NELNET INC 10-Q

ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK (All dollars are in thousands, except share amounts, unless otherwise noted) Interest Rate Risk - AGM Operating Segment AGM’s primary market risk exposure arises from fluctuations in its borrowing and lending rates, the spread between which could impact AGM due to shifts in market interest rates. The following table sets forth AGM’s loan assets and debt instruments by rate characteristics: As of June 30, 2021 As of December 31, 2020 Dollars Percent Dollars Percent Fixed-rate loan assets $ 8,203,961 42.4 % $ 8,720,480 44.6 % Variable-rate loan assets 11,127,764 57.6 10,838,628 55.4 Total $ 19,331,725 100.0 % $ 19,559,108 100.0 % Fixed-rate debt instruments $ 925,835 4.8 % $ 960,327 5.0 % Variable-rate debt instruments 18,198,373 95.2 18,354,964 95.0 Total $ 19,124,208 100.0 % $ 19,315,291 100.0 % FFELP loans originated prior to April 1, 2006 generally earn interest at the higher of the borrower rate, which is fixed over a period of time, or a floating rate based on the special allowance payment ("SAP") formula set by the Department. The SAP rate is based on an applicable index plus a fixed spread that depends on loan type, origination date, and repayment status. The Company generally finances its FFELP student loan portfolio with variable rate debt. In low and/or declining interest rate environments, when the fixed borrower rate is higher than the SAP rate, the Company’s FFELP student loans earn at a fixed 59 rate while the interest on the variable rate debt typically continues to reflect the low and/or declining interest rates. In these interest rate environments, the Company may earn additional spread income that it refers to as floor income. Depending on the type of loan and when it was originated, the borrower rate is either fixed to term or is reset to an annual rate each July 1. As a result, for loans where the borrower rate is fixed to term, the Company may earn floor income for an extended period of time, which the Company refers to as fixed rate floor income, and for those loans where the borrower rate is reset annually on July 1, the Company may earn floor income to the next reset date, which the Company refers to as variable rate floor income. All FFELP loans first originated on or after April 1, 2006 effectively earn at the SAP rate, since lenders are required to rebate fixed rate floor income and variable rate floor income for those loans to the Department. As a result of the significant drop in interest rates in March 2020 and the first half of the second quarter of 2020, the Company earned $3.9 million and $4.8 million of variable-rate floor income on approximately $1.4 billion of FFELP loans during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively. Since the borrower rate reset on July 1, 2020, the Company no longer earns such variable-rate floor income on these loans, reflecting the lower interest rate environment. A summary of fixed rate floor income earned by the AGM operating segment follows. Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2021 2020 2021 2020 Fixed rate floor income, gross $ 36,639 31,866 72,178 50,625 Derivative settlements (a) (5,153) (1,308) (9,438) 816 Fixed rate floor income, net $ 31,486 30,558 62,740 51,441 (a) Derivative settlements consist of settlements (paid) received related to the Company's derivatives used to hedge student loans earning fixed rate floor income. Gross fixed rate floor income increased for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 as compared to the same periods in 2020 due to lower interest rates in 2021 as compared to 2020. Absent the use of derivative instruments, a rise in interest rates will reduce the amount of floor income received and has an impact on earnings due to interest margin compression caused by increasing financing costs, until such time as the federally insured loans earn interest at a variable rate in accordance with their SAP formulas. In higher interest rate environments, where the interest rate rises above the borrower rate and fixed rate loans effectively become variable rate loans, the impact of the rate fluctuations is reduced. The increase in net settlements paid in 