Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported GAAP net income of $17.6 million, or $0.13 per fully converted common share, with distributable earnings of $26.7 million, or $0.22 per fully converted share [11] - Distributable earnings included $1.7 million of realized losses related to a REO sale, which adjusted the distributable earnings to $0.23 per fully converted share when excluding this loss [11] - Book value at quarter end was $14.29 per fully converted share, with a decrease attributed to dividend undercoverage and the NewPoint acquisition [11] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - NewPoint contributed $9.3 million to distributable earnings in its first full quarter, with a record volume of $2.2 billion in originations [6][13] - The core portfolio size declined slightly, ending the quarter at $4.4 billion across 147 loans, with multifamily assets making up 75% of the portfolio [18] - The company originated approximately $304 million in new loan commitments during the quarter, funding $196 million primarily in multifamily [6] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The CRE market is seeing a reset, with borrowers and lenders adjusting asset valuations, particularly outside of the office sector [18] - The average cost of debt on the core portfolio was SOFR +231 basis points, with net leverage at 2.55 times and recourse leverage at 0.84 times [14] - The company expects to return its core portfolio to a target size of at least $5 billion over the next few quarters [7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on integrating NewPoint, redeploying liquidity, and leveraging expanded capabilities to grow earnings and book value [10] - The integration of NewPoint is expected to generate $0.04 to $0.06 per fully converted share annually to earnings once the migration of loan servicing is complete [16] - The company is exploring additional investment opportunities outside of whole loans, including CMBS B-pieces and CRE CLO bond investments [19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management views the third quarter as transitional but believes it sets the stage for stronger results ahead [9] - The company is optimistic about the contribution from NewPoint growing over time, with expectations for it to be accretive to GAAP earnings and book value per share in the first half of 2026 [17] - Management noted that while the market is competitive, they continue to find attractive opportunities for risk-adjusted returns [19] Other Important Information - The company has resumed share repurchases, buying back 540,000 shares for approximately $6 million, with $25.6 million remaining on the buyback allocation [9] - The company sold two properties from its REO portfolio during the quarter and has more slated to close in Q4 [8] Q&A Session Summary Question: What led to the higher origination volumes and expectations for Q4? - Management indicated that they cultivated the balance sheet and converted loans from floating rates into CMBS products, leading to a strong Q4 outlook [29] Question: What should be expected regarding the compensation and benefits expense line item? - Management stated that expenses will trend with volume and will be variable, making it difficult to extrapolate from Q3 alone [32] Question: Are repayments expected to remain elevated in Q4? - Management expects repayments to be in line with previous quarters, noting variability as year-end approaches [38] Question: What is the target size for the core portfolio? - The company is targeting a stabilized portfolio size of between $5 billion and $5.5 billion [40] Question: Is the record quarter for NewPoint a sustainable run rate? - Management cautioned that while it was a great quarter, it may not be repeatable every quarter and advised looking at overall annual guidance [43]