REDWOOD TRUST REPORTS SECOND QUARTER 2022 FINANCIAL RESULTS
MILL VALLEY, CA – Redwood Trust, Inc. (NYSE:RWT; "Redwood" or the "Company"), a leader in expanding access to housing for homebuyers and renters, today reported its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Key Financial Results and Metrics
•GAAP book value per common share was $10.78 at June 30, 2022, approximately a 10% decrease from $12.01 per share at March 31, 2022
•GAAP net loss of $(0.85) per diluted common share, of which $(0.74) per share was attributable to net fair value changes on long-term investments, substantially all of which were unrealized
•Economic return on book value of (8.3)%(1)
•Recourse leverage ratio of 2.5x at June 30, 2022(2)
•Declared and paid a regular quarterly dividend of $0.23 per common share for the second quarter 2022
Operational Business Highlights
Investment Portfolio
•Deployed $166 million of capital into new, attractively priced organic and third-party investments
•Credit performance remained strong with stable delinquencies and continued home price appreciation
•Investment Portfolio secured leverage of 1.4x as of June 30, 2022
Business Purpose Mortgage Banking
•Funded $923 million in business purpose loans, essentially flat with first quarter 2022 fundings
◦Second quarter fundings included $561 million of bridge loans (up 35% from the first quarter) and $361 million of single-family rental ("SFR") loans (down 28% from the first quarter)
•Securitized $563 million of loans in two transactions (one backed by $313 million of SFR loans, and one backed by $250 million of bridge loans with a 24-month revolving feature)
•Received a special servicing ranking from DBRS Morningstar, acknowledging CoreVest's successful performance in loan management
Residential Mortgage Banking
•Distributed $1.2 billion of jumbo loans through whole loan sales; at June 30, 2022, total net jumbo loan exposure was $751 million, down 44% from the end of the first quarter(3)
•Locked $1.0 billion of jumbo loans, down from $2.6 billion in first quarter 2022(4); loan purchase commitments were $0.5 billion, down from $2.0 billion in first quarter 2022(5)
◦Second quarter lock mix was 82% purchase money loans and 18% refinancings(4)
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See following page for footnotes.
Financing and Capital Markets Highlights
•Maintained robust balance sheet with unrestricted cash of $371 million and available capital of $190 million at June 30, 2022(6)
•Successfully closed new warehouse facility with up to $400 million of capacity to fund CLO-eligible multifamily bridge loans originated by CoreVest
•Raised $215 million of gross proceeds through a convertible debt offering with a 5-year term; use of proceeds includes opportunistic deployment of capital into attractive investments in our investment portfolio and operating businesses
•Repurchased 3.7 million shares of Redwood’s common stock at a cost of $33 million (including $25 million purchased in conjunction with RWT’s June convertible debt offering and an additional $8 million through open market purchases), resulting in $0.10 per share of book value accretion in the second quarter
RWT Horizons Highlights
•Completed three new investments in the second quarter of 2022
•Recognized approximately $10 million of pre-tax valuation gain from an early RWT Horizons investment
•Since inception, RWT Horizons has completed 24 technology venture investments in 21 companies with an aggregate of over $25 million of allocated capital
Environmental, Social, Governance ("ESG") Highlights
•Published inaugural ESG report, which included reporting aligned with Sustainability Accounting Standards Board ("SASB")
Post Q2'22 Activity
•Closed the previously announced acquisition of Riverbend Funding, LLC and its subsidiaries ("Riverbend"), a best-in-class private mortgage lender to investors in transitional residential and multifamily real estate, for an initial cash purchase price of approximately $44 million paid at closing(7)
•Redwood's Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase program with authorization to purchase up to $125 million of its common stock
"Our financial results reflect the historic volatility and spread widening that characterized markets during the second quarter,” said Christopher Abate, Chief Executive Officer of Redwood. “The magnitude of rapidly rising rates impacted our Residential Mortgage Banking business, while demand for shorter-term financing from our business purpose lending borrowers proved more resilient. Despite a challenging environment for execution and loan distribution, we enter the third quarter in a healthy risk position with low levels of inventory due to the depth of our distribution channels, and sound credit fundamentals within our investment portfolio."
