid) received related to the Company’s floor income interest rate swaps.
(d) Core loan spread, excluding consumer loans, would have been 1.24% and 1.16% for the three months ended June 30, 2020
and 2019, respectively, and 1.10% and 1.17% for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
A trend analysis of the Company's core and variable loan spreads is summarized below.
(a) The interest earned on a large portion of the Company's FFELP student loan assets is indexed to the one-month LIBOR rate. The Company funds a portion of its assets with three-month LIBOR indexed floating rate securities. The relationship between the indices in which the Company earns interest on its loans and funds such loans has a significant impact on loan spread. This table (the right axis) shows the difference between the Company's liability base rate and the one-month LIBOR rate by quarter. See Item 3, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk - Interest Rate Risk,” which provides additional detail on the Company’s FFELP student loan assets and related funding for those assets.
Variable loan spread decreased during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same periods in 2019 due to a widening of the basis between the asset and debt indices in which the Company earns interest on its loans and funds such loans (as reflected in the table above). The significant widening during the first and second quarters of 2020 was the result of the significant decrease in interest rates during March 2020 and the first half of the second quarter of 2020. In a declining interest rate environment, student loan spread is compressed, due to the timing of interest rate resets on the Company's assets occurring daily in contrast to the timing of the interest resets on the Company's debt that occurs either monthly or quarterly. As the Company's debt resets at lower interest rates, the Company expects variable loan spread to increase from current levels. See Item 3, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk - Interest Rate Risk,” which provides additional detail on the Company’s FFELP student loan assets and related funding for those assets.
55
The difference between variable loan spread and core loan spread is fixed rate floor income earned on a portion of the Company's federally insured student loan portfolio. A summary of fixed rate floor income and its contribution to core loan spread follows:
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019
Fixed rate floor income, gross $ 31,866 10,840 50,625 21,265
Derivative settlements (a) (1,308) 12,165 816 28,867
Fixed rate floor income, net $ 30,558 23,005 51,441 50,132
Fixed rate floor income contribution to spread, net 0.61 % 0.43 % 0.50 % 0.46 %
(a) Includes settlement payments on derivatives used to hedge student loans earning fixed rate floor income.
The increase in gross fixed rate floor income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 compared to the same periods in 2019 was due to lower interest rates in 2020 as compared to 2019. The Company has a portfolio of derivative instruments in which the Company pays a fixed rate and receives a floating rate to economically hedge a portion of loans earning fixed rate floor income. The decrease in net derivative settlements received from the floor income interest rate swaps in 2020 as compared to 2019 was due to a decrease in the notional amount of derivatives outstanding and a decrease in interest rates. The Company anticipates receiving increased levels of gross fixed rate floor income in future periods as a result of the significant drop in interest rates in the first and second quarters of 2020. This increase will be partially offset by an increase in net settlements paid on derivatives used to hedge these loans. See Item 3, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk - Interest Rate Risk,” which provides additional detail on the Company’s portfolio earning fixed rate floor income and the derivatives used by the Company to hedge these loans.
Interest Rate Risk - Replacement of LIBOR as a Benchmark Rate
As of June 30, 2020, the interest earned on a principal amount of $18.0 billion in the Company’s FFELP student loan asset portfolio was indexed to one-month LIBOR, and the interest paid on a principal amount of $17.8 billion of the Company’s FFELP student loan asset-backed debt securities was indexed to one-month or three-month LIBOR. In addition, the majority of the Company’s derivative financial instrument transactions used to manage LIBOR interest rate risks are indexed to LIBOR. There is significant uncertainty regarding the availability of LIBOR as a benchmark rate after 2021, and any market transition away from the current LIBOR framework could result in significant changes to the interest rate characteristics of the Company's LIBOR-indexed assets and funding for those assets, as well as the Company’s LIBOR-indexed derivative instruments. See Item 1A, "Risk Factors - Loan Portfolio - Interest rate risk - replacement of LIBOR as a benchmark rate" in the Company's 2019 Annual Report.
Summary and Comparison of Operating Results
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019 Additional information
Net interest income after provision for loan losses $ 63,095 50,260 39,475 101,328 See table below for additional analysis.
Gain on sale of loans — 1,712 18,206 1,712 The Company sold a portfolio of consumer loans in the first quarter of 2020 and second quarter of 2019 and recognized a gain of $18.2 million and $1.7 million, respectively.
Other income 732 3,176 3,947 6,701 Represents primarily borrower late fees. The decrease in borrower late fees for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same periods in 2019 was due to the Company suspending borrower late fees effective March 13, 2020 to provide borrowers relief as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. See "Overview - Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic - Asset Generation and Management" above for additional information.
