Financial Derivatives

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure

FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES

Farmer Mac enters into financial derivative transactions principally to protect against risk from the effects of market price or interest rate movements on the value of certain assets, future cash flows, or debt issuance, and not for trading or speculative purposes.  Certain financial derivatives are designated as fair value hedges of fixed rate assets classified as available-for-sale to protect against fair value changes in the assets related to a benchmark interest rate (i.e., LIBOR). Other financial derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges to mitigate the volatility of future interest rate payments on floating rate debt.

All financial derivatives are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value as a freestanding asset or liability. Changes in the fair values of financial derivatives not designated as cash flow hedges are reported in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives and hedging activities" in the consolidated statements of operations. For financial derivatives designated in fair value hedging relationships, changes in the fair values of the hedged items related to the risk being hedged are also reported in "(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives and hedging activities" in the consolidated statements of operations. For financial derivatives designated in cash flow hedging relationships, the effective portion of the derivative gain/loss is recorded in other comprehensive income; amounts are disclosed as a reclassification out of other comprehensive income when the hedged transaction affects earnings. Any ineffective portion of designated hedge transactions is recognized immediately in"(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives and hedging activities" in the consolidated statements of operations.

As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, Farmer Mac's credit exposure to interest rate swap counterparties, excluding netting arrangements and any adjustment for nonperformance risk, but including accrued interest, was $19.3 million and $25.1 million, respectively; however, including netting arrangements and accrued interest, Farmer Mac's credit exposure was $2.3 million and $3.3 million as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively. As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, Farmer Mac held no cash as collateral for its derivatives in net asset positions, resulting in uncollateralized net asset positions of $2.3 million and $3.0 million, respectively. Farmer Mac records cash held as collateral as an increase in the balance of cash and cash equivalents and an increase in the balance of accounts payable and accrued expenses.

As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the fair value of Farmer Mac's derivatives in a net liability position including accrued interest but excluding netting arrangements and any adjustment for nonperformance risk, was $81.5 million and $92.0 million, respectively; however, including netting arrangements and accrued interest, the fair value of Farmer Mac's derivatives in a net liability position at the counterparty level, was $68.6 million and $74.8 million as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.  Farmer Mac posted cash of $14.2 million and no investment securities as of March 31, 2014 and posted cash of $9.8 million and investment securities with a fair value of $1.5 million as of December 31, 2013 as collateral for its derivatives in net liability positions.  Farmer Mac records posted cash as a reduction in the outstanding balance of cash and cash equivalents and an increase in the balance of prepaid expenses and other assets. The investment securities posted as collateral are included in the investment securities balances on the consolidated balance sheets.  If Farmer Mac had breached certain provisions of the derivative contracts as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, it could have been required to settle its obligations under the agreements or post additional collateral of $54.4 millionand $63.5 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, there were no financial derivatives in a net payable position where Farmer Mac was required to pledge collateral which the counterparty had the right to sell or repledge.

Effective in second quarter 2013, Farmer Mac expanded its use of centrally-cleared derivatives by clearing through a clearinghouse certain interest rate swaps. Farmer Mac posts initial and variation margin to the clearinghouses through which centrally-cleared derivatives and futures contracts are traded. These collateral postings expose Farmer Mac to institutional credit risk in the event that either the clearinghouse or the futures commission merchant that Farmer Mac uses to post collateral to the clearinghouse fails to meet its obligations. Conversely, the use of centrally-cleared derivatives mitigates Farmer Mac's credit risk to individual counterparties because clearinghouses assume the credit risk among counterparties in centrally-cleared derivatives transactions. Of Farmer Mac's $6.6 billion notional amount of interest rate swaps outstanding as of March 31, 2014, $3.1 billion were cleared through swap clearinghouses.

Farmer Mac’s counterparties are required to pledge collateral for transactions involving securities purchased under agreements to resell. Farmer Mac considers the types of securities being pledged as collateral when determining how much to lend in these transactions. Additionally, Farmer Mac regularly reviews the fair values of these securities compared to amounts loaned and derivative counterparty collateral posting thresholds in an effort to minimize exposure to losses. The fair value of non-cash collateral accepted for securities purchased under agreements to resell or similar arrangements was $150.0 million, all of which could be sold or repledged; however, none of the underlying collateral was sold or repledged as of March 31, 2014. There were no securities purchased under agreements to resell as of December 31, 2013.

