MFA Financial Inc.

05/05/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/05/2026 13:31

Quarterly Report for Quarter Ending March 31, 2026 (Form 10-Q)

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we refer to MFA Financial, Inc. and its subsidiaries as "the Company," "MFA," "we," "us," or "our," unless we specifically state otherwise or the context otherwise indicates.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and accompanying notes included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as well as our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Forward Looking Statements
When used in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, in future filings with the SEC or in press releases or other written or oral communications, statements which are not historical in nature, including those containing words such as "will," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "could," "would," "may," the negative of these words or similar expressions, are intended to identify "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act and, as such, may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions.
These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results with respect to our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans and objectives. Among the important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements that we make are: general economic developments and trends, including the current tensions in international trade and the performance of the labor, housing, real estate, mortgage finance and broader financial markets; inflation, increases in interest rates and changes in the market (i.e., fair) value of our residential whole loans, MBS, securitized debt and other assets, as well as changes in the value of our liabilities accounted for at fair value through earnings; the effectiveness of hedging transactions; changes in the prepayment rates on residential mortgage assets, an increase of which could result in a reduction of the yield on certain investments in our portfolio and could require us to reinvest the proceeds received by us as a result of such prepayments in investments with lower coupons, while a decrease in which could result in an increase in the interest rate duration of certain investments in our portfolio making their valuation more sensitive to changes in interest rates and could result in lower forecasted cash flows; credit risks underlying our assets, including changes in the default rates and management's assumptions regarding default rates and loss severities on the mortgage loans in our residential whole loan portfolio; our ability to borrow to finance our assets and the terms, including the cost, maturity and other terms, of any such borrowings; implementation of or changes in government regulations or programs affecting our business (including as a result of the current U.S. administration); our estimates regarding taxable income the actual amount of which is dependent on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, changes in the amount of interest income and financing costs, the method elected by us to accrete the market discount on residential whole loans and the extent of prepayments, realized losses and changes in the composition of our residential whole loan portfolios that may occur during the applicable tax period, including gain or loss on any MBS disposals or whole loan modifications, foreclosures and liquidations; the timing and amount of distributions to stockholders, which are declared and paid at the discretion of our Board and will depend on, among other things, our taxable income, our financial results and overall financial condition and liquidity, maintenance of our REIT qualification and such other factors as the Board deems relevant; our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes; our ability to maintain our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (or the Investment Company Act), including statements regarding the concept release issued by the SEC relating to interpretive issues under the Investment Company Act with respect to the status under the Investment Company Act of certain companies that are engaged in the business of acquiring mortgages and mortgage-related interests; our ability to continue growing our residential whole loan portfolio, which is dependent on, among other things, the supply of loans offered for sale in the market; targeted or expected returns on our investments in recently-originated mortgage loans, the performance of which is, similar to our other mortgage loan investments, subject to, among other things, differences in prepayment risk, credit risk and financing costs associated with such investments; risks associated with the ongoing operation of Lima One Holdings, LLC (including, without limitation, industry competition, unanticipated expenditures relating to or liabilities arising from its operation (including, among other things, a failure to realize management's assumptions regarding expected growth in business purpose loan (BPL) origination volumes and credit risks underlying BPLs, including changes in the default rates and management's assumptions regarding default rates and loss severities on the BPLs originated by Lima One)); expected returns on our investments in nonperforming residential whole loans (or NPLs), which are affected by, among other things, the length of time required to foreclose upon, sell, liquidate or otherwise reach a resolution of the property underlying the NPL, home price values, amounts advanced to carry the asset (e.g., taxes, insurance, maintenance expenses, etc. on the underlying property) and the amount ultimately realized upon resolution of the asset; risks associated with our investments in loan originators; the failure to realize the expected expense savings resulting from the anticipated relocation of our corporate headquarters in New York City; risks associated with investing in real estate assets generally, including changes in business conditions and the general economy; and other risks, uncertainties and factors, including those described in the annual, quarterly and current reports that we file with the SEC. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs, assumptions and expectations of our future performance, taking into account information currently available. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. New risks and uncertainties arise over time and it is not possible to predict those events or how they may affect us. Except as required by law, we are not obligated to, and do not intend to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Business/General
We are a specialty finance company that invests in and finances residential mortgage assets. We invest, on a leveraged basis, in residential whole loans, residential mortgage securities and other real estate assets. Through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Lima One, a leading nationwide originator and servicer of business purpose loans (or BPLs), we also originate and service business purpose loans for real estate investors. Our principal business objective is to deliver shareholder value through the generation of distributable income and through asset performance linked to residential mortgage credit fundamentals. We selectively invest in residential mortgage assets with a focus on credit analysis, projected prepayment rates, interest rate sensitivity and expected return. We are an internally-managed real estate investment trust.
At March 31, 2026, we had total assets of approximately $13.2 billion, of which $8.8 billion, or 66%, represented residential whole loans. Our residential whole loans include primarily: (i) loans to finance (or refinance) one-to-four family residential properties that are not considered to meet the definition of a "Qualified Mortgage" in accordance with guidelines adopted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("Non-QM loans"), (ii) business purpose loans primarily originated by Lima One, to finance (or refinance) non-owner occupied one-to-four family residential properties that are rented to one or more tenants ("Single-family rental loans"), (iii) short-term business purpose loans primarily originated by Lima One, collateralized by residential properties made to non-occupant borrowers that generally intend to rehabilitate or construct residential housing and then refinance or sell the properties ("Single-family transitional loans"), (iv) short-term business purpose loans primarily originated by Lima One, collateralized by multifamily properties, typically with a loan balance below $10 million, made to non-occupant borrowers that generally intend to rehabilitate or stabilize and then refinance or sell the properties ("Multifamily transitional loans," collectively with Single-family transitional loans, "Transitional loans," also sometimes referred to as "Rehabilitation loans" or "Fix and Flip loans" and, collectively with Single-family rental loans, "Business purpose loans"), (v) loans primarily secured by residential real estate that were generally either non-performing or re-performing at acquisition ("Legacy RPL/NPL") and (vi) loans on investor properties that conform to the standards for purchase by a federally chartered corporation, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae") or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac") ("Agency eligible investor loans," which are included in "Other loans"). In addition, at March 31, 2026, we had approximately $3.5 billion, or 27%, of total assets invested in investments in Agency MBS.
The results of our business operations are affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, and primarily depend on, among other things, the level of our net interest income and the market value of our assets, liabilities and hedges that are accounted for at fair value through earnings, which is driven by numerous factors, including the supply and demand for residential mortgage assets in the marketplace, the terms and availability of adequate financing, general economic and real estate conditions (both on a national and local level), the impact of government actions in the real estate and mortgage sector, and the credit performance of our credit sensitive residential mortgage assets. Changes in these factors, or uncertainty in the market regarding the potential for changes in these factors, can result in significant changes in the value and/or performance of our investment portfolio. Further, our GAAP results may be impacted by market volatility, resulting in changes in market values of certain financial instruments for which changes in fair value are recorded in net income each period, including certain residential whole loans, securitized debt and Swaps. Our net interest income varies primarily as a result of changes in interest rates, the slope of the yield curve (i.e., the differential between long-term and short-term interest rates), borrowing costs (i.e., our interest expense), the level of loan delinquencies, which may result in changes in the amount of non-accrual loans, and prepayment speeds, the behavior of which involves various risks and uncertainties. Interest rates and conditional prepayment rates (or CPRs) (which is an annualized measure of the amount of unscheduled principal prepayments on an asset as a percentage of the asset balance), vary according to the type of investment, conditions in the financial markets, competition and other factors, none of which can be predicted with any certainty. Our financial results are also impacted by estimates of credit losses that are required to be recorded when loans that are not accounted for at fair value through net income are acquired or originated, as well as changes in these credit loss estimates that will be required to be made periodically.
With respect to our business operations, increases in interest rates, in general, may, over time, cause: (i) the interest expense associated with our borrowings to increase; (ii) the value of certain of our residential mortgage assets and securitized debt to decline; (iii) coupons on our adjustable-rate assets to reset, on a delayed basis, to higher interest rates; (iv) prepayments on our assets to decline, thereby slowing the amortization of purchase premiums and the accretion of our purchase discounts, and slowing our ability to redeploy capital to generally higher yielding investments; and (v) the value of our derivative hedging instruments, if any, to increase. Conversely, decreases in interest rates, in general, may, over time, cause: (i) the interest expense associated with our borrowings to decrease; (ii) the value of certain of our residential mortgage assets and securitized debt, to increase; (iii) coupons on our adjustable-rate assets, on a delayed basis, to lower interest rates; (iv) prepayments on our assets to increase, thereby accelerating the amortization of purchase premiums and the accretion of our purchase discounts, and accelerating the redeployment of our capital to generally lower yielding investments; and (v) the value of our derivative hedging instruments, if any, to decrease. Further, changes in spreads will also impact the valuation of our residential mortgage assets and securitized debt, which could result in
volatility in GAAP earnings. In addition, our borrowing costs and credit lines are further affected by the type of collateral we pledge and general conditions in the credit market.
Our investments in residential mortgage assets expose us to credit risk, meaning that we are generally subject to credit losses due to the risk of delinquency, default and foreclosure on the underlying real estate collateral. Our investment process for credit sensitive assets focuses primarily on quantifying and pricing credit risk. With respect to investments in Business purpose and Non-QM loans, we believe that sound underwriting standards, including low LTVs at origination, significantly mitigate our risk of loss. Further, we believe the discounted purchase prices paid on Legacy RPL/NPL loans mitigate our risk of loss in the event that we receive less than 100% of the unpaid principal balance of these investments.
Premiums arise when we acquire an MBS at a price in excess of the aggregate principal balance of the mortgages securing the MBS (i.e., par value) or when we acquire residential whole loans at a price in excess of their unpaid principal balance. Conversely, discounts arise when we acquire an MBS at a price below the aggregate principal balance of the mortgages securing the MBS or when we acquire residential whole loans at a price below their unpaid principal balance. Accretable purchase discounts on these investments are accreted to interest income. Premiums paid to purchase loans are amortized against interest income over the life of the investment using the effective yield method, adjusted for actual prepayment activity. An increase in the prepayment rate, as measured by the CPR, will typically accelerate the amortization of purchase premiums, thereby reducing the interest income earned on these assets.
