Online mortgage company Rocket to acquire Mr. Cooper in all-stock $9.4 billion deal

ROCKET Mortgage Fieldhouse^ in the heart of downtown Cleveland^ Ohio. Cleveland^ Ohio

The financial technology platform Rocket Companies — , which includes real estate, title and personal finance businesses, and mortgages under its umbrella — has acquired the mortgage company Mr. Cooper Group Inc. in an all-stock deal valued at $9.4 billion.  The acquisition of Mr. Cooper by Rocket creates an entity that will represent nearly 20% of all mortgages in the United States.

Per AP News: Rocket said Monday that the purchase of Mr. Cooper Group Inc. will create a business representing one in every six mortgages in the United States and give it almost 7 million additional clients. The deal will boost loan volumes, while lowering client acquisition costs; with Rocket stating in a press release that “it will bring its industry-leading mortgage recapture capabilities to a combined servicing book of $2.1 trillion across nearly 10 million clients, representing one in every six mortgages in America.”

The move comes just weeks after Rocket acquired real estate listing company Redfin in an all-stock deal worth $1.75 billion.. The acquisitions of Mr. Cooper and Redfin will allow Rocket to speed up its AI-powered platform “and remove the friction and complexities plaguing today’s homebuying process,” according to the release.

The combined company will see Mr. Cooper Group Chairperson and CEO Jay Bray become President and CEO of Rocket Mortgage, who will work under Rocket CEO Varun Krishna. Bray said in a statement: “By combining Mr. Cooper and Rocket, we will form the strongest mortgage company in the industry, offering an end-to-end homeownership experience backed by leading technology and grounded in customer care.”

Rocket shareholders will own approximately 75% of the combined company, while Mr. Cooper stockholders will own about 25%. The combined company’s board will have 11 members, with nine being from Rocket and two from Mr. Cooper.

Editorial credit: Adam McCullough / Shutterstock.com

See Adam Sandler in the new trailer for ‘Happy Gilmore 2’

Adam Sandler attends the 2nd Annual Cam For A Cause Gala. Hollywood CA USA - June 1^ 2023

Netflix dropped a teaser trailer for the highly anticipated sequel to Adam Sandler’s classic comedy Happy Gilmore, available on the streaming service beginning on July 25.

The newest trailer features Sandler and several other actors from the first movie reprising their roles — including Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin, Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit and Ben Stiller as Hal. The trailer also gives viewers a glimpse of Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio (otherwise known as musician Bad Bunny) who joins a cast which also includes Conor Sherry, Ethan Cutowsky, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Philip Fine Schneider, Blake Clark, and Sandler’s daughters, Sadie and Sunny.

In addition, real-life golfers including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and John Daly are featured, with other figures from the sports world confirmed (or rumored) to appear in the flick– including Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, former NFL running back Reggie Bush, WWE Superstar Becky Lynch and All Elite Wrestling star MJF.

An official description of the new film reads: “At the end of the original Happy Gilmore, Sandler’s titular character was finally at rest after a long, strenuous season of golf…He showed the golf snobs who’s boss, saved his grandmother’s house, and returned home at last.”

Happy Gilmore 2 arrives on Netflix July 25; see the trailer – HERE.

Editorial credit: Michael Mattes / Shutterstock.com

NBC renews Reba McEntire’s ‘Happy’s Place’ for Season 2

Reba McEntire at the NBCUniversal TCA Press Tour at the Langham Hotel on July 14^ 2024 in Pasadena^ CA

NBC has greenlit a second season for Reba McEntire’s Happy’s Place, which premiered in October 2024. The series was initially picked up for 13 episodes, but NBC ordered five additional scripts last fall for a total of 18 episodes last season.

Happy’s Place reunites some of the cast of McEntire’s popular “Reba” series, premiered on October 18th, garnering ten million viewers across NBC and Peacock.  The series airs on Fridays at 8 pm ET/PT on NBC or the next day on Peacock.

In the series, McEntire plays Bobbie, who inherits her late father’s tavern, Happy’s Place, and discovers that she has a new business partner in Isabella (Belissa Escobedo) — a twentysomething half-sister she never knew she had. Melissa Peterman, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk and McEntire’s boyfriend Rex Linn stars.

Former Reba executive producers Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis are returning alongside Julie Abbott and McEntire. The series was written by Kevin Abbott (the showrunner for Reba from 2002-2007).

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com