Money managers added to their holdings of agency MBS for the sixth consecutive quarter as of the first quarter of 2024. That might be the peak in their investments in agency MBS, according to industry analysts.
Ginnie seeing strong demand from foreign investors; non-QM demand particularly strong in MBS market; McCargo lands at Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco; CMBS downgraded.
A proposal from FINRA to reduce the timeframe in which trades of MBS and ABS must be reported didn’t sit well with some industry participants, prompting the SEC to take a closer look at the proposal.
Agency MBS investors saw spreads widen in April due to volatility surrounding the Fed. Still, banks are showing demand for MBS and the market is poised for a boost, according to industry participants.
Two former members of the Fed’s board called for bank regulators to adjust capital requirements for MBS holdings to better account for interest rate risk.
Bank holding companies reported a solid 5.0% increase in agency MBS held in trading accounts during the fourth quarter. But non-agency MBS and non-mortgage ABS holdings were down. (Includes two data tables.)
The Fed could start cutting rates in June, according to projections by industry analysts. The Fed is also moving toward slowing the runoff of its holdings of Treasury securities and MBS.