CPR levels are impacted by, among other things, conditions in the housing market, new regulations, government and private sector initiatives, interest rates, availability of credit to home borrowers, underwriting standards and the economy in general. In particular, CPR presents the annualized constant rate of principal repayment in excess of scheduled principal amortization. CPRs on our residential mortgage securities and whole loans may differ significantly. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the average CPRs on certain of our loan portfolios were: 15.9% for Non-QM loans, 9.5% for Single-family rental loans, and 5.9% for Legacy RPL/NPL loans. In addition, for the three months ended March 31, 2026, the repayment rate (which includes both scheduled and unscheduled repayments of principal) was 65.4% for our Single-family transitional loans and 43.6% for our Multifamily transitional loans.
It is generally our business strategy to hold our residential mortgage assets as long-term investments. As part of Lima One's mortgage banking activities, from time to time, we sell certain loans shortly after origination. On at least a quarterly basis, excluding investments for which the fair value option has been elected or for which specialized loan accounting is otherwise applied, we assess our ability and intent to continue to hold each asset and, as part of this process, we monitor our investments in securities that are designated as AFS for impairment. A change in our ability and/or intent to continue to hold any of these securities that are in an unrealized loss position, or a deterioration in the underlying characteristics of these securities, could result in our recognizing future impairment charges or a loss upon the sale of any such security.
Our residential mortgage investments have longer-term contractual maturities than our non-securitization related financing liabilities, and the interest rates we pay on our non-securitization related financings will typically change at a faster pace than the interest rates we earn on our investments. In order to reduce this interest rate risk exposure, we may enter into derivative instruments, which currently include Swaps.
Recent Market Conditions and Our Strategy
During the first quarter of 2026, fixed-income markets saw renewed volatility as investors navigated an anticipated significant transition in Federal Reserve leadership, escalating geopolitical tensions, and persistent concerns regarding inflation and deficit spending. During the quarter, market sentiment shifted towards a prolonged "higher for longer" Federal Reserve policy regarding interest rates, as the Iran conflict triggered renewed concerns regarding inflation and deficit spending and stalled expectations for more rate cuts. The 10-year Treasury rate rose by approximately 15 basis points during the quarter to 4.32% at quarter-end, while the Bloomberg US Aggregate Index was flat during the quarter. Agency MBS spreads finished the quarter wider, benefiting early from the announcement of a $200 billion GSE purchase program, but giving back gains as volatility accelerated in March. Despite these challenges, during the quarter, we were able to add approximately $1.1 billion of our target assets at attractive yields, including $470.6 million of Non-QM loans, $392.8 million of Agency MBS and $200.6 million of Business purpose loan originations and draws on existing Transitional loans by Lima One. We also opportunistically initiated a long position in TBA securities with a notional balance of $300.0 million during the quarter. During the quarter. we called three securitizations and issued two new securitizations collateralized by Non-QM loans with an unpaid principal balance of $757.2 million.
During the quarter, we generated GAAP net loss per share (or EPS) of $(0.11) per basic common share and Distributable earnings, a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the impact of fair value changes and certain other items, of $0.30 per basic common share. For the quarter, compensation and benefits and other G&A expenses were $34.3 million and included approximately $2.4 million in accelerated depreciation related to the exit of the lease for our current corporate headquarters. At March 31, 2026, our GAAP book value was $12.70 and our Economic book value, a non-GAAP financial measure of our financial position that adjusts GAAP book value by the amount of unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses on our residential whole loans and securitized debt held at carrying value, was $13.22 per common share, each representing decreases of approximately 4% as compared to December 31, 2025. During the quarter, we declared dividends totaling $0.36 per common share.
For the quarter, our Lima One subsidiary originated Business purpose loans with a maximum unpaid principal balance of $219 million, a decrease from the $226 million originated in the fourth quarter of 2025. During the previous year, we expanded Lima One's sales force, invested in technology initiatives that we expect to improve the borrower experience, and made key hires to Lima One's leadership team in strategic growth areas. In early 2026, we relaunched multifamily lending and began funding loans through our newly established wholesale channel, which represent two key areas of growth for Lima One. During the quarter, Lima One sold recently originated Single-family rental loans with an unpaid principal balance of $78.2 million to third parties and realized gains of $2.7 million. We believe that these sales to third parties help to strengthen Lima One's franchise value, create additional distribution channels to accommodate future growth, and enhance returns.
For additional information regarding the calculation of Distributable earnings and Economic book value per share, including a reconciliation to GAAP Net Income and GAAP book value per share, respectively, refer to "Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below.
First quarter 2026 portfolio activity and impact on financial results
At March 31, 2026, our residential mortgage asset portfolio, which includes residential whole loans and REO, and Securities, at fair value, was approximately $12.5 billion, compared to $12.3 billion at December 31, 2025.
The following table presents the activity for our residential mortgage asset portfolio for the three months ended March 31, 2026:
(In Millions) December 31, 2025
Runoff (1)
Acquisitions & Originations (2)
Other (3)
March 31, 2026 Change
Residential whole loans and REO $ 8,945 $ (570) $ 671 $ (124) $ 8,922 $ (23)
Securities, at fair value 3,360 (128) 393 (39) 3,586 226
Total
$ 12,305 $ (698) $ 1,064 $ (163) $ 12,508 $ 203
(1) Primarily includes principal repayments and sales of REO.
(2) Includes draws on previously originated Transitional loans.
(3) Primarily includes sales of residential whole loans and securities, changes in fair value and changes in the allowance for credit losses.
At March 31, 2026, our total recorded investment in residential whole loans and REO was $8.9 billion, or 71.3% of our residential mortgage asset portfolio. Of this amount, $5.5 billion are Non-QM loans, $1.2 billion are Single-family rental loans, $0.7 billion are Single-family transitional loans, $0.4 billion are Multifamily transitional loans and $0.9 billion are Legacy RPL/NPL loans. Loan acquisition activity of $671.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 included $125.6 million of Single-family transitional loans (including draws), $470.6 million of Non-QM loans, $74.2 million of Single-family rental loans and $0.8 million of Multifamily transitional loans (including draws). For the three months ended March 31, 2026, we recognized
approximately $143.1 million of residential whole loan interest income on our consolidated statements of operations, representing an effective yield of 6.42%, with Single-family transitional loans generating an effective yield of 8.85%, Multifamily transitional loans generating an effective yield of 6.70%, Single-family rental loans generating an effective yield of 6.31%, Non-QM loans generating an effective yield of 5.90% and Legacy RPL/NPL loans generating an effective yield of 7.93%. Since the second quarter of 2021 we have elected the fair value option for all loan acquisitions, and 88% of our total loan portfolio is measured at fair value through earnings. Included in earnings in Other Income/(Loss), net are net gains/(losses) on these loans of $34.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026. At March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, we had REO with an aggregate carrying value of $138.7 million and $135.0 million, respectively, which is included in Other assets on our consolidated balance sheets.
At March 31, 2026, we held $3.6 billion of Securities, at fair value, including $3.5 billion of Agency MBS, $34.6 million of CRT securities and $21.8 million of Non-Agency MBS. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, we purchased $392.8 million of Agency MBS securities. The net yield on our Securities, at fair value was 5.47% for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to 5.56% for the three months ended December 31, 2025.
For the three months ended March 31, 2026, we recorded a reversal of provision for credit losses on residential whole loans held at carrying value of $0.2 million. The total allowance for credit losses recorded on residential whole loans held at carrying value at March 31, 2026 was $9.4 million.
During the first quarter of 2026, we completed two securitizations collateralized by $757.2 million UPB of Non-QM loans. These securitizations provided longer term, non-recourse, fixed rate financing. We continue to closely follow the actions of the Federal Reserve regarding the path and timing of changes in interest rates and the impact such rate changes would be expected to have on levels of inflation, the overall economic environment and our business.
Our GAAP book value per common share was $12.70 as of March 31, 2026 and was $13.20 as of December 31, 2025. Economic book value per common share, a non-GAAP financial measure, was $13.22 as of March 31, 2026, a decrease from $13.75 as of December 31, 2025. The decrease in GAAP book value and Economic book value during the first quarter of 2026 primarily reflects the net loss applicable to common stockholders as well as dividends declared on our common stock. For additional information regarding the calculation of Economic book value per share, including a reconciliation to GAAP book value per share, refer to "Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below.
For more information regarding market factors which impact our portfolio, see Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and Item 3. "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Information About Our Assets
The table below presents certain information about our asset allocation at March 31, 2026:
ASSET ALLOCATION
(Dollars in Millions) Non-QM loans Single-family rental loans Single-family transitional loans Multifamily transitional loans Legacy RPL/NPL loans Agency MBS
Other,
net
(1)
Total
Asset Amount $ 5,530 $ 1,195 $ 658 $ 407 $ 943 $ 3,529 $ 677 $ 12,939
Receivable/(Payable) for Unsettled Transactions - - - - - (42) - (42)
Financing Agreements with Non-mark-to-market Collateral Provisions - (17) (30) (18) - - - (65)
Financing Agreements with Mark-to-market Collateral Provisions (574) (247) (249) (211) (79) (3,095) (118) (4,573)
Securitized Debt (4,362) (755) (285) (77) (786) - (6) (6,271)
Senior Notes and Other secured financing - - - - - - (209) (209)
Net Equity Allocated $ 594 $ 176 $ 94 $ 101 $ 78 $ 392 $ 344 $ 1,779
Debt/Net Equity Ratio (2)
8.3x 5.8x 6.0x 3.0x 11.1x 8.0x 6.3x
(1)Includes $221.6 million of cash and cash equivalents, $189.2 million of restricted cash, $56.5 million of other securities, $50.4 million of Other loans and $20.6 million of capital contributions made to loan origination partners, as well as other assets and other liabilities.
(2)Total Debt/Net Equity ratio represents the sum of borrowings under our financing agreements as a multiple of net equity allocated.
Residential Whole Loans
The following table presents the contractual maturities of our residential whole loan portfolios at March 31, 2026. Amounts presented do not reflect estimates of prepayments or scheduled amortization.
