Company: RWT-PA
Filing Date: 2025-03-03
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000930236-25-000007
Chunk: 164

Company: REDWOOD TRUST INC
Filing Date: 2025-03-03
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 164
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2 through 2024 by terminating its program to purchase Agency MBS and by increasing the federal funds rate numerous times due to rising inflation and tight labor market conditions, among other reasons. In 2024, the Federal Reserve began to gradually loosen monetary policy, but more recently, in late 2024, the Federal Reserve has signaled that the pace of benchmark interest rate cuts may slow or be paused for as long as needed, until inflation and unemployment rates reach satisfactory levels. Although the Federal Reserve has indicated that additional rate increases may be unnecessary in the near-to-medium-term, the Federal Reserve could maintain rates at their current elevated levels for a prolonged period of time and could, at any time, decide to change course and increase the federal funds rate based on economic indicators or for any other reason. Increasing and sustained elevated rates have led to, and could continue to cause, a significant and sustained reduction in mortgage loan origination volumes, particularly the volume of mortgage refinancings, and the value of fixed-rate mortgage loans and securities we own. Sustained elevated rates or additional rate increases may further reduce loan volumes and asset values, and dampen or reverse home-price appreciation trends, which would have an adverse effect on our earnings, our business, and financial condition. 

When benchmark interest rates rise, one of the immediate potential impacts on our business is generally a reduction in the overall value of the pool of mortgage loans that we own and the overall value of the pipeline of mortgage loans that we have identified for origination or purchase. Elevated or rising benchmark interest rates also generally have a negative impact on the overall cost of short- and long-term borrowings we use to finance our acquisitions and holdings of mortgage loans and our business more broadly, including existing adjustable-rate borrowings and potential future borrowings. For example, as of December 31, 2024, we had $124 million in outstanding unsecured corporate debt maturing in 2025 that we may repay (all or in part) with the proceeds of new unsecured debt that has been or would be expected to be incurred at significantly higher interest rates than the maturing borrowings. Furthermore, declining values of mortgage loans may trigger a requirement to post additional margin (or collateral) to lenders to offset any associated decline in value of the mortgage loans we finance with short-term borrowings that are subject to market value-based margin calls. Most of the short-term borrowing facilities we use to finance our acquisitions and holdings of mortgage loans are uncommitted and all such short-term facilities have a limited term, which could