The Fed is allowing its holdings of agency MBS to run off and many other big players in the MBS market appear to be close to tapped out.

Banks reported that just over half of their long-term investment in residential MBS was classified as available-for-sale. Overall holdings were up, particularly Ginnie MBS. (Includes two data tables.)

Participants in the agency MBS market said if the Trump administration wants to release the GSEs from conservatorship, it should be done in a way that preserves many of the functions currently provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The Federal Reserve is allowing its MBS holdings to run off in a predictable manner; Ginnie provides more details on change to buydown policy; Cerberus affiliate issues securitization of closed-end second liens.

Portfolio holdings at the government-sponsored enterprises declined across the board during the first quarter of 2025. On an annual basis, Fannie Mae increased its holdings of MBS while Freddie Mac’s mortgage holdings increased. (Includes data table.)

It’s not clear how the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s decision to cut the DEI and ESG programs at the GSEs will impact MBS issuance.

The Trump administration appears unlikely in the near-term to work on ending the conservatorships of the GSEs. And any potential moves will aim to limit disruptions in the mortgage market, according to officials in the administration.

Uncertainty on movements by the Fed has prompted sharp swings in the value of agency MBS as well as in the prices of hedges commonly used by REITs.

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.