Impairment expense — — (26,303) — In March 2020, the Company recognized an impairment of its beneficial interest in consumer loan securitization investments as a result of the expected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. See note 5 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Part I, Item 1 of this report.
Derivative settlements, net 5,821 12,972 10,058 32,007 The Company maintains an overall risk management strategy that incorporates the use of derivative instruments to reduce the economic effect of interest rate volatility. Derivative settlements for each applicable period should be evaluated with the Company's net interest income as reflected in the table below.
56
Derivative market value adjustments, net (3,911) (37,060) (24,513) (67,635) Includes the realized and unrealized gains and losses that are caused by changes in fair values of derivatives which do not qualify for "hedge treatment" under GAAP. The majority of the derivative market value adjustments related to the changes in fair value of the Company's floor income interest rate swaps. Such changes reflect that a decrease in the forward yield curve during a reporting period results in a decrease in the fair value of the Company's floor income interest rate swaps, and an increase in the forward yield curve during a reporting period results in an increase in the fair value of the Company's floor income interest rate swaps. During the first quarter of 2020 and first and second quarters of 2019, there were significant decreases in the forward yield curve resulting in decreases in the fair value of the Company's floor income interest rate swaps that resulted in a loss during these periods. Although the decreases in the forward yield curve were more substantial in 2020 as compared to 2019, the notional amount of derivatives outstanding during 2020 was much lower than compared to 2019.
Total other income/expense 2,642 (19,200) (18,605) (27,215)
Salaries and benefits 421 382 863 760
Other expenses 4,863 6,207 8,581 10,044 The primary component of other expenses is servicing fees paid to third parties. During the second quarter of 2019, the Company recognized $1.8 million of expenses to extinguish asset-backed notes from certain securitizations prior to their contractual maturity. Excluding these costs, other expenses increased during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same periods in 2019 due to an increase in third party servicing costs in connection with the Company's consumer loan portfolio.
Intersegment expenses 9,055 11,665 20,971 23,952 Amounts include fees paid to the LSS operating segment for the servicing of the Company’s loan portfolio. These amounts exceed the actual cost of servicing the loans. The decrease in servicing fees for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same periods in 2019 was due to the expected amortization of the Company's FFELP portfolio and a decrease in certain servicing activities due to borrower relief initiatives and policies as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Intersegment expenses also include costs for certain corporate activities and services that are allocated to each operating segment based on estimated use of such activities and services.
Total operating expenses 14,339 18,254 30,415 34,756 Total operating expenses, excluding the $1.8 million of expenses recognized in the second quarter of 2019 related to the extinguishment of debt prior to their contractual maturity (as described above), were 28 basis points and 30 basis points of the average balance of loans for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and 30 basis points for both the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019.
Income (loss) before income taxes 51,398 12,806 (9,545) 39,357
Income tax (expense) benefit (12,336) (3,074) 2,291 (9,446) Represents income tax (expense) benefit at an effective tax rate of 24%.
Net income (loss) $ 39,062 9,732 (7,254) 29,911
Additional information:
Net income (loss) $ 39,062 9,732 (7,254) 29,911 See "Overview - GAAP Net Income and Non-GAAP Net Income, Excluding Adjustments" above for additional information about non-GAAP net income, excluding derivative market value adjustments. The increase in net income for the three months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was due to (i) an increase in core loan spread; (ii) a decrease in operating expenses; and (iii) a decrease in provision for loan losses. These items were partially offset by (i) a decrease in the average balance of loans in 2020 as compared to 2019 and (ii) a decrease in borrower late fees. The decrease in net income for the six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was due to (i) the impairment of the Company's beneficial interest in consumer loan securitizations recognized in 2020; (ii) the decrease in core loan spread and the average balance of loans in 2020 as compared to 2019; (iii) an incremental provision for loan losses in 2020 of $63.0 million (pre-tax) related to the increase in expected defaults as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and (iv) an increased provision for loan losses on loans acquired in 2020 to reflect life of loan expected losses as compared to loans acquired during 2019 for which the provision for loan losses was recognized based upon an incurred loss methodology. These items were partially offset by a $18.2 million (pre-tax) gain in 2020 from the sale of consumer loans.
Derivative market value adjustments, net 3,911 37,060 24,513 67,635
Tax effect (939) (8,894) (5,883) (16,232)
Net income, excluding derivative market value adjustments $ 42,034 37,898 11,376 81,314
57
Net interest income after provision for loan losses, net of settlements on derivatives
The following table summarizes the components of "net interest income after provision for loan losses" and "derivative settlements, net."
Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019 Additional information
Variable interest income, gross $ 155,646 271,983 361,156 549,006 Decrease was due to a decrease in the gross yield earned on loans and a decrease in the average balance of loans.
Consolidation rebate fees (42,387) (45,647) (85,524) (92,138) Decrease was due to a decrease in the average consolidation loan balance.
Discount accretion, net of
premium and deferred
origination costs amortization 1,015 1,046 1,675 2,421 Net discount accretion is due to the Company's purchases of loans at a net discount over the last several years.
Variable interest income, net 114,274 227,382 277,307 459,289
Interest on bonds and notes
payable (84,141) (183,072) (216,808) (371,029) Decrease was due to a decrease in cost of funds and a decrease in the average balance of debt outstanding.
Derivative settlements, net (a) 7,129 807 9,242 3,140 Derivative settlements include the net settlements received related to the Company’s 1:3 basis swaps.
Variable loan interest margin,
net of settlements on
derivatives (a) 37,262 45,117 69,741 91,400
Fixed rate floor income, gross 31,866 10,840 50,625 21,265 Fixed rate floor income increased due to lower interest rates in 2020 as compared to 2019.
Derivative settlements, net (a) (1,308) 12,165 816 28,867 Derivative settlements include the settlements received (paid) related to the Company's floor income interest rate swaps. Decrease in settlements was due to a decrease in the notional amount of derivatives outstanding and lower interest rates in 2020 as compared to 2019.
Fixed rate floor income, net of
settlements on derivatives 30,558 23,005 51,441 50,132
Core loan interest income (a) 67,820 68,122 121,182 141,532
Investment interest 4,443 5,073 8,577 9,608 Decrease was due to lower interest rates in 2020 as compared to 2019.
Intercompany interest (348) (963) (929) (1,805)
Negative provision (provision) for
loan losses - federally insured
loans 1,950 (2,000) (37,373) (4,000) See "Allowance for Loan Losses and Loan Delinquencies" included above under "Asset Generation and Management Operating Segment - Results of Operations."
Provision for loan losses -
private education loans (2,322) — (12,121) —
Provision for loan losses -
consumer loans (2,627) (7,000) (29,803) (12,000)
Net interest income after provision
for loan losses (net of
settlements on derivatives) (a) $ 68,916 63,232 49,533 133,335 Net interest income after provision for loan losses (net of settlements on derivatives) increased for the three months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 due to an increase in core loan spread and a decrease in provision for loan losses, partially offset by a decrease in the average balance of loans. Excluding the incremental provision for loan losses recognized in the first quarter of 2020 of $63.0 million related to the increase in expected defaults as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, net interest income after provision for loan losses (net of settlements on derivatives) for the six months ended June 30, 2020 would have been $112.5 million. The decrease in net interest income after provision for loan losses (net of settlements on derivatives), excluding this provision, for the six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was due to a decrease in core loan spread and the average balance of loans.
(a) Derivative settlements represent the cash paid or received during the current period to settle with derivative instrument counterparties the economic effect of the Company's derivative instruments based on their contractual terms. Derivative accounting requires that net settlements on derivatives that do not qualify for "hedge treatment" under GAAP be recorded in a separate income statement line item below net interest income. The Company maintains an overall risk management strategy that incorporates the use of derivative instruments to reduce the economic effect of interest rate volatility. As such, management believes derivative settlements for each applicable period should be evaluated with the Company’s net interest income as presented in this table. Core loan interest income and net interest income after provision for loan losses (net of settlements on derivatives) are non-GAAP financial measures, and the Company reports this non-GAAP information because the Company believes that it provides additional information regarding operational and performance indicators that are closely assessed by management. There is no comprehensive, authoritative guidance for the presentation of such non-GAAP information, which is only meant to supplement GAAP results by providing additional information that management utilizes to assess performance. See note 4 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Part I, Item 1 of this report for additional information on the Company's derivative instruments, including the net settlement activity recognized by the Company for each type of derivative referred to in the "Additional information" column of this table, for the 2020 and 2019 periods presented in the table under the caption "Consolidated Financial Statement Impact Related to Derivatives - Statements of Income" in note 4 and in this table.
58
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The Company’s Loan Servicing and Systems, and Education Technology, Services, and Payment Processing operating segments are non-capital intensive and both produce positive operating cash flows. As such, a minimal amount of debt and equity capital is allocated to these segments and any liquidity or capital needs are satisfied using cash flow from operations. Therefore, the Liquidity and Capital Resources discussion is concentrated on the Company’s liquidity and capital needs to meet existing debt obligations in the Asset Generation and Management operating segment and capital needs to expand ALLO's communications network in the Company's Communications operating segment.