Continued Abate, "With our recent capital raise, we are well-positioned to take advantage of an array of opportunities for our investment portfolio or within our capital structure, further driving shareholder value."
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(1) Economic return on book value is based on the period change in GAAP book value per common share plus dividends declared per common share in the period.
(2) Recourse leverage ratio is defined as recourse debt at Redwood divided by tangible stockholders' equity. Recourse debt excludes $9.3 billion of consolidated securitization debt (ABS issued and servicer advance financing) and other debt that is non-recourse to Redwood, and tangible stockholders' equity excludes $35 million of intangible assets.
(3) Total net jumbo loan exposure represents the sum of $1.0 billion of loans held on balance sheet and $0.3 billion of loans identified for purchase (locked loans not yet purchased), less $0.5 billion of loans subject to forward sale commitments, each at June 30, 2022.
(4) Lock volume does not account for potential fallout from pipeline that typically occurs through the lending process.
(5) Loan purchase commitments include estimated potential fallout from locked pipeline that typically occurs through the lending process.
(6) Available capital of $190 million represents our available investable capital at June 30, 2022 and is adjusted for the cash purchase price paid for Riverbend Lending at closing of approximately $44 million (subject to certain adjustments including potential earnout consideration).
(7) Subject to certain adjustments including potential earnout consideration.
Second Quarter 2022 Redwood Review Available Online
A further discussion of Redwood's business and financial results is included in the second quarter 2022 Shareholder Letter and Redwood Review which are available within the “Quarterly Results” section under "Financials" on the Company’s investor relations website at ir.redwoodtrust.com.
Conference Call and Webcast
Redwood will host an earnings call today, July 28, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time / 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss its second quarter 2022 financial results. The number to dial in order to listen to the conference call is 1-877-423-9813 in the U.S. and Canada. International callers must dial 1-201-689-8573. A replay of the call will be available through midnight on Thursday, August 11, 2022, and can be accessed by dialing 1-844-512-2921 in the U.S. and Canada or 1-412-317-6671 internationally and entering access code #13729620.
The conference call will be webcast live in listen-only mode through the Events and Presentations section of Redwood Trust's Investor Relations website at https://ir.redwoodtrust.com/events-and-presentations/events. To listen to the webcast, please go to Redwood's website at least 15 minutes before the call to register and to download and install any needed audio software. An audio replay of the call will also be available on Redwood's website following the call. Redwood plans to file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Tuesday, August 9, 2022, and also make it available on Redwood’s website.
About Redwood
Redwood Trust, Inc. (NYSE: RWT) is a specialty finance company focused on several distinct areas of housing credit. Our operating platforms occupy a unique position in the housing finance value chain, providing liquidity to growing segments of the U.S. housing market not well served by government programs. We deliver customized housing credit investments to a diverse mix of investors, through our best-in-class securitization platforms; whole-loan distribution activities; and our publicly traded shares. Our aggregation, origination and investment activities have evolved to incorporate a diverse mix of residential, business purpose and multifamily assets. Our goal is to provide attractive returns to shareholders through a stable and growing stream of earnings and dividends, capital appreciation, and a commitment to technological innovation that facilitates risk-minded scale. We operate our business in three segments: Residential Mortgage Banking, Business Purpose Mortgage Banking and Investment Portfolio. Additionally, through RWT Horizons™, our venture investing initiative, we invest in early-stage companies strategically aligned with our business across the lending, real estate, and financial technology sectors to drive innovations across our residential and business-purpose lending platforms. Since going public in 1994, we have managed our business through several cycles, built a track record of innovation, and established a best-in-class reputation for service and a common-sense approach to credit investing. Redwood Trust is internally managed and structured as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") for tax purposes. For more information about Redwood, please visit our website at www.redwoodtrust.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release and the related conference call contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to the amount of residential mortgage loans that we identified for purchase during the second quarter of 2022, expected fallout and the corresponding volume of residential mortgage loans expected to be available for purchase, residential mortgage loans subject to forward sale commitments, statements related to our authorization to repurchase up to $125 million of common stock, statements relating to our estimates of our available capital, and the expected timing for the filing of Redwood's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Redwood's actual results may differ from Redwood's beliefs, expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements are not historical in nature and can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” “seek,” “plan” and similar expressions or their negative forms, or by references to strategy, plans, or intentions. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, those described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 under the caption “Risk Factors”. Other risks, uncertainties, and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected may be described from time to time in reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
REDWOOD TRUST, INC.
