Financial Performance - Originations reached $67 billion, aligning with guidance[11] - Total revenue was $2825 million, with an adjusted revenue of $2919 million[11] - Total expenses decreased by approximately 2% compared to the first quarter of 2025[11] - The company experienced an adjusted net loss of $16 million and an adjusted EBITDA of $26 million[11] - Unrestricted cash stood at $409 million[15] Operational Highlights - Purchase mix increased to 63% of originations, up from 59% in the first quarter of 2025[12] - The servicing portfolio's unpaid principal balance (UPB) increased to $1175 billion[12] - Retention rate for loans sold was 62%[12] - The company's unit market share was 159 basis points, compared to 187 basis points in the first quarter of 2025[13] Outlook - Q3 2025 pull-through weighted rate lock volume is projected to be between $525 billion and $725 billion[40] - Q3 2025 origination volume is expected to be between $50 billion and $70 billion[40]

Company Overview - Better Home & Finance Holding Company is developing a next-generation AI mortgage platform aimed at simplifying and accelerating the mortgage process[11] - Mortgages originated with Better technology cost 43% less than the industry average[17] - The company's platform delivers a best-in-class experience with a 64 Net Promoter Score and a 4.1 out of 5 Trustpilot Score[21] Market Opportunity - The cumulative homeownership market size is estimated at $19+ trillion[19] - Home mortgages represent approximately 69% of total household debt[19] - Buyers pay fees to up to 10 intermediaries, accounting for ~10% of home price[21] Technology and Platform - The platform is powered by Tinman® AI, which enables faster rate quotes (3 seconds), pre-approvals (3 minutes), and loan closes (3 weeks)[21, 13] - The company's AI agent, Betsy, has led to a 3x increase in loan officer productivity[57] - The company retains loans on its balance sheet for approximately 26 days on average[30, 32] Financial Performance - In Q2 2025, the total mortgage revenue was $7886 thousand per fund[58] - In Q2 2025, the contribution margin per fund was $1064[58] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 2025 was $(26605) thousand, compared to $(23259) thousand in Q2 2024[79]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q2 was approximately $257 million, up 102% year-on-year, including fee revenue of approximately $241 million, which was up 84% year-on-year [28][30] - GAAP net income for Q2 was approximately positive $6 million, ahead of expectations, marking a return to profitability a quarter earlier than anticipated [31] - Adjusted EBITDA was $53 million, reflecting strong operating leverage [31] - Average loan size was approximately $7,570, which was 15% lower than the prior quarter due to model advancements driving higher approval rates for smaller loan amounts [29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Originations on the Upstart platform in Q2 reached $2.8 billion, the highest volume in three years [9] - The auto business grew 87% sequentially, while the home business grew 67% sequentially [9] - More than 10% of originations came from newer businesses, including small dollar loans, which grew 40% sequentially [9][12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Upstart Macro Index has been largely stable for several months, indicating no significant macro improvements or Fed rate decreases impacting growth [10] - The volume of loan transactions across the platform was approximately 373,000, up 159% from the prior year [29] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims for market share leadership in home and auto lending, with significant investments in these areas expected to yield fast growth and strong credit performance [17] - The strategy includes transitioning most funding for newer products off the balance sheet by 2025 [12][33] - The company is focused on creating a differentiated experience in home and auto lending, leveraging AI to reduce origination costs and improve consumer experience [72] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the ongoing growth of the core personal loan business, despite the scaling of new products [27] - The macro environment is expected to remain steady, with no significant changes anticipated in interest rates or labor market conditions [34] - The company plans to continue launching model enhancements to improve conversion rates and maintain robust take rates and contribution margins [34] Other Important Information - The company has made significant advancements in AI technology, with Model 22 improving separation accuracy by 17 percentage points [18] - Year-over-year population-adjusted delinquency rates are down 20%, and raw delinquency rates are down 32% due to servicing optimizations [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Discussion on ABS market and competitive pressure - Management noted that the ABS market is constructive, but the equity tranche market is opportunistic with buyers picking and choosing deals [39] - Increased competition is expected as funding markets improve, but the company remains focused on maintaining strong offers and growing market share [40] Question: Transition to external funding and balance sheet impact - Management indicated a timeline for transitioning to external funding between now and the end of the year, with expectations for the balance sheet to start releasing as new flows are secured [44] Question: Contribution margin improvement - The contribution margin improved due to a mix benefit from more core borrower segment loans and improved take rates driven by model enhancements [52] Question: Macro assumptions and guidance - Management expects a steady macro environment with no significant changes in interest rates or default rates, planning conservatively for the remainder of the year [55] Question: Average loan size and strategic shifts - The decrease in average loan size is strategic, reflecting rapid growth in the small dollar product, which is intended to increase the number of users on the platform [67] Question: Funding partners for new products - The company plans to secure a combination of bank and credit union partners for home and auto products, leveraging their familiarity with these offerings [77] Question: Conversion rate improvement and Walmart partnership - Management did not provide specific forecasts for conversion rates but noted that the Walmart partnership continues to be successful [82]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported strong financial results for the second quarter, with net interest income (NII) growth of 3.3% sequentially, driven by a net interest margin (NIM) expansion of five basis points [4][9] - Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was $0.92, reflecting a $0.15 or 19% improvement over the previous quarter [9] - Operating leverage improved by 500 basis points, with expenses broadly flat [4][9] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Private Bank