Capital One Financial Corporation
today announced that it will cease residential mortgage origination
operations at its wholesale mortgage banking unit, GreenPoint
Mortgage, effective immediately. Current conditions in the secondary
mortgage markets create significant near-term profitability
challenges, given the company's "originate and sell" business model.
Further, recent and continuing developments in the mortgage markets
reduce the long- term outlook for profitability in the business, as
the company expects markets for prime, non-conforming mortgage
products are likely to remain challenged for the foreseeable future.
GreenPoint Mortgage will cease making new loan commitments
immediately, however, it will continue to meet its contractual
obligations to customers for loan commitments that are in the
pipeline with rates locked.
The
company estimated that the total after-tax charge associated with
this closure will be approximately $860 million, or $2.15 per share,
the vast majority of which is expected to be incurred in 2007.
Approximately $650 million of these expenses result from the
non-cash write-down of goodwill associated with the acquisition of
GreenPoint Mortgage as part of the North Fork Bancorporation in
December 2006. The remaining $210 million of after-tax charges
includes approximately $100 million in after-tax restructuring
charges associated with severance benefits and facilities closure,
and approximately $110 million after-tax valuation adjustments
related to ongoing operations in the third quarter.
As
a result of the expected charges, the company is revising 2007
earnings guidance down by $2.15 per share (diluted). The company now
expects 2007 earnings of approximately $5.00 per share (diluted).
Without the charges related to the mortgage banking business, the
company would have maintained its existing earnings guidance.
Capital One's other businesses remain on a solid trajectory, with
revenue growth and credit performance in line with expectations.
"The reductions in demand and pricing in the secondary mortgage
markets make it difficult to operate our wholesale mortgage banking
business profitably," said Gary Perlin, Capital One's Chief
Financial Officer. "Beyond that, Capital One's other businesses are
supported by ample liquidity and funding including deep access to
deposits, a "stockpile" of subordinated credit card funding in place
that allows approximately $9 billion of AAA credit card funding
going forward, and a $25 billion portfolio of highly liquid
securities."
GreenPoint Mortgage became a subsidiary of Capital One in December
2006, as part of the company's acquisition of North Fork
Bancorporation. GreenPoint's focus had long been the prime
non-conforming and near-prime markets, especially the Alt-A mortgage
sector.
Capital One Home Loans, based in Overland Park, KS, and Capital One N.A., including its 725 local retail
bank branch locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut,
Texas, and Louisiana, are not directly affected by this
decision. Capital One intends to continue to originate and sell
mortgage loans through Home Loans and its bank branches where it has
direct interactions with customers, rather than brokers, which
provides greater control of the underwriting and origination
process.
Capital One will retain a $12.5 billion mortgage portfolio, the vast
majority of which was held-for- investment (HFI) by
Hibernia and North Fork Banks at the time of their
acquisition by Capital One in 2005 and 2006. These loans continue to
demonstrate solid credit performance and generally consist of first
liens with relatively low loan-to-value ratios. The portfolio also
includes approximately $680 million of second lien mortgages
originated by GreenPoint Mortgage in late 2006 and early 2007. In
addition to the HFI portfolio, Capital One will retain exposure to
GreenPoint Mortgage's held-for- sale (HFS) mortgage portfolio with
$2.6 billion outstandings, the majority of which is committed for
sale under forward flow agreements. The company also will retain
exposure to future repurchases of past GreenPoint production to meet
representation and warranty claims. With the addition of the
estimated $110 million after-tax valuation adjustments referenced
above, Capital One believes that it has adequately reflected the
risk associated with these remaining exposures.
As
part of this decision, the company will close GreenPoint's California- based headquarters along with 31
locations across 19 states. The change will result in the
elimination of approximately 1,900 positions with the vast majority
of these positions being eliminated by the end of the year.
Impacted associates will receive career transition services
including one- on-one counseling and career seminars. All full-time
associates will be eligible for severance packages and will receive
outplacement and retraining assistance.
"Despite the difficult impact of this decision on GreenPoint and its
associates, Capital One remains a strong, diversified institution as
we continue to focus on our core banking and lending businesses,"
said Capital One's Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fairbank.
Forward-looking statements
The company cautions that its current expectations in this release
and in its Form 8-K dated August 20, 2007 regarding its ongoing
costs and financial risks, the accounting charges and overall
benefits associated with the decision to discontinue certain
mortgage operations, and the company's plans, objectives,
expectations, intentions, and guidance on 2007 financial performance
are forward-looking statements and actual results could differ
materially from current expectations due to a number of factors,
including: the success, timeliness and financial impact of the
decision to discontinue certain mortgage operations, including
financial charges and costs; continued intense competition from
numerous providers of products and services that compete with
Capital One's businesses; changes in our aggregate accounts and
balances, and the growth rate and composition thereof; the success
of the company's marketing efforts; general economic conditions
affecting interest rates and consumer income, spending, and savings
which may affect consumer bankruptcies, defaults, charge-offs and
deposit activity; economic conditions in the mortgage industry and
in the secondary mortgage markets specifically; and the company's
ability to execute on its strategic and operational plans.
About Capital One
Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One Financial Corporation
(http://www.capitalone.com)
is a financial holding company, with 725 locations in
New York,
New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas and
Louisiana. Its
principal subsidiaries, Capital One Bank, Capital One Auto Finance,
Inc., and Capital One, N.A., offer a broad spectrum of financial
products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial
clients. Capital One's subsidiaries collectively had $85.7 billion
in deposits and $144.2 billion in managed loans outstanding as of
June 30, 2007. Capital One, a Fortune 500 company, trades on the New
York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the
S&P 100 index.