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| ($ in millions, except per share data) | Three Months Ended | | | |
| 6/30/2022 | | 3/31/2022 | | | |
| Financial Performance | | | | | | |
| Net income (loss) per diluted common share | $ | (0.85) | | | $ | 0.24 | | | | |
| Return on Equity (annualized) | (28.8) | % | | 8.6 | % | | | |
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| Book Value per Share | $ | 10.78 | | | $ | 12.01 | | | | |
| Dividend per Share | $ | 0.23 | | | $ | 0.23 | | | | |
Economic Return on Book Value (1) | (8.3) | % | | 1.5 | % | | | |
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| Available Capital (in millions) | $ | 190 | | | $ | 140 | | | | |
Recourse Leverage Ratio (2) | 2.5x | | 2.1x | | | |
| Operating Metrics |
| Business Purpose Loans | | | | | | |
| SFR fundings | $ | 361 | | | $ | 505 | | | | |
| Bridge fundings | $ | 561 | | | $ | 415 | | | | |
| SFR securitized | $ | 313 | | | $ | — | | | | |
| Bridge securitized | $ | 250 | | | $ | — | | | | |
| SFR sold | $ | — | | | $ | 332 | | | | |
| Residential Jumbo Loans | | | | | | |
| Locks | $ | 1,011 | | | $ | 2,630 | | | | |
| Purchases | $ | 1,137 | | | $ | 2,008 | | | | |
| Securitized | $ | — | | | $ | 687 | | | | |
| Sold | $ | 1,238 | | | $ | 1,827 | | | | |
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(1) Economic return on book value is based on the periodic change in GAAP book value per common share plus dividends declared per common share during the period.
(2) Recourse leverage ratio is defined as recourse debt at Redwood divided by tangible stockholders' equity. As of June 30, 2022 and March 31, 2022, recourse debt excluded $9.3 billion and $9.6 billion, respectively, of consolidated securitization debt (ABS issued and servicer advance financing) and other debt that is non-recourse to Redwood, and tangible stockholders' equity excluded $35 million and $38 million, respectively, of intangible assets.
