Corporate finance

Rithm and UWM Holdings are the favorite names among publicly traded lenders, while BTIG adds coverage of Better Home & Finance at a buy rating.

On a year-over-year comparison, title underwriters produced 15% more premiums in the first quarter, as mortgage rates briefly fell under 6% in February.

Balance sheet reduction is a top priority of new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. Achieving that goal means avoiding the kinds of disruptions that roiled the Treasury bond market in 2019, the last time the central bank embarked on quantitative tightening.

Zachary Carpenter, tapped to take over as Farmer Mac CEO in March 2027, will now take over the position on July 1, with Bradford Nordholm as CEO emeritus.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said banks earned stronger profits and expanded lending in the first quarter of 2026, but at the same time margins shrank and unrealized losses have been increasing.

The real estate investment trust, while reporting a first quarter net loss, benefitted from growth and stable margins in its three mortgage production units.

On a dollar basis, mortgage bankers earned $53 more on each origination versus the fourth quarter, while servicing net income was $64 higher comparatively.

The four major underwriters had an increase in first quarter open orders versus the end of 2025 in spite of data showing the number of units produced declined.

The blockchain-backed loan marketplace said it sees interest for purchase mortgages coming from existing partners after it reported a profitable start to 2026.

Although posting lower volume than in the fourth quarter, all six active underwriters remained profitable, even with borrowers facing economic turbulence.

Lender and servicer Loandepot, reeling from a larger loss in the first quarter, could use the potential funds to cover daily operations or repay debt.

Rocket Cos. fell just $200 million short of United Wholesale Mortgage in Q1, as servicing recapture from its massive MSR portfolio fueled $44.7B in closed loan volume.

The lender says it's willing to "cut costs deeper" if macroeconomic conditions hinder it from reaching a breakeven adjusted EBITDA goal later this year.

The online real estate marketplace sees second-quarter adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in a range of $150 million to $165 million, missing the average analyst estimate of $191 million.

Rocket Cos. gave generous stock awards to its leaders for a busy year, while Better Home & Finance awarded raises to leaders after a difficult stretch.

Life insurers' borrowings from the Federal Home Loan banks has increased in recent years, raising concerns about opaque, private credit investments and how it intersects with the Federal Home Loan banks' housing mission.

The company turned a GAAP profit of $170.4 million for the quarter, with its volume and margins relatively flat compared with the fourth quarter of 2025.

Finance of America's earnings per share came out to $1.10, double that of the first quarter of 2025 and well above the a S&P Capital IQ Pro consensus estimate of $0.84.

PennyMac Financial Services reported $82.3 million net income, inclusive of a $44 million net reduction related to servicing fair value and hedge losses.

The lender and servicer, which continues to make investments ahead of a future high-demand cycle, has reported tumbling margins in the past year.