KKR Financial Holdings LLC

KKR Financial Corp. Announces First Quarter 2007 Financial Results

SAN FRANCISCO, May 3, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- KKR Financial Corp. (NYSE: KFN) ("KFN" or the "Company") today announced its results for the first quarter of 2007.

    Highlights of KKR Financial Corp.'s performance include:

    -- Stockholders approved a restructuring transaction whereby the Company
       will convert from a real estate investment trust to a limited liability
       company.
    -- Distribution of an aggregate amount of $45.1 million for the quarter
       ended March 31, 2007 on the Company's common stock.
    -- Net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 of $48.4 million, or
       $0.60 per diluted common share.
    -- Net income adjusted for share-based compensation, a non-GAAP financial
       measurement, for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 of $54.3 million, or
       $0.68 per diluted common share.
    -- REIT taxable income, a non-GAAP financial measurement, for the quarter
       ended March 31, 2007 of $66.0 million, or $0.82 per diluted common
       share.
    -- Investment portfolio totaled $16.1 billion as of March 31, 2007 as
       compared to $17.1 billion as of December 31, 2006.

KFN reported net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 of $48.4 million, or $0.60 per diluted common share. Current quarter results represent an increase of 59% from $30.4 million, or $0.38 per diluted common share for the quarter ended March 31, 2006.

Net income includes share-based compensation expense for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 totaling $5.8 million and for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 totaling $6.8 million, or $0.08 and $0.09 per diluted common share, respectively. Net income adjusted for share-based compensation, a non-GAAP financial measurement consisting of GAAP net income plus GAAP share-based compensation expense, for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 totaled $54.3 million, or $0.68 per diluted common share. Current quarter results represent an increase of 46% from net income adjusted for share-based compensation of $37.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2006. Net income adjusted for share-based compensation is an important non-GAAP measure because it is an indicative measurement of cash flow generated from operations that is available to make distributions to common stockholders.

REIT taxable income, a non-GAAP financial measurement, for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 totaled $66.0 million, or $0.82 per diluted common share. For the quarter ended March 31, 2006, REIT taxable income totaled $47.7 million or $0.60 per diluted common share. REIT taxable income for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 includes taxable income of approximately $0.16 per diluted common share attributable to certain of the Company's CLO subsidiaries which have a November 30 rather than a December 31 year-end for tax purposes. The non-GAAP financial measurement of REIT taxable income is important because the Company is structured as a REIT and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, requires that the Company pay substantially all of its taxable income in the form of distributions to its stockholders. REIT taxable income is important in the determination of the amount of the minimum distributions that the Company must pay to its stockholders so as to comply with the rules set forth in the Code. Attached to this release is a schedule reconciling this measure to net income.

The Company filed its Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2007 with the Securities and Exchange Commission today, May 3, 2007. KFN encourages investors to carefully read the Company's Form 10-Q which contains condensed consolidated financial statements and footnotes and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Conversion Transaction

On May 3, 2007, the Company's shareholders approved a restructuring transaction (the "Conversion Transaction") whereby KKR Financial Corp., currently a publicly traded Maryland corporation, will become a subsidiary of a recently formed Delaware limited liability company that will be publicly traded. The Delaware limited liability company, named KKR Financial Holdings LLC, will not be taxed as a REIT, but is expected to be treated as a pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Conversion Transaction will result in each share of currently issued and outstanding KKR Financial Corp. common stock being converted into an equal number of limited liability company shares in KKR Financial Holdings LLC. The Company expects that the Conversion Transaction will be consummated on May 4, 2007.

Investment Portfolio

As of March 31, 2007, the Company's investment portfolio totaled $16.1 billion as compared to $17.1 billion as of December 31, 2006. As of March 31, 2007, the Company's unrealized gains and losses from its residential mortgage investments are included in income while the Company's net aggregate unrealized gains from its investments in corporate loans and securities held through consolidated and unconsolidated subsidiaries and its interest rate derivatives designated as cash flow hedges as defined under SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, are not included in income and totaled $110.4 million as compared to $118.2 million as of December 31, 2006. These amounts exclude the Company's investments in non-marketable equity securities, which are carried at cost.

    The Company invested $0.4 billion during the quarter ended March 31, 2007,
compared to $1.9 billion during the quarter ended March 31, 2006.  The table
below summarizes investment portfolio purchases for the periods indicated and
includes the par amount, or face amount, of the securities and loans that were
purchased.

