The ‘Mnuchin Effect’: GSE Common Shares Spike, Then Retreat Slightly
December 9, 2016
Although the common stock of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has been deemed near worthless by stock analysts (and others), the share price of the two has been on a tear of late thanks to comments made two weeks ago by investment banker Steven Mnuchin, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to head the Treasury Department. As Inside The GSEs went to press this week, Fannie common was trading at just $4.00 a share, Freddie at $3.90. And while that might not seem like much, it represents a stunning 166 percent gain since right before the November election. Mnuchin set the stocks in orbit when he said during a cable TV interview that resolving...