New issuance of non-mortgage ABS increased in most major product categories during the second quarter of 2015, although a slowdown in floorplan deals dampened the party slightly. The ABS market generated $54.15 billion in new issuance during the second quarter, a gain of 5.8 percent from the first three months of 2015. It was the strongest new issuance figure since the financial market meltdown, with the previous high ($54.22 billion) coming in the third quarter of 2007. ABS issuance has climbed...[Includes two data tables]

A number of trade groups that represent firms involved in the securitization market are pushing for an appeal to be heard in a case that has significant implications for the MBS and ABS markets. A ruling in May by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Madden v. Midland Funding determined that nonbanks shouldn’t receive the federal preemption of state law that has been allotted to banks under the National Bank Act. “The outcome of the case would significantly impair...

Neither of the credit-rating industry’s perennial market leaders – Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service – managed to claim a top spot during the first quarter of 2015, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS ranking. Fitch Ratings ranked as the top player in rating the bigger non-mortgage ABS market. The company rated 43 ABS issued during the first quarter that represented 64.2 percent of total issuance by dollar amount. The company rated all eight credit-card ABS issued in early 2015, along with most of the student-loan deals. Fitch raised...[Includes two data tables]

Proposed credit card ABS disclosure requirements from the Securities and Exchange Commission could compromise commercially sensitive proprietary issuer information and prove too burdensome for issuers, according to the Structured Finance Industry Group. The industry group this week unveiled an alternative card ABS format that was endorsed by both its issuer and investor members. The three-part disclosure “would provide more information on more metrics” than either of two options proposed by the SEC. Last year, the SEC adopted...

Beginning June 15, rating services involved in MBS and ABS will be subject to increased disclosure standards from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Rating services expect to make a number of changes to comply with the final rule that was issued last August, with some concerns about the usefulness of the increased disclosures. The SEC is requiring nationally recognized statistical rating organizations to disclose rating histories, make changes to rating methodologies and disclose details on findings by third-party due diligence providers, among other issues. Moody’s Investors Service noted...

There is good news for investors in private student-loan ABS these days, according to the latest market intelligence from industry analysts. Student loan performance was healthy in the first quarter, and more growth is expected going forward. Continued strong performance trends were seen in repayment, delinquencies and charge-offs for private student loans through March 31, 2015, according to the semi-annual private student-loan performance report from MeasureOne, which was released earlier this week. Among the key findings, year-over-year delinquencies continued...

June 15 marks a new era for issuers and underwriters of MBS and ABS as a new rule from the Securities and Exchange Commission takes effect. For rated securities, even private placements, public disclosure of results from third-party due diligence reviews will be required before a deal is priced. Industry analysts suggest that the rule will prompt a number of changes in the market. “Many in-scope third-party due diligence services will have to be completed...

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority started publishing pricing data for a broad range of ABS this week in an effort to increase transparency. Industry participants suggest that the new disclosures will prompt a decrease in trading and have some impact on pricing. The ABS pricing details are available through the Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine and include deals issued as 144A private placements. “The dissemination of transaction information in ABS is...

Banks and thrifts held $155.55 billion of non-mortgage ABS on their books as of the end of March, a 2.3 percent decline from the previous quarter, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS analysis of call-report data. The first-quarter figures mark the fifth straight quarterly decline in bank ABS holdings, which peaked at $173.80 billion at the end of 2013. Bank ABS holdings were down 9.9 percent from the first quarter of last year. Almost every ABS category was...[Includes two data tables]

ABS issued in recent years have included a marked increase in the use of electronic contracts, particularly for prime auto deals. Industry analysts note that e-contracts can be treated similarly to physical contracts, though issuers must address concerns from investors, lenders and rating services. “The pace of e-contract adoption has increased, and some prime auto captives are believed by industry participants to be moving to 100 percent e-contract origination by the end of 2015,” DBRS said this week. “The adoption of e-contracts has also occurred across the ABS industry, with subprime auto and timeshare lenders beginning to use them for loan originations.” Use of e-contracts in the auto space has been boosted...