                        Investment Portfolio Purchases
                            (Amounts in thousands)

                                   Three months ended   Three months ended
                                     March 31, 2007       March 31, 2006
                                    Par          %       Par            %
                                   Amount               Amount
    Securities:
    Residential ARM Securities       $--        --%  $1,063,776       56.2%
    Corporate Debt Securities     34,000        9.2     127,769         6.8
    Marketable Equity Securities  17,728        4.9      10,375         0.5
    Non-Marketable Equity
     Securities                    7,500        2.1      50,936         2.7
    Total Securities Principal
     Balance                      59,228       16.2   1,252,856        66.2

    Loans:
    Residential ARM Loans         17,706        4.9      99,498         5.3
    Corporate Loans              287,687       78.9     538,883        28.5
       Total Loans Principal
        Balance                  305,393       83.8     638,381        33.8
       Grand Total Principal
        Balance                 $364,621     100.0%  $1,891,237      100.0%

Distribution

On May 3, 2007, the Company's Board of Directors declared a distribution of an aggregate amount of $45.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 on the Company's common stock. The distribution is payable on May 31, 2007 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 17, 2007. However, assuming that the Conversion Transaction is consummated on May 4, 2007, the Company's sole common stockholder after that date will be KKR Financial Holdings LLC and this cash distribution will therefore be paid to KKR Financial Holdings LLC. Accordingly, the Company expects that the board of directors of KKR Financial Holdings LLC will declare a cash distribution in the same aggregate amount payable on May 31, 2007 to the holders of its common shares as of the close of business on May 17, 2007. Based on the number of shares of KKR Financial Holdings LLC that the Company expects will be issued in the Conversion Transaction, the Company expects that Holdings will pay a distribution of $0.56 on each of its common shares on May 31, 2007.

Adoption of Fair Value Option

The Company adopted SFAS No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities -- Including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115 ("SFAS No. 159") as of January 1, 2007 and elected to implement fair value accounting for its investments in residential mortgage loans and residential mortgage-backed securities. The Company recorded a transition adjustment loss to accumulated deficit of $55.7 million as of January 1, 2007 to reflect the cumulative effect of the adoption of the fair value option for the Company's residential mortgage investments. This adjustment reflects a reclassification of $21.5 million of unrealized losses included in other comprehensive income to accumulated deficit. Accordingly, this adjustment resulted in a net decrease of stockholders' equity by $34.2 million, or $0.42 per common share outstanding.

Book Value Per Common Share

The Company's book value per common share was $20.95 and $21.42 as of March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively, exclusive of the distribution expected to be declared subsequent to the end of the first quarter of 2007 of $0.56 per common share and the distribution declared subsequent to the end of the fourth quarter of 2006 of $0.54 per common share. The Company's book value per common share excludes net unrealized gains from its corporate loan investments, which are carried at amortized cost, held by consolidated and unconsolidated subsidiaries totaling $31.9 million, or $0.40 per common share outstanding as of March 31, 2007 and $26.1 million, or $0.32 per common share outstanding as of December 31, 2006.

Information for Investors: Conference Call and Webcast

KKR Financial Holdings LLC will host a conference call and audio webcast to review its first quarter 2007 results on Friday, May 4, 2007, at 11 a.m. EDT. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 800-753-0420 (Domestic) or 913-981-5554 (International); a pass code is not required. A replay will be available through May 18, 2007 by dialing 888-203-1112 (Domestic) and 719-457- 0820 (International) / pass code 4380335. A live web cast of the call will be accessible on the Company's website, at www.kkrkfn.com, via a link from the Investor Relations section. A replay of the audio web cast will be archived in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website.

About KKR Financial Corp.

KKR Financial Corp. is a specialty finance company that invests in multiple asset classes and uses leverage with the objective of generating competitive leveraged risk-adjusted returns. The Company currently makes investments in the following asset classes: (i) residential mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities; (ii) corporate loans and debt securities; (iii) commercial real estate loans and debt securities; (iv) asset-backed securities; and (v) marketable and non-marketable equity securities. The Company also makes opportunistic investments in other asset classes from time to time. The Company was organized as a Maryland corporation on July 7, 2004, and commenced operations on August 12, 2004. The Company is structured as a real estate investment trust and KKR Financial Advisors LLC manages the Company pursuant to a management agreement. KKR Financial Corp. and KKR Financial Advisors LLC are affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.

Statements in this press release which are not historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Although KKR Financial Corp. believes the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, the Company can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include completion of pending investments, continued ability to originate new investments, the mix of originations and prepayment levels, the availability and cost of capital for future investments, competition within the specialty finance sector, economic conditions, credit loss experience, and other risks disclosed from time to time in the Company's filings with the SEC.