REDWOOD TRUST, INC. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Consolidated Income Statements (1) | | Three Months Ended |
| ($ in millions, except share and per share data) | | 6/30/22 | | 3/31/22 | | 12/31/21 | | 9/30/21 | | 6/30/21 |
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| Interest income | | $ | 167 | | | $ | 189 | | | $ | 162 | | | $ | 146 | | | $ | 139 | |
| Interest expense | | (127) | | | (136) | | | (112) | | | (104) | | | (108) | |
| Net interest income | | 40 | | | 53 | | | 50 | | | 42 | | | 31 | |
| Non-interest income (loss) | | | | | | | | | | |
| Residential Mortgage banking activities, net | | (18) | | | 8 | | | 12 | | | 33 | | | 21 | |
| Business Purpose Mortgage banking activities, net | | (12) | | | 8 | | | 24 | | | 30 | | | 33 | |
| Investment fair value changes, net | | (88) | | | (6) | | | 7 | | | 26 | | | 49 | |
| Other income, net | | 7 | | | 6 | | | 4 | | | 2 | | | 2 | |
| Realized gains, net | | — | | | 3 | | | — | | | 7 | | | 8 | |
| Total non-interest income (loss), net | | (111) | | | 19 | | | 47 | | | 98 | | | 114 | |
| General and administrative expenses | | (32) | | | (35) | | | (39) | | | (48) | | | (41) | |
| Loan acquisition costs | | (3) | | | (4) | | | (4) | | | (5) | | | (4) | |
| Other expenses | | (3) | | | (4) | | | (5) | | | (4) | | | (4) | |
| (Provision for) benefit from income taxes | | 9 | | | 2 | | | (5) | | | 4 | | | (7) | |
| Net income (loss) | | $ | (100) | | | $ | 31 | | | $ | 44 | | | $ | 88 | | | $ | 90 | |
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Weighted average diluted shares (thousands) (2) | | 119,660 | | | 140,506 | | | 143,540 | | | 141,855 | | | 141,761 | |
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | | $ | (0.85) | | | $ | 0.24 | | | $ | 0.34 | | | $ | 0.65 | | | $ | 0.66 | |
| Regular dividends declared per common share | | $ | 0.23 | | | $ | 0.23 | | | $ | 0.23 | | | $ | 0.21 | | | $ | 0.18 | |
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(1)Certain totals may not foot due to rounding.
(2)In the periods presented above, weighted average diluted shares included shares from the assumed conversion of our convertible and/or exchangeable debt in accordance with GAAP diluted EPS provisions. Actual shares outstanding (in thousands) at June 30, 2022, March 31, 2022, December 31, 2021, September 30, 2021, and June 30, 2021 were 116,753, 120,289, 114,892, 114,662, and 113,053, respectively.
Analysis of Income Statement - Changes from First to Second Quarter 2022
•Net interest income decreased from the first quarter, as higher income from additional deployment of capital into our bridge loan portfolio was offset by expected decreases in yield maintenance income on our SFR securities and lower discount accretion income on our available-for-sale securities, primarily due to slower prepayments associated with rising interest rates.
•Income from Residential Mortgage Banking activities declined from the first quarter due to a combination of lower volumes and margins. While sharp increases in mortgage rates negatively impacted overall industry origination volumes, given the market volatility, we also focused on risk management and were deliberate in moderating volume and moving risk quickly. Profitability during the quarter was challenged as severe credit spread widening negatively impacted both securitization and whole loan sale executions and continued interest rate volatility drove higher hedging costs.
•Despite record funding volumes, income from Business Purpose Mortgage Banking activities declined from the first quarter as continued market volatility and credit spread widening negatively impacted valuations of our loan inventory held-for-sale and resulted in lower margins for SFR loans we originated during the quarter. Despite rising interest rates, demand for business purpose loans remained strong in the second quarter, with funded volumes in bridge loans increasing 35% quarter-over-quarter.
•Net negative investment fair value changes on our Investment Portfolio in the second quarter reflected the historic magnitude of credit spread widening in the market during the quarter. The negative fair value changes were partially offset by fair value increases in our IO securities and MSRs, which benefited from rising interest rates, and our home equity investments ("HEI"), which benefited from continued home price appreciation. Negative fair value changes primarily reflected unrealized mark-to-market losses, while fundamental credit performance, including delinquencies and LTVs remained stable across our portfolio.
•General and administrative expenses decreased from the first quarter, primarily due to a decrease in variable compensation, associated with the decrease in quarterly GAAP earnings.
•Other expenses were primarily comprised of acquisition-related intangible amortization expenses.
•Our benefit from income taxes resulted from GAAP losses incurred at our taxable REIT subsidiary in the second quarter.
