Secondary

Mortgage companies will need to obtain and maintain relevant data on loans starting in March of next year even if they are only handling payment-related activity, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

In response, the company is looking to diversify its revenue stream.

The new leaders named at the company highlight what appears to be some heavy recruiting from the ranks of executives who previously worked for a government-sponsored enterprise or a GSE joint venture.

The company is looking at the long-term picture, building business for 2023 and beyond, Chairman and CEO Mat Ishbia said.

Only Essent saw a decline in profitability on a quarter-to-quarter basis during what ended up being a much better period for the business than for its mortgage lender clients.

The changes, which appear to be separate from a controversial nonbank proposal that's pending, will reduce red tape for credit unions and housing finance agencies and clarify a calculation for loans eligible for repurchase.

Waning mortgage activity slashed net income 72% in the second quarter to $58.3 million.

The company is withdrawing from consumer-direct lending and making other reductions given that widening spreads failed to offset savings from aggressive layoffs and gains in servicing advisory services.

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.