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.)

Most major investor categories increased their holdings of MBS during the fourth quarter, while the Fed continues to let its holdings slowly run off.

Banks, thrifts and credit unions ended the year with $3.551 trillion of unsecuritized home loans on their books, a gain of 0.8% from the third quarter.

NAR's settlement essentially eliminates the requirement for home sellers to pay a fee to the homebuyer's real estate agent.

Commercial banks posted a surprising increase in MBS holdings during the fourth quarter, while foreign investors, money managers, life insurers and credit unions also grew their portfolios. (Includes three data tables.)

The biggest growth in the mortgage market during the fourth quarter was in home equity loans. Ginnie Mae continued as drum major in the MBS market. (Includes three data tables.)

Earnings from mortgage banking declined by 60.2% among 14 publicly traded nonbanks in the fourth quarter.

Nonbanks saw a sharp decline in mortgage banking income in the fourth quarter, ending a challenging year with earnings down 38.5% from 2022.

Jumbo mortgages accounted for 14.7% of total first-lien originations in 2023, the lowest share for the sector since 2010.

The flow of refinance mortgages into agency MBS rose smartly from January to February. And year-to-date total issuance was up slightly from early 2023.