MFA Financial reports Q1 distributable EPS 35c, consensus 39c

Reports Q1 economic book value per share $14.32. Commenting on the quarter, Craig Knutson, MFA‘s CEO and president, stated: “Although our book value was modestly impacted by higher interest rates, we are pleased to report strong distributable earnings for the opening months of 2024. We acquired or originated $652 million of residential mortgage loans during the quarter with an average coupon of approximately 10%. This includes over $400 million of new business purpose loans originated by our wholly-owned subsidiary Lima One Capital. We completed one securitization during the quarter and again benefited from our $3.2 billion interest rate swap position, which generated a net positive carry of $29 million. As a result of our disciplined risk management strategies, our net interest spread and net interest margin each remained healthy at 2.06% and 2.88%, respectively.”