Ellington Financial Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results

Laurence Penn, Chief Executive Officer and President of Ellington Financial Inc.

“Ellington Financial delivered strong results in a challenging market. Despite rising interest rates, and widening yield spreads late in the quarter, we generated GAAP net income of $0.31 per share and an annualized economic return of 9.4%, preserved book value per share, and produced adjusted distributable earnings in excess of our dividends,”

Laurence Penn, Chief Executive Officer and President of Ellington Financial Inc.

“We benefited from meaningful contributions from retained tranches from non-QM and Agency-eligible securitizations, commercial mortgage bridge loans, and corporate credit. Our loan originator investments, particularly LendSure, delivered standout results. Longbridge also contributed positively, as higher origination volumes and hedging gains outweighed narrower origination margins and lower proprietary securitization gains. Credit performance remained strong across the portfolio, and our interest rate hedges and credit hedges successfully cushioned the impact of late-quarter volatility.”

Laurence Penn, Chief Executive Officer and President of Ellington Financial Inc.

“In September, we issued $150 million of senior unsecured notes at a yield spread over Treasuries that was approximately 70 basis points tighter than last year's issuance, supported by strong institutional demand. The offering proved well timed, providing additional dry powder ahead of the late-quarter market selloff and advancing our long-term strategy to reduce reliance on secured, mark-to-market financing. Prior to the offering, Moody's changed our rating outlook to Positive, citing our stronger funding profile, solid earnings, and improving asset quality.”

Laurence Penn, Chief Executive Officer and President of Ellington Financial Inc.

“Our ample liquidity, together with proceeds from the notes offering and capital released through securitizations, supported meaningful growth in our loan portfolios. Our residential loan portal continues to attract a broader seller base, connecting us with 57 sellers and generating $1.6 billion in loan purchases during the quarter, which complemented loan flow from Longbridge and other channels. We also completed our acquisition of a controlling interest in Statebridge, a diversified loan servicer, which should enable us to apply our data and workout expertise more directly to delinquent loans and REO, with the goal of further improving loss mitigation and enhancing recoveries throughout the credit cycle.”

Laurence Penn, Chief Executive Officer and President of Ellington Financial Inc.

“In July and August, we raised common equity at book value under our ATM program. Then, we repurchased common stock accretively over several days following quarter end, after our common stock price had dropped to approximately 85% of our most recently reported book value per share. The opportunity was brief, limiting our repurchases to just under $4 million. Under normal market conditions, should similarly accretive repurchase opportunities arise again, we would expect to take advantage of them.”

Laurence Penn, Chief Executive Officer and President of Ellington Financial Inc.

“Looking ahead, our diversified business model and proprietary sourcing channels, together with our flexible balance sheet and disciplined risk management, should position us well to capitalize on the attractive investment opportunities that we see developing in the wake of the recent spikes in interest rates and volatility.”