experienced strong loan growth, adding $1.2 billion in loans, contributing $0.06 to EPS, up from $0.04 in the prior quarter [11][25] - Wealth and card fees increased significantly, with record levels achieved in the quarter [10][13] - Mortgage revenue growth was attributed to an improvement in mortgage servicing rights (MSR) valuation and seasonal production increases [10][14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted a favorable credit trend, with net charge-offs decreasing to 48 basis points from 51 basis points in the prior quarter [18] - Non-accrual loans decreased by 4% linked quarter, indicating improving credit quality [19] - The company maintained a strong capital position with a CET1 ratio of 10.6% and executed $200 million in stock buybacks during the quarter [11][22] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a multi-year initiative called "Reimagining the Bank," aimed at redesigning customer service and operational efficiency through new technologies like AI [6][23] - The strategic focus includes transforming the consumer bank, enhancing the commercial bank's positioning, and building a premier private bank and wealth franchise [22] - The company remains on track to achieve over 5% accretion to its bottom line and a return on equity (ROE) of over 20% in 2025 [6][25] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about economic conditions and market trends, anticipating favorable conditions for the second half of the year despite uncertainties around tariffs [7][8] - The company expects to maintain its full-year guidance for 2025, with a clear path to achieving its ROTCE target of 16% to 18% [27] - Management highlighted the importance of executing on strategic initiatives and controlling factors within their influence [8][22] Other Important Information - The company reported a strong pipeline for capital markets, expecting to record over $30 million in fees from delayed M&A deals in July [5][13] - The company is focused on optimizing its deposit funding, with a notable increase in non-interest-bearing deposits [17][66] - The allowance for credit losses was slightly down to 1.59%, reflecting an improving portfolio mix [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Loan growth in the quarter - Management noted that all three business segments (commercial, consumer, private bank) experienced net loan growth, with a constructive outlook for the second half of the year [34][35] Question: NIM expectations in a dovish Fed environment - Management indicated confidence in maintaining NIM expectations, with hedging strategies in place to protect against downside risks [54][56] Question: Strategy for the second half of the year - Management emphasized a focus on both growth and optimizing the deposit mix, with strong performance in low-cost deposits [64][66] Question: Capital strategy and rating agency considerations - Management discussed the importance of maintaining a conservative capital structure while being optimistic about future capital requirements [78][81] Question: Reimagining the Bank initiative - Management explained that this initiative aims to leverage new technologies and improve operational efficiency, with a dedicated team leading the effort [84][86]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported earnings available for distribution per share of $0.72, consistent with the prior quarter, driven by lower average repo rates of 4.56% compared to 4.93% in the previous quarter [18] - The book value per share was $19.02, reflecting a modest decline of less than 1% quarter over quarter [18] - The economic return for Q1 was 3%, with individual business segments contributing positively despite a challenging macro environment [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Agency portfolio saw a notional growth of $3.5 billion, driven by purchases of intermediate coupon TBAs [9] - The Residential Credit portfolio ended the quarter at $6.6 billion in market value, with a decrease of $340 million quarter over quarter due to opportunistic sales and increased securitizations [11] - The Mortgage Servicing Rights (MSR) portfolio remained relatively unchanged at $3.3 billion in market value, with $28 billion in principal balance settled during Q1 [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Economic leverage increased modestly to 5.7 turns, remaining at the low end of the historical range [6] - The housing market is showing signs of increased regional disparity, with some areas experiencing a modest reversal in home price appreciation trends [12] - Inventory levels have increased, with a year-over-year rise of 18%, impacting the spring selling season [58] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to maintain a conservative leverage approach amidst market volatility, balancing the opportunity to increase leverage with the risks associated with high volatility [38] - The focus remains on agency investments as spreads have cheapened, while also continuing to grow the OBX platform for loan acquisition and securitization [76] - The company is strategically aligned with industry-leading sub-servicing partners to enhance efficiency and technological investment in the mortgage industry [15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed concerns about the impact of U.S. trade policy on consumer and business confidence, which may affect economic growth [7] - Despite the uncertain outlook, the company believes its diversified and actively managed portfolio positions it well to perform across various economic scenarios [17] - The management remains optimistic about the housing market's long-term stability due to low delinquencies and tight underwriting standards, despite short-term pullbacks in certain regions [62] Other Important Information - The company increased its common stock dividend to $0.70 per share, underscoring earnings momentum [6] - The total assets available for financing increased to approximately $7.5 billion, reflecting enhanced liquidity [22] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on book value quarter to date - The book value was off roughly 3.5% as of Tuesday evening, improving from a 4.5% decline post-Easter [26] Question: Outlook for spreads and regulatory impacts - Swap spreads have tightened due to volatility, and regulatory reforms are anticipated to positively impact market conditions in the future [27][33] Question: Thoughts on leverage given current market conditions - The company is maintaining a conservative leverage approach due to high volatility, despite wider spreads suggesting a potential increase in risk [37][39] Question: Supply-demand dynamics in the agency portfolio - There was strong demand from fixed income funds and banks, but foreign demand, particularly from Asian accounts, remains limited [87][88] Question: Impact of housing price moderation on the market - Housing prices have increased significantly since 2019, but recent inventory increases may lead to short-term pullbacks in certain regions [58][62]