After having initially been brushed off as unnecessary, a pilot program that allowed Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to help finance single-family rental activity is now being hailed a success.

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.]

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.]

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.

The fundamentals of non-mortgage ABS will remain relatively strong in 2019, with $249 billion in issuance compared with what’s expected to be a post-crisis high of $245 billion at the end of this year, according to a recent forecast by Kroll Bond Rating Agency.

Prepayment speeds for recently issued Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac MBS in the to-be-announced market were closely aligned during the third quarter, according to a new report from the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Despite a robust economy, retailers are still floundering in a shifting business environment. Recent bankruptcy filings and store closures by retailers are posing risks to certain commercial MBS, according to several reports.