Bond investing giant Pacific Investment Management Co. once again has its ears open for potential acquisitions in the residential finance space, including mortgage franchises or “assets,” according to investment bankers and sources close to the company. These officials, who spoke under the condition their names not be used, identified a handful of acquisitions that have been presented to PIMCO, including a nonbank based in the Charlotte, NC, area. As Inside Mortgage Finance went to press this week PIMCO – and the target acquisition – could not be reached for comment. As a technical matter, the investments are being made...

Some of the most well-known names in mortgage lending and servicing continue to deal with a variety of regulatory crackdowns and judicial disputes, some of which stem from the 2008 mortgage market collapse. In Massachusetts, HSBC has agreed to pay $4.1 million to resolve allegations that it violated state consumer protection laws by receiving commissions and other kickbacks from insurer Assurant Inc. relating to force-placed insurance policies that it procured for struggling homeowners in the state. Under the terms of the settlement, HSBC will provide...

At the ABS Vegas conference the deal agent concept was touted by Monique Rollins, deputy assistant secretary at the Treasury Department, as a significant structural reform for the non-agency MBS market.

Freddie and Fannie both posted earnings north of $2 billion for the fourth quarter. But Freddie posted a net loss of $475 million in the third quarter of last year after booking a stunning $4.17 billion charge on its derivatives.

The inability of Fannie and Freddie to build capital is a huge issue, Stevens said.

One analyst told IMFnews: “I don’t stay up until four a.m., trying to figure out Ocwen anymore.”

In the new “Mortgage Professional’s Handbook,” residential finance technology expert Jeff Lebowitz predicts the industry “is about to exit its Victorian era of technology use."

Ocwen continues to face regulatory issues, including constraints on growth via acquisitions. However, Fitch recently upgraded a number of the firm’s servicer ratings from a level 4 to a level 3-minus with a “stable” outlook.

As IMFnews went to press Monday, investors were once again punishing the stock, with shares trading down 20 percent on the day to $4.95. Its all-time high is $60 a share.

Ditech increased its servicing portfolio to $266.7 billion from $265.4 billion in 3Q, and said it is pursuing “potential business opportunities,” including plans to pursue more subservicing contracts.