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FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORP (FMCC)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q4 2024 net income rose 11% year-over-year to $3.2B on net revenues up 18% to $6.3B; strength came from higher net interest income and a sharp jump in non-interest income, partially offset by a credit loss provision versus a benefit in the prior year .
- Single-Family net revenues increased 9% YoY to $5.2B, but net income fell 4% YoY to $2.6B due to a shift to credit reserve build; Multifamily delivered a strong quarter with net revenues up 90% YoY to $1.1B and net income up 162% YoY to $0.7B .
- New business activity accelerated: Single-Family $100B vs $73B in Q4 2023; Multifamily $30B vs $16B in Q4 2023, aided by lower mortgage rates in H2 2024 and competitive execution strategies .
- S&P Global Wall Street consensus estimates for Q4 2024 revenue and EPS were unavailable at time of analysis due to data access limits; estimate comparison/beat-miss assessment cannot be provided (Values intended from S&P Global but unavailable).
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Multifamily outperformance: net revenues $1.13B (+90% YoY) and net income $0.67B (+162% YoY), driven by favorable fair value changes, index lock activities, economic hedge impacts, and portfolio growth .
- Non-interest income surged to $1.28B (+$674M YoY), a significant positive surprise primarily from net investment gains; consolidated net revenues increased 18% YoY to $6.33B .
- CEO highlighted mission execution: “We delivered $411 billion of liquidity…helping 1.6 million families…” and net worth reached $60B, underpinning lower funding costs and balance sheet strength .
What Went Wrong
- Credit costs turned adverse: consolidated provision for credit losses of $92M vs a $467M benefit in Q4 2023; Single-Family provision of $38M vs a $548M benefit prior year, reflecting reserve builds tied to new acquisitions .
- Delinquencies ticked up: Single-Family serious delinquency rate rose to 0.59% from 0.54% in Q3 and 0.55% in Q4 2023; Multifamily delinquency rose to 0.40% from 0.28% prior year, driven by floating-rate loans including small-balance loans in their floating period .
- Common EPS remains constrained by conservatorship capital mechanics; Q4 2024 net income per common share was $0.01 (vs $(0.05) in Q4 2023), with senior preferred allocations absorbing most earnings .
Financial Results
Consolidated performance vs prior periods and YoY
Segment breakdown
Key KPIs
Guidance Changes
Note: Freddie Mac did not provide explicit revenue, EPS, margin, OpEx, OI&E, or tax rate guidance for Q1 2025 or FY 2025 in the Q4 materials .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO: “We delivered $411 billion of liquidity…helping 1.6 million families buy, refinance or rent a home… We also prepared tens of thousands of borrowers and renters for future success…” — Diana W. Reid, Chief Executive Officer .
- CFO: “Net revenue for the fourth quarter totaled $6.3 billion… Non-interest income…was $1.3 billion… driven by higher net investment gains.” — Jim Whitlinger .
- CFO on credit: “Provision for credit losses was an expense of $92 million… primarily driven by a reserve build… attributable to new acquisitions…” .
- CFO outlook: “Our current forecast assumes house prices will grow by 2.7% over the next 12 months and 3.3% over the subsequent 12 months…” .
- Mission/market support: Assistance programs for homeowners and renters affected by California wildfires, including up to 12 months forbearance for mortgages .
Q&A Highlights
- The event consisted of prepared remarks; no analyst Q&A was included in the materials reviewed .
- Clarifications provided in remarks: credit loss dynamics (reserve builds in both segments vs prior year release), drivers of non-interest income strength (net investment gains), and house price outlook trajectory .
- Multifamily credit context: delinquency increase tied to floating-rate loans; 97% of delinquent loans had credit enhancement coverage, mitigating exposure .
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus estimates for Q4 2024 revenue and EPS were not retrievable due to data access limits at the time of request; therefore, beat/miss assessment versus Wall Street consensus is unavailable. If desired, we can re-run once access is restored to incorporate consensus (Values intended from S&P Global but unavailable).
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Consolidated momentum with quality of earnings: net revenues up 18% YoY, non-interest income strength, and continued net worth build to $59.6B highlighting funding cost advantages and balance sheet resilience .
- Single-Family volumes re-accelerated on lower rates in H2, but credit costs normalized (reserve builds) and serious delinquencies ticked up; watch hurricane-related delinquency normalization path .
- Multifamily is the swing factor: outsized revenue and income growth driven by fair value/hedge and securitization mix; monitor floating-rate credit performance and delinquency trend (0.40%) despite high credit enhancement coverage (91%) .
- Capital/conservatorship mechanics continue to limit common EPS optics; senior preferred liquidation preference will rise to $132.2B based on Q4 net worth addition, sustaining capital accumulation cadence .
- Near-term trading lens: strong non-interest income and MF segment surprise support the print; absence of estimate comparison tempers beat/miss narratives. Credit headlines (SL delinquency uptick, MF floating-rate exposure) are the key risk watch items .
- Medium-term thesis: rate trajectory and house price path (CFO forecast +2.7%/+3.3%) underpin core revenue drivers; continued CRT/credit enhancement coverage and net worth growth support structural risk profile improvements .
Citations: All figures and statements sourced from FMCC Q4 2024 8-K press release and supplement ; Q4 2024 earnings call prepared remarks ; and prior-quarter 8-Ks for Q3 2024 and Q2 2024 .