                                  Schedule I
                     KKR Financial Corp. and Subsidiaries
         CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

    (amounts in thousands, except
     per share information)
                                                 For the three   For the three
                                                 months ended    months ended
                                                March 31, 2007  March 31, 2006
    Net investment income:
    Securities interest income                      $115,608        $79,964
    Loan interest income                             133,742        125,106
    Dividend income                                      974            883
    Other interest income                              2,687          1,845
    Total investment income                          253,011        207,798
    Interest expense                                (200,066)      (156,563)
    Net investment income                             52,945         51,235
    Other income:
    Net unrealized gain on trading securities
     and loans carried at fair value                   2,769             --
    Net realized and unrealized gain on
     derivatives and foreign exchange                  7,138             10
    Net realized gain on investments                   6,944          1,448
    Fee and other income                               2,048            215
    Total other income                                18,899          1,673
    Non-investment expenses:
    Related party management compensation             19,299         14,440
    Professional services                                541            947
    Loan servicing expense                             3,263          3,996
    Insurance expense                                    194            224
    Directors expenses                                   320            373
    General and administrative expenses                6,008          2,228
    Total non-investment expenses                     29,625         22,208
    Income before equity in income of
     unconsolidated affiliate and
     income tax expense                               42,219         30,700
    Equity in income of unconsolidated affiliate       6,981             --
    Income before income tax expense                  49,200         30,700
    Income tax expense                                   776            312
    Net income                                       $48,424        $30,388
    Net income per common share:
      Basic                                            $0.61          $0.39
      Diluted                                          $0.60          $0.38
    Weighted-average number of common
     shares outstanding:
      Basic                                           78,768         77,675
      Diluted                                         80,257         79,314
    Distributions declared per common share            $0.54          $0.40


                                   Schedule II
                       KKR Financial Corp. and Subsidiaries
                CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)

    (amounts in thousands,
     except share information)
                                                     March 31,    December 31,
                                                       2007           2006
    Assets
    Cash and cash equivalents                         $3,296         $5,125
    Restricted cash and cash equivalents             291,117        138,065
    Trading securities, $6,988,360 and $0
     pledged as collateral as of March 31, 2007
     and December 31, 2006, respectively           7,033,094             --
    Securities available-for-sale, $734,108 and
     $8,336,435 pledged as collateral as of
     March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006,
     respectively                                    880,340      8,500,636
    Loans ($4,845,144 and $0 at fair value as
     of March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006,
     respectively), net of allowance for loan
     losses of $0 and $1,500 as of March 31, 2007
     and December 31, 2006, respectively           8,042,492      8,442,021
    Derivative assets                                 49,387         63,433
    Interest receivable                               77,603         84,048
    Principal receivable                               8,201          4,540
    Non-marketable equity securities                 173,823        166,323
    Investment in unconsolidated affiliate           128,813        104,035
    Other assets                                      52,598         56,951
      Total assets                               $16,740,764    $17,565,177
    Liabilities
    Repurchase agreements                         $3,551,840     $4,457,089
    Collateralized loan obligation senior
     secured notes                                 2,252,500      2,252,500
    Asset-backed secured liquidity notes           8,822,785      8,705,601
    Secured revolving credit facility                 25,200         34,710
    Secured demand loan                               41,658         41,658
    Junior subordinated notes                        257,743        257,743
    Accounts payable, accrued expenses
     and other liabilities                            46,032         45,237
    Accrued interest payable                          42,163         36,991
    Related party payable                             10,221          6,901
    Income tax liability                                 877            601
    Derivative liabilities                             3,811          2,715
      Total liabilities                           15,054,830     15,841,746
    Stockholders' Equity
    Preferred stock, $0.01 par value,
     50,000,000 shares authorized and none
     issued and outstanding at March 31, 2007
     and December 31, 2006                                --             --
    Common stock, $0.01 par value, 250,000,000
     shares authorized and 80,464,713 shares
     issued and outstanding at March 31, 2007
     and December 31, 2006, respectively                 805            805
    Additional paid-in-capital                     1,676,168      1,670,330
    Accumulated other comprehensive income            77,940         70,520
    Accumulated deficit                              (68,979)       (18,224)
      Total stockholders' equity                   1,685,934      1,723,431
      Total liabilities and
       stockholders' equity                      $16,740,764    $17,565,177


                                 Schedule III
                     KKR Financial Corp. and Subsidiaries
                      SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

    (amounts in thousands,
     except share information)
                                                  Three Months   Three Months
                                                     Ended          Ended
                                                 March 31,2007   March 31,2006

