More cost reduction is on the way in the third quarter, but management says it will not layoff staffers, despite having some excess capacity.

The tech company's earnings are reflecting a cooling market.

The company managed a small profit even though industry-wide challenges were compounded by struggles in its reverse mortgage business lines.

While declining to comment on the pending Black Knight transaction and reporting a decline in earnings from the first quarter, management remains bullish on the home lending business.

Servicing income and cost cutting bolstered the company's earnings, but not enough to prevent a reduction compared to comparable quarters.

CEO Michael Nierenberg hinted at an upcoming partnership, as the rebranded New Residential reported a quarterly loss from residential mortgages plus management internalization costs.

Net interest income was the driver, as increases from investments more than offset a decline related to its guaranty book of business.

The decline was driven by a $307M provision to cover potential credit losses, primarily from its single-family business.

The company says it’s making progress on other parts of its business-model revamp — including a shift to lower-cost deposit sources — while regulators weigh its application to buy Flagstar Bancorp in Troy, Michigan.

Pretax operating results were down by $79 million from the previous quarter, but the company estimates that by the end of the year, servicing income should be more than four times higher than the second quarter’s results.

The Seattle-based bank underestimated single-family loan declines in the larger market but was able to improve margins slightly with cost-cutting and by diversifying with a shift toward apartment lending.

The mortgage investor reported core earnings per share slightly below estimates and a loss in comprehensive income but may ultimately outperform competitors, analysts said.

Earnings posted by the two bank holding companies show increased production on a quarter-to-quarter basis, although gain on sale sank at both.

Like other mortgage lenders, the San Francisco megabank has been cutting staff since refinancing volumes started to fall. Additional layoffs are expected over the next couple of quarters, according to the bank’s chief financial officer.

These results are likely to be mirrored by the nonbank lenders when they report earnings, said Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

Wells Fargo missed analysts’ earnings estimates as home lending slowed and the bank set aside more than expected for potentially soured loans as the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes started to cool the once-hot housing market.

The San Francisco bank reported a 31% increase in loan originations during the second quarter. Analysts are wondering whether it will be able to secure enough low-cost funds to avoid eroding margins.

Capital adequacy at the four largest underwriters remained strong at the end of 2021 even with a slight decline from the prior year, Fitch Ratings said.

The fast-paced rise in rates should be good for banks — until it isn't. The higher interest earned on loan payments will at some point be offset by higher interest paid on deposits. The only questions are: When, and by how much?

If it works as intended, by calming inflation, it will help to keep mortgage rates low in the long-term.