Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michael Barr plans to recommend retaining capital requirements for unrealized losses on MBS held in bank portfolios. This provision was in response to the 2023 banking crisis.
Cash-out transactions still account for most agency refinance activity, but August brought a surge of rate-term refis into agency MBS, with the biggest increase in the Ginnie Mae market. (Includes two data tables.)
The outlook for Fed action is largely positive for MBS investors, with interest rate volatility expected to decline. Still, rate cuts will introduce a risk that has been limited for years: prepayments.
A new Urban Institute paper called on policymakers to build on the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s recommendations to address liquidity vulnerabilities among nonbank Ginnie Mae issuers.
Ginnie issuers say cyber reporting standards are too onerous; SEC fines CLO manager; SEC fines rating services for inadequate recordkeeping; T-Mobile ABS sputters; DoubleLine reduces management fee.
Portfolio restructuring by the Federal Reserve accounted for about a third of new Fannie and Freddie Supers issuance in the second quarter, but volume is slowing down. (Includes two data tables.)