    Net Income:                                      $48,424        $30,388
    Earnings per diluted common share                  $0.60          $0.38

    Net Income + Share-Based Compensation (1):       $54,262        $37,171
    Net income, adjusted for share-based
     compensation, per diluted common share            $0.68          $0.47

    REIT Taxable Income (2):                         $65,989        $47,694
    REIT taxable income per diluted common share       $0.82          $0.60

    Profitability Ratio Information (3):
    Return on equity                                   11.4%           7.4%
    Return on assets                                    1.1%           0.8%
    Efficiency ratio                                   10.6%          10.6%

    Share Information:
    Common shares outstanding                         80,465         80,374
    Basic EPS common shares outstanding               78,768         77,675
    Diluted EPS common shares outstanding             80,257         79,314

    Investment Portfolio Information                March 31,    December 31,
                                                      2007           2006
    Residential mortgage securities               $7,033,094     $7,536,196
    Residential loans                              4,845,144      5,109,261
    Total residential                             11,878,238     12,645,457
    Corporate securities                             759,228        863,449
    Corporate loans                                3,092,020      3,225,567
    Total corporate                                3,851,248      4,089,016
    Commercial real estate securities                 32,133         32,023
    Commercial real estate loans                     105,328        108,693
    Total commercial real estate                     137,461        140,716
    Marketable equity securities                      88,979         68,968
    Non-marketable equity securities                 173,823        166,323
    Total investment portfolio                    16,129,749     17,110,480

    Balance Sheet Information                       March 31,    December 31,
                                                      2007           2006

    Investment portfolio                         $16,129,749    $17,110,480
    Total assets                                  16,740,764     17,565,177
    Total borrowings                              14,951,726     15,749,301
    Total liabilities                             15,054,830     15,841,746
    Stockholders' equity                           1,685,934      1,723,431
    Book value per common share                        20.95          21.42
    Leverage                                            8.9x           9.1x

                                                  Three Months   Three Months
                                                     Ended          Ended
                                                    March 31,      March 31,
    Statement of Operations Information               2007           2006
    Investment income                               $253,011       $207,798
    Other income                                      18,899          1,673
    Total income                                     271,910        209,471
    Interest expense                                (200,066)      (156,563)
    Share-based compensation expense                  (5,838)        (6,783)
    Management compensation                          (13,567)        (7,830)
    Loan servicing expense                            (3,263)        (3,996)
    Other expenses                                    (6,957)        (3,599)
    Total non-investment expenses                    (29,625)       (22,208)
    Equity in income of unconsolidated affiliate       6,981             --
    Income before income tax expense                  49,200         30,700
    Income tax expense                                  (776)          (312)
    Net income                                       $48,424        $30,388

    (1)  Non-GAAP financial measurement consisting of GAAP net income plus
         GAAP share-based compensation expense.
    (2)  Non-GAAP financial measurement.
    (3)  All ratios computed on an annualized basis. The efficiency ratio is
         defined as non-interest expense divided by total income.


                                 Schedule IV
                     KKR Financial Corp. and Subsidiaries
 INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO BY INTEREST RATE TYPE AS OF MARCH 31, 2007 (UNAUDITED)
    (amounts in thousands)(1)
                                                                  Portfolio
                          Carrying    Amortized    Estimated      Mix % by
                           Value        Cost      Fair Value     Fair Value
    Floating Rate:
    Residential
     ARM Loans          $1,294,678   $1,311,889   $1,294,678         8.0%
    Residential ARM
     Securities          5,229,852    5,218,304    5,229,852         32.4
    Corporate Loans      3,067,020    3,067,020    3,090,999         19.1
    Corporate Debt
     Securities            266,917      258,004      266,917          1.7
    Commercial Real
     Estate Loans          105,328      105,328      106,118          0.6
      Total Floating
       Rate              9,963,795    9,960,545    9,988,564         61.8
    Hybrid Rate:
    Residential Hybrid
     ARM Loans           3,550,466    3,569,558    3,550,466         21.9
    Residential Hybrid
     ARM Securities      1,803,242    1,832,947    1,803,242         11.2
      Total Hybrid Rate  5,353,708    5,402,505    5,353,708         33.1
    Fixed Rate:
    Corporate Loans         25,000       25,000       24,570          0.2
    Corporate Debt
     Securities            492,311      468,738      492,311          3.0
    Commercial Real Estate
     Debt Securities        32,133       32,000       32,133          0.2
      Total Fixed Rate     549,444      525,738      549,014          3.4
    Marketable and
     Non-Marketable
     Equity Securities:
    Common and
     Preferred Stock        88,979       84,561       88,979          0.6
    Non-Marketable
     Equity Securities     173,823      173,823      173,823          1.1
      Total Marketable
       and Non-Marketable
       Equity Securities   262,802      258,384      262,802          1.7
      Total            $16,129,749  $16,147,172  $16,154,088       100.0%

