Q: Thoughts on the results and special dividend?
5i Research Answer:
The special dividend is lower than last year's 75c but still a nice bonus for investors. The regular dividend was also raised, by 2%. EPS of 59c did miss estimates of 96c. Revenue fell 0.4% year over year but beat estimates. Mortgages under admin rose 6% to a record. The market was challenging, but with recent rate cuts FN is seeing improvement. Commercial originations still fell 17%, however. Nothing too exciting here, but we would still remain comfortable.