The coronavirus economic assistance package is signed, sealed and delivered but concerns remain over the ability of nonbanks to pay MBS holders in the event delinquencies spike over the short term.
A resumption in quantitative easing — at a pace that dwarfs asset purchases during the financial crisis — is just one of several Fed actions to keep credit markets functioning through the coronavirus crisis.
Federal forbearance on government backed mortgages is a panacea to deal with the economic fall-out caused by the novel coronavirus. But eventually there will be implications in the primary and secondary markets.
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.