2021 as compared to the same periods in 2020 was due to a decrease in interest rates. The following graph depicts fixed rate floor income for a borrower with a fixed rate of 6.75% and a SAP rate of 2.64%: 60 The following table shows AGM’s federally insured student loan assets that were earning fixed rate floor income as of June 30, 2021. Fixed interest rate range Borrower/lender weighted average yield Estimated variable conversion rate (a) Loan balance < 3.0% 2.87% 0.23% $ 1,135,956 3.0 - 3.49% 3.19% 0.55% 1,428,781 3.5 - 3.99% 3.65% 1.01% 1,362,618 4.0 - 4.49% 4.20% 1.56% 1,021,626 4.5 - 4.99% 4.71% 2.07% 636,077 5.0 - 5.49% 5.22% 2.58% 426,502 5.5 - 5.99% 5.67% 3.03% 283,883 6.0 - 6.49% 6.19% 3.55% 326,037 6.5 - 6.99% 6.70% 4.06% 320,469 7.0 - 7.49% 7.17% 4.53% 118,328 7.5 - 7.99% 7.71% 5.07% 217,577 8.0 - 8.99% 8.18% 5.54% 512,800 > 9.0% 9.05% 6.41% 194,953 $ 7,985,607 (a) The estimated variable conversion rate is the estimated short-term interest rate at which loans would convert to a variable rate. As of June 30, 2021, the weighted average estimated variable conversion rate was 1.94% and the short-term interest rate was 10 basis points. The following table summarizes the outstanding derivative instruments as of June 30, 2021 used by AGM to economically hedge loans earning fixed rate floor income. Maturity Notional amount Weighted average fixed rate paid by the Company (a) 2021 $ 100,000 2.95 % 2022 500,000 0.94 2023 900,000 0.62 2024 2,500,000 0.35 2025 500,000 0.35 2026 150,000 0.85 2031 100,000 1.53 $ 4,750,000 0.56 % (a) For all interest rate derivatives, the Company receives discrete three-month LIBOR. 61 AGM is also exposed to interest rate risk in the form of basis risk and repricing risk because the interest rate characteristics of AGM’s assets do not match the interest rate characteristics of the funding for those assets. The following table presents AGM’s FFELP student loan assets and related funding for those assets arranged by underlying indices as of June 30, 2021. Index Frequency of variable resets Assets Funding of student loan assets 1 month LIBOR (a) Daily $ 17,675,866 — 3 month H15 financial commercial paper Daily 684,041 — 3 month Treasury bill Daily 578,957 — 1 month LIBOR Monthly — 10,956,453 3 month LIBOR (a) Quarterly — 6,017,633 Fixed rate — — 893,093 Auction-rate (b) Varies — 742,350 Asset-backed commercial paper (c) Varies — 301,144 Other (d) — 1,375,742 1,403,933 $ 20,314,606 20,314,606 (a) The Company has certain basis swaps outstanding in which the Company receives three-month LIBOR and pays one-month LIBOR plus or minus a spread as defined in the agreements (the "1:3 Basis Swaps"). The Company entered into these derivative instruments to better match the interest rate characteristics on its student loan assets and the debt funding such assets. The following table summarizes the 1:3 Basis Swaps outstanding as of June 30, 2021. Maturity Notional amount (i) 2022 $ 2,000,000 2023 750,000 2024 1,750,000 2026 1,150,000 2027 250,000 $ 5,900,000 (i) The weighted average rate paid by the Company on the 1:3 Basis Swaps as of June 30, 2021 was one-month LIBOR plus 9.1 basis points. (b) As of June 30, 2021, the Company was sponsor for $742.4 million of outstanding asset-backed securities that were set and provide for interest rates to be periodically reset via a "dutch auction" (“Auction Rate Securities”). Since the auction feature has essentially been inoperable for substantially all auction rate securities since 2008, the Auction Rate Securities generally pay interest to the holder at a maximum rate as defined by the indenture. While these rates will vary, they will generally be based on a spread to LIBOR or Treasury Securities, or the Net Loan Rate as defined in the financing documents. (c) The interest rates on the Company's warehouse facilities are indexed to asset-backed commercial paper rates. (d) Assets include accrued interest receivable and restricted cash. Funding represents overcollateralization (equity) and other liabilities included in FFELP asset-backed securitizations and warehouse facilities. LIBOR is in the process of being discontinued as a benchmark rate, and the 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. See "Interest Rate Risk - Replacement of LIBOR as a Benchmark Rate" under Item 2 above and Item 1A, "Risk Factors - Loan Portfolio - Interest rate risk - replacement of LIBOR as a benchmark rate" in the Company's 2020 Annual Report for additional information. 