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| REDWOOD TRUST, INC. | | | | |
Consolidated Income Statements (1) | | Six Months Ended June 30, |
| ($ in millions, except share and per share data) | | 2022 | | 2021 |
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| Interest income | | $ | 357 | | | $ | 267 | |
| Interest expense | | (263) | | | (211) | |
| Net interest income | | 94 | | | 56 | |
| Non-interest income (loss) | | | | |
| Mortgage banking activities, net | | (14) | | | 137 | |
| Investment fair value changes, net | | (94) | | | 95 | |
| Other income | | 13 | | | 6 | |
| Realized gains, net | | 3 | | | 11 | |
| Total non-interest income (loss) | | (92) | | | 249 | |
| General and administrative expenses | | (67) | | | (84) | |
| Loan acquisition costs | | (8) | | | (7) | |
| Other expenses | | (8) | | | (8) | |
| (Provision for) benefit from income taxes | | 12 | | | (18) | |
| Net income (loss) | | $ | (69) | | | $ | 187 | |
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| Weighted average diluted shares (thousands) | | 119,772 | | | 141,139 | |
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | | $ | (0.60) | | | $ | 1.38 | |
| Regular dividends declared per common share | | $ | 0.46 | | | $ | 0.34 | |
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(1)Certain totals may not foot due to rounding.
REDWOOD TRUST, INC.
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Consolidated Balance Sheets (1) | | | | | | | | | | | |
| ($ in millions, except share and per share data) | | 6/30/22 | | 3/31/22 | | 12/31/21 | | 9/30/21 | | 6/30/21 | |
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| Residential loans | | $ | 6,579 | | | $ | 7,217 | | | $ | 7,592 | | | $ | 6,216 | | | $ | 5,743 | | |
| Business purpose loans | | 5,203 | | | 4,755 | | | 4,791 | | | 4,694 | | | 4,409 | | |
| Consolidated Agency multifamily loans | | 443 | | | 452 | | | 474 | | | 483 | | | 485 | | |
| Real estate securities | | 284 | | | 359 | | | 377 | | | 353 | | | 355 | | |
| Other investments | | 680 | | | 636 | | | 642 | | | 422 | | | 309 | | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | | 371 | | | 409 | | | 450 | | | 557 | | | 421 | | |
| Other assets | | 316 | | | 425 | | | 380 | | | 347 | | | 275 | | |
| Total assets | | $ | 13,876 | | | $ | 14,253 | | | $ | 14,707 | | | $ | 13,073 | | | $ | 11,996 | | |
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| Short-term debt | | $ | 1,870 | | | $ | 1,647 | | | $ | 2,177 | | | $ | 1,751 | | | $ | 1,485 | | |
| Other liabilities | | 197 | | | 325 | | | 249 | | | 263 | | | 195 | | |
| Asset-backed securities issued | | 8,584 | | | 8,872 | | | 9,254 | | | 8,184 | | | 7,537 | | |
| Long-term debt, net | | 1,966 | | | 1,964 | | | 1,641 | | | 1,500 | | | 1,484 | | |
| Total liabilities | | 12,617 | | | 12,808 | | | 13,321 | | | 11,697 | | | 10,701 | | |
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| Stockholders' equity | | 1,258 | | | 1,445 | | | 1,386 | | | 1,376 | | | 1,295 | | |
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| Total liabilities and equity | | $ | 13,876 | | | $ | 14,253 | | | $ | 14,707 | | | $ | 13,073 | | | $ | 11,996 | | |
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| Shares outstanding at period end (thousands) | | 116,753 | | | 120,289 | | | 114,892 | | | 114,662 | | | 113,053 | | |
| GAAP book value per share | | $ | 10.78 | | | $ | 12.01 | | | $ | 12.06 | | | $ | 12.00 | | | $ | 11.46 | | |
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(1)Certain totals may not foot due to rounding.
