Second Quarter Highlights

• Interest income of $18.3 million; net interest income of $3.3 million
• Net loss attributable to common stockholders of $(12.0) million
• Operating loss of $(2.5) million
• Earnings per share ("EPS") per basic common share was a loss of $(0.51)
• Operating loss per basic common share of $(0.11)
• Taxable loss of $(0.02) per share attributable to common stockholders after payment of dividends on our preferred stock
• Book value per common share of $11.86 at June 30, 2023
• Collected total cash of $49.5 million from loan payments, sales of real estate owned ("REO") properties and collections from investments in debt securities and beneficial interests
• Held $40.3 million of cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2023; average daily cash balance for the quarter was $43.6 million
• As of June 30, 2023, approximately 82.1% of our portfolio (based on UPB at the time of acquisition) made at least 12 out of the last 12 payments
• On June 30, 2023, we entered into a Merger Agreement (as defined below) with Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE: EFC) (“EFC”), pursuant to which, subject to the terms and conditions therein, we will be merged with and into a subsidiary of EFC

Great Ajax Corp. (NYSE: AJX), a Maryland corporation that is a real estate investment trust ("REIT"), announces its results of operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2023. We focus primarily on acquiring, investing in and managing a portfolio of re-performing mortgage loans ("RPLs") and non-performing loans ("NPLs") secured by single-family residences and commercial properties. In addition to our continued focus on RPLs and NPLs, we also originate and acquire small-balance commercial loans ("SBC loans") secured by multi-family retail/residential and mixed use properties.

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For the quarter ended June 30, 2023, we had a GAAP consolidated net loss attributable to common stockholders of $(12.0) million or $(0.51) per common share after preferred dividends. Operating loss, a non-GAAP financial measure which adjusts GAAP earnings by removing gains and losses as well as certain other non-core income and expenses and preferred dividends, was $(2.5) million or $(0.11) per common share. We consider Operating loss/income to provide a useful measure for comparing the results of our ongoing operations over multiple quarters. For a reconciliation of Operating loss/income to consolidated net loss available to common stockholders, please refer to Appendix B.

Our net interest income for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, excluding any adjustment for expected credit losses was $3.3 million, a decrease of $0.2 million over the prior quarter. Gross interest income decreased $0.1 million as a result of slightly lower yields and lower average balance on our mortgage and beneficial interests portfolio. Our interest expense for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 increased $0.1 million compared to the prior quarter primarily as a result of rate increases on our floating rate repurchase financing. Interest earning assets declined $24.1 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2023.

We generally acquire loans at a discount and record an allowance for expected credit losses at acquisition. We update the allowance quarterly based on actual cash flow results and changing cash flow expectations in accordance with the current expected credit losses accounting standard, otherwise known as CECL. During the quarter ended June 30, 2023, we recorded income of $2.9 million due to the decrease in the net present value of expected future credit losses partially driven by prepayments compared to $0.6 million of income recorded for the first quarter of fiscal year 2023.

We recorded an $8.8 million non-cash impairment on our Investments in beneficial interests due to the joint venture refinancing of eight Ajax Mortgage Loan Trusts joint ventures that were redeemed or partially paid down when the underlying loans were re-securitized to form Ajax Mortgage Loan Trust 2023-B ("2023-B") and Ajax Mortgage Loan Trust 2023-C ("2023-C") in July 2023 (See Subsequent events, below). Although we continue to own approximately the same interest in the underlying mortgage loans and related cash flows, we account for our beneficial interests in joint ventures as legal securities. Accordingly, we treat the re-securitization event as the sale of loans from the old trust to the new trust. Since loan prices have undergone significant disruption from year end and, the decline in loan prices resulted in the impairment of our Investments in beneficial interests being re-securitized. The non-cash impairment is expected to be a timing difference as our net investment in the underlying loan pools and the underlying loan pool cash flow expectations remain unchanged. By comparison, when we re-securitize our wholly-owned secured borrowings, we do not recognize any gain or loss because the transaction is treated as a refinancing through the redemption and issuance of the notes and the beneficial interest is not recorded on the consolidated balance sheet as a separate legal security.

We recorded a loss from our investments in affiliates of $0.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 compared to a loss of $0.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 due to a pass through of higher losses on our equity method investment of Gaea.

Our GAAP expenses increased on a quarter over quarter basis by $1.0 million primarily due to a $0.6 million increase in other expense due to impairment on our REO, discussed further below. Additionally our management fee expense increased by $0.2 million due to an update in the calculation to include our unsecured debt securities to the extent proceeds were used to repurchase our preferred stock and related warrants, effective as of March 1, 2023.

We recorded $0.7 million in impairment on our REO held-for-sale portfolio in other expense for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, primarily due to an additional assessment needed for one of our New York properties. We sold seven properties in the second quarter and recorded a loss of $18 thousand in other income. Three properties were added to REO held-for-sale through foreclosures.

For the quarter ended March 31, 2023, we transferred certain securities from AFS to HTM in compliance with the European Union risk retention requirement, which was a non-cash transaction and recorded at fair value. On the date of transfer, accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") included unrealized losses of $10.9 million for these securities. This amount will be amortized out of AOCI over the remaining life of the respective securities, and has no net impact to interest income. For the quarter ended June 30, 2023, this amortization resulted in a recapture of book value of $1.1 million through the recovery of AOCI compared to $2.0 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2023.

