Definitive Cash Merger with CrossCountry (Increased Consideration)
Board executed a merger agreement with CrossCountry Mortgage; amended consideration increased from $10.80 to $11.30 per share in cash. Transaction expected to close in H2 2026, not subject to a financing condition; special shareholder meeting set for May 19 and Board unanimously recommends the transaction.
Strong MSR Performance and Market Demand
Hedged MSR strategy performed 'extremely well' in the quarter. Added $152 million UPB of MSR via flow and recapture; MSR price multiple rose to 5.9x; 60+ day delinquencies remained under 1%. MSR market activity robust with servicing transfers topping $93 billion UPB in Q1.
DTC / Origination Platform Progress
DTC platform funded $92 million in first and second liens (roughly flat vs. Q4) and brokered $38 million in second liens, with an additional $57 million pipeline at quarter end — signaling continued origination traction ahead of the merger.
Healthy Liquidity and Debt Repayment
Ended the quarter with over $500 million of cash. Repaid $261.9 million of convertible senior notes on maturity (Jan 15, 2026). RMBS funding markets remained available with repo spreads around SOFR +15–18 bps and weighted average repo maturity of 71 days.
Portfolio Size and Risk Metrics
Total portfolio of $11.9 billion ($8.9B settled positions, $3.0B TBAs). Economic debt-to-equity improved to 6.4x and portfolio sensitivity to a 25 bp spread tightening decreased from 3.7% to 3.2%, reflecting lower aggregate interest rate risk positioning.
Forward Return Outlook
Static return estimates: servicing capital (~65% allocation) 11%–14%; securities 11%–15%. Portfolio static return estimated 8%–11.4% before leverage; prospective common equity static return 7.3%–12.9% (quarterly static return per share $0.19–$0.34).
Quarter-to-Date Book Value Recovery
Management reported book value quarter-to-date performance was positive, up about 2% after the quarter-end decline.