Second Quarter 2026
Filed Aug 6, 2026Ellington Financial Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
Net income attributable to common stockholders was $54.4 million and Adjusted Distributable Earnings was $75.5 million, while book value per common share was $13.61 including the effects of dividends of $0.39 per common share for the quarter. The investment portfolio and Longbridge segments both reported positive net income, supported by strong credit performance, securitization activity, and robust Longbridge originations.
Key metrics
as reported| Metric | Value | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net income attributable to common stockholdersGAAP | $54.4 million | – | – |
| Net income attributable to common stockholders per common shareGAAP | $0.43 per common share | – | – |
| Investment portfolio segment net income attributable to common stockholdersGAAP | $74.2 million | – | – |
| Investment portfolio segment net income attributable to common stockholders per common shareGAAP | $0.59 per common share | – | – |
| Longbridge segment net income attributable to common stockholdersGAAP | $30.2 million | – | – |
| Longbridge segment net income attributable to common stockholders per common shareGAAP | $0.24 per common share | – | – |
| Adjusted Distributable Earningsnon-GAAP | $75.5 million | – | – |
| Adjusted Distributable Earnings per common sharenon-GAAP | $0.60 per common share | – | – |
| Investment portfolio segment Adjusted Distributable Earningsnon-GAAP | $75.7 million | – | – |
| Investment portfolio segment Adjusted Distributable Earnings per common sharenon-GAAP | $0.60 per common share | – | – |
| Longbridge segment Adjusted Distributable Earningsnon-GAAP | $28.9 million | – | – |
| Longbridge segment Adjusted Distributable Earnings per common sharenon-GAAP | $0.23 per common share | – | – |
| Book value per common shareother | $13.61 | – | – |
| Recourse debt-to-equity ratioother | 1.9:1 | – | – |
| Debt-to-equity ratio including all recourse and non-recourse borrowingsother | 9.2:1 | – | – |
| Long-term and non-mark-to-market borrowings as a percentage of total recourse borrowingsother | 29% | – | – |
| Unsecured borrowings as a percentage of total recourse borrowingsother | 17% | – | – |
| Weighted average remaining term of repo borrowingsother | 9.3 months | – | – |
| Total unencumbered assetsother | $1.86 billion | – | – |
| Cash and cash equivalentsother | $247.5 million | – | – |
| Other unencumbered assetsother | $1.61 billion | – | – |
| Total adjusted long investment portfolioother | $4.50 billion | increased by approximately 1% sequentially | – |
| Investment portfolio net interest marginother | 3.36% | declined slightly | – |
| Longbridge loan originationsother | $589.7 million | – | up 38% from the same period in 2025 |
| Net Longbridge portfolioother | $649.3 million | 7% sequential decline | – |
| Longbridge HMBS market shareother | 29% | – | – |
| First half 2026 annualized economic returnother | 20% | – | – |
| First half 2026 increase in book value per shareother | $0.45 | – | – |
| First half 2026 Adjusted Distributable Earningsnon-GAAP | $1.15 | – | – |
| First half 2026 dividendsother | $0.78 | – | – |
| Total long investment portfolioother | $5,927,915 | – | – |
| Non-retained tranches of consolidated securitization trusts within investment portfolioother | 1,432,634 | – | – |
| Total adjusted long investment portfolioother | $4,495,281 | – | – |
| HMBS assetsother | $11,184,939 | – | – |
| HMBS liabilitiesother | $(11,057,752) | – | – |
| HMBS MSRother | 127,187 | – | – |
| Unsecuritized HECM loansother | 178,139 | – | – |
| Proprietary reverse mortgage loansother | 2,299,122 | – | – |
| Reverse MSRsother | 30,040 | – | – |
| Total Longbridge loan-related assetsother | 2,634,488 | – | – |
Capital returns
- Dividends of $0.39 per common share for the quarter.
- First half 2026 dividends of $0.78.
What drove it
- Investment portfolio net interest income increased significantly quarter over quarter.
- Growth in residential transition loan and commercial mortgage bridge loan portfolios, as well as retained RMBS, more than offset the impact of continued securitization activity.
- The investment portfolio had excellent performance across most of the portfolio, led by residential credit strategies, CLOs, corporate debt and equity, and equity investments in loan originators.
- Longbridge contribution was supported by net gains related to two proprietary reverse mortgage loan securitizations, robust origination volumes and margins, servicing income, and net gains on enterprise interest rate hedges.
- Credit performance remained strong across loan portfolios, including continued low life-to-date realized credit losses in residential and commercial loan portfolios.
Concerns
- The investment portfolio net interest margin declined slightly to 3.36% from 3.37%, as slightly higher asset yields were more than offset by slightly higher funding costs.
- Weaker investment-portfolio results were reported in CMBS, residential REO, and other loans and ABS.
- The net loss in Corporate/Other increased quarter over quarter, as a substantial unrealized loss on unsecured debt more than offset a significantly lower incentive fee accrual.
