Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (ARI) Q3 2024 Earnings Call Transcript
Distributable Earnings $44 million or $0.31 per share, a decrease from the previous year due to impacts from watch-list loans.
GAAP Net Loss $95 million or negative $0.69 per diluted share, a significant decline attributed to a $128 million realized loss from the hospital loan resolution.
Loan Repayments $953 million, an increase of over $190 million compared to the first and second quarters combined, indicating a robust quarter for loan repayments.
Portfolio Carrying Value $7.8 billion, unchanged from the previous quarter.
Weighted Average Yield 8.5%, unchanged from the previous quarter.
CECL Allowance $381 million or $2.74 per share, relatively flat quarter-over-quarter, with a slight decrease in the general CECL allowance due to repayment activity.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio 3.5 times, indicating stable leverage with no corporate debt maturities until May 2026.
Total Liquidity Over $300 million, reflecting strong liquidity position with cash, undrawn credit capacity, and loan proceeds.
Book Value per Share $12.73, reflecting a decrease of $0.93 due to the realized loss on the Massachusetts Healthcare Loan.
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- Financial Performance Overview: Apollo Commercial Real Estate reported distributable earnings of $37 million in Q4 2025, translating to $0.26 per diluted share, with total distributable earnings for the year at $139 million, reflecting the company's efforts to stabilize cash flow.
- Asset Management Strategy: The management is actively managing its REO portfolio, particularly the Brook tower, which is currently 56% leased, with expectations to achieve stabilization later this year, aiming to enhance overall financial performance through optimized asset value.
- Loan Portfolio Dynamics: In Q4, the company committed $1.3 billion to new loans, with $1.1 billion funded, and the loan portfolio grew to approximately $8.8 billion by year-end, indicating strong activity and growth potential in the lending market.
- Future Outlook and Strategy: While no explicit future earnings guidance was provided, management emphasized a focus on leasing and stabilization of assets, while evaluating various strategies for capital deployment in response to market changes and investor feedback.
- Earnings Surprise: Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (ARI) reported a Q4 non-GAAP EPS of $0.26, beating expectations by $0.02, demonstrating the company's resilience amid market fluctuations.
- Revenue Growth: The company achieved Q4 revenue of $73.25 million, a 4.0% year-over-year increase, surpassing market expectations by $27.02 million, indicating sustained growth potential in the commercial real estate sector.
- Stock Price Reaction: Despite the earnings beat, Apollo's stock fell by 1.87%, reflecting market uncertainty regarding future growth, which could impact investor confidence.
- Asset Sale Strategy: Apollo plans to sell approximately $9 billion in commercial real estate loans to Athene, aiming to optimize its balance sheet and enhance liquidity, potentially providing funding for future investments.

- Financial Performance: The adjusted EPS for Apollocommercial real estate finance in Q4 is reported at USD 0.26.
- Comparison with Estimates: This figure exceeds the IBES estimate, which was USD 0.24.
- Earnings Release Date: Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (ARI) is set to announce its Q4 earnings on February 10th after market close, with a consensus EPS estimate of $0.24, reflecting a 25% year-over-year decline.
- Performance Expectation Analysis: Historically, ARI has surpassed EPS estimates 88% of the time over the last two years, while only achieving a 13% beat on revenue estimates, indicating volatility in its earnings performance.
- EPS Estimate Changes: In the past three months, there have been two upward revisions to EPS estimates with no downward adjustments, suggesting increased market confidence in the company's future profitability.
- Asset Sale Dynamics: Apollo plans to sell approximately $9 billion in commercial real estate loans to Athene, which could significantly impact its balance sheet and future revenue structure.
- Distribution Tax Classification: Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance anticipates a $0.25 per share distribution for its common stock in 2025, which may qualify for a 20% deduction under Section 199A, demonstrating the company's commitment to shareholder returns.
- Preferred Stock Dividend Details: The company’s 7.25% Series B-1 preferred stock will also yield a $0.453125 per share distribution, ensuring stable returns for preferred shareholders and reflecting robust capital management strategies.
- Cash Distribution Treatment: The cash distribution on January 15, 2026, will be treated as a 2025 distribution, indicating transparency in tax handling and helping to bolster investor confidence in the company's financial practices.
- Investor Consultation Recommendation: The company encourages shareholders to consult tax advisors regarding their specific tax treatment, highlighting its commitment to shareholder interests and aiming to enhance understanding and trust in its distribution policies.

- Loan Portfolio Sale: Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (ARI) announced the sale of a ~$9 billion commercial real estate loan portfolio to Athene Holding, with the purchase price based on 99.7% of total loan commitments, indicating strong market positioning.
- Stock Price Surge: Following the announcement, ARI's shares rose 4.35% in pre-market trading to $10.56, reflecting positive market sentiment and increased investor confidence in the company's prospects.
- Cash Flow Expectations: Post-transaction, ARI anticipates having ~$1.4 billion in net cash and ~$1.7 billion in common stockholders' equity, providing ample funding for future investments and strategic acquisitions.
- Strategic Evaluation Plan: ARI plans to spend the remainder of the year evaluating a range of commercial real estate-related strategies, including strategic M&A opportunities, aiming to enhance current yield and position its shares to trade at or above book value.