The following tables summarize information related to Farmer Mac's financial derivatives on a gross basis without giving consideration to master netting arrangements as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 and the effects of financial derivatives on the consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013:

Table 4.1

	March 31, 2014
			Fair Value						Weighted- Average Pay Rate	Weighted- Average Receive Rate	Weighted- Average Forward Price	Weighted- Average Remaining Life (in years)
	Notional Amount		Asset			(Liability)
	(dollars in thousands)
Fair value hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable	$	900,000	$	—		$	(28,789	)	2.25%	0.24%		3.00
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable	10,000		—			(36		)	2.50%	0.48%		6.70
No hedge designation:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable	507,820		3,074			(43,448		)	4.28%	0.24%		7.55
Receive fixed non-callable	4,431,663		8,045			(183		)	0.26%	0.68%		0.47
Receive fixed callable	195,000		4			(1,081		)	0.10%	0.65%		3.03
Basis swaps	565,189		336			(572		)	0.25%	0.26%		1.86
Agency forwards	—		—			—					—
Treasury futures	18,400		15			—					123.58
Credit valuation adjustment			(117		)	222
Total financial derivatives	$	6,628,072	$	11,357		$	(73,887	)
Collateral pledged			—			14,223
Net amount			$	11,357		$	(59,664	)

	December 31, 2013
			Fair Value						Weighted- Average Pay Rate	Weighted- Average Receive Rate	Weighted- Average Forward Price	Weighted- Average Remaining Life (in years)
	Notional Amount		Asset			(Liability)
	(dollars in thousands)
Fair value hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable	$	900,000	$	—		$	(28,989	)	2.25%	0.24%		3.25
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable	10,000		68			—			2.50%	0.48%		6.95
No hedge designation:
Interest rate swaps:
Pay fixed non-callable	806,596		7,570			(45,360		)	4.63%	0.24%		4.86
Receive fixed non-callable	4,324,663		11,836			(262		)	0.27%	0.70%		0.53
Receive fixed callable	175,000		83			(934		)	0.10%	0.65%		3.30
Basis swaps	404,288		276			(318		)	0.32%	0.29%		1.52
Agency forwards	65,704		86			—					98.91
Treasury futures	5,600		—			(1		)			123.02
Credit valuation adjustment			(201		)	156
Total financial derivatives	$	6,691,851	$	19,718		$	(75,708	)
Collateral pledged			—			11,320
Net amount			$	19,718		$	(64,388	)

Table 4.2

	(Losses)/Gains on Financial Derivatives and Hedging Activities
	For the Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2014			March 31, 2013
	(in thousands)
Fair value hedges:
Interest rate swaps (1)	$	200		$	5,791
Hedged items	2,750			(3,138		)
Gains on hedging activities	2,950			2,653
No hedge designation:
Interest rate swaps	(9,548		)	2,846
Agency forwards	(852		)	(984		)
Treasury futures	(128		)	(21		)
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives not designated in hedging relationships	(10,528		)	1,841
(Losses)/gains on financial derivatives and hedging activities	$	(7,578	)	$	4,494

(1) Included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness at March 31, 2014, but excluded from the amounts in the table, were losses of $2.9 millionfor the three months endedMarch 31, 2014, attributable to the fair value of the swaps at the inception of the hedging relationship. Accordingly, the amounts recognized as hedge ineffectiveness for the three months endedMarch 31, 2014 were gains of $29,000. The comparable amounts at March 31, 2013 were losses of $3.0 millionfor the three months endedMarch 31, 2013 attributable to the fair value of the swaps at the inception of the hedging relationship and, accordingly, losses of $0.3 millionfor the three months endedMarch 31, 2013 attributable to hedge ineffectiveness.

As of March 31, 2014, Farmer Mac had outstanding basis swaps with Zions First National Bank, a related party, with a total notional amount of $22.1 million and a fair value of $(0.2) million, compared to $29.3 million and $(0.2) million, respectively, as of December 31, 2013.  Under the terms of those basis swaps, Farmer Mac pays Constant Maturity Treasury-based rates and receives LIBOR.  Those swaps hedge most of the interest rate basis risk related to loans Farmer Mac purchases that pay a Constant Maturity Treasury-based rate and the discount notes Farmer Mac issues to fund the loan purchases.  The pricing of discount notes is closely correlated to LIBOR rates.  Farmer Mac recorded unrealized gains on those outstanding basis swaps for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 of $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively.