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Cherry Hill Mortgage Investment Corp (CHMI)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q3 2025 GAAP EPS of $0.05 and EAD per share of $0.09; book value per share increased to $3.36, with management noting October 31 book value up ~1.2% vs September 30 before any Q4 dividend accrual .
- EPS missed Wall Street consensus ($0.09 vs $0.11), while reported “revenue” (S&P classification) materially beat ($10.87MM vs $2.70MM); classification differences vs the press release “Total Income” complicate comparability; we anchor on S&P consensus for estimate comparisons and flag the mismatch in “Estimates Context” [Q3 2025 estimates from S&P Global; see table and disclaimer].
- Portfolio NIM and risk positioning improved: RMBS net interest spread rose to 2.87% (from 2.61% in Q2) as CHMI shifted toward lower/mid coupons amid Fed cuts and tighter mortgage spreads; leverage remained 5.3x, liquidity solid with $55.4MM cash .
- Dividend realigned to $0.10 (from $0.15 in Q2) to reflect sustained earnings power; management emphasized tactical readiness for lower rates and prudent growth, plus momentum in the Real Genius digital mortgage partnership as rates ease .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Book value per share increased to $3.36 (+$0.02 QoQ), and NAV rose
0.5% QoQ ($1.1MM), signaling stabilization as macro volatility ebbed; “we are prepared to respond tactically to a lower interest rate environment” . - RMBS net interest spread improved to 2.87% with repositioning toward lower/mid coupons in a tightening spread environment; “we adjusted our portfolio positioning to benefit from ongoing spread tightening and declining interest rates” .
- Liquidity and hedging discipline maintained: unrestricted cash $55.4MM; swaps/TBAs/futures balanced (gross notional ~$435MM) and component notionals of swaps $828.7MM, TBAs -$415.8MM, futures $22.5MM to mitigate duration/IR risk .
What Went Wrong
- Realized losses on derivatives of $10.5MM pressured GAAP results; other loss of $3.2MM included unrealized loss on investments in Servicing Related Assets .
- Operating expenses rose sequentially (G&A + comp/benefits totaled $3.774MM vs $3.355MM in Q2) due to personnel changes and professional fees; management expects these costs to decline going forward .
- Servicing costs increased sequentially as Q2 benefited from a deboarding fee reimbursement; Q3 reflected a more normal run-rate, limiting net servicing income QoQ .
Financial Results
Segment breakdown (portfolio and mix)
KPIs and hedging
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We are prepared to respond tactically to a lower interest rate environment and remain committed to strategically growing our portfolio, while delivering attractive risk-adjusted returns for our shareholders.” — Jay Lown, President & CEO .
- “Throughout the quarter, we adjusted our portfolio positioning to benefit from ongoing spread tightening and declining interest rates.” — Julian Evans, CIO .
- “G&A and comp and benefits were both up this quarter… going forward, we do anticipate those costs going down, especially with having a new in-house GC now.” — Apeksha Patel, CFO .
- “We are seeing positive momentum from [Real Genius]… we are optimistic that the reduction in mortgage rates may facilitate an acceleration in Real Genius’s growth.” — Jay Lown .
Q&A Highlights
- Real Genius partnership: Management sees positive momentum and is open to additional accretive partnerships if aligned with internal capabilities .
- Expense trajectory: Sequential rise in G&A/comp tied to personnel/professional fees; run-rate expected to decline with the new in-house GC .
- Servicing costs: Q2 benefited from a deboarding fee reimbursement; Q3 reflects a more normal ongoing run-rate .
- Book value update: October 31 BVPS up ~1.2% vs September 30, pre any Q4 dividend accrual .
Estimates Context
Consensus vs actuals (S&P Global; see disclaimer)
- Q3 EPS: 0.09 vs 0.11 consensus — bold miss.
- Q3 “Revenue”: 10.87MM vs 2.70MM consensus — bold beat; note S&P’s revenue classification differs from press-release “Total Income” ($8.573MM), making press-release comparisons non-like-for-like .
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Portfolio earnings power stabilizing: Book value rose and RMBS net interest spread expanded; sustained liquidity and prudent leverage underpin resilience .
- EPS miss offset by revenue beat under S&P classification; expect continued noise from derivative marks and MSR fair value, but EAD remains the key dividend anchor .
- Dividend reset to $0.10 appears aligned with current EAD; monitor EAD trajectory as rates fall (swap income, dollar roll/duration changes) .
- Rate-easing cycle is a double-edged sword: benefits funding costs and some asset pricing, but could raise prepayment speeds; CHMI repositioned toward lower/mid coupons to balance this dynamic .
- Expense normalization is a near-term tailwind as personnel/professional fees abate post-internalization; watch for operating expense trend in Q4 and FY26 .
- Technology optionality: Real Genius partnership could add origination throughput as mortgage rates decline, offering upside to fee income and asset flow .
- Tactical catalysts: Continued BVPS improvement (Q4-to-date +~1.2%), dividend sustainability at $0.10, additional Fed cuts driving spread tightening and funding cost reductions .
Appendix: Additional Quantitative Comparisons vs Prior Periods (selected)
Notes:
- EAD reconciliation items and hedging cash flows (swap periodic income, TBA drop income) are disclosed and key to quarter-to-quarter EAD variability .
- Comprehensive income includes AFS RMBS marks, adding $2.561MM in Q3 to total comprehensive income .