Exhibit 99.1
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Front Yard Residential Announces Termination of Merger Agreement with Amherst and Provides Business Update
May 4, 2020
CHRISTIANSTED, U.S. Virgin Islands, May 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Front Yard Residential Corporation (“Front Yard” or the “Company”) (NYSE: RESI) announced today that the Company and Amherst Residential, LLC (“Amherst”) have agreed to terminate the previously announced merger agreement pursuant to which Amherst would have acquired Front Yard, and the parties have entered into a settlement agreement with respect to the termination.
In connection with the termination of the merger agreement, Amherst has agreed to pay a $25 million fee to Front Yard, purchase 4.4 million shares of Front Yard common stock in a primary issuance at $12.50 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $55 million and provide a $20 million committed two-year unsecured loan facility to Front Yard.
“While we are disappointed that the transaction with Amherst will not close, we believe that we have reached an outcome that will allow the Company to focus on delivering long-term shareholder value while putting it in a strong financial position going forward,” said George Ellison, Front Yard’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are pleased that the business performed well in the first quarter, which has continued into April.”
| • | | Rental revenues increased to $54.3 million for the first quarter of 2020, up 4.3% over the fourth quarter of 2019. |
| • | | The first quarter of 2020 was Front Yard’s best ever operational quarter with Core Funds from Operations (“FFO”) of $0.12 per diluted share, an improvement of $0.07 per diluted share over the fourth quarter 2019.1 |
| • | | March 31, 2020 was Front Yard’s best ever stabilized leased percentage of 97.0%, up 200 basis points from 95.0% as of December 31, 2019. |
| • | | April rent collections exceeded 99% of Front Yard’s trailing 12-month average and stabilized leased percentage increased to 97.7% at April 30, 2020. |
1 | Core FFO is a non-GAAP measure. Refer to the Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures section for further information and reconciliation to GAAP net loss. |
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Front Yard on an alternate transaction that builds on our long relationship with the Front Yard team,” said Sean Dobson, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Amherst Holdings, LLC. “The unprecedented global health crisis has made the integration of the organizations too operationally complex and uncertain at this time, and we believe this equity investment is the best path forward for both companies’ investors, employees and stakeholders. In our thorough due diligence, we have become even more impressed with Front Yard’s management team and the strength of their platform. We are proud to continue our partnership as a long-term shareholder, and with our investment we are confident that Front Yard is well positioned to capitalize on positive industry fundamentals, deliver a return on our investment and achieve long-term growth.”
First Quarter 2020 Financial Results
GAAP net loss for the first quarter of 2020 was $20.2 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $18.5 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2019.
About Front Yard
Front Yard is an industry leader in providing quality, affordable rental homes to America’s families. Our homes offer exceptional value in a variety of suburban communities that have easy accessibility to metropolitan areas. Front Yard’s tenants enjoy the space and comfort that is unique to single-family housing, at reasonable prices. Our mission is to provide our tenants with houses they are proud to call home. Additional information is available atwww.frontyardresidential.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding management’s beliefs, estimates, projections, anticipations and assumptions with respect to, among other things, the Company’s financial results, future operations, business plans and investment strategies as well as industry and market conditions. These statements may be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “seek,” “believe” and other expressions or words of similar meaning. We caution that forward-looking statements are qualified by the existence of certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from what is contemplated by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include: our ability to successfully implement our strategic initiatives and achieve their anticipated impact; our ability to implement our business strategy; risks and uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including as related to adverse economic conditions on real estate-related assets and financing conditions; our ability to make distributions to stockholders; our ability to integrate newly acquired rental assets into the portfolio; the ability to successfully perform property management services at the level and/or the cost that we anticipate; the failure to identify unforeseen expenses or material liabilities associated with acquisitions through the due diligence process prior to such acquisitions; difficulties in identifying single-family properties to acquire; the impact of changes to the supply of, value of and the returns on single-