- Positive carry on interest rate swap hedges moderated quarter over quarter.
- Higher interest rates led to losses on fixed receiver interest rate swaps used to hedge fixed payments on unsecured notes and preferred equity.
What to watch
- Whether net interest income continues to improve while the investment portfolio net interest margin remains under pressure from funding costs.
- The pace of residential transition loan, commercial mortgage bridge loan, and retained RMBS growth relative to continuing securitization activity.
- Longbridge origination volumes, margins, servicing results, and proprietary reverse mortgage securitization execution.
- Credit performance across residential and commercial loan portfolios.
- The impact of interest rates and credit-spread movements on unsecured debt and interest-rate hedges.
Balance sheet and cash flow
- Total unencumbered assets of $1.86 billion, consisting of cash and cash equivalents of $247.5 million and other unencumbered assets of $1.61 billion as of June 30, 2026.
- Recourse debt-to-equity ratio of 1.9:1 as of June 30, 2026.
- Including all recourse and non-recourse borrowings, debt-to-equity ratio of 9.2:1.
- 29% of total recourse borrowings are long-term and non-mark-to-market.
- 17% of total recourse borrowings are unsecured.
- Weighted average remaining term of repo borrowings is 9.3 months.
Analysis
Ellington Financial reported net income attributable to common stockholders of $54.4 million, or $0.43 per common share, and Adjusted Distributable Earnings of $75.5 million, or $0.60 per common share. Book value per common share was $13.61 as of June 30, 2026, including the effects of dividends of $0.39 per common share for the quarter. Management also reported first half 2026 Adjusted Distributable Earnings of $1.15 and dividends of $0.78.
The investment portfolio segment generated net income attributable to common stockholders of $74.2 million. Its total adjusted long investment portfolio increased by approximately 1% sequentially to $4.50 billion. Management attributed growth to residential transition loans, commercial mortgage bridge loans, and retained RMBS, which more than offset continued securitization activity. Net interest income increased significantly quarter over quarter, but net interest margin declined slightly to 3.36% from 3.37% because slightly higher funding costs more than offset slightly higher asset yields.
Longbridge generated net income attributable to common stockholders of $30.2 million. Originations were $589.7 million, up 38% from the same period in 2025, while the net Longbridge portfolio declined 7% sequentially to $649.3 million because securitized loans more than offset portfolio growth. The release cited originations, securitization gains, servicing, and interest-rate hedges as contributors. Longbridge's HMBS market share reached 29% for the quarter.
Funding and liquidity metrics show total unencumbered assets of $1.86 billion, including cash and cash equivalents of $247.5 million. The recourse debt-to-equity ratio was 1.9:1, while the ratio including all recourse and non-recourse borrowings was 9.2:1. Corporate/Other was a counterweight to segment results, with its net loss increasing quarter over quarter due principally to an unrealized loss on unsecured debt associated with credit-spread tightening, partly offset by higher interest rates, as well as losses on fixed receiver swaps.
No forward financial guidance was provided in the supplied filing text. The principal reported operating watchpoints are funding-cost pressure on net interest margin, performance in CMBS, residential REO, other loans and ABS, the moderation in positive swap carry, and the effects of interest rates and credit spreads on unsecured debt and hedges.
Management, verbatim
Ellington Financial delivered another standout quarter, with continued book value growth and adjusted distributable earnings well in excess of our dividends, reflecting the strength and increasing momentum of our platform.
Laurence Penn, Chief Executive Officer and President
Our second quarter results reflected positive trends that have steadily built over recent quarters. Credit performance remained strong across our loan portfolios, while our stable, flexible funding profile and expanding securitization platform further enhanced our balance sheet.
Laurence Penn, Chief Executive Officer and President
Longbridge once again delivered exceptional performance, demonstrating the advantages of our vertically integrated reverse mortgage platform.
Laurence Penn, Chief Executive Officer and President
Not in the filing
stated, not guessed- Total revenue and revenue comparisons.
- Segment revenue and revenue growth by segment.
- Gross profit and gross margin.
- Operating income, operating expenses, and operating margin.
- Consolidated net income, net income comparisons, and EPS comparisons beyond the metrics explicitly reported.
- GAAP and non-GAAP cash flow from operations and free cash flow.
- Share repurchases and repurchase authorization information.
- Total cash, total debt, and debt maturities beyond the unencumbered-assets and leverage disclosures provided.
- Forward financial guidance.
- Previous outlook or prior-guidance comparison.
- Full Longbridge portfolio table data after the filing text truncation.
- Investment-portfolio holding-level metrics are not all included separately because the provided filing excerpt contains a detailed holdings table but does not present each holding as a period operating-result metric.
AlphaAI analysis generated from the company’s SEC earnings filing (Form 8-K Item 2.02, or Form 6-K for a foreign private issuer). Every figure was cross-checked against the filing text; consensus estimates, price targets and share-price reactions are not shown because they are not in the filing. AI-generated research, not investment advice.