(In Thousands)
Non-QM
loans (1)
Business purpose loans (2)
Legacy RPL/NPL loans (3)
Other loans
Amount due:
Within one year $ - $ 943,282 $ 1,861 $ -
After one year:
Over one to five years - 135,582 9,904 -
Over five years 5,531,387 1,183,068 937,669 50,383
Total due after one year $ 5,531,387 $ 1,318,650 $ 947,573 $ 50,383
Total residential whole loans $ 5,531,387 $ 2,261,932 $ 949,434 $ 50,383
(1)Excludes an allowance for credit losses of $1.4 million at March 31, 2026.
(2)Excludes an allowance for credit losses of $1.9 million at March 31, 2026.
(3)Excludes an allowance for credit losses of $6.1 million at March 31, 2026.
The following table presents, at March 31, 2026, the dollar amount of certain of our residential whole loans, contractually maturing after one year, and indicates whether the loans have fixed interest rates or adjustable interest rates:
(In Thousands)
Non-QM
loans (1) (2)
Business purpose loans (1) (2)
Legacy RPL/NPL loans (1) (2)
Other loans
Interest rates:
Fixed $ 4,839,702 $ 1,031,169 $ 790,558 $ 50,383
Adjustable 691,686 287,481 157,015 -
Total $ 5,531,387 $ 1,318,650 $ 947,573 $ 50,383
(1)Includes loans on which borrowers have defaulted and are not making payments of principal and/or interest as of March 31, 2026.
(2)Excludes an allowance for credit losses.
Our Transitional loans contain various contractual extension features, typically ranging from three to twenty-four months subject to certain conditions, generally including our consent. Transitional loans are generally only extended if the loan is current and in compliance with various other loan terms. Given the short duration of our Transitional loans, maturity extensions are a regular occurrence, irrespective of market conditions. At March 31, 2026, approximately 77% of our Multifamily transitional loans and 27% of our Single-family transitional loans held as of period end had been extended.
For additional information regarding our residential whole loan portfolios, including information about delinquency trends, see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements, included under Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Securities, at Fair Value
The following table presents information with respect to our Securities, at fair value at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025:
(Dollars in Thousands) March 31, 2026 December 31, 2025
Agency MBS
Face/Par $ 3,520,856 $ 3,256,760
Fair Value 3,529,405 3,303,204
Amortized Cost Basis 3,522,382 3,257,686
Weighted average yield (1)
5.35 % 5.39 %
Weighted average time to maturity 28.9 years 29.0 years
CRT Securities
Face/Par $ 34,000 $ 34,000
Fair Value 34,644 34,945
Amortized Cost Basis 31,034 30,330
Weighted average yield (1)
18.21 % 17.15 %
Weighted average time to maturity 13.9 years 14.1 years
Non-Agency MBS
Face/Par $ 25,645 $ 25,919
Fair Value 21,830 22,131
Amortized Cost Basis 21,573 21,750
Weighted average yield (1)
5.61 % 5.63 %
Weighted average time to maturity 25.5 years 25.8 years
(1)Weighted average yield is annualized interest income divided by average amortized cost basis for Securities, at fair value held at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025.
Tax Considerations
Current period estimated taxable income
We estimate that for the three months ended March 31, 2026, our REIT taxable income was approximately $29.9 million.
Key differences between GAAP net income and REIT Taxable Income
Residential Whole Loans and Securities
The determination of taxable income attributable to residential whole loans and securities is dependent on a number of factors, including principal payments, defaults, loss mitigation efforts and loss severities. In estimating taxable income for such investments during the year, management considers estimates of the amount of discount expected to be accreted. Such estimates require significant judgment and actual results may differ from these estimates.
Potential timing differences can arise with respect to the accretion of discount and amortization of premium into income as well as the recognition of gain or loss for tax purposes as compared to GAAP. For example: a) while our REIT uses fair value accounting for GAAP in some instances, it generally is not used for purposes of determining taxable income; b) impairments generally are not recognized by us for income tax purposes until the asset is written-off or sold; c) capital losses may only be recognized by us to the extent of our capital gains; capital losses in excess of capital gains generally are carried over by us for potential offset against future capital gains; and d) tax hedge gains and losses resulting from the termination of Swaps by us generally are amortized over the remaining term of the Swap.
Securitization
Generally, securitization transactions for GAAP and tax can be characterized as either sales or financings, depending on transaction type, structure and available elections. For GAAP purposes, our securitizations have generally been treated as on-balance sheet financing transactions. For tax purposes, they have been characterized primarily as sale transactions.
Where a securitization has been characterized as a sale, gain or loss is recognized for tax purposes. In addition, we own or may in the future acquire interests in securitization and/or re-securitization trusts, in which several of the classes of securities are or will be issued with original issue discount (or OID). As the holder of the retained interests in the trust, for tax purposes we generally will be required to include OID in our current gross interest income over the term of the applicable securities as the OID accrues. The rate at which the OID is recognized into taxable income is calculated using a constant rate of yield to maturity, with realized losses impacting the amount of OID recognized in REIT taxable income once they are actually incurred. REIT taxable income may be recognized in excess of economic income (i.e., OID) or in advance of the corresponding cash flow from these assets, thereby affecting our dividend distribution requirement to stockholders.
For securitization and/or re-securitization transactions that were treated as a sale of the underlying collateral for tax purposes, the unwinding of any such transaction will likely result in taxable income or loss. Given that securitization and re-securitization transactions are typically accounted for as financing transactions for GAAP purposes, such income or loss is not likely to be recognized for GAAP. As a result, the income recognized from securitization and re-securitization transactions may differ for tax and GAAP purposes.
Whether our investments are held by our REIT or one of its Taxable REIT Subsidiaries (TRS)
We estimate that for the three months ended March 31, 2026, our net TRS taxable income (loss) will be $(13.4) million. Net income or loss generated by our TRS subsidiaries is included in consolidated GAAP net income, but may not be included in REIT taxable income in the same period. REIT taxable income generally does not include taxable income of the TRS unless and until it is distributed to the REIT. For example, because our securitization transactions that are treated as a sale for tax purposes are undertaken by a domestic TRS, any gain or loss recognized on the sale is not included in our REIT taxable income until it is distributed by the TRS. Similarly, the income earned from loans, securities, REO and other investments held by our domestic TRS is excluded from REIT taxable income until it is distributed by the TRS. Net income of our foreign domiciled TRS subsidiaries is included in REIT taxable income as if distributed to the REIT in the taxable year it is earned by the foreign domiciled TRS. A TRS may carry forward its net taxable losses indefinitely as net operating losses to offset up to 80% of its taxable income in future tax years, but REIT taxable income generally does not include the net taxable loss of a TRS unless the TRS liquidates for tax purposes.
Consequently, our REIT taxable income calculated in a given period may differ significantly from our GAAP net income.
Results of Operations
Quarter Ended March 31, 2026 Compared to the Quarter Ended December 31, 2025
The following table summarizes the changes in our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to the three months ended December 31, 2025.
Three Months Ended
(In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)
March 31, 2026 December 31, 2025 QoQ Change
Interest Income:
Residential whole loans $ 143,091 $ 146,443 $ (3,352)
Securities, at fair value 45,753 40,102 5,651
Other interest-earning assets 491 523 (32)
Cash and cash equivalent investments 2,591 3,356 (765)
Interest Income $ 191,926 $ 190,424 $ 1,502
Interest Expense:
Asset-backed and other collateralized financing arrangements $ 127,811 $ 130,192 $ (2,381)
Other interest expense 4,925 4,751 174
Interest Expense $ 132,736 $ 134,943 $ (2,207)
Net Interest Income $ 59,190 $ 55,481 $ 3,709
Reversal/(Provision) for Credit Losses on Residential Whole Loans $ 242 $ 276 $ (34)
Reversal/(Provision) for Credit Losses on Other Assets - - -
Net Interest Income after Reversal/(Provision) for Credit Losses $ 59,432 $ 55,757 $ 3,675
Other Income/(Loss), net:
Net gain/(loss) on residential whole loans measured at fair value through earnings $ (34,761) $ 4,405 $ (39,166)
Impairment and other net gain/(loss) on securities and other portfolio investments (38,270) 15,715 (53,985)
Net gain/(loss) on real estate owned (2,981) (2,641) (340)
Net gain/(loss) on derivatives used for risk management purposes 30,726 13,562 17,164
Net gain/(loss) on securitized debt measured at fair value through earnings 19,845 (1,534) 21,379
Lima One mortgage banking income 7,660 5,730 1,930
Net realized gain/(loss) on residential whole loans held at carrying value - $ - -
Other, net 1,896 (2,003) 3,899
Other Income/(Loss), net $ (15,885) $ 33,234 $ (49,119)
Operating and Other Expense:
Compensation and benefits $ 22,159 $ 16,919 $ 5,240
Other general and administrative expense 12,154 10,059 2,095
Loan servicing, financing and other related costs 9,918 7,394 2,524
Amortization of intangible assets 300 300 -
Operating and Other Expense $ 44,531 $ 34,672 $ 9,859
Income/(loss) before income taxes $ (984) $ 54,319 $ (55,303)
Provision for/(benefit from) income taxes - - -
Net Income/(Loss) $ (984) $ 54,319 $ (55,303)
Less Preferred Stock Dividend Requirement $ 10,424 $ 10,705 $ (281)
Net Income/(Loss) Available to Common Stock and Participating Securities $ (11,408) $ 43,614 $ (55,022)
Basic Earnings/(Loss) per Common Share $ (0.11) $ 0.42 $ (0.53)
Diluted Earnings/(Loss) per Common Share $ (0.11) $ 0.42 $ (0.53)
General
For the first quarter of 2026, we had a net loss available to our common stock and participating securities of $(11.4) million, or $(0.11) per basic and diluted common share, compared to net income available to common stock and participating securities of $43.6 million, or $0.42 per basic and diluted common share, for the fourth quarter of 2025. The decrease in net income available to common stock and participating securities in the current period compared to the prior period primarily reflects a $(49.1) million change in Other income/(loss), net and higher primarily non-cash operating expenses, partially offset by a $3.7 million increase to net interest income.
