AGNC watched as volatility rocked the agency MBS market this month. The REIT counted on its cash and liquidity to avoid selling assets at a loss. Other REITs also survived unscathed.
During the early days of the pandemic, mortgage rates dropped, reducing the value of mortgage servicing rights. This month, while tariff-related volatility prompted spreads on agency MBS to widen, lenders selling loans were helped by rising rates, which increase the value of MSRs.
Rocket is set to acquire Mr. Cooper, the second-largest servicer of loans in agency MBS. Rocket, which has a significantly high recapture rate, plans to boost retention efforts on Mr. Cooper’s portfolio.
GSE watchers believe that, to appropriately compensate the taxpayer for their government guarantee, Fannie and Freddie would have to pay a commitment fee as high as $46 billion a year.
Housing finance aficionados like the prospect of a GSE exit from conservatorship that includes the retention of the Treasury’s PSPA, especially if done in conjunction with a sovereign wealth fund.
Fed reduces redemption cap for Treasury securities, allows agency MBS runoff to proceed; Annaly to issue securitization with HELOCs; non-agency MBS term financing transaction from PIMCO.
Three former CEOs of the GSEs this week debated the impact of federal conservatorship, what steps must be taken to safely end the oversight and what the GSEs should look like afterwards.
Bank holding companies sharply reduced their trading-account holdings of MBS and ABS in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase and Citi recorded significant declines. (Includes two data tables.)
RSS