Sources of Liquidity
As of June 30, 2020, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $67.5 million. The Company also had a portfolio of available-for-sale investments, consisting primarily of student loan asset-backed securities, with a fair value of $142.2 million as of June 30, 2020. As of June 30, 2020, the Company has participated $86.7 million of these securities, and such participation is reflected as debt on the Company's consolidated balance sheet.
The Company also has a $455.0 million unsecured line of credit that matures on December 16, 2024. As of June 30, 2020, there was $30.0 million outstanding on the unsecured line of credit and $425.0 million was available for future use. The line of credit provides that the Company may increase the aggregate financing commitments, through the existing lenders and/or through new lenders, up to a total of $550.0 million, subject to certain conditions. In addition, the Company has a $22.0 million secured line of credit agreement that matures on May 30, 2022. As of June 30, 2020, the secured line of credit had $5.0 million outstanding and $17.0 million was available for future use.
In addition, the Company has repurchased certain of its own asset-backed securities (bonds and notes payable) in the secondary market. For accounting purposes, these notes are eliminated in consolidation and are not included in the Company's consolidated financial statements. However, these securities remain legally outstanding at the trust level and the Company could sell these notes to third parties or redeem the notes at par as cash is generated by the trust estate. Upon a sale of these notes to third parties, the Company would obtain cash proceeds equal to the market value of the notes on the date of such sale. As of June 30, 2020, the Company holds $14.6 million (par value) of its own asset-backed securities.
The Company intends to use its liquidity position to capitalize on market opportunities, including FFELP, private education, and consumer loan acquisitions; strategic acquisitions and investments, including anticipated capital commitments to Nelnet Bank; expansion of ALLO's telecommunications network; and capital management initiatives, including stock repurchases, debt repurchases, and dividend distributions. The timing and size of these opportunities will vary and will have a direct impact on the Company's cash and investment balances.
Cash Flows
On a calendar year annual basis, the Company has historically generated positive cash flow from operations. However, during the six months ended June 30, 2020, the Company used $105.6 million in operating activities, compared to using $17.8 million for the same period in 2019.
As part of the Company’s Education Technology, Services, and Payment Processing operating segment, the Company collects tuition payments and subsequently remits these payments to the appropriate schools. Cash collected for customers and the related liability are included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. These accounts fluctuate with the fall and spring school terms based on the timing of when the Company collects tuition payments from customers and remits such payments to schools, resulting in these balances being significantly lower as of June 30 as compared to the balances as of December 31. The “due to customers” liability account decreased $169.2 million and $90.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. These decreases negatively impacted cash used in operating activities in the Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows for these periods.
Excluding the impact of the decrease in the "due to customers" liability account, the Company generated $63.6 million from operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2020, compared to generating $72.9 million from operating activities for the same period in 2019. The decrease in such cash flows from operating activities was due to:
• The decrease in net income;
• The adjustments to net income for derivative market value adjustments;
• Adjustments to net income for the impact of the gains from sale of loans and investments; and
• The impact of changes to accrued interest receivable and other liabilities during the six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019.
59
These factors were partially offset by:
• Adjustments to net income for the impact of the non-cash provision for loan losses and impairment charges;
• A decrease in net payments to the Company's clearinghouse for margin payments on derivatives; and
• The impact of changes to accounts receivable and other assets during the six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019.
The primary items included in the statement of cash flows for investing activities are the purchase and repayment of loans. The primary items included in financing activities are the proceeds from the issuance of and payments on bonds and notes payable used to fund loans. Cash provided by investing activities and used in financing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2020 was $717.3 million and $913.0 million, respectively. Cash provided by investing activities and used in financing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2019 was $855.5 million and $976.0 million, respectively. Investing and financing activities are further addressed in the discussion that follows.
Liquidity Needs and Sources of Liquidity Available to Satisfy Debt Obligations Secured by Loan Assets and Related Collateral
The following table shows the Company's debt obligations outstanding that are secured by loan assets and related collateral.
