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CYS

CYS Investments, Inc.

6/18/2013, 7:27 PM ET

Quote & Headlines Market Currents StockTalk

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Thursday, June 13, 3:39 PM Mortgage REIT (REM +4.1%) rallies are accelerating as the day draws to a close. Sector giants Annaly (NLY +4.7%), American Capital Agency (AGNC +4.2%) are closing in on 5% gains, while CYS Investment (CYS +6.2%) and Western Mortgage (WMC +7.1%) are threatening 7%. Did everybody realize all at once that higher long end rates combined with ZIRP should allow mREIT managers to invest at very profitable spreads? 30 Comments [Financials]
Tuesday, June 11, 6:28 AM After another ugly day for the mREIT sector sector (REM -1%), CYS Investments (CYS) gives the sellers something to think about, hiking its quarterly dividend to $0.34/share from $0.32. Shares rose 3.6% in AH trade. Should the dividend be sustained (there's good reason to think it won't be) American Capital Agency's 2.9% decline yesterday leaves it yielding north of 20%. The shares hit a 4-year price low. 14 Comments [Financials]
Monday, June 10, 5:30 PM After-hours top gainers, as of 5:15 p.m.: BEAT +36%. CTRX +14%. CYS +3%. KNDI +3%. GME +3%.
After-hours top losers: LULU -11%. ASTX -6%. XTEX -4%. COCO -4%. PBY -3%. 1 Comment [On the Move]
Monday, June 10, 5:29 PM CYS Investments (CYS) declares $0.34/share quarterly dividend. Forward yield 13.3% For shareholders of record June 25.Payable July 17. Ex-div date June 21. (PR) Comment! [Dividends]
Friday, June 7, 3:09 PM "I would not overestimate retail investors' knowledge of how this business works," says Scott Ulm, co-CEO of Armour Residential (ARR -1.3%). Income fans love mREITs (MORT -1.3%) but can suffer quick losses as rates rise. "We believe mREITs are not appropriate for most individual investors," says Edward Jones' Kate Warne, warning brokers to steer clients away from the sector. Ulm remains hopeful: "As bonds become cheaper, reinvestment becomes more profitable." Beneath a big rally for the averages, the sector is hit again today: American Capital (AGNC -2.6%), (MTGE -1.2%), Annaly (NLY -1.9%), Two Harbors (TWO -0.9%), Hatteras (HTS -1.9%), CYS (CYS -2.8%), Anworth (ANH -0.9%). 44 Comments [Financials, On the Move]
Friday, June 7, 10:26 AM "I would not overestimate retail investors' knowledge of how this business works," says Armour Residential (ARR) co-CEO Scott Ulm. Income players love mREITs (MORT), but when rates rise, losses come quick. "We believe mREITs are not appropriate for most individual investors," writes Edward Jones' Kate Warne as the brokerage warns its 12K advisors to steer clients clear. Ulm remains hopeful: "As bonds become cheaper, reinvestment becomes more profitable." With rates up today, the sector is lower again: Annaly (NLY -0.8%), American Capital (AGNC -2%), CYS (CYS -1.1%), Western Asset (WMC -0.6%), Invesco (IVR -0.6%), Hatteras (HTS -0.8%). Comment! [Financials]
Thursday, June 6, 4:28 PM With interest rate fears subsiding until at least 8:30 tomorrow morning, mREITs (MORT +1.9%) get a breather. Leading higher were American Capital (AGNC +3.4%), (MTGE +1.1%), Chimera (CIM +2.7%), Hatteras (HTS +2.4%), CYS Investments (CYS +1.9%), Javelin (JMI +4.7%), and Annaly (NLY +1.9%). One theme from conference presentations this week: Most have taken advantage of widening spreads to buy - if rates come in, they're set to profit. 11 Comments [Financials, On the Move]
Tuesday, June 4, 9:28 AM More from CYS Investments at KBW (previous): The speed (page 9) with which mortgage rates have increased in unlike anything seen even during the financial crisis, says CEO Kevin Grant. He muses over whether Bernanke's May testimony (taper) was confused messaging or an intentional market test. The punishment inflicted on mREITs (MORT) is well-known, but don't forget: Refinance activity will crater - gain on sale windfall to banks may be over, home affordability is now diminished, banks will be pushed to Treasurys over credit risk as the ROE on government paper is now improved. Grant's talk (webcast) is one all mREIT investors will value. 25 Comments [Financials]