Net Interest Income
Net interest income represents the difference between income on interest-earning assets and expense on interest-bearing liabilities. Net interest income depends primarily upon the volume of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and the corresponding interest rates earned or paid. Our net interest income varies primarily as a result of changes in interest rates, the slope of the yield curve (i.e., the differential between long-term and short-term interest rates), borrowing costs (i.e., our interest expense), the level of loan delinquencies, which may result in changes in the amount of non-accrual loans, and prepayment speeds on our investments. Interest rates and CPRs (which measure the amount of unscheduled principal prepayment on a bond or loan as a percentage of its unpaid balance) vary according to the type of investment, conditions in the financial markets and other factors, none of which can be predicted with any certainty.
The changes in average interest-earning assets and average interest-bearing liabilities and their related yields and costs are discussed in greater detail below under "Interest Income" and "Interest Expense."
For the first quarter of 2026, our net interest spread and margin (including the impact of net Swap carry) were 1.64% and 2.23%, respectively, compared to a net interest spread and margin (including the impact of net Swap carry) of 1.69% and 2.31%, respectively, for the fourth quarter of 2025. Our net interest income increased by $3.7 million and was $59.2 million for the first quarter of 2026, compared to $55.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2025. For the first quarter of 2026, net interest income, which does not include the benefit of net Swap carry, includes higher net interest income from our securities portfolio of $4.3 million, compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, primarily due to an increase in interest income from higher average balances of our securities portfolio and a decrease in interest expense from lower rates on our securities repurchase agreements, partially offset by an increase in interest expense from higher average balances of our securities repurchase agreements. Net interest income for the first quarter of 2026 also includes higher net interest income from our residential whole loan portfolio of $0.4 million, compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, primarily due to a decrease in interest expense from lower rates on our residential whole loan financing agreements and securitized debt, partially offset by a decrease in interest income from lower yield on our residential whole loan portfolio.
Analysis of Net Interest Income
The following table sets forth certain information about the average balances of our assets and liabilities and their related yields and costs for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025. Average yields are derived by dividing annualized interest income by the average amortized cost basis of the related assets, and average costs are derived by dividing annualized interest expense by the average balance of the related liabilities, for the periods shown. The yields and costs may include premium amortization and discount accretion which are considered adjustments to interest income or expense.
Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 Three Months Ended December 31, 2025
Average Balance Interest Average
Yield/Cost
Average Balance Interest Average Yield/Cost
(Dollars in Thousands)
Assets:
Interest-earning assets (1):
Residential whole loans $ 8,917,382 $ 143,091 6.42 % $ 8,964,367 $ 146,443 6.53 %
Securities, at fair value 3,347,025 45,753 5.47 2,886,176 40,102 5.56
Cash and cash equivalents (2)
356,327 2,591 2.91 421,456 3,356 3.19
Other interest-earning assets 20,255 491 9.70 22,517 523 9.29
Total interest-earning assets 12,640,989 191,926 6.08 12,294,516 190,424 6.20
Liabilities:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Securitized debt (3)
$ 6,235,270 $ 78,205 5.02 % $ 6,284,115 $ 80,077 5.10 %
Collateralized financing agreements (4)
4,535,127 49,606 4.38 4,112,718 50,115 4.77
Other secured financing 23,809 356 5.99 11,763 191 6.40
8.875% Senior Notes 112,111 2,757 9.83 111,909 2,751 9.83
9.00% Senior Notes 72,900 1,812 9.94 72,778 1,809 9.94
Total interest-bearing liabilities 10,979,217 132,736 4.84 10,593,283 134,943 5.05
Net interest income/net interest rate spread (5)
59,190 1.24 55,481 1.15
Impact of net Swap carry (6)
11,045 0.40 14,754 0.54
Net interest rate spread (including the impact of net Swap carry) $ 70,235 1.64 % $ 70,235 1.69 %
Net interest-earning assets/net interest margin (7)
$ 1,661,772 2.23 % $ 1,701,233 2.31 %
(1)Yields presented throughout this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are calculated using average amortized cost basis data for residential whole loans and securities, which excludes unrealized gains and losses. For GAAP reporting purposes, securities purchases and sales are reported on the trade date. Average amortized cost basis data used to determine yields is calculated based on the settlement date of the associated purchase or sale as interest income is not earned on purchased assets and continues to be earned on sold assets until settlement date.
(2)Includes average interest-earning cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash.
(3)Includes both securitized debt, at carrying value, and securitized debt, at fair value.
(4)Collateralized financing agreements include the following: mark-to-market asset based financing and non-mark-to-market asset based financing. For additional information, see Note 6, included under Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
(5)Net interest rate spread reflects the difference between the yield on average interest-earning assets and average cost of funds.
(6)Reflects the impact of positive or negative net Swap carry. Positive net Swap carry results when income from the receive leg of a Swap is greater than the expense on the pay leg. Negative net Swap carry results when income from the receive leg is less than the expense on the pay leg.
(7)Net interest margin reflects annualized net interest income (including net Swap carry) divided by average interest-earning assets.
Rate/Volume Analysis
The following table presents the extent to which changes in interest rates (yield/cost) and changes in the volume (average balance) of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities have affected our interest income and interest expense during the periods indicated. Information is provided in each category with respect to: (i) the changes attributable to changes in volume (changes in average balance multiplied by prior rate); (ii) the changes attributable to changes in rate (changes in rate multiplied by prior average balance); and (iii) the net change. The changes attributable to the combined impact of volume and rate have been allocated proportionately, based on absolute values, to the changes due to rate and volume.
Three Months Ended March 31, 2026
Compared to
Three Months Ended December 31, 2025
Increase/(Decrease) due to
Total Net Change in Interest Income/Expense
(In Thousands) Volume Rate
Interest-earning assets:
Residential whole loans $ (795) $ (2,557) $ (3,352)
Securities, at fair value 6,310 (659) 5,651
Cash and cash equivalents (488) (277) (765)
Other interest earning assets (55) 23 (32)
Total net change in income from interest-earning assets $ 4,972 $ (3,470) $ 1,502
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Securitized debt $ (620) $ (1,252) $ (1,872)
Residential whole loan financing agreements (240) (1,663) (1,903)
Securities, at fair value repurchase agreements 3,834 (2,474) 1,360
REO financing agreements 51 (17) 34
Other secured financing 170 (5) 165
8.875% Senior Notes 6 - 6
9.00% Senior Notes 3 - 3
Total net change in expense of interest-bearing liabilities $ 3,204 $ (5,411) $ (2,207)
Net change in net interest income $ 1,768 $ 1,941 $ 3,709
The following table presents certain quarterly information regarding our net interest spread and net interest margin for the quarterly periods presented:
Total Interest-Earning Assets and Interest-Bearing Liabilities
Quarter Ended
Net Interest Spread (1)
Net Interest Margin (2)
March 31, 2026 1.64 % 2.23 %
December 31, 2025 1.69 2.31
September 30, 2025 1.86 2.57
June 30, 2025 1.98 2.73
March 31, 2025 1.84 2.63
(1)Reflects the difference between the yield on average interest-earning assets and average cost of funds (including net Swap carry).
(2)Reflects annualized net interest income (including net Swap carry) divided by average interest-earning assets.
The following table presents the components of the net interest spread earned on our Residential mortgage assets for the quarterly periods presented:
Quarter Ended
March 31, 2026 December 31, 2025 September 30, 2025 June 30, 2025 March 31, 2025
Non-QM Loans
Net Yield (1)
5.90 % 5.96 % 5.95 % 5.79 % 5.78 %
Cost of Funding (2)
(5.07) % (5.13) % (5.21) % (5.14) % (5.08) %
Impact of net Swap carry (3)
0.36 % 0.49 % 0.62 % 0.70 % 0.77 %
Net Interest Spread 1.19 % 1.32 % 1.36 % 1.35 % 1.47 %
Business Purpose Loans
Net Yield (1)
7.12 % 7.50 % 7.88 % 7.99 % 8.09 %
Cost of Funding (2)
(5.54) % (5.82) % (6.03) % (6.07) % (6.15) %
Impact of net Swap carry (3)
0.32 % 0.44 % 0.49 % 0.42 % 0.45 %
Net Interest Spread 1.90 % 2.12 % 2.34 % 2.34 % 2.39 %
Legacy RPL/NPL Loans
Net Yield (1)
7.93 % 7.42 % 8.55 % 8.69 % 7.01 %
Cost of Funding (2)
(4.27) % (4.29) % (4.32) % (4.29) % (4.24) %
Impact of net Swap carry (3)
0.36 % 0.48 % 0.52 % 0.40 % 0.31 %
Net Interest Spread 4.02 % 3.61 % 4.75 % 4.80 % 3.08 %
Total Residential Whole Loans
Net Yield (1)
6.42 % 6.53 % 6.81 % 6.85 % 6.77 %
Cost of Funding (2)
(5.09) % (5.23) % (5.36) % (5.35) % (5.36) %
Impact of net Swap carry (3)
0.35 % 0.48 % 0.58 % 0.58 % 0.60 %
Net Interest Spread 1.68 % 1.78 % 2.03 % 2.08 % 2.01 %
Securities, at fair value
Net Yield (1)
5.47 % 5.56 % 5.79 % 6.60 % 6.07 %
Cost of Funding (2)
(3.84) % (4.18) % (4.50) % (4.55) % (4.58) %
Impact of net Swap carry (3)
0.56 % 0.79 % 1.05 % 1.05 % 1.08 %
Net Interest Spread 2.19 % 2.17 % 2.34 % 3.10 % 2.57 %
(1)Reflects annualized interest income on Residential whole loans divided by average amortized cost basis of Residential whole loans. Excludes servicing costs.
(2)Reflects annualized interest expense divided by average balance of agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions (repurchase agreements), agreements with non-mark-to-market collateral provisions, and securitized debt.
(3)Reflects the difference between Swap interest income received and Swap interest expense paid on our Swaps. While we have not elected hedge accounting treatment for Swaps and, accordingly, net Swap carry is not presented in interest expense in our consolidated statement of operations, we believe it is appropriate to allocate net Swap carry by asset class to reflect the economic impact of our Swaps on the net interest spread shown in the table above.
