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Annaly Capital Management Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 January 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarterly GAAP and EAD per share: GAAP net income was $1.40 per average common share in the quarter, against $1.21 in Q3. EAD was $0.74 per share, against $0.73 in Q3. Source
  • Economic return for quarter and year: Economic return was 8.6% for the fourth quarter and 20.2% for 2025. The CEO said total shareholder return for 2025 was 40%. Source
  • Agency portfolio up 6% in quarter: The Agency portfolio rose 6% in the quarter and represented 62% of dedicated capital, down from 64% in Q3. Source
  • Securitizations reached record volume: Eight securitizations in the quarter totaled a record $4.6 billion. For 2025, 29 securitizations totaled $15.2 billion, and the company remained the largest non-bank issuer of Prime Jumbo and Expanded Credit MBS. Source
  • Funding costs fell sharply: Average GAAP cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 4.49%, down 24 basis points. The average economic cost was 3.95%, down 1 basis point quarter over quarter. Source
  • Leverage moved in both directions: GAAP leverage rose to 7.2x from 7.1x, while economic leverage fell to 5.6x from 5.7x in the prior quarter. Source
  • Dividend held at $0.70: The common dividend of $0.70 per share was declared for the fourth quarter, unchanged from Q3. The annualized dividend yield was 12.52% at the $22.36 closing price. Source

“2025 was a solid year for Annaly as we delivered a 20% economic return and 40% total shareholder return underscoring the resilience and strength of our diversified housing finance model”

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Chief Investment Officer David Finkelstein

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Hedging for new assets moved to a mix of Treasury futures and interest rate swaps. In Q3, new hedges were primarily allocated to swaps. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Quarterly GAAP and EAD per share: GAAP net income was $1.40 per average common share in the quarter, against $1.21 in Q3. EAD was $0.74 per share, against $0.73 in Q3. Source
  • Economic return for quarter and year: Economic return was 8.6% for the fourth quarter and 20.2% for 2025. The CEO said total shareholder return for 2025 was 40%. Source
  • Total portfolio reached $104.7 billion: Total portfolio was $104.7 billion, up from $97.8 billion in Q3, including $92.9 billion in Agency assets. Source

Agency portfolio and hedging

  • Agency portfolio up 6% in quarter: The Agency portfolio rose 6% in the quarter and represented 62% of dedicated capital, down from 64% in Q3. Source
  • Accretive capital went to Agency assets: Capital raised in the quarter was predominantly deployed in 5.0% coupon TBA and generic collateral, higher coupon specified pools and Agency CMBS. Source
  • Aggregate hedge notional little changed: Aggregate hedge notional was little changed. New assets were hedged with Treasury futures and interest rate swaps, which management described as offering a carry profile. Source

“Our Agency business benefited from meaningful spread tightening, supported by strong fund flows, improved fundamentals and a more favorable operating environment”

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Chief Investment Officer David Finkelstein

Residential credit and MSR

  • Residential Credit grew 16% in quarter: The Residential Credit portfolio rose 16% to $8.0 billion, driven by record correspondent channel activity during 2025. Source
  • Securitizations reached record volume: Eight securitizations in the quarter totaled a record $4.6 billion. For 2025, 29 securitizations totaled $15.2 billion, and the company remained the largest non-bank issuer of Prime Jumbo and Expanded Credit MBS. Source
  • MSR portfolio grew 15% in 2025: The company said it was the second largest purchaser of conventional MSR in 2025. MSR market value rose 15% over the year to $3.8 billion. Source

Funding costs and margins

  • Funding costs fell sharply: Average GAAP cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 4.49%, down 24 basis points. The average economic cost was 3.95%, down 1 basis point quarter over quarter. Source
  • GAAP net interest margin widened: GAAP net interest margin was 1.18%, up from 0.97% in Q3 and 0.75% a year earlier. Source
  • Margin excluding PAA was 1.69%: Net interest margin excluding PAA was 1.69%, against 1.70% in Q3 and 1.71% a year earlier. This is a non-GAAP measure. Source

“We enter 2026 well-positioned to continue this momentum given the constructive environment and believe our platform will continue to provide enhanced risk-adjusted returns”

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Chief Investment Officer David Finkelstein

Leverage, liquidity and capital

  • Leverage moved in both directions: GAAP leverage rose to 7.2x from 7.1x, while economic leverage fell to 5.6x from 5.7x in the prior quarter. Source
  • Financing capacity of $9.4 billion: Total assets available for financing were $9.4 billion, including cash and unencumbered Agency MBS of $6.1 billion. Unencumbered assets totaled $7.8 billion. Source
  • $2.9 billion of capital raised in 2025: During 2025 the company raised $2.9 billion of accretive capital, including $2.6 billion of common equity through the at-the-market program and $275 million of Series J preferred. Source

Book value, dividend and returns

  • Dividend held at $0.70: The common dividend of $0.70 per share was declared for the fourth quarter, unchanged from Q3. The annualized dividend yield was 12.52% at the $22.36 closing price. Source
  • Book value per share rose: Book value per common share was $20.21 at December 31, 2025, up from $19.25 at September 30, 2025 and $19.15 a year earlier. Source
  • EAD return on equity of 14.28%: Annualized EAD return on average equity, excluding PAA, was 14.28% for the quarter, against 14.70% in Q3 and 14.27% a year earlier. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Agency additions aimed at call protection: The Agency portfolio grew 32%, or $22 billion, in 2025, with additions mainly in specified pools with significant call protection. Weighted average coupon rose to 5.12%. Source
  • MSR book has low note rates: The management said the MSR portfolio has the lowest note rate among the top 20 Agency servicers, with recapture and subservicing relationships with industry leaders. Source
  • Financing capacity grew for two businesses: Since January 2025, Residential Credit and MSR financing capacity rose $1.2 billion and $600 million through new and expanded credit facilities. Total warehouse capacity is $6.9 billion. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
GAAP leverage Source7.2x
Economic leverage Source5.6x

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Weighted average repo maturity shortened to 35 days, so funding is refinanced more frequently. Repurchase agreements were $81.9 billion at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Financial: Premium amortization depends on prepayment projections. The PAA was a $6.6 million cost in Q4, against $18.4 million in Q3, and projected long-term CPR was 10.8%. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.