New agency issuance of single-family MBS declined in October as a result of a slowdown in the purchase-mortgage market, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS analysis and ranking. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae issued a total of $107.19 billion of single-family MBS last month, a 5.6 percent slip from September’s volume. The flow of purchase mortgages securitized by the three agencies was down 9.6 percent for the month, while refinance volume was up 2.6 percent in October. Some of the strength in refi activity is...[Includes two data tables]

When it comes to trading in agency MBS, Deutsche Bank is heading for the exits as a lack of volume in a once-thriving profit center continues to head south. Granted, Deutsche’s departure from the space is part of a huge worldwide restructuring at the German-based bank, but with MBS trading volume falling to a 13-year low last year – and not looking much better this year – the decision was likely an easy one. Chris Whalen, senior managing director at Kroll Bond Rating Agency, said...

The Structured Finance Industry Group and Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association plan to file a “friend of the court” brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in support of a defendant in a case affecting consumer ABS – the severity of which is a matter of debate. In the case of Madden v. Midland Funding, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals back in May determined that a debt buyer who purchased defaulted credit card accounts from a national bank is not entitled to collect interest under the National Bank Act at the rate set in the cardholder agreement. About a month later, SFIG and SIFMA filed...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continued to reduce their retained mortgage portfolios during the third quarter by a combined $35.2 billion, a period in which Fannie reported a $2.2 billion gain in earnings while Freddie suffered a $475 million loss. Freddie Mac noted that its investments in less liquid assets were $114.2 billion at the end of the quarter, down 8 percent or $10.1 billion from the second quarter. The government-sponsored enterprise attributed this to its ongoing portfolio liquidation and the sales of $3.4 billion of non-agency MBS. Freddie also securitized $4.0 billion of single-family re-performing and modified loans. Since being placed in conservatorship, Fannie and Freddie have been...[Includes one data table]

Bank of America has disclosed a $335 million settlement with a Pennsylvania public school pension fund, ending a four-year class-action lawsuit brought by shareholders. BofA made the disclosure without much detail in its 10-K filing. According to the bank, the $335 million, which will be used to settle multiple claims, was fully accrued as of June 30, 2015. A bank spokesman declined to comment on the settlement. Shareholders led...

A rule proposed late last month to impose margin requirements in the single-family “to-be-announced” market would draw in the multifamily housing finance programs of Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae, according to industry trade groups. At issue is SR-FINRA-2015-036, a proposal to amend Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Rule 4210 margin requirements for TBA transactions, including adjustable-rate mortgage transactions, specified pool transactions, and transactions in collateralized mortgage obligations, issued in conformity with a program of an agency or government-sponsored enterprise, with forward settlement dates. In a letter last week to the Securities and Exchange Commission, more than a dozen industry groups expressed...

Overly conservative accounting, subpar servicing, lack of claims data and a desire to protect taxpayers from mortgage-related losses contributed to the material flaws in Ginnie Mae’s FY 2014 financial statements. Ginnie Mae is working to implement a recommendation by the Department of Housing and Urban Development inspector general to use generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in restating its 2014 financial statement and adjusting affected prior-year financials, according to Ted Tozer, president of the agency. Tozer noted...

Now that rates are rising, one might expect Freddie to have a blow-out quarter in 4Q. Will Rep. Garrett issue a statement in February congratulating the GSE on a great job?

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae both reported third quarter earnings this week but the numbers were in stark contrast to one another. Freddie announced a $475 million loss and set off a firestorm of reaction surrounding a possible Treasury draw when its reserves decline to zero. Two days later, Fannie posted net earnings of $2.2 billion for the third quarter. Freddie pointed to losses on derivatives used to hedge the company’s interest rate risk as the reason for its first loss in four years. In addition to falling interest rates, Freddie marked down its investment in derivatives by $4.17 million. Don Layton, Freddie’s CEO, noted that earnings volatility “stems from our usage of derivatives to...

The House approved an amendment to remove an extension of higher guaranty fees for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with strong bipartisan support. The Neugebauer-Huizenga amendment to H.R. 22, introduced by Reps. Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas, and Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., was adopted by the House on Nov. 5. About 30 industry trade groups, including lenders and builders, rallied behind the effort and sent a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan, R-WI, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, earlier this week urging that the g-fee extensions be removed. Without the amendment, a 10 basis point surcharge on Fannie and Freddie g-fees that went into effect in 2012 could have ended up...