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| CONTACTS |
| Investor Relations |
| Kaitlyn Mauritz |
| SVP, Head of Investor Relations |
| Phone: 866-269-4976 |
| Email: investorrelations@redwoodtrust.com |
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| Exhibit 99.2 |
S H A R E H O L D E R L E T T E R
S E C O N D Q U A R T E R 2 0 2 2 |
R E D W O O D T R U S T |
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Dear Shareholders,
The second quarter of 2022 was one of the most volatile periods in recent financial history, failing to produce many bright spots for us or an industry beleaguered by the impact of inflation, including record spikes in mortgage rates. The ongoing repricing of rate sensitive assets accelerated during the quarter, impacting values of even the safest mortgage-related investments. Our positioning became decisively more conservative in response - we were happy to cede flashy volume headlines in favor of Redwood’s time-tested approach to managing mortgage credit and market risk. Through that lens, we prioritized loan pipeline turnover and strong liquidity, knowing there were market forces at play beyond our control.
Considering the broader context of the last few economic cycles, we’ve frankly seen much worse, and are a bit dismayed that equity markets seem to be pricing in the second coming of the Great Financial Crisis of 2008. The story in 2022 is markedly different. At Redwood, we ended the second quarter with $371 million of unrestricted cash, low leverage, significant unencumbered assets and continued exceptional credit performance from our investment portfolio. Couple this with relatively light mortgage banking pipelines at quarter-end, and we feel well-positioned in a housing finance ecosystem still trying to find its footing.
Our book value declined approximately 10% during the quarter to $10.78 per share at June 30, 2022, primarily reflecting market dynamics in June that had a pronounced effect on the fair value of our investment portfolio. It is worth highlighting that our overall decline in GAAP book value included $(1.02) per share of investment portfolio fair value changes that almost exclusively reflect unrealized mark-to-market losses due to credit spread widening. These assets remain on our balance sheet and we generally expect to hold them for the long term. Importantly, we observed very little deterioration in expected future cash flows during the quarter. As such, substantially all of the GAAP losses in our investment portfolio segment were non-cash and are recoverable as markets stabilize. Our portfolio’s net discount to par now stands at approximately $3.35 per share.
Without shying away from our second quarter results, we believe our team’s intense focus and total commitment to Redwood’s stakeholders were exemplary during the quarter. A few examples of this are noteworthy. We actively managed our jumbo and single-family rental (“SFR”) pipelines as interest rate volatility spiked, guiding residential production volumes lower for our more rate-sensitive products, and adjusting our go-forward SFR pipeline as appropriate for higher rates. Along with a proactive hedging discipline, this allowed us to significantly mitigate the impact of negative price action in the underlying securities. This meant our adjusted margins for the second quarter – while certainly impacted by volatility – outperformed most market yardsticks. In our Residential business, for instance, margin declines during the second quarter were less than half the underperformance of jumbo loans versus their benchmarks during the same period.
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This Shareholder Letter contains time-sensitive information and may contain forward-looking statements. The information contained herein is only accurate as of July 28, 2022. We undertake no obligation to update or revise the information contained herein, including forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Additional detail regarding the forward-looking statements in this Shareholder Letter and the important factors that may affect our actual results in 2022 are described at the end of this Shareholder Letter under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements.”
We have also made several important enhancements to our capital position, highlighted by a $215 million long-term capital raise in early June, and successful extension or initiation since January of approximately $3.8 billion of warehouse facilities, over 60% of which are non-marginable. This allowed us to remain opportunistic, and we deployed approximately $245 million during the quarter, including $33 million into share repurchases at a significant discount to our June 30, 2022 book value. The remainder of capital deployment centered on business purpose lending (“BPL”) investments – largely bridge loans for which coupons have reset meaningfully higher – and incremental growth in our home equity investment (“HEI”) portfolio. We continue to believe that today’s investing environment is attractive and we intend to deliberately deploy this capital into accretive opportunities across organic and third-party investments as well as into our common shares.
