UWM Holdings Corp. (UWM) escalated its pursuit of Two Harbors Investment Corp. on Monday, lifting its unsolicited bid to $12.50 per share in cash, according to a report from HousingWire. The revised proposal also offers an all-stock alternative of 2.3328 shares of UWMC stock for each Two Harbors share, toppings a previous offer and directly challenging a competing deal with CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM).
The move intensifies a bidding war for Two Harbors, a real estate investment trust (REIT) active in the mortgage servicing rights and agency mortgage-backed securities markets. UWM, a wholesale mortgage lender, has been seeking to block the REIT's pending merger with CCM, which was announced earlier this year.
Under the terms of UWM's latest proposal, Two Harbors shareholders would receive either cash or UWM stock, a structure designed to provide flexibility. HousingWire reported that UWM's offer represents a premium over CCM's competing bid, though specific details of the CCM deal were not disclosed in the source material.
Two Harbors has not yet publicly responded to the increased offer, leaving the board to weigh the competing proposals. The REIT's merger agreement with CCM may include termination fees or other provisions that could complicate a switch to UWM's bid.
The battle underscores ongoing consolidation in the mortgage and real estate finance sector, as firms jockey for scale and access to servicing portfolios amid changing interest rate conditions. Any deal would require regulatory approval and a vote by Two Harbors shareholders.