AI
AGNC Investment Corp. (AGNC)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q2 2025 economic return on tangible common equity was -1.0%, driven by a $(0.44) decline in tangible book value per share to $7.81 and $0.36 in dividends; net spread and dollar roll income was $0.38 per share versus consensus ~$0.41 (miss) while GAAP EPS was $(0.17) per share .
- Mortgage spreads widened moderately; management attributed underperformance of Agency MBS relative to benchmarks to tariff-related policy risk and elevated rate volatility, while reiterating a favorable outlook as spreads remain wide and stable and regulatory changes may boost bank demand .
- Liquidity remained strong ($6.4B unencumbered cash and Agency MBS, 65% of tangible equity) and leverage was stable (7.6x “at risk” at quarter-end); AGNC issued 92.6M shares via ATM for $799M and has been deploying capital into higher-coupon specified pools .
- Key surprise/miss: Primary EPS (net spread & dollar roll) of $0.38 was below Street; revenue (SPGI definition) was negative given fair-value marks (actual -$112M vs estimate ~$462M), reflecting outsized derivative and U.S. Treasury hedging losses despite periodic swap income . Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
-
What Went Well
- Accretive capital raise and disciplined deployment: $799M raised at a premium; roughly half deployed by quarter-end and further ~$1B purchased post-quarter into higher coupon specified pools .
- Strong liquidity and risk positioning: $6.4B unencumbered cash/Agency MBS (65% of tangible equity); leverage held at 7.6x; hedge coverage ~89% of funding liabilities .
- Management constructive outlook: “Mortgage spreads to benchmark rates remain elevated by historical standards and range-bound, an extremely favorable return environment.” . “Collectively, we believe these dynamics provide a very positive backdrop for AGNC's investment activities.” .
-
What Went Wrong
- TBV decline and economic loss: Tangible book value per share fell $(0.44) (-5.3% QoQ) to $7.81; economic return was -1.0%, driven by wider mortgage spreads .
- Net spread & dollar roll income down: Fell to $0.38 per share (from $0.44 in Q1) primarily due to timing of capital deployment and higher swap costs; Street miss vs ~$0.41 . Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
- Market headwinds: “Liberation Day” tariff shock increased policy risk and rate volatility; Agency MBS underperformed as spreads widened 7–14 bps vs Treasury/swap benchmarks .
Financial Results
Margins and Funding
Portfolio and Risk KPIs
Segment Breakdown
- Not applicable; AGNC invests primarily in Agency MBS and related TBA positions .
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- Peter Federico (CEO/CIO): “Although most asset class valuations retraced the April losses… Agency MBS were an exception, as spreads to benchmark rates widened moderately during the second quarter. As a result of this underperformance, AGNC's economic return for the second quarter was -1.0%.” .
- Federico on outlook: “Mortgage spreads to benchmark rates remain elevated by historical standards and range-bound, an extremely favorable return environment… bank participation… appears poised to increase… the administration has reiterated its intent to preserve Agency MBS' pristine credit profile.” .
- Bernice Bell (CFO): “AGNC's net spread and dollar roll income was $0.38 per common share… we opportunistically added assets at attractive levels using accretive capital raised through our At-the-Market program… tangible 'at risk' leverage of 7.6x and… $6.4 billion of unencumbered cash and Agency MBS, 65% of our tangible equity.” .
- CFO on drivers: “Net spread and dollar roll income declined $0.06… primarily due to the timing of deployment of the new capital… with moderately higher swap costs also contributing.” .
Q&A Highlights
- Capital raise and leverage: Management remains opportunistic on further ATM issuance and comfortable operating with slightly higher leverage given stronger outlook; unencumbered liquidity improved to 65% despite volatility .
- Core earnings/dividend trajectory: Run-rate returns in high-teens ROE; net spread & dollar roll income expected in mid-high $0.30s to low-mid $0.40s near term; dividend policy anchored to economics vs current-period accounting .
- Hedging mix: Preference to gradually increase swap-based hedges as spreads stabilize; long-term mix ~50/50 Treasuries/swaps, currently somewhat overweight swaps due to expected swap spread widening with regulatory reform .
- Prepayment risk: Acknowledge steeper S-curve response in brief rate dips; mitigate via specified pool selection and avoiding fastest collateral; projected CPR down with higher mortgage rates .
- Repo market/funding: Fed operational changes and ample money market liquidity support stable funding; QT likely ends relatively soon; no capacity constraints anticipated .
Estimates Context
Notes:
- For AGNC, “Primary EPS” tracked by consensus aligns with reported non-GAAP net spread & dollar roll income per share (actuals: $0.37 Q4, $0.44 Q1, $0.38 Q2) . GAAP EPS in Q2 was $(0.17) .
- Q2 was a miss on Primary EPS ($0.38 actual vs ~$0.41 est) and a large miss on revenue (actual negative on fair-value marks vs positive consensus). Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Wider mortgage spreads pressured tangible book value (down 5.3% QoQ to $7.81) and drove a modest economic loss; however, spreads remain at historically attractive levels and management expects stabilization to support mid-to-high $0.30s net spread & dollar roll per share near term .
- Liquidity and risk management are strong: $6.4B unencumbered assets (65% of equity) and hedge coverage at 89% provide capacity to withstand volatility and deploy into attractive higher-coupon specified pools .
- Near-term catalysts: clarity on GSE reform (affirmation of implicit guarantees), potential regulatory changes increasing bank MBS demand, and QT tapering—all supportive for spread tightening and ROE durability .
- Earnings optics: GAAP results are volatile given hedging marks; focus on net spread & dollar roll income and net interest spread (2.01% in Q2) for dividend sustainability; Treasury hedge carry adds incremental income not included in reported net spread .
- Capital allocation: Accretive ATM issuance and measured deployment can enhance book value and earnings power; expect continued bias to higher-coupon specified pools with favorable prepayment attributes .
- Risk watchpoints: Policy shocks (tariffs), rate curve steepening, and prepayment spikes during brief rate dips; mitigate via hedge mix and asset selection .
- Tactical trading: Miss vs Street on “Primary EPS” and TBV decline are near-term stock sentiment headwinds; improving July TBV (+~1% post dividend accrual) and supportive macro/regulatory narrative may act as subsequent positive catalysts as spreads stabilize .