We ended the quarter with a GAAP book value of $11.86 per common share, compared to a book value per common share of $12.58 for the quarter ended March 31, 2023. The decrease in book value is driven primarily by our GAAP loss for the quarter and dividends paid, partially offset by the recovery of a portion of the mark to market loss in debt securities recorded on the balance sheet through AOCI, and the $1.1 million amortization of the unrealized loss on debt securities transferred to HTM.

Our taxable loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 was $(0.02) per share of net income available to common stockholders, compared to $0.05 per share of taxable net income available to common stockholders for the quarter ended March 31, 2023. Additionally, we recorded income tax expense of $0.2 million comprised primarily of state and local income taxes.

We collected $49.5 million of cash during the second quarter as a result of loan payments, loan payoffs, sales of REO, and cash collections on our securities portfolio to end the quarter with $40.3 million in cash and cash equivalents.

We purchased 68 RPLs with UPB of $16.3 million at 48.0% of property value and 82.7% of UPB. These loans were acquired and included on our consolidated balance sheet for a weighted average of 56 days of the quarter.

On June 30, 2023, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") with EFC and EF Acquisition I LLC, a Maryland limited liability company and a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of EFC (“Merger Sub”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions therein, we will be merged with and into Merger Sub, with Merger Sub remaining as a wholly-owned subsidiary of EFC (such surviving company, the “Surviving Company,” and such transaction, the “Merger”). Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, each share of our common stock outstanding immediately prior to the effective time (the “Effective Time”) of the Merger will be automatically converted into the right to receive from EFC (i) a number of newly and validly issued, fully-paid and nonassessable shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of EFC based on a fixed exchange ratio of 0.5308, subject to adjustment as provided in the Merger Agreement, including for certain dilutive or accretive share issuances by us or EFC prior to the Effective Time and (ii) if applicable, that amount of cash equal to an amount of cash that EFC has agreed, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, to pay to holders of our common stock depending upon certain potential repurchases of our securities prior to the closing of the Merger, divided by the aggregate number of shares of our common stock and restricted shares (which are any each share of our common stock issued under the Great Ajax Corp. 2014 Director Equity Plan and the Great Ajax Corp. 2016 Equity Incentive Plan and is unvested and/or subject to a repurchase option or obligation, risk of forfeiture or other lapse restriction) entitled to receive such consideration. We expect the transaction to close prior to the year-end.

The following table provides an overview of our portfolio at June 30, 2023 ($ in thousands):

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Subsequent Events

Since quarter end, we have acquired one residential NPL in one transaction from a single seller with aggregate UPB of $0.2 million and coupon of 8.38%. The purchase price of the NPL was 94.0% of UPB and 63.8% of the estimated market value of the underlying collateral of $0.3 million.

We have agreed to acquire, subject to due diligence, one residential RPL in one transaction with aggregate UPB of $0.2 million and coupon of 5.75%. The purchase price of the residential RPL is 80.0% of UPB and 55.0% of the estimated market value of the underlying collateral of $0.3 million.

On July 11, 2023, we sold an unrated Class A senior bond in one of our joint ventures and recognized a loss of $0.4 million. A cumulative $0.4 million of this loss was already reflected in our book value calculation through AOCI at June 30, 2023. This cumulative loss was reclassified to loss on sale of securities on the sale date.

On July 24, 2023, we formed 2023-B and 2023-C, with an accredited institutional investor, by refinancing eight joint ventures and recorded an $8.8 million non-cash impairment on our Investments in beneficial interests during the second quarter of 2023. 2023-B retained $20.7 million or 20.0% of varying classes of securities and equity. 2023-B acquired 571 RPLs and NPLs with UPB of $121.7 million and an aggregate property value of $252.2 million. The senior securities represent 75.0% of the UPB of the underlying mortgage loans and carry a 4.25% coupon. In addition, 2023-C retained $36.1 million or 20.0% of varying classes of agency rated securities and equity. 2023-C acquired 1,171 RPLs and NPLs with UPB of $203.6 million and an aggregate property value of $459.1 million. The AAA through A rated securities represent 72.4% of the UPB of the underlying mortgage loans and carry a weighted average coupon of 3.45%. Based on the structure of the transactions, we do not consolidate 2023-B and 2023-C under U.S. GAAP.

On August 3, 2023, our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.20 per share to be paid on August 31, 2023 to stockholders of record as of August 15, 2023.

Conference Call

Great Ajax Corp. will host a conference call at 5:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, August 3, 2023 to review our financial results for the quarter. A live Webcast of the conference call will be accessible from the Quarterly Reports section of our website www.greatajax.com. An archive of the Webcast will be available for 90 days.

About Great Ajax Corp.

Great Ajax Corp. is a Maryland corporation that is a REIT, that focuses primarily on acquiring, investing in and managing RPLs and NPLs secured by single-family residences and commercial properties. In addition to our continued focus on RPLs and NPLs, we also originate and acquire SBC loans secured by multi-family retail/residential and mixed use properties. We are externally managed by Thetis Asset Management LLC, an affiliated entity. Our mortgage loans and other real estate assets are serviced by Gregory Funding LLC, an affiliated entity. We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Words such as “believes,” “intends,” “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” and “future” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions, many of which are beyond our control, including, without limitation and the risk factors and other matters set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 3, 2023, when filed with the SEC, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2023, and statements concerning our pending merger with EFC, including our failure to close the pending merger or developments on its expected terms. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

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Appendix A - Earnings per share

The following table sets forth the components of basic and diluted EPS ($ in thousands, except per share):

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