Anthracite Capital Announces Restructuring of Unsecured Debt

Pursuant to an exchange agreement with certain holders of $135 million in trust preferred securities and the Company's EUR 50 million junior subordinated notes, the Company issued $168.75 million and EUR 62.5 million principal amount of new junior subordinated notes in exchange for those securities. The exchanges closed on May 29, 2009.

The new notes bear a fixed interest rate of 0.75% per year until the earlier of May 29, 2013 and the date on which the Company's senior secured credit facilities with Bank of America, Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley have all been paid in full (the "Modification Period"). The interest rate during the Modification Period is significantly lower than the interest rates on the securities for which the new notes were exchanged. The interest rates on those securities were, as of the date of the exchanges, 7.50%, 7.73% and 7.77% per year on the trust preferred securities and EURIBOR plus 2.60% per year on the junior subordinated notes. After the Modification Period, the new notes bear interest at the same rates as the securities for which they were exchanged. The new notes are contractually senior to the Company's remaining junior subordinated notes. The new notes otherwise generally have the same terms, including maturity dates and capital structure priority, as the securities for which they were exchanged.

The coupons that were due on April 30, 2009 on certain of the securities being exchanged were satisfied by payments at the new lower rate of 0.75% per year on the increased principal amounts.

Anthracite also paid $2.0 million to cover third-party fees and costs incurred in connection with the exchanges.

The Company estimates that these exchanges will result in cash savings of over $10 million and EUR 2.5 million per year during the period that the lower coupons are in effect. The Company intends to use cash from these savings for general corporate purposes and to reduce indebtedness under its senior secured credit facilities.

Convertible Senior Notes Exchange

On May 27, 2009, in a privately negotiated exchange transaction with a holder of Anthracite's 11.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2027, the Company issued 850,000 shares of common stock in exchange for $4 million principal amount of the notes.

Interest Payments

Anthracite also announced that on May 29, 2009 it made certain interest payments due April 30, 2009 under certain of its unsecured debt that had previously been withheld, which debt was not part of the above described exchanges.

About Anthracite

Anthracite Capital, Inc. is a specialty finance company focused on investments in high yield commercial real estate loans and related securities. Anthracite is externally managed by BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., which is a subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. ("BlackRock") (NYSE:BLK), one of the largest publicly traded investment management firms in the United States with approximately $1.283 trillion in global assets under management at March 31, 2009.

BlackRock Realty Advisors, Inc., another subsidiary of BlackRock, provides real estate equity and other real estate-related products and services in a variety of strategies to meet the needs of institutional investors.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release, and other statements that Anthracite may make, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, with respect to Anthracite's future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as "trend," "potential," "opportunity," "pipeline," "believe," "comfortable," "expect," "anticipate," "current," "intention," "estimate," "position," "assume," "outlook," "continue," "remain," "maintain," "sustain," "seek," "achieve," and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," "may" or similar expressions.

Anthracite cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Anthracite assumes no duty to and does not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance.

In addition to factors previously disclosed in Anthracite's SEC reports and those identified elsewhere in this release, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: (1) the introduction, withdrawal, success and timing of business initiatives and strategies; (2) changes in political, economic or industry conditions, the interest rate environment financial and capital markets or otherwise, which could result in changes in the value of the Company's assets and liabilities, including net realized and unrealized gains or losses, and could adversely affect the Company's operating results; (3) the amount and timing of any future margin calls and their impact on the Company's financial condition and liquidity; (4) the Company's ability to meet its liquidity requirements to continue to fund its business operations, including its ability to renew its existing facilities or obtain replacement financing, to meet margin calls and amortization payments under the facilities, to service debt and to pay dividends on its capital stock; (5) the Company's ability to obtain amendments and waivers in the event that a lender terminates a facility before the maturity date or debt obligations are accelerated due to a covenant breach or otherwise; (6) the relative and absolute investment performance and operations of BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. (the "Manager"), the Company's manager; (7) the impact of increased competition; (8) the impact of future acquisitions or divestitures; (9) the unfavorable resolution of legal proceedings; (10) the impact of legislative and regulatory actions and reforms and regulatory, supervisory or enforcement actions of government agencies relating to the Company or the Manager; (11) terrorist activities and international hostilities, which may adversely affect the general economy, domestic and global financial and capital markets, specific industries, and the Company; (12) the ability of the Manager to attract and retain highly talented professionals; (13) fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; (14) the impact of changes to tax legislation and, generally, the tax position of the Company; and (15) as a result of its liquidity position, current market conditions and the uncertainty relating to the outcome of its ongoing negotiations with its lenders, there is substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.

Anthracite's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 and Anthracite's subsequent filings with the SEC, accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, identify additional factors that can affect forward-looking statements.

To learn more about Anthracite, visit our website at www.anthracitecapital.com. The information contained on the Company's website is not a part of this release.

SOURCE: Anthracite Capital, Inc.

Anthracite Capital, Inc. 
Investor Relations 
212-810-3333 
ahr-info@blackrock.com