Corporate finance

A reduction in Ditech Holdings' quarterly net loss fell short of what the company needed to avoid the possibility of another Chapter 11 filing.

Beazer Homes USA is working to encourage competition among its approved lenders in order to help control upward pressure on home prices and lending rates that could slow sales.

If falling volume and rising costs weren't bad enough for nonbank mortgage lenders, an extended run of tight gain-on-sale margins is further eating into their profits.

D.R. Horton Inc. fell the most in more than three years after executives at the builder said the market for homes is getting "choppy" and that the pace of order growth may slow next quarter.

Mr. Cooper Group — the new name following the combination of Nationstar Mortgage and WMIH Corp. — posted a $54 million third-quarter profit and announced plans to buy Pacific Union Financial, as well as make other strategic acquisitions.

Continued diversification of its business lines and better margins in its securitization activities helped Redwood Trust overcome steep mortgage origination declines and post nearly 14% annual growth in net income during the third quarter.

Ocwen Financial Corp. recorded a deeper quarterly loss of $40 million after acquiring PHH Corp., but still expects the deal's economies of scale to eventually lower costs and restore profitability.

The unique approach Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are each taking with their credit-risk transfer products is quickly becoming a key point of differentiation that's rekindling competition between the government-sponsored enterprises.

Walker & Dunlop acquired commercial mortgage banker iCap Realty Advisors as part of its strategic plan to increase its annual originations by at least one-third in the next two years.

New Residential Investment Corp. expects to raise $433 million from a follow-on offering of 25 million shares of its common stock it priced on Nov 1.

When the mortgage giant will be released from government control is anyone's guess, but the company's third-quarter report shows signs of an easier transition.

Earnings at four of the private mortgage insurers increased significantly over last year's third quarter even as total mortgage origination volume shrunk during the same time frame.

Black Knight's third-quarter net earnings were slightly below the same period last year, although total revenue increased by 7% compared with one year prior.

Rising interest rates and the continued slowdown in mortgage originations prompted Ellie Mae to cut its revenue forecast for the full year by at least $18 million.

All four national title insurance underwriters saw an increase in third-quarter net earnings compared with one year prior even as new orders declined because mortgage origination volume fell this year.

Builder M/I Homes set third-quarter records in four areas and recorded consistent levels of mortgages held for sale in its most recent earnings results.

A new credit score that includes consumers' cash flow alongside their credit score is winning praise for its potential to help expand access to credit, but some worry it gives the credit bureaus even more data that could be compromised.

Despite an overall weak mortgage originations market, Flagstar Bancorp's third-quarter earnings grew 20%, due in large part to its ongoing efforts to diversify operations.

The company is facing criticism after a big chargeoff on two properties, showing that investors have little patience when a risky business model shows signs of distress.

Rising mortgage interest rates not only will continue to constrain banks' once-robust revenue from this business, they will also affect existing borrower credit quality, a report from Moody's said.