Interest Income
Interest income on our Securities, at fair value portfolio for the first quarter of 2026 increased by $5.7 million to $45.8 million, compared to $40.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2025. This increase primarily reflects a $460.8 million increase in the average balance of this portfolio to $3.3 billion for the first quarter of 2026 from the fourth quarter of 2025.
Interest income on our residential whole loans for the first quarter of 2026 decreased by $3.4 million, or 2.3%, to $143.1 million, compared to $146.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2025. This decrease primarily reflects a decrease in the yield to 6.42% for the first quarter of 2026 from 6.53% for the fourth quarter of 2025.
Interest Expense
Our interest expense for the first quarter of 2026 decreased by $2.2 million, or 1.6%, to $132.7 million, from $134.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2025. This decrease primarily reflects the impact of lower average rates on our securities repurchase agreements, residential whole loan financing agreements, and securitized debt, partially offset by the impact of higher average balances of our securities repurchase agreements.
Provision for Credit Losses on Residential Whole Loans Held at Carrying Value
For the first quarter of 2026, we recorded a reversal of provision for credit losses on residential whole loans held at carrying value of $0.2 million compared to a reversal of provision for credit losses of $0.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2025. The reversal of provision recorded in the current period primarily reflects minor changes to modeling assumptions and the run-off of loans held at carrying value. The reversal of provision for the prior period primarily reflects minor changes to modeling assumptions and the run-off of loans held at carrying value.
Provision for Credit Losses on Other Assets
We had no provision for credit losses on Other Assets for the first quarter of 2026 or the fourth quarter of 2025.
Other Income/(Loss), net
For the first quarter of 2026, Other Income/(Loss), net was $(15.9) million, compared to Other Income/(Loss), net of $33.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2025. The components of Other Income/(Loss), net for the first quarter of 2026 and fourth quarter of 2025 are summarized in the table below:
Three Months Ended
(In Thousands) March 31, 2026 December 31, 2025
Net gain/(loss) on residential whole loans measured at fair value through earnings (34,761) $ 4,405
Impairment and other net gain/(loss) on securities and other portfolio investments (38,270) 15,715
Net gain/(loss) on real estate owned (2,981) (2,641)
Net gain/(loss) on derivatives used for risk management purposes 30,726 13,562
Net gain/(loss) on securitized debt measured at fair value through earnings 19,845 (1,534)
Lima One mortgage banking income 7,660 5,730
Net realized gain/(loss) on residential whole loans held at carrying value - -
Other, net (1)
1,896 (2,003)
Other Income/(Loss), net $ (15,885) $ 33,234
(1) Includes realized credit losses, net of recoveries, on liquidated residential whole loans or residential whole loans that were transferred to REO of $(4.4) million and $(3.0) million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively.
During the past two years we have seen an increase in realized credit losses on our residential whole loans at fair value, as we have worked to accelerate the resolution of certain non-performing loans. While we cannot predict the timing or amount of future credit losses, we expect that credit losses may remain heightened relative to historical levels in the short term as we continue to work to accelerate the resolution of certain non-performing loans. Credit losses are generally initially recognized in "Net gain/(loss) on residential whole loans measured at fair value through earnings" as unrealized losses and are later reclassified to "Other Income/(Loss), net" when the credit loss is realized.
Operating and Other Expense
Operating and other expenses are composed of compensation and benefits, other general and administrative, loan servicing and other related operating expenses and amortization of Lima One intangible assets.
Compensation and benefits expenses are composed of salaries, annual bonus, stock-based awards, long-term incentives, Lima One sales commissions, related payroll taxes, medical insurance, 401(k) matching and other benefits expenses. Compensation and benefits expense increased by $5.2 million to $22.2 million for the first quarter of 2026, compared to $16.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2025, primarily driven by the accelerated recognition of stock-based compensation in the first quarter of 2026 related to awards made to retirement eligible employees in January 2026.
Other general and administrative expenses are comprised of leasing and other office expenses, professional fees, insurance costs, board of directors fees, and miscellaneous expenses. Other general and administrative expenses of $12.2 million for the first quarter of 2026 increased by $2.1 million when compared to $10.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2025, primarily driven by the accelerated recognition of depreciation expense related to the remaining undepreciated tenant improvements at our current corporate headquarters.
Loan servicing and other related operating expenses are composed of non-recoverable advances, upfront costs on securitization and other fees related to our residential whole loan activities. These expenses increased compared to the prior quarter
period by approximately $2.5 million, or 34.1%, primarily due to higher expenses recognized on upfront costs associated with two securitizations entered into in this quarter, compared to one in the prior quarter, as well as higher expenses recognized related to property preservation, taxes, insurance, and certain other non-recoverable carrying costs on our residential whole loan and REO portfolios.
Selected Financial Ratios
The following table presents information regarding certain of our financial ratios at or for the dates presented:
At or for the Quarter Ended
Return on Average Total Assets (1)
Return on Average Total Stockholders' Equity (2)
Dividend Payout Ratio (3)
Total Average Stockholders' Equity to Total Average Assets (4)
Leverage Multiple (5)
Recourse Leverage Multiple (6)
March 31, 2026 (0.01) % (0.05) % NMF 13.80 % 6.3 2.7
December 31, 2025 1.69 11.84 0.86 14.31 6.0 2.5
September 30, 2025 1.62 10.50 1.00 15.46 5.5 1.9
June 30, 2025 1.14 7.21 1.64 15.86 5.2 1.8
March 31, 2025 1.45 8.91 1.13 16.31 5.1 1.8
(1)Reflects annualized net income divided by average total assets.
(2)Reflects annualized net income divided by average total stockholders' equity.
(3)Reflects dividends declared per share of common stock divided by earnings per share. The ratio has not been calculated for periods where earnings per share is negative as the calculations are not meaningful ("NMF").
(4)Reflects total average stockholders' equity divided by total average assets.
(5)Represents the sum of our borrowings under financing agreements and payable for unsettled purchases divided by stockholders' equity.
(6)Represents the sum of our borrowings under financing agreements (excluding securitized debt and other non-recourse debt) and payable for unsettled purchases divided by stockholders' equity.
Three Month Period Ended March 31, 2026 Compared to the Three Month Period Ended March 31, 2025
The following table summarizes the changes in our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Three Months Ended
(In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)
March 31, 2026 March 31, 2025 YoY Change
Interest Income:
Residential whole loans $ 143,091 $ 151,310 $ (8,219)
Securities, at fair value 45,753 24,670 21,083
Other interest-earning assets 491 398 93
Cash and cash equivalent investments 2,591 4,127 (1,536)
Interest Income $ 191,926 $ 180,505 $ 11,421
Interest Expense:
Asset-backed and other collateralized financing arrangements $ 127,811 $ 118,431 $ 9,380
Other interest expense 4,925 4,537 388
Interest Expense $ 132,736 $ 122,968 $ 9,768
Net Interest Income $ 59,190 $ 57,537 $ 1,653
Reversal/(Provision) for Credit Losses on Residential Whole Loans $ 242 $ (145) $ 387
Reversal/(Provision) for Credit Losses on Other Assets - - -
Net Interest Income after Reversal/(Provision) for Credit Losses $ 59,432 $ 57,392 $ 2,040
Other Income/(Loss), net:
Net gain/(loss) on residential whole loans measured at fair value through earnings $ (34,761) $ 54,380 $ (89,141)
Impairment and other net gain/(loss) on securities and other portfolio investments (38,270) 21,179 (59,449)
Net gain/(loss) on real estate owned (2,981) (1,508) (1,473)
Net gain/(loss) on derivatives used for risk management purposes 30,726 (31,055) 61,781
Net gain/(loss) on securitized debt measured at fair value through earnings 19,845 (21,931) 41,776
Lima One mortgage banking income 7,660 5,437 2,223
Net realized gain/(loss) on residential whole loans held at carrying value - (539) 539
Other, net 1,896 (1,451) 3,347
Other Income/(Loss), net $ (15,885) $ 24,512 $ (40,397)
Operating and Other Expense:
Compensation and benefits $ 22,159 $ 23,257 $ (1,098)
Other general and administrative expense 12,154 10,291 1,863
Loan servicing, financing and other related costs 9,918 7,252 2,666
Amortization of intangible assets 300 800 (500)
Operating and Other Expense $ 44,531 $ 41,600 $ 2,931
Income/(loss) before income taxes $ (984) $ 40,304 $ (41,288)
Provision for/(benefit from) income taxes - (872) 872
Net Income/(Loss) $ (984) $ 41,176 $ (42,160)
Less Preferred Stock Dividend Requirement $ 10,424 $ 8,219 $ 2,205
Net Income/(Loss) Available to Common Stock and Participating Securities $ (11,408) $ 32,957 $ (44,365)
Basic Earnings/(Loss) per Common Share $ (0.11) $ 0.32 $ (0.43)
Diluted Earnings/(Loss) per Common Share $ (0.11) $ 0.31 $ (0.42)
General
For the three months ended March 31, 2026, we had net loss available to our common stock and participating securities of $(11.4) million, or $(0.11) per basic and diluted common share, compared to a net income available to our common stock and participating securities of $33.0 million, or $0.32 per basic and $0.31 per diluted common share, for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The net loss available to common stock and participating securities in the current period decreased from the prior period net income available to our common stock and participating securities primarily as a result of $40.4 million lower Other income/(loss), net, $2.9 million higher operating and other expenses, and a $2.2 million increase in preferred stock dividends paid as a result of the current floating rate payable on our Series C preferred stock compared to the initial fixed rate payable in the prior period, as well as additional shares outstanding as a result of issuances through the Preferred Stock ATM Program, partially offset by $1.7 million in higher net interest income.