As of June 30, 2020
Carrying amount
Final maturity
Bonds and notes issued in asset-backed securitizations $ 19,459,691 5/27/25 - 4/25/68
FFELP, private education, and consumer loan warehouse facilities 382,052 11/22/21 - 2/26/23
$ 19,841,743
Bonds and Notes Issued in Asset-backed Securitizations
The majority of the Company’s portfolio of student loans is funded in asset-backed securitizations that are structured to substantially match the maturity of the funded assets, thereby minimizing liquidity risk. Cash generated from student loans funded in asset-backed securitizations provide the sources of liquidity to satisfy all obligations related to the outstanding bonds and notes issued in such securitizations. In addition, due to (i) the difference between the yield the Company receives on the loans and cost of financing within these transactions, and (ii) the servicing and administration fees the Company earns from these transactions, the Company has created a portfolio that will generate earnings and significant cash flow over the life of these transactions.
As of June 30, 2020, based on cash flow models developed to reflect management’s current estimate of, among other factors, prepayments, defaults, deferment, forbearance, and interest rates, the Company currently expects future undiscounted cash flows from its portfolio to be approximately $2.28 billion as detailed below.
The forecasted cash flow presented below includes all loans funded in asset-backed securitizations as of June 30, 2020. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had $19.3 billion of loans included in asset-backed securitizations, which represented 97.3 percent of its total loan portfolio. The forecasted cash flow does not include cash flows that the Company expects to receive related to loans funded in its warehouse facilities as of June 30, 2020, private education and consumer loans funded with operating cash, and loans acquired subsequent to June 30, 2020.
60
Asset-backed Securitization Cash Flow Forecast
$2.28 billion
(dollars in millions)
The forecasted future undiscounted cash flows of approximately $2.28 billion include approximately $1.14 billion (as of June 30, 2020) of overcollateralization included in the asset-backed securitizations. These excess net asset positions are included in the consolidated balance sheets and included in the balances of "loans and accrued interest receivable" and "restricted cash." The difference between the total estimated future undiscounted cash flows and the overcollateralization of approximately $1.14 billion, or approximately $0.87 billion after income taxes based on the estimated effective tax rate, is expected to be accretive to the Company's June 30, 2020 balance of consolidated shareholders' equity.
Two of the Company’s asset-backed securitizations as of June 30, 2020 are structured as “Turbo Transactions” which require all cash generated from the student loans (including excess spread) to be directed toward payment of interest and any outstanding principal generally until such time as all principal on the notes has been paid in full. Once the notes in such transactions are paid in full, the remaining unencumbered student loans (and other remaining assets, if any) in the securitizations will be released to the Company, at which time the Company will have the option to refinance or sell these assets, or retain them on the balance sheet as unencumbered assets.
The Company uses various assumptions, including prepayments and future interest rates, when preparing its cash flow forecast. These assumptions are further discussed below.
Prepayments : The primary variable in establishing a life of loan estimate is the level and timing of prepayments. Prepayment rates equal the amount of loans that prepay annually as a percentage of the beginning of period balance, net of scheduled principal payments. A number of factors can affect estimated prepayment rates, including the level of consolidation activity, borrower default rates, and utilization of debt management options such as income-based repayment, deferments, and forbearance. Should any of these factors change, management may revise its assumptions, which in turn would impact the projected future cash flow. The Company’s cash flow forecast above assumes prepayment rates that are generally consistent with those utilized in the Company’s recent asset-backed securitization transactions. If management used a prepayment rate assumption two times greater than what was used to forecast the cash flow, the cash flow forecast would be reduced by approximately $180 million to $210 million.
Interest rates : The Company funds a large portion of its student loans with three-month LIBOR indexed floating rate securities. Meanwhile, the interest earned on the Company’s student loan assets is indexed primarily to a one-month LIBOR rate. The different interest rate characteristics of the Company’s loan assets and liabilities funding these assets result in basis risk. The Company’s cash flow forecast assumes three-month LIBOR will exceed one-month LIBOR by 12 basis points for the life of the portfolio, which approximates the historical relationship between these indices. If the forecast is computed assuming
61
a spread of 24 basis points between three-month and one-month LIBOR for the life of the portfolio, the cash flow forecast would be reduced by approximately $25 million to $45 million. As the percentage of the Company's outstanding debt financed by three-month LIBOR declines, the Company's basis risk will be reduced.
There is significant uncertainty regarding the availability of LIBOR as a benchmark rate after 2021, and any market transition away from the current LIBOR framework could result in significant changes to the forecasted cash flows from the Company's asset-backed securitizations. See Item 1A, "Risk Factors - Loan Portfolio - Interest rate risk - replacement of LIBOR as a benchmark rate" in the Company's 2019 Annual Report. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic may impact forecasted cash flows from the Company's asset-backed securitizations. See Part II, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted our results of operations, and could continue to adversely impact our results of operations, as well as adversely impact our businesses, financial condition, and/or cash flows" in this report.
