When times turn tough, some mortgage REITs start cutting the dividends they pay shareholders, but not all. Meanwhile, book values are getting slammed. A time to buy these equities or sit on the sidelines?

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell insisted the FOMC has no plans to slow the runoff of agency MBS from its balance sheet.

HUD IG launches inquiry into Ginnie’s handling of Reverse Mortgage Funding’s bankruptcy; DBRS revises rating criteria for commercial MBS; WeWork exposure in commercial MBS; another record profit for Farmer Mac; ETF targets newer agency MBS.

Mortgage rates at the end of October were at their highest level since 2000, and agency MBS issuance fell 10%. It’s looking like a replay of the nosedive at the end of last year. (Includes two data tables.)

Spreads on agency MBS widened during the third quarter, leading to a decline in values for agency MBS holdings. Still, investors stress that agency MBS is an attractive investment option.

A 25-member bipartisan House group has called on the SEC to revise its proposed rule on conflicts of interest in the securitization market. The lawmakers said the SEC, in making the rule, went well beyond what was required by the Dodd-Frank Act.

An increase in net expenses in the third quarter cut profits at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac despite an uptick in revenue for the quarter. (Includes data table.)

Attendance at the ABS East conference hit a record this week even as industry participants are anticipating a recession. Parts of the ABS market are offering investors better returns than corporate debt.

Nearly 90% of loan liquidations in Ginnie MBS resulted from borrower payoffs in the third quarter, with most of them linked to MBS issued in 2020 and 2021.

Bank demand for agency MBS is weak, leading to wider spreads and losses on MBS holdings for some. Banks are also reducing their lending activity, providing an opening for nonbanks.