An increase in the conforming loan limit could impact subprime securities, analysts at Banc of America Securities cautioned in a recent report. "We expect that borrowers will endeavor to refinance newly eligible subprime into conforming loans," the investment house said in its December 12 industry update on market trends. "We conclude that subprime RMBS with significant concentrations of newly eligible [loans] should prepay more rapidly from January 2002."