“Securitization is the false god that failed us.” These are the words of Mark Calabria, the conservative economist whom the Trump administration nominated last week as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, replacing Mel Watt, whose term ends in January.
There are no surprises in the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s 2019 scorecard, which outlines its conservatorship priorities over the coming year for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and their joint venture Common Securitization Solutions. The report underscores goals dating from the FHFA’s 2014 strategic plan.
On Friday, just two days before the Congress recessed for the holidays, House Committee on Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, surprised industry observers by holding the long-delayed hearing on his pet project, “The Bipartisan Housing Finance Reform Act of 2018.”
DBRS continued to rank as the most active rating servicing in non-agency MBS as of the end of the third quarter, with S&P Global leading the industry in ABS ratings, according to a new ranking by Inside MBS & ABS. [Includes two data charts.]
Residential mortgage securitization rates edged higher in the third quarter of 2018 but remained below the peak levels set in the aftermath of the financial crisis. [Includes one data chart.]
Over the past two weeks, the whole-loan market has been rife with rumors that bond giant PIMCO is working on a massive securitization deal. And as usual, the company is tight-lipped about its plans.
The Department of Veteran Affairs’ interim final rule on cash-out refinancing appears to be a positive move for borrowers and investors, especially for higher coupon MBS but potential loopholes could seriously weaken it, analysts warned.
Issuers of auto ABS will likely continue to complete clean-up calls on seasoned transactions even in a rising interest-rate environment, according to S&P Global Ratings. The rating service said clean-up calls yield a positive impact for auto ABS issuers and investors.