Net Interest Income
For the three months ended March 31, 2026, our net interest spread and margin were 1.64% and 2.23%, respectively, compared to a net interest spread and margin of 1.84% and 2.63%, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2025. Our net interest income increased by $1.7 million, or 2.9%, to $59.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to net interest income of $57.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, net interest income, which does not include the benefit of net Swap carry, includes higher net interest from our securities portfolio of $8.0 million compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025, primarily due to an increase in interest income from higher average balances of our securities portfolio, partially offset by an increase in interest expense from higher average balances of securities repurchase agreements. Net interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2026 also includes lower net interest income from our residential whole loan portfolio of $4.4 million compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025, primarily due to a decrease in interest income as a result of lower yield on our residential whole loan portfolio and an increase in interest expense as a result of higher average balances of our securitized debt, partially offset by a decrease in interest expense as a result of lower average balances of, and rates on, our residential whole loan financing agreements. In addition, the three months ended March 31, 2026 had $1.4 million lower interest income from other interest earnings assets and cash and cash equivalents when compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Analysis of Net Interest Income
The following table sets forth certain information about the average balances of our assets and liabilities and their related yields and costs for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025. Average yields are derived by dividing annualized interest income by the average amortized cost basis of the related assets, and average costs are derived by dividing annualized interest expense by the daily average balance of the related liabilities, for the periods shown. The yields and costs may include premium amortization and discount accretion which are considered adjustments to interest income or expense.
Three Months Ended March 31,
2026 2025
Average Balance Interest Average Yield/Cost Average Balance Interest Average Yield/Cost
(Dollars in Thousands)
Assets:
Interest-earning assets (1):
Residential whole loans $ 8,917,382 $ 143,091 6.42 % $ 8,945,010 $ 151,310 6.77 %
Securities, at fair value 3,347,025 45,753 5.47 1,625,980 24,670 6.07
Cash and cash equivalents (2)
356,327 2,591 2.91 496,435 4,127 3.33
Other interest-earning assets 20,255 491 9.70 21,497 398 7.41
Total interest-earning assets 12,640,989 191,926 6.08 11,088,922 180,505 6.52
Liabilities:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Securitized debt (3)
$ 6,235,270 $ 78,205 5.02 % $ 5,808,655 $ 72,985 5.03 %
Collateralized financing agreements (4)
4,535,127 49,606 4.38 3,217,776 45,446 5.65
Other secured financing 23,809 356 5.99 - - -
8.875% Senior Notes 112,111 2,757 9.83 111,333 2,737 9.83
9.00% Senior Notes 72,900 1,812 9.94 72,429 1,800 9.94
Total interest-bearing liabilities 10,979,217 132,736 4.84 9,210,193 122,968 5.34
Net interest income/net interest rate spread (5)
59,190 1.24 57,537 1.18
Impact of net Swap carry (6)
11,045 0.40 15,254 0.66
Net interest rate spread (including the impact of net Swap carry) $ 70,235 1.64 % $ 72,791 1.84 %
Net interest-earning assets/net interest margin (7)
$ 1,661,772 2.23 % $ 1,878,729 2.63 %
(1)Yields presented throughout this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are calculated using average amortized cost basis data for residential whole loans and securities, which excludes unrealized gains and losses. For GAAP reporting purposes, securities purchases and sales are reported on the trade date. Average amortized cost basis data used to determine yields is calculated based on the settlement date of the associated purchase or sale as interest income is not earned on purchased assets and continues to be earned on sold assets until settlement date.
(2)Includes average interest-earning cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash.
(3)Includes both securitized debt, at carrying value, and securitized debt, at fair value.
(4)Collateralized financing agreements include the following: mark-to-market asset based financing and non-mark-to-market asset based financing. For additional information, see Note 6, included under Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
(5)Net interest rate spread reflects the difference between the yield on average interest-earning assets and average cost of funds.
(6)Reflects the impact of positive or negative net Swap carry. Positive net Swap carry results when income from the receive leg of a Swap is greater than the expense on the pay leg. Negative net Swap carry results when income from the receive leg is less than the expense on the pay leg.
(7)Net interest margin reflects annualized net interest income (including net Swap carry) divided by average interest-earning assets.
Rate/Volume Analysis
Three Months Ended March 31, 2026
Compared to
Three Months Ended March 31, 2025
Increase/(Decrease) due to
Total Net Change in Interest Income/Expense
(In Thousands) Volume Rate
Interest-earning assets:
Residential whole loans $ (463) $ (7,756) $ (8,219)
Securities, at fair value 23,744 (2,661) 21,083
Cash and cash equivalents (1,069) (467) (1,536)
Other interest-earning assets (24) 117 93
Total net change in income from interest-earning assets $ 22,188 $ (10,767) $ 11,421
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Securitized debt 5,365 (145) 5,220
Residential whole loan financing agreements $ (4,710) $ (4,224) $ (8,934)
Securities, at fair value repurchase agreements 16,035 (2,933) 13,102
REO financing agreements 28 (36) (8)
Other secured financing 356 - 356
8.875% Senior Notes 20 - 20
9.00% Senior Notes 12 - 12
Total net change in expense of interest-bearing liabilities $ 17,106 $ (7,338) $ 9,768
Net change in net interest income $ 5,082 $ (3,429) $ 1,653
Interest Income
Interest income on our Securities, at fair value portfolio for the three months ended March 31, 2026 increased by $21.1 million to $45.8 million from $24.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. This increase primarily reflects an increase in the average amortized cost basis of the portfolio of $1.7 billion from purchases of Agency MBS, partially offset by a decrease in the net yield on our Securities, at fair value portfolio to 5.47% for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to 6.07% for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Interest income on our residential whole loans for the three months ended March 31, 2026 decreased by $8.2 million, or 5.4%, to $143.1 million, compared to $151.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. This decrease primarily reflects a decrease in the net yield on our residential whole loans portfolio to 6.42% for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to 6.77% for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Interest income on our cash and other interest earning assets for the three months ended March 31, 2026 decreased by $1.4 million to $3.1 million, compared to $4.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. This decrease primarily reflects a $140.1 million decrease in the average balance of, and a decrease in the yield earned to 2.91% for the three months ended March 31, 2026 from 3.33% for the three months ended March 31, 2025, on our cash and cash equivalents.
Interest Expense
Our interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2026 increased by $9.8 million, or 7.9%, to $132.7 million, from $123.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. This increase primarily reflects an increase in the average balances of securities repurchase agreements and securitized debt, partially offset by lower average balances of, and rates, on our residential whole loan financing agreements and lower financing rates on our securities repurchase agreements.
Provision for Credit Losses on Residential Whole Loans Held at Carrying Value
For the three months ended March 31, 2026, we recorded a reversal of provision for credit losses on residential whole loans held at carrying value of $0.2 million compared to a provision for credit losses of $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The reversal of provision for the current period primarily reflects minor changes to modeling assumptions and the run-off of loans held at carrying value. The provision for the prior period primarily reflects minor changes to modeling assumptions, partially offset by the run-off of loans held at carrying value.
Provision for Credit Losses on Other Assets
For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, we had no provision for credit losses on Other Assets.
Other Income/(Loss), net
For the three months ended March 31, 2026, Other Income/(Loss), net was $(15.9) million, compared to an Other Income/(Loss), net of $24.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The components of Other Income/(Loss), net for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 are summarized in the table below:
Three Months Ended March 31,
(In Thousands) 2026 2025
Net gain/(loss) on residential whole loans measured at fair value through earnings $ (34,761) $ 54,380
Impairment and other net gain/(loss) on securities and other portfolio investments (38,270) 21,179
Net gain/(loss) on real estate owned (2,981) (1,508)
Net gain/(loss) on derivatives used for risk management purposes 30,726 (31,055)
Net gain/(loss) on securitized debt measured at fair value through earnings 19,845 (21,931)
Lima One mortgage banking income 7,660 5,437
Net realized gain/(loss) on residential whole loans held at carrying value - (539)
Other, net (1)
1,896 (1,451)
Other Income/(Loss), net $ (15,885) $ 24,512
(1) Includes realized credit losses, net of recoveries, on liquidated residential whole loans or residential whole loans that were transferred to REO of $(4.4) million and $(3.7) million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and March 31, 2025, respectively.
Operating and Other Expense
Operating and other expenses are composed of compensation and benefits, other general and administrative, loan servicing and other related operating expenses and amortization of Lima One intangible assets.
Compensation and benefits expenses are composed of salaries, annual bonus, stock-based awards, long-term incentives, Lima One sales commissions, related payroll taxes, medical insurance, 401(k) matching and other benefits expenses. Compensation and benefits expense decreased by $1.1 million to $22.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $23.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, primarily driven by lower Lima One salaries and benefits expense, partially offset by higher Lima One sales commissions.
Other general and administrative expenses are comprised of leasing and other office expenses, professional fees, insurance costs, board of directors fees, and miscellaneous expenses. Other general and administrative expenses increased by $1.9 million to $12.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $10.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, primarily as a result of approximately $2.4 million in higher expense recognized on the acceleration of depreciation expense related to the remaining undepreciated tenant improvements at our current corporate headquarters, partially offset by lower costs associated with IT infrastructure.
Loan servicing and other related operating expenses are composed of non-recoverable advances, upfront costs on securitization and other fees related to our residential whole loan activities. These expenses increased compared to the prior year period by approximately $2.7 million, or 36.76%, primarily due to higher expenses recognized on upfront costs associated with two securitizations entered into in this period, compared to one in the prior period, as well as higher expenses recognized related to property preservation, taxes, insurance, and certain other non-recoverable carrying costs on our residential whole loan and REO portfolio.
Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to non-GAAP Distributable Earnings and non-GAAP Distributable Earnings Prior to Realized Credit Losses
"Distributable earnings" is a non-GAAP financial measure of our operating performance, within the meaning of Regulation G and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K, as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Distributable earnings is determined by adjusting GAAP net income/(loss) by removing certain unrealized gains and losses, primarily on residential mortgage investments, associated debt, and hedges that are, in each case, accounted for at fair value through earnings, certain realized gains and losses, as well as certain non-cash expenses and securitization-related transaction costs. Realized gains and losses arising from loans sold to third-parties by Lima One shortly after the origination of such loans are included in Distributable earnings. The transaction costs are primarily comprised of costs only incurred at the time of execution of our securitizations and include costs such as underwriting fees, legal fees, diligence fees, bank fees and other similar transaction related expenses. These costs are all incurred prior to or at the execution of our securitizations and do not recur. Beginning in the first quarter of 2026, losses/(gains) recognized in GAAP Net income/(loss) related to the extinguishment of debt were also included in the adjustments for Securitized debt held at fair value and Securitization-related transaction costs. Prior periods have been revised to reflect the current presentation. Recurring expenses, such as servicing fees, custodial fees, trustee fees and other similar ongoing fees are not excluded from Distributable earnings. Management believes that the adjustments made to GAAP earnings result in the removal of (i) income or expenses that are not reflective of the longer term performance of our investment portfolio, (ii) certain non-cash expenses, and (iii) expense items required to be recognized solely due to the election of the fair value option on certain related residential mortgage assets and associated liabilities. Distributable earnings is one of the factors that our Board of Directors considers when evaluating distributions to our shareholders. Accordingly, we believe that the adjustments to compute Distributable earnings specified below provide investors and analysts with additional information to evaluate our financial results.
