Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation (NYSE: ANH) today reported core earnings available to common stockholders of $27.7 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012. Core earnings consisted of $29.1 million of net income less $1.5 million of dividends paid to our preferred stockholders. This compares to core earnings of $26.9 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2011.

“Core earnings” represents a non-GAAP financial measure, which we define as GAAP net income excluding impairment losses on mortgage-backed securities, or MBS. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, there were no impairment losses on MBS.

On March 30, 2012, we declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.21 per share, which is payable on April 27, 2012 to our holders of common stock as of the close of business on April 10, 2012.

At March 31, 2012, our book value was $7.17 per share, versus $6.96 per share at December 31, 2011.

Our investments consist of Agency MBS, which constituted essentially our entire portfolio at March 31, 2012. At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the fair value of our Agency MBS portfolio and its allocation was approximately as follows:

At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, our swap agreements had the following notional amounts (in thousands), weighted average interest rates and remaining terms (in months):

At March 31, 2012, our leverage multiple was 6.98x, which was a decrease from our leverage multiple of 7.25x at December 31, 2011. The leverage multiple is calculated by dividing our repurchase agreements outstanding by the aggregate of common stockholders’ equity plus Preferred Stock and junior subordinated notes.

At March 31, 2012, stockholders’ equity available to common stockholders was approximately $976 million, or a book value of $7.17 per share, based on approximately 136.1 million shares of common stock outstanding at quarter end. The $976 million equals total stockholders’ equity of $1.024 billion less the Series A Preferred Stock liquidating value of $46.9 million and less the difference between the Series B Preferred Stock liquidating value of $28.8 million and the proceeds from its sale of $27.2 million. At December 31, 2011, stockholders’ equity available to common stockholders was approximately $933.8 million, or a book value of $6.96 per share, based on approximately 134.1 million shares of common stock outstanding at quarter end. The $933.8 million equals total stockholders’ equity of $982.3 million less the Series A Preferred Stock liquidating value of $46.9 million and less the difference between the Series B Preferred Stock liquidating value of $28.8 million and the proceeds from its sale of $27.2 million.

We will host a conference call on April 27, 2012 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time, 10:00 AM Pacific Time, to discuss first quarter 2012 results. The dial-in number for the conference call is 877-317-6789 for U.S. callers (international callers should dial 412-317-6789 and Canadian callers should dial 866-605-3852). When dialing in, participants should ask to be connected to the Anworth Mortgage earnings call. Replays of the call will be available for a 7-day period commencing at 3:00 PM Eastern Time on April 27, 2012. The dial-in number for the replay is 877-344-7529 for U.S. callers (international and Canadian callers should dial 412-317-0088) and the conference number is 10013488. The conference call will also be webcast over the Internet, which can be accessed on our website at http://www.anworth.com through the corresponding link located on the home page.

Investors interested in participating in our Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan, or the Plan, or receiving a copy of the Plan’s prospectus may do so by contacting the Plan Administrator, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, at 877-248-6410. For more information about the Plan, interested investors may also visit the Plan Administrator’s website at http://www.investpower.com or our website at http://www.anworth.com.

About Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation

Effective December 31, 2011, we became an externally-managed mortgage real estate investment trust. We invest primarily in securities guaranteed by the U.S. Government, such as Ginnie Mae, or guaranteed by federally sponsored enterprises, such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. We seek to generate income for distribution to our shareholders primarily based on the difference between the yield on our mortgage assets and the cost of our borrowings. We are managed by Anworth Management, LLC, or the Manager, pursuant a management agreement. The Manager is subject to the supervision and direction of our Board of Directors and is responsible for (i) the selection, purchase and sale of our investment portfolio; (ii) our financing and hedging activities; and (iii) providing us with management services and other services and activities relating to our assets and operations as may be appropriate. Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ANH.”

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof. Forward-looking statements, which are based on various assumptions (some of which are beyond our control) may be identified by reference to a future period or periods or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as "may," "will," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "continue," or similar terms or variations on those terms or the negative of those terms. Our actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to, changes in interest rates, changes in the yield curve, the availability of mortgage-backed securities for purchase, increases in the prepayment rates on the mortgage loans securing our mortgage-backed securities, our ability to use borrowings to finance our assets and, if available, the terms of any financing, changes in the market value of our assets, risks associated with investing in mortgage-related assets, changes in business conditions and the general economy, including the consequences of actions by the U.S. government and other foreign governments to address the global financial crisis, changes in government regulations affecting our business, our ability to maintain our qualification as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes, our ability to maintain an exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Manager’s ability to manage our growth. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other SEC filings discuss the most significant risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.