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UWM Holdings Corp (UWMC)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q1 2025 revenue beat while GAAP EPS missed due to a large negative MSR valuation; revenue was $613.4M vs $558.8M S&P Global consensus (+9.8%), but GAAP diluted EPS was -$0.12 as MSR FV fell $388.6M; S&P “Primary EPS” printed $0.024 vs $0.045 consensus (miss) . Revenue/EPS estimates from S&P Global*.
  • Origination volume was $32.4B (+17% y/y), with purchase at $21.7B and refinance nearly doubling y/y to $10.6B; gain-on-sale margin was 94 bps (vs 105 bps in Q4) .
  • Guidance: Q2 2025 production $38–$45B and gain margin 90–115 bps; CEO expects to “eclipse $40B” given purchase strength and tech rollouts; dividend maintained at $0.10 per share .
  • Strategic catalysts: in-house servicing (ICE MSP) targeting material cost savings and better recapture; expanding AI stack (Google Cloud Gemini) with tangible throughput gains; these underpin volume scalability and potential medium-term margin durability .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Revenue beat: $613.4M exceeded S&P Global consensus $558.8M (helped by servicing and interest income; LPIs at $304.8M, servicing income $190.5M, interest income $118.1M) . Revenue estimates from S&P Global*.
  • Execution on volume and refi capture: $32.4B total (+17% y/y), with ~$10.6B refi (nearly 2x y/y) after a brief late-Feb/early-Mar rate dip, showing operating leverage in demand windows .
  • Operational KPIs: submission-to-CTC cut to 12.7 days (from 13.9), NPS 87.3%—both best-in-class vs peers running 40–45 days, supporting share gains and repeat business .

What Went Wrong

  • Profitability: GAAP net loss of $247.0M driven by a $(388.6)M MSR fair value decline; Adjusted EBITDA fell to $57.8M as gain margin slipped to 94 bps (from 105 bps) and expenses remained elevated for growth investments .
  • Underperformance vs EBITDA consensus: S&P Global EBITDA consensus $167.4M vs actual Adjusted EBITDA $57.8M (approx. -66%); definitional differences may exist, but margin compression and higher costs weighed on results . Estimate from S&P Global*.
  • Equity and leverage optics: total equity fell to $1.64B (from $2.05B in Q4) and non-funding debt/equity rose to 1.93x (from 1.66x), partly reflecting MSR FV movements; analysts probed leverage, which management downplayed as not central to the thesis .

Financial Results

MetricQ1 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025
Revenue ($M)585.5 720.6 613.4
GAAP Net Income (Loss) ($M)180.5 40.6 (247.0)
Diluted EPS ($)0.09 0.02 (0.12)
Total Gain Margin (bps)108 105 94
Originations ($B)27.6 38.7 32.4
Purchase Originations ($B)22.1 21.9 21.7
Refinance Originations ($B)5.5 16.8 10.6
Adjusted EBITDA ($M)101.5 118.2 57.8

Actual vs Consensus (Q1 2025)

MetricActualConsensus*Surprise*
Revenue ($M)613.4 558.8*+54.6 (+9.8%)*
Primary EPS ($) (S&P basis)0.0238*0.0453*(0.0215) (≈ -47.4%)*
EBITDA ($M)57.8 167.4*(109.6) (≈ -65.5%)*
  • Note: S&P “Primary EPS” may differ from GAAP diluted EPS presentation for UWMC; EBITDA definitions may also differ from company “Adjusted EBITDA.” Values with asterisk retrieved from S&P Global.

Product Mix – Unpaid Principal Balance of Originations ($B)

CategoryQ1 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025
Purchase – Conventional12.16 13.84 13.18
Purchase – Government7.57 6.07 6.67
Purchase – Jumbo/Other2.39 1.94 1.89
Total Purchase22.12 21.85 21.75
Refi – Conventional1.72 8.90 4.34
Refi – Government2.66 6.42 4.70
Refi – Jumbo/Other1.14 1.50 1.57
Total Refinance5.51 16.81 10.60
Total Originations27.63 38.66 32.35

KPIs and Balance Sheet Snapshots

KPIQ1 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025
Total Gain Margin (bps)108 105 94
Submission-to-CTC (days)13.9 12.7
Net Promoter Score (%)87.3
Available Liquidity ($B)~2.4
Cash & Equivalents ($M)605.6 507.3 485.0
MSR UPB ($B)229.7 242.4 214.6
MSR WAC (%)4.58 4.76 5.44
Total Equity ($B)2.46 2.05 1.64
Non-funding Debt/Equity (x)0.94 1.66 1.93

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Production ($B)Q2 202538–45 New
Gain Margin (bps)Q2 202590–115 New
Production ($B)Q1 202528–35
Gain Margin (bps)Q1 202590–115
Dividend per share ($)Payable 4/10/250.10
Dividend per share ($)Payable 7/10/250.10 Maintained

CEO also guided qualitatively to “eclipse $40B” production in Q2 within the $38–$45B range .