Beginning in the first quarter of 2026, we have also reported a non-GAAP "Distributable earnings prior to realized credit losses" metric, whereby an adjustment is made to reported Distributable earnings to exclude realized credit losses, net of recoveries for all residential whole loans held at fair value. Prior periods have been revised to reflect the current presentation. Management believes Distributable earnings prior to realized credit losses provides users of our financial statements with meaningful information to consider in addition to Net income/(loss) and cash flows from operating activities in accordance with GAAP. Distributable earnings prior to realized credit losses is one of the factors that our Board of Directors considers when evaluating distributions to our shareholders. As the timing of a realized credit loss on a loan can differ significantly from when the initial fair value adjustment with respect to a loan is reflected in GAAP net income/(loss), management believes that adjusting Distributable earnings for the realized credit losses described above can help readers better understand the operating results of our business prior to the impact of realized credit losses, as well as evaluate and compare the performance of our Company and our peers.
Distributable earnings and Distributable earnings prior to realized credit losses should be used in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP. Distributable earnings and Distributable earnings prior to realized credit losses do not represent and should not be considered as a substitute for net income or cash flows from operating activities, each as determined in accordance with GAAP, and our calculation of these measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.
The following table provides a reconciliation of our GAAP net income/(loss) used in the calculation of basic EPS to our non-GAAP Distributable earnings and non-GAAP Distributable earnings prior to realized credit losses for the quarterly periods below:
Quarter Ended
(In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts) March 31, 2026 December 31, 2025 September 30, 2025 June 30, 2025 March 31, 2025
GAAP Net income/(loss) used in the calculation of basic EPS $ (11,726) $ 43,402 $ 37,082 $ 22,424 $ 32,751
Adjustments:
Unrealized and realized gains and losses on:
Residential whole loans held at fair value 34,761 (4,405) (41,293) (33,612) (54,380)
Securities held at fair value 38,872 (14,898) (17,798) (4,008) (20,201)
Residential whole loans and securities at carrying value - (1,399) (668) 343 305
Interest rate swaps and ERIS swap futures (20,007) 657 14,826 32,565 44,842
Securitized debt held at fair value (22,901) (1,586) 21,303 3,712 18,575
Other portfolio investments (1,938) 582 462 (2,637) (744)
Expense items:
Amortization of intangible assets 300 300 300 800 800
Equity based compensation 6,329 1,880 1,861 2,274 6,052
Securitization-related transaction costs 3,926 2,584 3,712 1,890 1,768
Depreciation
3,466 1,045 1,328 1,087 879
Total adjustments 42,808 (15,240) (15,967) 2,414 (2,104)
Distributable earnings $ 31,082 $ 28,162 $ 21,115 $ 24,838 $ 30,647
Adjustment - realized credit losses on Residential whole loans at fair value, net of recoveries 4,373 3,003 10,052 9,812 3,731
Distributable earnings prior to realized credit losses $ 35,455 $ 31,165 $ 31,167 $ 34,650 $ 34,378
GAAP earnings/(loss) per basic common share $ (0.11) $ 0.42 $ 0.36 $ 0.22 $ 0.32
Distributable earnings per basic common share $ 0.30 $ 0.27 $ 0.20 $ 0.24 $ 0.30
Distributable earnings prior to realized credit losses per basic common share $ 0.34 $ 0.30 $ 0.30 $ 0.33 $ 0.33
Weighted average common shares for basic earnings per share 104,253 103,061 103,683 103,705 103,777
Selected Financial Ratios (using Distributable earnings)
The following table presents information regarding certain of our financial ratios at or for the dates presented:
At or for the Quarter Ended
Return on Average Total Assets (1)
Return on Average Total Stockholders' Equity (2)
Dividend Payout Ratio (3)
March 31, 2026 1.26 % 9.16 % 1.20
December 31, 2025 1.20 8.39 1.33
September 30, 2025 1.07 6.94 1.80
June 30, 2025 1.21 7.66 1.50
March 31, 2025 1.37 8.39 1.24
(1)Reflects annualized Distributable earnings before preferred dividends divided by average total assets.
(2)Reflects annualized Distributable earnings before preferred dividends divided by average total stockholders' equity.
(3)Reflects dividends declared per share of common stock divided by Distributable earnings per share.
Reconciliation of GAAP Book Value per Common Share to non-GAAP Economic Book Value per Common Share
"Economic book value" is a non-GAAP financial measure of our financial position. To calculate our Economic book value, our portfolios of Residential whole loans and securitized debt held at carrying value are adjusted to their fair value, rather than the carrying value that is required to be reported under the GAAP accounting model applied to these financial instruments. These adjustments are also reflected in the table below in our end of period stockholders' equity. Management considers that Economic book value provides investors with a useful supplemental measure to evaluate our financial position as it reflects the impact of fair value changes for all of our investment activities, irrespective of the accounting model applied for GAAP reporting purposes. Economic book value does not represent and should not be considered as a substitute for Stockholders' Equity, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and our calculation of this measure may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.
The following table provides a reconciliation of our GAAP book value per common share to our non-GAAP Economic book value per common share as of the quarterly periods below:
Quarter Ended:
(In Millions, Except Per Share Amounts) March 31, 2026 December 31, 2025 September 30, 2025 June 30, 2025 March 31, 2025
GAAP Total Stockholders' Equity $ 1,779.4 $ 1,827.7 $ 1,821.5 $ 1,822.1 $ 1,838.4
Preferred Stock, liquidation preference (489.3) (485.3) (479.9) (475.0) (475.0)
GAAP Stockholders' Equity for book value per common share 1,290.1 1,342.4 1,341.6 1,347.1 1,363.4
Adjustments:
Fair value adjustment to Residential whole loans, at carrying value 7.6 10.1 8.7 1.8 (6.3)
Fair value adjustment to Securitized debt, at carrying value 45.2 45.7 48.5 57.1 63.1
Stockholders' Equity including fair value adjustments to Residential whole loans and Securitized debt held at carrying value (Economic book value) $ 1,342.9 $ 1,398.2 $ 1,398.8 $ 1,406.0 $ 1,420.2
GAAP book value per common share $ 12.70 $ 13.20 $ 13.13 $ 13.12 $ 13.28
Economic book value per common share $ 13.22 $ 13.75 $ 13.69 $ 13.69 $ 13.84
Number of shares of common stock outstanding 101.6 101.7 102.2 102.7 102.7
Recent Accounting Standards to Be Adopted in Future Periods
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses (or ASU 2024-03). The amendments in ASU 2024-03 primarily require entities to disclose additional details regarding certain expenses on both an annual and interim basis. ASU 2024-03 is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026. Early adoption is permitted. We do not expect that the adoption of ASU 2024-03 will have a significant impact on our financial statement disclosures.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
General
Our principal sources of cash generally consist of borrowings under repurchase agreements and other collateralized financings, payments of principal and interest we receive on our investment portfolio, cash generated from our operating results and, to the extent such transactions are entered into, proceeds from capital market and structured financing transactions. Our most significant uses of cash are generally to pay principal and interest on our financing transactions, to purchase and originate residential mortgage assets, to make dividend payments on our capital stock, to fund our operations, to meet margin calls and to make other investments that we consider appropriate.
We seek to employ a diverse capital raising strategy under which we may issue capital stock and other types of securities. To the extent we raise additional funds through capital market transactions, we currently anticipate using the net proceeds from such transactions to acquire additional residential mortgage-related assets, consistent with our investment policy, and for working capital, which may include, among other things, the repayment of our financing transactions. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to access the capital markets at any particular time or on any particular terms. We have available for issuance an unlimited amount (subject to the terms and limitations of our charter) of common stock, preferred stock, depository shares representing preferred stock, warrants, debt securities, and rights and/or units pursuant to our universal shelf registration statement.
In January 2024, we completed the issuance of $115.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our 8.875% Senior Notes due 2029 (or the 8.875% Senior Notes) in an underwritten public offering. The 8.875% Senior Notes are our senior unsecured
obligations and bear interest at a rate equal to 8.875% per year, payable in cash quarterly in arrears on February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15 of each year, beginning on May 15, 2024, and are expected to mature on February 15, 2029, unless earlier redeemed. We may redeem the 8.875% Senior Notes in whole or in part at any time at our option on or after February 15, 2026, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the outstanding principal amount of the 8.875% Senior Notes to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. The 8.875% Senior Notes have an effective interest rate, including the impact of amortization to interest expense of debt issuance costs, of 9.83%.
In April 2024, we completed the issuance of $75.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our 9.00% Senior Notes due 2029 (or the 9.00% Senior Notes) in an underwritten public offering. The 9.00% Senior Notes are our senior unsecured obligations and bear interest at a rate equal to 9.00% per year, payable in cash quarterly in arrears on February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15 of each year, beginning on August 15, 2024, and are expected to mature on August 15, 2029, unless earlier redeemed. We may redeem the 9.00% Senior Notes in whole or in part at any time at our option on or after August 15, 2026, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the outstanding principal amount of the 9.00% Senior Notes to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. The 9.00% Senior Notes have an effective interest rate, including the impact of amortization to interest expense of debt issuance costs, of 9.94%.
On August 15, 2025, we entered into a distribution agreement pursuant to the terms of which we may, from time to time, offer and sell shares of our Series B Preferred Stock and/or our Series C Preferred Stock having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $100.0 million, through various sales agents in transactions deemed to be "at-the-market" offerings under federal securities laws (or the "Preferred Stock ATM Program"). We sold an aggregate of approximately 160,454 shares of preferred stock through the Preferred Stock ATM Program during the three months ended March 31, 2026 for gross sales proceeds of approximately $3.6 million. As of March 31, 2026, approximately $86.9 million remained available under the current authorization for the Preferred Stock ATM Program.
