Investor demand for non-QMs plummeted in recent weeks due to fallout from the coronavirus. Some non-QM lenders have stopped originating loans and others are repricing their products.
Thanks to the spread of the coronavirus, markets became unglued this week as stock prices plummeted. Meanwhile, Treasury yields fell while mortgage rates actually increased. Confused? Welcome to the club.
Issuance of non-agency MBS and ABS is still being completed, but at a slower pace. Spreads have widened for new deals along with trading in the secondary market.
Since the financial crisis, the Fed’s main policy tool has been to lower interest rates by purchasing Treasuries and agency MBS. However, with rates on these securities at record lows, this strategy may no longer work.
Coronavirus-related risks for certain industries represent a significant danger to the U.S. collateralized loan obligations market, but diversification and liquidity buffers may help absorb the immediate impact.