So, in such a difficult period for our industry, what will our blueprint look like for the remainder of the year? After 28 years as an industry leader and public company filer, the answer may sound familiar. Across our enterprise we will continue to maintain a patient, long-term investor mindset that stretches well beyond fiscal quarters; aggressively manage risk; and work diligently to enhance our franchise while pursuing efficiencies.
Our mortgage banking platforms – the centerpiece of our corporate mission of making quality housing, whether rented or owned, accessible to all American households – will leverage their intangibles to emphasize profitability and maintain a leading and stable market presence. The functions we serve in the non-Agency ecosystem remain a critical source of market liquidity for hundreds of mortgage originators, thousands of real estate investors, and a deep cohort of whole loan and RMBS investors. While sentiment has begun to improve, most market participants remain uncertain around the economy, and we suspect they will stay tethered to Fed actions and the resulting path of interest rates. In keeping, we will continue to prioritize the path to consistent profitability, which will likely entail lower volume levels in the near-term relative to our long-term strategic growth ambitions.
In this vein, a key difference of Redwood’s versus others in the space is our operating DNA. As a purchaser of residential loans, we manage a much different cost structure than a traditional originator. As such, we have avoided the high fixed and regulatory costs that come with this territory. Our revenue model differs, too, and is more concentrated toward capital markets activities associated with the buying and selling of residential loans. In most cases this nuance serves us very well; we’ve tended to generate strong and durable returns over time with a modest workforce, making it easier to recalibrate when volumes dictate. Our ability to access diverse distribution channels remains a competitive differentiator.
As a direct BPL lender, we leverage customized technology to serve our clients more quickly, managing to what we believe is the market’s strongest net cost to originate. We can also pivot efficiently to meet both borrower demand and appropriate risk/reward thresholds for our capital. As such, approximately 60% of second quarter BPL originations were floating-rate bridge loans. While BPL mortgage banking income was impacted by significant spread widening on our securitizations, we were an early mover in adjusting our rate sheets and are addressing resurgent demand for our bridge product, with sponsors willing to pay attractive
rates for shorter-term loans with more prepayment flexibility. And while we expect BPL fundings to likely slow in the second half of the year, we’re continuing to serve our client base in ways most others cannot.
In cyclical markets like today’s, it’s not always a straight line that gets you to your destination the fastest. We’re now in the midst of a significant retrenchment by both established and would-be competitors who don’t possess the liquidity or track record to survive a sustained market downturn. Many of these competitors had only commenced operations in recent years – easily the most accommodating period in the history of the mortgage market thanks to quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve and record low mortgage rates. We expect this trend to bode well for Redwood – both in terms of organic growth opportunities and further strategic acquisitions. We’re already seeing credit standards tighten for a number of lenders, offering us an opportunity to deepen inroads across an array of product types.
Next, we expect to remain constructive on strategic M&A, with an emphasis on top-tier platforms that can be potentially acquired at prices we haven’t seen in many years. On July 1, 2022, we successfully closed the acquisition of Riverbend Lending (“Riverbend”), using the time between signing and closing to leverage our experience in integrating teams, most notably in human resources and technology. We anticipate full integration to be complete by the end of 2022. We believe Riverbend’s bridge production will add valuable diversity to CoreVest’s existing product and geographic footprint. And importantly, our track record in M&A has made Redwood one of the first calls in the industry as platforms come to market, from both bankers and directly from other platforms seeking to partner.
Finally, we’ll remain focused on the fundamentals backing our long-term investment portfolio, regardless of near-term market movements. The GAAP accounting rules are particularly harsh for illiquid assets such as ours, contributing to significant earnings volatility that is often untethered to the underlying cash flows. One of the most attractive aspects of our investment portfolio is its bespoke nature – it is unique to us and difficult, if not impossible, to replicate elsewhere. Many of our assets are now quite seasoned, with continued expectations of strong pay performance and low losses driven in part by the tailwinds of recent home price appreciation. For instance, the loans underpinning our core reperforming loan investments (SLST), which constitute approximately 20% of our investment portfolio (by capital), have over 15 years of seasoning, declining delinquencies through time, cumulative losses of less than 0.2% and HPA adjusted LTVs of around 45%. Taken as a whole, across our investment portfolio delinquencies remain low – at June 30, 90+ day delinquencies within our jumbo, SFR and bridge portfolios stood at 1.7%, 2.4% and 2.6% respectively.
