Chairman and CEO David Spector, in weighing Rocket Cos.' purchase of Mr. Cooper, suggested Pennymac's balanced business model couldn't be duplicated.

Moody's Corp., a company that grades bonds and analyzes corporations' financial performance, said it expects to earn less this year than it had previously forecast.

Equifax Inc.'s first-quarter profit beat estimates, although the credit-reporting agency declined to raise its guidance, citing the tariff-induced uncertainty in the economy and falling consumer confidence.

Even after posting production losses in two of four quarters last year, independent mortgage bankers made $443 on every loan originated during 2024.

Fifth Third Bancorp revised its guidance, but still expects record net interest income for 2025, even as commercial clients signal that economic volatility will drive up inflation.

The super-regional bank cited "a material slowdown" in investment banking and trading income as one reason for the lower revenue forecast. Interest rates are also a factor, executives said.

As tariff turbulence continues, BofA is predicting a slowdown, not a downturn. But America's second-largest bank is also signaling that it's prepared for a more severe scenario.

The Seattle-based company, which had made home loans for more than a century, announced it was quitting the mortgage business in January. It booked nearly 400 small business loans in the first quarter and expects that total to grow as its team gains traction.

The Buffalo, New York-based bank also said Monday that the commercial real estate lending market has started showing signs of life, but that the renewed competition is crimping its loan growth.

Publicly traded lenders, including UWM, Rocket Mortgage and Guild Mortgage, saw personnel expenses increase significantly throughout last year.

The lender says its technology will supercharge scale, preventing a potential hiring and firing spree which doomed it after the recent refinance boom.

Large mortgage companies are targeting mergers and acquisitions as well as home equity lending in their 2025 business plans, Boston Consulting Group said.

After two consecutive quarters of profits, independent mortgage bankers lost money in the most recent period, for the ninth time in the last three years.

The Irvine, California-based firm reported a net loss of $67.5 million in the fourth quarter.

The company is a leading player in the primary and secondary markets for government-backed reverse mortgages and also has been developing proprietary products.

Origination volume at the San Diego-based company rose 57% to $24 billion in 2024.

Easing regulations on the GSEs will likely drive elevated activity in non-QM if or when it occurs, leaders at the real estate investment trust also said.

Its Arc Home lending business made money in December and January as the company leans more into home equity originations, which helped financial performance.

Company executives touted the immediate returns from its rebranding and Super Bowl advertising campaign, with February activity exceeding expectations.

The company missed analysts' quarterly forecasts on operating earnings per share due to higher mortgage servicing rights amortization and operating expenses.