62 Sensitivity Analysis The following tables summarize the effect on the Company’s consolidated earnings, based upon a sensitivity analysis performed on AGM's assets and liabilities assuming hypothetical increases in interest rates of 100 basis points and 300 basis points while funding spreads remain constant. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was performed assuming the funding index increases 10 basis points and 30 basis points while holding the asset index constant, if the funding index is different than the asset index. The sensitivity analysis was performed on AGM’s variable rate assets (including loans earning fixed rate floor income) and liabilities. The analysis includes the effects of AGM’s derivative instruments in existence during these periods. Interest rates Asset and funding index mismatches Change from increase of 100 basis points Change from increase of 300 basis points Increase of 10 basis points Increase of 30 basis points Dollars Percent Dollars Percent Dollars Percent Dollars Percent Three months ended June 30, 2021 Effect on earnings: Decrease in pre-tax net income before impact of derivative settlements $ (14,023) (12.8) % $ (25,636) (23.5) % $ (1,571) (1.4) % $ (4,713) (4.3) % Impact of derivative settlements 9,562 8.7 28,685 26.3 1,471 1.3 4,413 4.0 Increase (decrease) in net income before taxes $ (4,461) (4.1) % $ 3,049 2.8 % $ (100) (0.1) % $ (300) (0.3) % Increase (decrease) in basic and diluted earnings per share $ (0.09) $ 0.06 $ — $ (0.01) Three months ended June 30, 2020 Effect on earnings: Decrease in pre-tax net income before impact of derivative settlements $ (16,475) (15.2) % $ (31,843) (29.5) % $ (1,780) (1.6) % $ (5,343) (5.0) % Impact of derivative settlements 1,865 1.7 5,594 5.2 1,429 1.3 4,286 4.0 Increase (decrease) in net income before taxes $ (14,610) (13.5) % $ (26,249) (24.3) % $ (351) (0.3) % $ (1,057) (1.0) % Increase (decrease) in basic and diluted earnings per share $ (0.28) $ (0.51) $ — $ (0.02) Six months ended June 30, 2021 Effect on earnings: Decrease in pre-tax net income before impact of derivative settlements $ (28,355) (10.6) % $ (52,005) (19.5) % $ (3,175) (1.2) % $ (9,527) (3.6) % Impact of derivative settlements 18,692 7.0 56,075 21.0 2,987 1.1 8,962 3.4 Increase (decrease) in net income before taxes $ (9,663) (3.6) % $ 4,070 1.5 % $ (188) (0.1) % $ (565) (0.2) % Increase (decrease) in basic and diluted earnings per share $ (0.19) $ 0.08 $ — $ (0.01) Six months ended June 30, 2020 Effect on earnings: Decrease in pre-tax net income before impact of derivative settlements $ (26,505) (45.7) % $ (48,738) (84.1) % $ (3,754) (6.5) % $ (11,267) (19.4) % Impact of derivative settlements 6,216 10.7 18,647 32.2 3,020 5.2 9,060 15.6 Increase (decrease) in net income before taxes $ (20,289) (35.0) % $ (30,091) (51.9) % $ (734) (1.3) % $ (2,207) (3.8) % Increase (decrease) in basic and diluted earnings per share $ (0.39) $ (0.58) $ (0.01) $ (0.04) 63 Interest Rate Risk - Nelnet Bank To manage Nelnet Bank's risk from market interest rates, the Company actively monitors interest rates and other interest sensitive components to minimize the impact that changes in interest rates have on the fair value of assets, net income, and cash flow. To achieve this objective, the Company manages and mitigates its exposure to fluctuations in market interest rates through several techniques, include managing the maturity, repricing, and mix of fixed and variable rate assets and liabilities. The following table presents Nelnet Bank's loan assets and deposits by rate characteristics: As of June 30, 2021 As of December 31, 2020 Dollars Percent Dollars Percent Fixed-rate loan assets $ 124,212 65.2 % $ 16,866 96.1 % Variable-rate loan assets 66,359 34.8 677 3.9 Total $ 190,571 100.0 % $ 17,543 100.0 % Fixed-rate deposits $ 202,841 67.8 % $ 54,633 48.3 % Variable-rate deposits 96,530 32.2 58,413 51.7 Total $ 299,371 100.0 % $ 113,046 100.0 %