Non-mortgage ABS production jumped sharply higher in the first quarter of 2015, with $50.08 billion of new issuance, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS analysis and ranking. First-quarter issuance was up 38.1 percent from the previous three-month period, although early 2015 was down 6.3 percent from a year ago. The two strongest segments of the market were vehicle finance ABS, which accounted for 46.7 percent of issuance during the first quarter, and business loan ABS, which chipped in another 30.9 percent of new production. Ford Motor Credit had...[Includes three data charts]

General Electric’s announcement that it will exit most of its financial services businesses is just over two weeks old, but already there are signs that one casualty could be the ABS market. According to reports from Barclays and others, GE’s decision to unload its commercial lending and leasing operation could result in lower issuance volume because GE Capital traditionally has funded these portfolios – estimated to be $74 billion in size – through ABS shelves. “As such, GE’s decision to sell the portfolio is...

Two new reports from Fitch Ratings, taken together, indicate a modest weakening in the collateral backing U.S. auto ABS deals is continuing, with perhaps a temporary reprieve thanks to short-term cash flow positives for consumers, mostly tax refunds and lower gasoline prices. Still, the overall outlook is positive. U.S. prime auto ABS collateral has been marginally weakening in the last few years, most recently because of amped-up competition among auto finance companies, Fitch said in a report out this week, based on transactions issued between 2007 and fourth-quarter 2014. “The quality of prime auto loan securitized pools was...

Mortgage and asset securitization started 2015 with improving issuance volume and a chance to reverse last year’s paltry output. A total of $335.1 billion of residential MBS and non-mortgage ABS were issued during the first three months of 2015, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS analysis. That was up 7.7 percent from the fourth quarter of 2014, and it was a big 34.3 percent jump from the first quarter of last year. The first quarter of 2014 was...[Includes two data charts]

In what could quickly become a “credit negative” for the subprime auto ABS sector, a top official from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau indicated last week that the agency is increasingly concerned about the sector and will crack down on practices deemed too risky for consumers. CFPB Deputy Director Steven Antonakes, in a speech before the Consumer Bankers Association, identified a loosening of credit in the subprime auto loan market as one of the emerging risks the bureau is paying close attention to. “From our standpoint, it is...

Concerns about how borrowers will be impacted by a change in servicers go beyond mortgages in non-agency MBS. Analysts at Moody’s Investors Service warn that the decentralized servicing models used for consumer loan ABS issued by Springleaf Holdings and OneMain Financial face significant risks in the event that servicing needs to be transferred. Both Springleaf and OneMain originate consumer loans at local branches, where they conduct certain servicing operations and collections. The decentralized model can help boost originations and loan performance, though there are risks for investors in consumer ABS with decentralized servicing. “As long as the originator maintains the customer relationship and local presence, this ‘high-touch’ model can help...

Commercial banks and thrifts reported another decline in their ABS holdings during the fourth quarter of 2014, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS analysis of call-report data. In aggregate, banks and thrifts held $159.22 billion of ABS in their held-to-maturity and available-for-sale retained portfolios as of the end of last year. That was the industry’s lowest level of ABS investment since the middle of 2012, and it represented a 3.1 percent drop from a revised third-quarter total of $164.35 billion. The biggest component in the aggregate portfolio was...[Includes two data charts]

What started as an alternative to investing in certificates of deposit has attracted interest from institutional investors and even some ABS issuance. Marketplace lending, also known as peer-to-peer lending, has strong growth prospects, according to industry analysts. Eric Rapp, a senior vice president at DBRS, estimated that $9.0 billion in marketplace loans were originated in 2014, including personal loans and financing for small business, students and real estate. “It’s still relatively small, but it’s got a fast growth trend,” he said late last week during a teleconference hosted by DBRS. Rapp said...

Industry participants and staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission continue to work on compliance with pending requirements regarding due diligence, Regulation AB and risk retention. Last week, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants released interpretations regarding how accountants can comply with due-diligence disclosure requirements that are set to take effect June 15. MBS and ABS issued after that date that receive a rating will be required to disclose certain details about due diligence completed by third parties. Accountants have raised...

The European Commission last week requested comments on a framework for simple, transparent and standardized securitization that would apply to issuance in the European Union. A number of other non-U.S. regulators are considering similar proposals, prompting MBS and ABS participants in the U.S. to call for coordination among international regulators. The EC said its priority is to create a sustainable market for high-quality securitization without repeating the mistakes made before the financial crisis. “A high-quality EU securitization framework will promote further integration of EU financial markets, help diversify funding sources and unlock capital, making it easier for banks to lend to households and businesses,” the EC said. The European regulator stressed...