Following active use of our share repurchase program in the second quarter, today we announced a new $125 million common stock repurchase program (replacing our previously approved repurchase plan from 2018) and continued our previous authorization for the repurchase of outstanding corporate debt. We have tremendous confidence in our team, our portfolio and our liquidity and see an opportunity to express that constructively in a manner that we believe will continue to benefit shareholders. While the amount we may ultimately repurchase is of course dynamic, we would note that to date in the third quarter, our stock has traded, on average, at a 25% discount to our June 30, 2022 book value.
As we look towards the remainder of the year, we view today’s market challenges as significant long-term opportunities for Redwood. The housing market remains woefully undersupplied, creating a durable technical driver that supports investments in residential credit across a broad array of economic scenarios. Sentiment will continue to shift between fear of persistent inflation and what many now believe is an inevitable recession – underscored by the prospect that we may soon be living with both. But regardless of one’s take on the near-term fate of the economy, the addressable market in housing remains vast, and we believe that Redwood’s opportunities have never been greater as we work across multiple facets of housing finance – including residential, business purpose lending, fintech, and proptech. As the market continues to jump at every new economic datapoint, and lurch at every Fed blackline, we’re reminded of the popular Chinese proverb, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago...the second-best time is now.”
We appreciate your patience, support, and trust in our team.
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| Christopher J. Abate | | Dashiell I. Robinson |
| Chief Executive Officer | | President |
Note to Readers
We file annual reports (on Form 10-K) and quarterly reports (on Form 10-Q) with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings, our Redwood Review presentation and our earnings press releases provide information about Redwood and our financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). These documents, as well as information about our business and a glossary of terms we use in this and other publications, are available through our website, www.redwoodtrust.com. We encourage you to review these documents. Within this document, in addition to our GAAP results, we may also present certain non-GAAP measures. When we present a non-GAAP measure, we provide a description of that measure and a reconciliation to the comparable GAAP measure within the Non-GAAP Measurement section of the Endnotes to the Redwood Review, which can be found on our website, www.redwoodtrust.com, under “Financials” within the “Investor Relations” Section. References herein to “Redwood,” the “company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” include Redwood Trust, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. Note that because we generally round numbers in the tables to millions, except per share amounts, some numbers may not foot due to rounding. References to the “second quarter” refer to the quarter ended June 30, 2022, and references to the “third quarter” refer to the quarter ended September 30, 2022, unless otherwise specified.
Forward-looking statements
This shareholder letter may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ from our expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements are not historical in nature and can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” “seek,” “plan,” "could" and similar expressions or their negative forms, or by references to strategy, plans, goals, or intentions. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, those described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K under the caption “Risk Factors.” Other risks, uncertainties, and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected are described below and may be described from time to time in reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Statements regarding the following subjects, among others, are forward-looking by their nature: statements we make regarding Redwood’s business strategy and strategic focus, statements related to our financial outlook and expectations for 2022 and future years, statements regarding our available capital and sourcing additional capital, statements regarding opportunities to deploy capital, including organic and third-party investments, strategic mergers and acquisitions, and common stock repurchases, and other statements regarding pending business activities and expectations and estimates relating to our business and financial results. Additional detail regarding the forward-looking statements in this shareholder letter and the important factors that may affect our actual results in 2022 are described in the Redwood Review under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements”, which can be found on our website, www.redwoodtrust.com, under “Financials” within the “Investor Relations” Section.