AGNC watched as volatility rocked the agency MBS market this month. The REIT counted on its cash and liquidity to avoid selling assets at a loss. Other REITs also survived unscathed.
During the early days of the pandemic, mortgage rates dropped, reducing the value of mortgage servicing rights. This month, while tariff-related volatility prompted spreads on agency MBS to widen, lenders selling loans were helped by rising rates, which increase the value of MSRs.