Two Harbors booked a nearly $200 million contingency liability after a court ruled that the REIT improperly ended a contract with its one-time external manager.

President Trump attempted to mollify concerns about the post-conservatorship guarantee of GSE MBS, but questions remain about the regulatory treatment of those securities and the TBA market.

Fannie Supers issuance was up sharply in the first quarter as the Fed finished restructuring its Fannie portfolio. Ginnie led the increase in agency REMIC production. (Includes two data tables.)

The Fed is allowing its holdings of agency MBS to run off and many other big players in the MBS market appear to be close to tapped out.

MBS trades slipped in April as markets digested the latest tariff and budget machinations of the Trump administration. MBS prices are going nowhere but MSR values continue to increase.

Participants in the agency MBS market said if the Trump administration wants to release the GSEs from conservatorship, it should be done in a way that preserves many of the functions currently provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The Trump White House wants the Fed to cut rates but with employment healthy and U.S. deficits growing larger, that’s not likely to happen. One casualty: MBS prices.

The Federal Reserve is allowing its MBS holdings to run off in a predictable manner; Ginnie provides more details on change to buydown policy; Cerberus affiliate issues securitization of closed-end second liens.

It’s not clear how the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s decision to cut the DEI and ESG programs at the GSEs will impact MBS issuance.

A surge in refinance activity — especially rate-term transactions — provided much of the fuel for April’s 16% increase in agency single-family MBS. So far, 2025 is running 14% ahead of last year’s pace. (Includes two data tables.)