The Company uses the current forward interest rate yield curve to forecast cash flows. A change in the forward interest rate curve would impact the future cash flows generated from the portfolio. An increase in future interest rates will reduce the amount of fixed rate floor income the Company is currently receiving. The Company attempts to mitigate the impact of a rise in short-term rates by hedging interest rate risks. The forecasted cash flow does not include cash flows the Company expects to pay/receive related to derivative instruments used by the Company to manage interest rate risk. See Item 3, "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk — Interest Rate Risk."
Warehouse Facilities
The Company funds a portion of its FFELP loan acquisitions using its FFELP warehouse facilities. Student loan warehousing allows the Company to buy and manage student loans prior to transferring them into more permanent financing arrangements. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had two FFELP warehouse facilities with an aggregate maximum financing amount available of $550.0 million, of which $201.1 million was outstanding and $348.9 million was available for additional funding. One warehouse facility has a static advance rate until the expiration date of the liquidity provisions (November 20, 2020). In the event the liquidity provisions are not extended, the valuation agent has the right to perform a one-time mark to market on the underlying loans funded in this facility, subject to a floor. The loans would then be funded at this new advance rate until the final maturity date of the facility (November 22, 2021). The other warehouse facility has a static advance rate that requires initial equity for loan funding and does not require increased equity based on market movements. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had $16.0 million advanced as equity support on these facilities. For further discussion of the Company's FFELP warehouse facilities outstanding at June 30, 2020, see note 3 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Part I, Item 1 of this report.
On February 13, 2020, the Company closed on a private education loan warehouse facility with an aggregate maximum financing amount available of $100.0 million. On March 20, 2020, the facility was amended to increase the maximum financing amount to $200.0 million. The facility has an advance rate of 80 to 90 percent, liquidity provisions through February 13, 2021, and a final maturity date of February 13, 2022. As of June 30, 2020, $107.4 million was outstanding under this warehouse facility and $92.6 million was available for future funding. Additionally, as of June 30, 2020, the Company had $12.4 million advanced as equity support under this facility.
The Company has a consumer loan warehouse facility that has an aggregate maximum financing amount available of $200.0 million, an advance rate of 70 or 75 percent depending on the type of collateral and subject to certain concentration limits, liquidity provisions to April 23, 2021, and a final maturity date of April 23, 2022. As of June 30, 2020, $73.6 million was outstanding under this facility and $126.4 million was available for future funding. Additionally, as of June 30, 2020, the Company had $24.7 million advanced as equity support under this facility.
Subsequent to June 30, 2020, the Company made the decision to sell an additional $60.8 million (par value) of consumer loans to an unrelated third party, who securitized such loans. As partial consideration received for the consumer loans sold, the Company received a 25.4 percent residual interest in the consumer loan securitization. The Company currently anticipates recognizing a gain in the third quarter of 2020 of $14.8 million (pre-tax) from the sale of these loans. After the completion of this loan sale, $46.8 million was outstanding under the Company's consumer loan warehouse facility and $153.2 million was available for future funding.
Upon termination or expiration of the warehouse facilities, the Company would expect to access the securitization market, obtain replacement warehouse facilities, use operating cash, consider the sale of assets, or transfer collateral to satisfy any remaining obligations.
62
Other Uses of Liquidity
The Company no longer originates new FFELP loans, but continues to acquire FFELP loan portfolios from third parties and believes additional loan purchase opportunities exist, including opportunities to purchase private education and consumer loans.
The Company plans to fund additional loan acquisitions using current cash and investments; using its Union Bank participation agreement (as described below); using its existing warehouse facilities (as described above); increasing the capacity under existing and/or establishing new warehouse facilities; and continuing to access the asset-backed securities market.
Union Bank Participation Agreement
The Company maintains an agreement with Union Bank, a related party, as trustee for various grantor trusts, under which Union Bank has agreed to purchase from the Company participation interests in student loans. As of June 30, 2020, $925.3 million of loans were subject to outstanding participation interests held by Union Bank, as trustee, under this agreement. The agreement automatically renews annually and is terminable by either party upon five business days' notice. This agreement provides beneficiaries of Union Bank’s grantor trusts with access to investments in interests in student loans, while providing liquidity to the Company. The Company can participate loans to Union Bank to the extent of availability under the grantor trusts, up to $900.0 million or an amount in excess of $900.0 million if mutually agreed to by both parties. Loans participated under this agreement have been accounted for by the Company as loan sales. Accordingly, the participation interests sold are not included on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
Asset-backed Securities Transactions
During the first six months of 2020, the Company completed three FFELP asset-backed securitizations totaling $1.1 billion (par value). The proceeds from these transactions were used primarily to refinance student loans included in the Company's FFELP warehouse facilities. See note 3 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Part I, Item 1 of this report for additional information on these securitizations.