Tuesday, June 4, 9:19 AM What the Fed doesn't understand because it's made up of academics, says CYS Investments CEO Kevin Grant - presenting at KBW (presentation) - is the 30-year mortgage market is a forward market, i.e. there's no such thing as a slow adjustment, changes are priced in immediately. 30-year MBS are now priced for Operation Taper, he says, noting the large decline in 30-year vs. 15-year paper. CYS is loving it, picking up assets at spreads it couldn't have hoped to achieve previously. 1 Comment [Financials]
Friday, May 31, 12:59 PM Renewed selling hits mREITs (MORT -1.2%) as Treasury yields turn decidedly higher, TLT -0.8%. Getting the worst of it today is Ellington Financial (EFC -3.3%) - a partnership, not a REIT; it's more trading shop, but still leveraged to credit and interest rates. It's recently IPOd mortgage REIT counterpart EARN -1.1%. Also notably lower is CYS Investments (CYS -2.6%), American Capital (AGNC -1.8%), (MTGE -1.5%), Annaly (NLY -1.3%), and Armour Residentail (ARR -1.3%). 15 Comments [Financials, On the Move]
Thursday, May 23, 3:01 PM Agency MBS fail to bounce from the "massive liquidation" following Bernanke's testimony yesterday, according to CIBC's Tom Tucci. Suggestions of a tapering of Fed purchases sent Fannie Mae MBS with 3% coupons to their lowest levels of the year. "Right now it seems the only source of demand is the Fed," says BAML's Brad Scott. Unsurprisingly, pure agency mREITs like AGNC and ARR hit 52-week lows today. Annaly (NLY) - now diversified into the commercial space with the CXS purchase - outperforms. 13 Comments [Financials]
Wednesday, May 15, 10:05 AM The mortgage REIT sector (MORT -1%) continues under pressure, today led by Western Asset Mortgage (WMC -7.6%) as its book value blew up in Q1 thanks to portfolio losses. American Capital Agency (AGNC -1.5%) - which started the downturn when it reported losses 2 weeks ago - nears a 52-week low, Armour Residential (ARR -3.1%) hits one. One trader suggests Capstead Mortgage (CMO -1.4%) with a portfolio of mostly reset ARMs the least affected by rising rates. CYS Investments (CYS -0.7%) - trading at a 10% discount to book and also owning ARMs - is attractive as well. 18 Comments [Financials, Quick Ideas]
Monday, May 13, 12:48 PM Ben Bernanke will likely retire early next year, says CYS Investments (CYS -1.6%), presenting at JMP, with no one emerging to supplant Janet Yellen as next Fed chief. Bernanke is an open book, they say, but while Yellen is thought to be quite dovish, she may prove to be more of a pendulum. Importantly, 2 hawks are rotating onto the FOMC voting role next year - not necessarily changing policy, but certain to create "more noise." 1 Comment [Financials]
Monday, May 6, 9:50 AM More sell-side on the mREITS (MORT): Maxim keeps a Buy with $33 PT on AGNC expecting the annual dividend to be maintained at $5/share thanks to $1.08 of undistributed taxable income in the kitty (KBW agrees). Jefferies is cautious, calling AGNC's Q1 tale an example of how even a well-run mREIT can run afoul. "Price and extension risk inherent in agency MBS (NLY, HTS, CYS, CMO, ANH, ARR, WMC) today are risks most investors underestimate." 10 Comments [Financials]
Monday, May 6, 9:17 AM American Capital Agency (AGNC) and CYS Investments are downgraded to Hold at Nomura following AGNC's ugly Q1 (CYS also had a substantial decline in BV during Q1). Analyst Bill Carcache notes "mortgage market dynamics are increasingly volatile and unpredictable," with AGNC in double-trouble thanks to complacency about prepayment risk. AGNC +0.9%, CYS -0.7% premarket. 4 Comments [Financials]
Friday, May 3, 7:25 AM A check of some other mortgage REITs premarket after AGNC reported a big loss in Q1: NLY -1%, IVR -0.4%, HTS -0.7%, CYS -0.7%, MFA -0.3%, CMO -2.3%, DX -1.8%, WMC -3.3%.
3 Comments [Financials, On the Move]