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q3 2024, Q4 2024)Current Period (Q1 2025)Trend
AI/TechnologyQ3: KEEP (AI-driven refi targeting); BrokerX; strong tech posture . Q4: ChatUWM enhancements; capacity to double volume without adding fixed costs .Google Cloud partnership (Gemini) with underwriter throughput from 6 to 14 loans/day; CEO: “best technology you’ve ever seen” rolling out; KPI improvements (12.7 days CTC) .Increasing emphasis
Servicing StrategyNo in-house servicing cited in prior two quarters.Announced in-house servicing with ICE MSP; aim to be “most efficient servicer” with potential $40–$100M annual cost savings and better recapture/experience .New pivot/acceleration
Broker Channel ShareChannel dominance, record purchase positioning .Broker share up from ~19.7% (2022) to ~28% (highest since 2008), supporting volume gains .Rising
Margin StrategyQ3 118 bps, Q4 105 bps with guidance discipline .Q1 at 94 bps; Q2 guide 90–115 bps; CEO says trend higher over time while prioritizing share .Mixed near-term; stable guide
Macro/Rates & Refi WindowsQ3 saw brief rate dip boost; record purchase focus .Late Feb/early Mar rate dip doubled daily production; scalable ops to flex with rates .Ongoing volatility; agile response
Capital/Float/Leverage10b5 program to increase float; management “comfortable” with ratios; dismisses leverage focus as non-core .New focus on float/liquidity optics
Regulatory/GSEMinimal concern on potential GSE reforms; confidence in agency leadership and UWM agility .Monitor

Management Commentary

  • “The first quarter marked another win for UWM… we swiftly capitalized on the refinance opportunity—all while maintaining our best-in-class performance in the purchase market.” — Mat Ishbia, CEO .
  • “By leveraging the latest technology in AI, our plan is to be the most efficient servicer in America… cost savings … between $40 million and $100 million a year.” — Mat Ishbia (on in-house servicing) .
  • “We closed $32.4 billion in production… almost double our refi volume year-over-year… gain margin was 94 bps… [net loss] inclusive of a $388 million reduction in fair value of our MSR portfolio.” — Mat Ishbia .
  • “We expect our second quarter production to be between $38 [and] $45 billion… I expect us to do over $40 billion… gain margin… between 90 and 115 [bps].” — Mat Ishbia .
  • “We continue to invest in… operations, underwriting and technology teams… we believe [we] can handle twice our 2024 origination volume with minimal impact to our fixed costs.” — Rami Hasani, CFO .

Q&A Highlights

  • Servicing in-house: Expect to begin onboarding loans early next year and complete by year-end; benefits include cost savings, improved borrower experience, and better broker recapture; no material one-time expenses expected .
  • Products/ARMs: ARMs likely a small share; purchase market supported by temporary buydowns; ARM uptake hinges on rates; not expected to be a meaningful mix driver near term .
  • MSR strategy: Will be opportunistic; in-house servicing tilts toward retaining more when economics warrant but will sell at attractive multiples .
  • Q2 outlook: CEO aims to exceed $40B production driven by purchase strength and tech rollouts; if rates fall further, capacity to scale much higher .
  • Capital strategy/M&A: Build vs. buy—focus on organic tech with ~2,000 engineers; open to opportunistic deals but no reliance on M&A; 10b5 plan to increase float over time .
  • Leverage: Management comfortable with current ratios; emphasizes growth, tech leadership, and market share over leverage optics .

Estimates Context

  • Revenue beat: $613.4M vs $558.8M S&P Global consensus (+9.8%)* .
  • EPS miss on S&P “Primary EPS” basis: $0.0238 vs $0.0453 consensus (≈ -47%)*; GAAP diluted EPS was -$0.12 due to $(388.6)M MSR FV decline .
  • EBITDA miss: Adjusted EBITDA $57.8M vs S&P Global EBITDA consensus $167.4M (≈ -66%)*; note definitional differences between S&P EBITDA and company “Adjusted EBITDA” .
  • Implication: Street models likely need lower margin/EBITDA assumptions near-term given 94 bps gain-on-sale and investment spend, partly offset by stronger revenue/volume. Values with asterisk retrieved from S&P Global.

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Near-term setup constructive: Q2 production guide ($38–$45B) and CEO’s bias to >$40B are potential upside catalysts if purchase strength/tech adoption sustain .
  • Quality-of-revenue vs GAAP noise: MSR valuation drove GAAP loss; core production/servicing/interest revenue held up, reinforcing the narrative to focus on operating metrics and margin trajectory .
  • Margin watch: 90–115 bps guide indicates continued pricing discipline; monitor mix (purchase vs refi) and competitive dynamics for signs of margin stabilization or improvement .
  • Structural efficiency: AI investments (Google Cloud) and workflow automation are shortening cycle times and could expand capacity without proportionate fixed cost growth—supports operating leverage in a rate-down scenario .
  • Strategic pivot to servicing: ICE MSP partnership and in-house servicing should enhance recapture, borrower experience, and medium-term cost structure; watch onboarding milestones and run-rate savings realization .
  • Capital/float optics: 10b5 selling program to increase float may broaden ownership and liquidity; dividend sustained at $0.10 supports income holders amid transformation .
  • Model sensitives: For 2025, prioritize volume path (Q2 guide), gain-on-sale bandwidth, expense trajectory, and MSR valuation sensitivity to rates; consider scenario cases for rate dips that unlock refi capacity .

Footnote: Values with asterisk (*) are retrieved from S&P Global.