Annaly(US:NLY) ZACKSยท2025-06-20 15:56Core Insights - Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NLY) is significantly impacted by mortgage rates, which have recently declined, with the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6.81% as of June 18, 2025, down from 6.87% a year ago [1] Group 1: Mortgage Rates and Demand - Lower mortgage rates are expected to improve housing affordability challenges, leading to increased loan demand [2] - The decline in mortgage rates is anticipated to enhance purchase originations and refinancing activities, which will likely improve NLY's book value as spreads in the Agency market tighten [3] Group 2: Financial Performance - Annaly's net interest income (NII) rose to $219.9 million in Q1 2025, a significant recovery from a negative NII of $6.45 million in the same quarter the previous year, aided by the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts of 100 basis points in 2024 [4] - The upward trend in NII is expected to ease earnings pressure for Annaly, thereby supporting the company's overall performance [4] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - AGNC Investment's NII also reflects the influence of mortgage rates, with a reported NII of $159 million compared to a negative NII of $30 million in the prior-year quarter, indicating a potential reduction in operational challenges [5] - Arbor Realty Trust (ABR) experienced a 27.2% year-over-year decline in NII to $75.4 million in Q1 2025, but is expected to benefit from lower mortgage rates, which may ease earnings pressure [6] Group 4: Stock Performance and Valuation - NLY shares have increased by 9.6% over the past year, outperforming the industry growth of 4.5% [7] - Annaly's forward price-to-tangible book (P/TB) ratio stands at 0.98X, slightly above the industry average of 0.96X [10] Group 5: Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NLY's 2025 earnings indicates a year-over-year increase of 6.3%, with a further growth expectation of 1.4% for 2026, reflecting upward revisions in estimates over the past 60 days [12]