The Company, through its subsidiaries, has historically funded student loans by completing asset-backed securitizations. Fitch Ratings, Standard & Poor's, and Moody's Investors Service have recently downgraded and placed numerous tranches of FFELP securitizations by various issuers, including certain tranches of prior FFELP securitizations issued by subsidiaries of the Company, on review for potential downgrade due to principal payments and prepayments on the underlying student loans coming in slower than initial expectations, and the resulting risk that certain principal maturities on those FFELP securitizations may not be met by the final maturity dates, which could result in an event of default under the underlying securitization agreements. The decrease in principal payments and prepayments is due to significant increases in forbearances resulting from a contraction in economic activity and an increase in unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Such rating actions have caused the spreads on FFELP securitizations in general to widen and have reduced the liquidity in the secondary market for FFELP securitizations.
The ultimate impact of these developments on the Company’s current and future securitizations is uncertain. Depending on future rating agency actions and market conditions, the Company currently anticipates continuing to access the asset-backed securitization market. Such asset-backed securitization transactions would be used to refinance student loans included in its warehouse facilities, loans purchased from third parties, and/or student loans in its existing asset-backed securitizations.
Liquidity Impact Related to Hedging Activities
The Company utilizes derivative instruments to manage interest rate sensitivity. By using derivative instruments, the Company is exposed to market risk which could impact its liquidity. Based on the derivative portfolio outstanding as of June 30, 2020, the Company does not currently anticipate any movement in interest rates having a material impact on its capital or liquidity profile, nor does the Company expect that any movement in interest rates would have a material impact on its ability to meet potential collateral deposits with its counterparties and/or make variation margin payments to its third-party clearinghouse. However, if interest rates move materially and negatively impact the fair value of the Company's derivative portfolio, the replacement of LIBOR as a benchmark rate has significant adverse impacts on the Company's derivatives, or if the Company enters into additional derivatives for which the fair value becomes negative, the Company could be required to deposit additional collateral with its derivative instrument counterparties and/or make variation margin payments to its third-party clearinghouse. The collateral deposits or variation margin, if significant, could negatively impact the Company's liquidity and capital resources. In addition, clearing rules require the Company to post amounts of liquid collateral when executing new derivative instruments, which could prevent or limit the Company from utilizing additional derivative instruments to manage interest rate sensitivity and risks. See note 4 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Part I, Item 1 of this report for additional information on the Company's derivative portfolio.
63
Liquidity Impact Related to the Communications Operating Segment
ALLO has made significant investments in its communications network and currently provides fiber directly to homes and businesses in communities in Nebraska and Colorado. ALLO plans to continue to increase market share and revenue in its existing markets and is currently evaluating opportunities to expand to other communities in the Midwest. For the six months ended June 30, 2020, ALLO's capital expenditures were $17.2 million. The Company currently anticipates total ALLO network capital expenditures for the remainder of 2020 (July 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020) will be approximately $20 million. However, this amount could change based on customer demand for ALLO's services. The Company currently plans to use cash from operating activities and its third-party unsecured line of credit to fund ALLO's capital expenditures, as well as potentially other third-party financing alternatives.
Liquidity Impact Related to Nelnet Bank
On March 18, 2020, the Company announced that it received notification of approval from the FDIC Board of Directors for federal deposit insurance and the UDFI in connection with the establishment of Nelnet Bank as a Utah-chartered industrial bank. Nelnet Bank would operate as an internet bank franchise focused on the private education loan marketplace, with a home office in Draper, Utah.
The approval from the FDIC and UDFI is subject to a number of conditions, including compliance with the terms of the orders from the FDIC and UDFI. In addition, Nelnet Bank will have to meet a readiness review by the FDIC and UDFI before commencing operations. Although a formal timeline has not been established for these items, the Company currently believes Nelnet Bank could be approved and operational by the fourth quarter of 2020.
