Seasonal factors slowed production of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac MBS during the fourth quarter, although the refi sector showed some resilience in cash-out transactions. [Includes three data charts.]

The Federal Housing Finance Agency proposed new standards Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must use to consider approving new credit-scoring models.

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.]

Participants in the MBS and ABS market took major steps toward addressing the end of the London Inter-bank Offered Rate. This week, the Structured Finance Industry Group released a draft of best practices for transitioning new issuance away from LIBOR, echoing similar moves by the Al-ternative Reference Rates Committee administered by the Federal Reserve and the New York Fed.

With many consumers shopping at brick-and-mortar stores this holiday season, mortgages on department stores and shopping malls that are included in commercial MBS will likely see good performance in the end of 2018, said DBRS. [Includes one data chart.]

The supply of single-family non-agency MBS continued to decline in the third quarter of 2018, but the sector may be nearing a turnaround point, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS analysis of outstanding mortgage securities. [Includes two data charts.]

Prices for seasoned performing whole loans declined slightly during the third quarter, according to MountainView Financial Solutions. The secondary market for performing/re-performing whole loans has been “extremely active” this year, according to the firm’s residential whole-loan trading desk and transaction advisory teams.

The average daily trading volume in agency MBS fell to $206.4 billion during November, the worst reading since August and the third lowest of the year, according to figures compiled by the Se-curities Industry and Financial Markets Association.

Deutsche Bank, asset managers and investors have agreed to settle their long-running dispute over the bank’s alleged failure to fulfill its obligations as trustee to more than 500 trusts backed by legacy residential MBS valued at more than $570 billion.