    (1)  The schedule summarizes the carrying value, amortized cost, and fair
         value of the Company's investment portfolio as of March 31, 2007,
         classified by interest rate type. Carrying value is the value that
         investments are recorded on the Company's consolidated balance sheet
         and is fair value for securities and residential mortgage loans and
         amortized cost for corporate and commercial real estate loans.
         Estimated fair values set forth in the schedule are as of March 31,
         2007 and are based on dealer quotes and/or nationally recognized
         pricing services and using management estimates for investment
         positions for which dealer quotes and/or nationally recognized
         pricing data is not available.


                                  Schedule V
                     KKR Financial Corp. and Subsidiaries
 RECONCILIATION OF REPORTED GAAP NET INCOME TO TOTAL TAXABLE INCOME AND REIT
                          TAXABLE INCOME (UNAUDITED)

                                     Estimated for the     Estimated for the
                                    three months ended    three months ended
                                      March 31, 2007        March 31, 2006

    (amounts in thousands,                        Per                   Per
     except per share amounts)       Amount      Share     Amount      Share
    Reported net income             $48,424      $0.60    $30,388      $0.38
    Book/tax differences
     adjustment for residential
     mortgage portfolio                (374)        --      2,093       0.03
    Share-based compensation          5,838       0.07      6,783       0.09
    Vesting of restricted
     common stock                      (140)        --         --         --
    Foreign exchange gains and losses     1         --       (374)        --
    Gains on sales of assets to
     and among taxable REIT
     subsidiaries                       364       0.01        888       0.01
    Realized and unrealized
     derivative gains and losses       (430)     (0.01)     1,416       0.02
    Book/tax differences adjustment
     for foreign taxable REIT
     subsidiaries                    13,205       0.16      8,168       0.10
    Other                              (204)        --        204         --
    Income tax expense                  776       0.01        312         --
    Total taxable income             67,460       0.84     49,878       0.63
    Undistributed taxable income
     of domestic taxable REIT
     subsidiary                      (1,471)     (0.02)    (2,184)     (0.03)
    REIT taxable income             $65,989      $0.82    $47,694      $0.60
    Number of common shares
     outstanding:
    Weighted average diluted
     common shares outstanding
     during the period               80,257                79,314

    (1)  Total taxable income and REIT taxable income are non-GAAP financial
         measurements and do not purport to be an alternative to net income
         determined in accordance with GAAP as a measure of operating
         performance or to cash flows from operating activities determined in
         accordance with GAAP as a measure of liquidity. Total taxable income
         is the aggregate amount of taxable income generated by the Company
         and by its domestic and foreign taxable REIT subsidiaries. REIT
         taxable income excludes the undistributed taxable income of the
         Company's domestic taxable REIT subsidiary, which is not included in
         REIT taxable income until distributed to the Company. There is no
         requirement that the Company's domestic taxable REIT subsidiary
         distribute its earnings to the Company. REIT taxable income, however,
         includes the taxable income of the Company's foreign taxable REIT
         subsidiaries because the Company will generally be required to
         recognize and report their taxable income on a current basis. These
         non-GAAP financial measurements are important to the Company because
         the Company is structured as a REIT and the Internal Revenue Code of
         1986, as amended, or the Code, requires that the Company pay
         substantially all of its taxable income in the form of distributions
         to its stockholders. The non-GAAP financial measurements of total
         taxable income and REIT taxable income are important in the
         determination of the amount of the minimum distributions that the
         Company must pay to its stockholders so as to comply with the rules
         set forth in the Code. Because not all companies use identical
         calculations, this presentation of total taxable income and REIT
         taxable income may not be comparable to other similarly titled
         measures prepared and reported by of other companies.

     Investor Contact                   Media Contact
     Laurie Poggi                       Roanne Kulakoff and Joseph Kuo
     KKR Financial LLC                  Kekst and Company
     415-315-3718                       212-521-4837 and 212-521-4863

SOURCE KKR Financial Corp.

investors, Laurie Poggi of KKR Financial LLC, +1-415-315-3718; or media, Roanne
Kulakoff, +1-212-521-4837, or Joseph Kuo, +1-212-521-4863, both of Kekst and Company,
for KKR Financial LLC
http://www.kkrfn.com/

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