On June 26, 2020, Nelnet Bank, Nelnet, Inc. (the parent), and Michael S. Dunlap (Nelnet, Inc.’s controlling shareholder) entered into a Capital and Liquidity Maintenance Agreement and a Parent Company Agreement with the FDIC in connection with Nelnet, Inc.’s role as a source of financial strength for Nelnet Bank. As part of the Capital and Liquidity Maintenance Agreement, Nelnet, Inc. is obligated to (i) contribute capital to Nelnet Bank for it to maintain capital levels that meet FDIC requirements for a “well capitalized” bank, including a leverage ratio of capital to total assets of at least 12 percent; (ii) provide and maintain a revolving line of credit for the benefit of Nelnet Bank in an amount equal to the greater of either 10 percent of Nelnet Bank’s total assets or such additional amount as agreed to by Nelnet Bank and Nelnet, Inc.; (iii) provide additional liquidity to Nelnet Bank in such amount and duration as may be necessary for Nelnet Bank to meet its ongoing liquidity obligations; and (iv) establish and maintain a pledged deposit of $40.0 million with Nelnet Bank.
Nelnet Bank will be funded with an initial capital commitment of $100.0 million from the Company. Nelnet Bank will operate as a separate subsidiary of the Company, and the industrial bank charter will allow the Company to maintain its other diversified business offerings.
Other Debt Facilities
As discussed above, the Company has a $455.0 million unsecured line of credit with a maturity date of December 16, 2024. As of June 30, 2020, the unsecured line of credit had $30.0 million outstanding and $425.0 million was available for future use. The Company also has a $22.0 million secured line of credit agreement with a maturity date of May 30, 2022. As of June 30, 2020, the secured line of credit had $5.0 million outstanding with $17.0 million available for future use. The line of credit is secured by several Company-owned properties. Upon the maturity date of these facilities, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to maintain these lines of credit, increase the amount outstanding under the lines, or find alternative funding if necessary.
The Company has issued Junior Subordinated Hybrid Securities (the "Hybrid Securities") that have a final maturity of September 15, 2061. The Hybrid Securities are unsecured obligations of the Company. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had $20.4 million of Hybrid Securities that remain outstanding.
During the second quarter of 2020, the Company entered into an agreement with Union Bank, as trustee for various grantor trusts, under which Union Bank has agreed to purchase from the Company participation interests in student loan asset-backed securities. As of June 30, 2020, $86.7 million of student loan asset-backed securities were subject to outstanding participation interests held by Union Bank, as trustee, under this agreement. This participation agreement has been accounted for by the Company as a secured borrowing. Upon termination or expiration of this agreement, the Company would expect to use operating cash, consider the sale of assets, or transfer collateral to satisfy any remaining obligations.
For further discussion of these debt facilities described above, see note 3 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Part I, Item 1 of this report.
64
Stock Repurchases
The Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program to repurchase up to a total of five million shares of the Company's Class A common stock during the three-year period ending May 7, 2022. As of June 30, 2020, 3,335,819 shares remained authorized for repurchase under the Company's stock repurchase program. Shares may be repurchased from time to time depending on various factors, including share prices and other potential uses of liquidity. Shares repurchased by the Company during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020 are shown below. Certain of these repurchases were made pursuant to a trading plan adopted by the Company in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. For additional information on stock repurchases during the second quarter of 2020, see "Stock Repurchases" under Part II, Item 2 of this report.
Total shares repurchased Purchase price
(in thousands) Average price of shares repurchased (per share)
Quarter ended March 31, 2020 24,885 $ 1,253 50.36
Quarter ended June 30, 2020 1,473,049 67,274 45.67
Total 1,497,934 $ 68,527 45.75
Included in the shares repurchased during the quarter ended June 30, 2020 in the table above are a total of 100,000 shares of Class A common stock the Company purchased on May 27, 2020 from Shelby J. Butterfield, a significant shareholder of the Company. The shares were purchased at a discount to the closing market price of the Company's Class A common stock as of May 27, 2020, and the transaction was separately approved by the Company's Board of Directors. Immediately prior to the Company's repurchase of such shares from Ms. Butterfield, the repurchased shares were shares of the Company's Class B common stock that Ms. Butterfield converted to shares of Class A common stock.
Dividends
On June 15, 2020, the Company paid a second quarter 2020 cash dividend on the Company's Class A and Class B common stock of $0.20 per share. In addition, the Company's Board of Directors has declared a third quarter 2020 cash dividend on the Company's outstanding shares of Class A and Class B common stock of $0.20 per share. The third quarter cash dividend will be paid on September 15, 2020 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 1, 2020.
The Company currently plans to continue making regular quarterly dividend payments, subject to future earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, and other factors. In addition, the payment of dividends is subject to the terms of the Company’s outstanding Hybrid Securities, which generally provide that if the Company defers interest payments on those securities it cannot pay dividends on its capital stock.