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Media Center | Press Releases « 2005 Press Releases »
2005 Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Terri
McKay, FHLBank of Pittsburgh: 412-288-2830; cell:
412-523-8511
FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OF PITTSBURGH TO RESTATE
EARNINGS TO CORRECT FAS 133 ACCOUNTING
PITTSBURGH, August 25, 2005 The FHLBank
of Pittsburgh announced today it will restate its financial
results for the years 2001 through 2004, and the first
quarter of 2005, primarily to correct errors related
to the application of Financial Accounting Standards
No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging
Activities (FAS 133), on certain economically effective
hedging relationships. In light of this announcement,
investors and others should no longer rely on the FHLBank's
previously released financial statements for the periods
being restated.
For known items, management anticipates the cumulative
impact of the restatement will be an approximate $21
million decrease in retained earnings as of June 30,
2005, before assessments for the Affordable Housing
Program and REFCORP. The FHLBank is continuing its review
of several additional FAS 133-related issues, the outcome
of which could result in a material change to this estimate.
Effects on previously reported net income of individual
periods will be significant, but management does not
expect the restatement to adversely affect 2005 full-year
earnings.
"The need for this restatement came about through
the SEC registration process. The purpose of the restatement
is to correct errors and ensure that we have properly
and precisely applied the FAS 133 accounting rules,
which are exceedingly complex," said James D. Roy,
President and CEO.
The FHLBank misapplied FAS 133 accounting rules for
certain derivatives used to hedge its mortgage portfolio
and incorrectly used the "short-cut" method
of accounting as provided for under FAS 133 for certain
hedging relationships. Going forward, the FHLBank intends
to increase its use of more traditional, non-derivative-based
hedging and funding strategies for the mortgage portfolio.
The restatement amounts for each quarterly and annual
period subject to restatement are not known at this
time, nor can the impact on the FHLBank's Affordable
Housing Program and REFCORP assessments be determined
at this time. As of March 31, 2005, the last date of
FHLBank financial statements, the FHLBank's retained
earnings prior to the impact of any restatements were
approximately $116 million and total capital was approximately
$2.6 billion.
The FHLBank is withdrawing its registration statement
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Upon completion
of the restatement, currently expected to take a minimum
of three months, the FHLBank will move toward completing
SEC registration.
Background information
The need for restatement results from the incorrect
application of hedge accounting under FAS 133 and the
resultant loss of hedge accounting treatment in two
areas: mortgage portfolio hedges and certain hedges
for which the FHLBank applied the "short-cut"
treatment.
The FHLBank's mortgage portfolio hedging strategy has
had the economic effect of converting fixed-rate assets
into variable rate for a significant portion of their
remaining life, a technique referred to as "partial-term
hedging." From an accounting standpoint, both the
derivative hedges and the underlying assets were being
marked-to-market through the income statement. The economic
performance of these hedging activities has been highly
satisfactory and consistent with expectations; nevertheless,
the specific techniques applied do not satisfy the requirements
for hedge accounting treatment under FAS 133. These
derivative positions must be marked-to-market, but the
underlying changes in fair value of the mortgage portfolio
do not qualify for the same treatment, giving rise to
the need to restate previous financial results.
The second area for which hedge accounting will no
longer be applied to certain hedging relationships pertains
to the use of the "short-cut" method of hedge
accounting. The "short-cut" method of accounting
as provided for under FAS 133 allows the assumption
that the change in fair value of a hedged item exactly
offsets the change in value of the related derivative.
These instruments, for which the FHLBank should have
used the "long-haul" method but instead designated
under the "short-cut" method, either do not
qualify for hedge accounting or have deficiencies in
certain documentation and reporting requirements, even
though the hedges were highly effective. The "long-haul"
method of accounting requires the calculation of the
changes in fair value of the derivative and the hedged
items independently.
Statements contained in this release, including
statements describing the objectives, projections, estimates
or future predictions in the FHLBank's operations, may
be forward-looking statements. These statements may
be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology
such as anticipates, believes, could, estimate, may,
should and will, or their negatives or other variations
on these terms. By their nature, forward-looking statements
involve risk or uncertainty, and actual results could
differ materially from those expressed or implied, or
could affect the extent to which a particular objective,
projection, estimate or prediction is realized.
With assets of approximately $60 billion, the FHLBank
of Pittsburgh is a government-sponsored enterprise that
uses private capital to provide a steady stream of low-cost
funding to nearly 340 member financial institutions
in Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Created
by Congress in 1932 to support housing finance, the
FHLBanks' mission in more recent years has been expanded
to include financing for business startup and expansion
and a variety of community and economic development
needs.
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