On February 29, 2024, we entered into a distribution agreement pursuant to which we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $300 million, from time to time, through various sales agents in transactions deemed to be "at-the-market" offerings under federal securities laws (or the Common Stock ATM Program). On August 15, 2025, this agreement was terminated and a new distribution agreement with substantially the same terms was executed. During the three months ended March 31, 2026, we did not sell any shares of common stock through the Common Stock ATM Program. At March 31, 2026, $300 million remained available under the Common Stock ATM Program.
In February 2024, we announced our Board had authorized a $200 million stock repurchase program with respect to our common stock, which was in effect through the end of 2025. Approximately $190 million remained available for repurchase under the stock repurchase program upon its expiration. In February 2026, our Board authorized a new $200 million stock repurchase program with respect to our common stock, which will be in effect through December 31, 2028. During the three months ended March 31, 2026, we repurchased 500,660 shares of our common stock through the stock repurchase program at an average cost of $10.00 per share and a total cost of approximately $5.0 million, net of fees and commissions paid to the sales agent of approximately $5,000. At March 31, 2026, $195 million remained available under the current Board authorization for the purchase of common stock under our stock repurchase program.
Financing Agreements
Our borrowings under financing agreements include a combination of shorter term and longer arrangements. Certain of these arrangements are collateralized directly by our residential mortgage investments or otherwise have recourse to us, while securitized debt financing is non-recourse financing. Further, certain of our financing agreements contain terms that allow the lender to make margin calls on us based on changes in the value of the underlying collateral securing the borrowing. As of March 31, 2026, we had $4.6 billion of total unpaid principal balance related to asset-backed financing agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions and $6.4 billion of total unpaid principal balance related to asset-backed financing agreements that do not include mark-to-market collateral provisions. Repurchase agreements and other forms of collateralized financing are uncommitted and renewable at the discretion of our lenders and, as such, our lenders could determine to reduce or terminate our access to future borrowings at virtually any time. The terms of the repurchase transaction borrowings under our master repurchase agreements, as such terms relate to repayment, margin requirements and the segregation of all securities that are the subject of repurchase transactions, generally conform to the terms contained in the standard master repurchase agreement published by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (or SIFMA) or the global master repurchase agreement published by SIFMA and the International Capital Market Association. In addition, each lender typically requires that we include supplemental terms and conditions to the standard master repurchase agreement. Typical supplemental terms and conditions, which differ by lender, may include changes to the margin maintenance requirements, required haircuts (or the percentage amount by which the collateral value is contractually required to exceed the amount borrowed), purchase price maintenance requirements, requirements that all controversies related to the repurchase agreement be litigated in a particular jurisdiction and cross default and setoff provisions. Other non-repurchase
agreement financing arrangements also contain provisions governing collateral maintenance. At March 31, 2026, we had unused financing capacity of approximately $2.8 billion across our financing arrangements for all collateral types.
Margin calls are typically determined by our counterparties based on their assessment of changes in the fair value of the underlying collateral and in accordance with the agreed upon haircuts specified in the transaction confirmation with the counterparty. We address margin call requests in accordance with the required terms specified in the applicable agreement and such requests are typically satisfied by posting additional cash or collateral on the same business day. We review margin calls made by counterparties and assess them for reasonableness by comparing the counterparty valuation against our valuation determination. When we believe that a margin call is unnecessary because our assessment of collateral value differs from the counterparty valuation, we typically hold discussions with the counterparty and attempt to resolve the matter. If this is not successful, we will look to resolve the dispute based on the remedies available to us under the terms of the repurchase agreement, which in some instances may include the engagement of a third-party to review collateral valuations. For certain other agreements that do not include such provisions, we could resolve the matter by substituting collateral as permitted in accordance with the agreement or otherwise request the counterparty to return the collateral in exchange for cash to unwind the financing. For additional information regarding our various types of financing arrangements, including those with non-mark-to-market terms and the haircuts for those agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions, see Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements, included under Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
At March 31, 2026, we had a total of $1.3 billion of residential whole loans, $3.3 billion of securities and $4.5 million of restricted cash pledged to our financing counterparties excluding securitized debt. We expect that we will continue to pledge residential mortgage assets as part of certain of our ongoing financing arrangements. When the value of our residential mortgage assets pledged as collateral experiences rapid decreases, margin calls under our financing arrangements could materially increase, causing an adverse change in our liquidity position. Additionally, if one or more of our financing counterparties choose not to provide ongoing funding, our ability to finance our long-maturity assets would decline or otherwise become available on possibly less advantageous terms. Further, when liquidity tightens, our counterparties to our short term arrangements with mark-to-market collateral provisions may increase their required collateral cushion (or margin) requirements on new financings, including financings that we roll with the same counterparty, thereby reducing our ability to use leverage. Access to financing may also be negatively impacted by ongoing volatility in financial markets, thereby potentially adversely impacting our current or future lenders' ability or willingness to provide us with financing. In addition, there is no assurance that favorable market conditions will exist to permit us to consummate additional securitization transactions if we determine to seek that form of financing.
Our ability to meet future margin calls will be affected by our ability to use cash or obtain financing from unpledged collateral, the amount of which can vary based on the market value of such collateral, our cash position and margin requirements. Our cash position fluctuates based on the timing of our operating, investing and financing activities and is managed based on our anticipated cash needs. (See our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, included under Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and "Interest Rate Risk" included under Item 3 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.)
The table below presents certain information about our borrowings under asset-backed financing agreements and securitized debt:
Asset-backed Financing Agreements Securitized Debt
Quarter Ended (1)
Quarterly Average Balance
End of Period Balance
Maximum Balance at Any Month-End
Quarterly Average Balance
End of Period Balance
Maximum Balance at Any Month-End
(In Thousands)
March 31, 2026 $ 4,535,127 $ 4,637,513 $ 4,678,141 $ 6,251,779 $ 6,271,123 $ 6,271,123
December 31, 2025 4,112,718 4,394,746 4,546,089 6,299,024 6,336,462 6,336,462
September 30, 2025 3,463,727 3,294,404 3,536,947 6,015,557 6,353,973 6,353,973
June 30, 2025 3,429,344 3,417,505 3,573,607 5,864,368 5,904,033 5,964,106
March 31, 2025 3,217,776 3,309,541 3,309,541 5,774,172 5,873,718 5,873,718
(1)The information presented in the table above excludes Senior notes and Other secured financing (Note 6).
Cash Flows and Liquidity for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026
Our cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash increased by $24.1 million during the three months ended March 31, 2026, reflecting: $225.6 million used in our investing activities, $178.7 million provided by our financing activities and $71.1 million provided by our operating activities.
At March 31, 2026, our debt-to-equity multiple was 6.3 times compared to 6.0 times at December 31, 2025. Our recourse leverage multiple at March 31, 2026 was 2.7 times compared to 2.5 times at December 31, 2025. At March 31, 2026, we had borrowings under asset-backed financing agreements of $4.6 billion, of which $1.5 billion were secured by residential whole loans,
$3.1 billion were secured by securities and $29.3 million were secured by REO. In addition, at March 31, 2026, we had securitized debt of $6.3 billion in connection with our loan securitization transactions. At December 31, 2025, we had borrowings under asset-backed financing agreements of $4.4 billion, of which $1.4 billion were secured by residential whole loans, $3.0 billion were secured by securities and $23.3 million were secured by REO. In addition, at December 31, 2025, we had securitized debt of $6.3 billion in connection with our loan securitization transactions.
During the three months ended March 31, 2026, $225.6 million was used in our investing activities. We utilized $0.7 billion for acquisitions and origination of residential whole loans, loan related investments and capitalized advances. During the three months ended March 31, 2026, we received $0.6 billion of principal payments on residential whole loans and loan related investments, $85.8 million of proceeds from the sale of residential whole loans, and $26.3 million of proceeds on sales of REO. In addition, during the three months ended March 31, 2026, we utilized $350.9 million for acquisitions of securities and received $128.1 million from principal payments on our securities and cash proceeds of $1.6 million from sales of securities and other assets.
In connection with our repurchase agreement financings and Swaps, we routinely receive margin calls from our counterparties and make margin calls ("reverse margin calls") to our counterparties. Margin calls and reverse margin calls, which requirements vary over time, may occur daily between us and any of our counterparties when the value of collateral pledged changes from the amount contractually required. The value of securities pledged as collateral fluctuates reflecting changes in: (i) the face (or par) value of our assets; (ii) market interest rates and/or other market conditions; and (iii) the market value of our Swaps. Margin calls and reverse margin calls are satisfied when we pledge or receive additional collateral in the form of additional assets and/or cash.
The table below summarizes our margin activity with respect to our repurchase agreement financings and derivative hedging instruments for the quarterly periods presented:
Collateral Pledged for Margin Activity
Cash and Securities
Received for Reverse Margin
Net Assets Received/
(Pledged) for Margin Activity
For the Quarter Ended (1)
Fair Value of Securities Pledged Cash Pledged Aggregate Assets
Pledged for Margin
(In Thousands)
March 31, 2026 $ 117,425 $ 12,256 $ 129,681 $ 80,006 $ (49,675)
December 31, 2025 118,636 8,661 127,297 122,020 (5,277)
September 30, 2025 34,529 18,697 53,226 62,671 9,445
June 30, 2025 63,384 10,109 73,493 81,349 7,856
March 31, 2025 15,676 18,471 34,147 37,890 3,743
(1) Excludes variation margin payments on our cleared Swaps which are treated as a legal settlement of the exposure under the Swap contract.
We are subject to various financial covenants under our financing agreements, which include minimum liquidity and net worth requirements, net worth decline limitations and maximum debt-to-equity ratios. We were in compliance with all financial covenants as of March 31, 2026.
During the three months ended March 31, 2026, we paid $38.9 million for cash dividends on our common stock and dividend equivalents and paid cash dividends of $10.4 million on our preferred stock. On March 5, 2026, we declared our first quarter 2026 dividend on our common stock of $0.36 per share; on April 30, 2026, we paid this dividend, which totaled approximately $37.7 million, including dividend equivalents of approximately $1.1 million.
MFA Financial Inc. published this content on May 05, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via EDGAR on May 05, 2026 at 19:32 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]