Production of new non-agency MBS and non-mortgage ABS increased sharply in the first quarter of 2013, offsetting a slight decline in the agency MBS market. Total MBS and ABS issuance rose 2.9 percent from the fourth quarter of 2012 to $515.3 billion during the first three months of 2013, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS analysis and ranking. The first quarter of this year was up 19.7 percent from the same period in 2012, and it marked the strongest quarterly issuance since the third quarter of 2009. For a change, the increase did not come...[Includes two data charts]
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Fannie Mae’s long-awaited year-end 2012 earnings report revealed record-setting profit for the government-sponsored enterprise on both a quarterly and yearly basis, due in part to the company’s loan buyback resolution agreements with Bank of America and a single-family book of business that’s outgrowing its legacy losses. Fannie reported net income this week of $17.2 billion for 2012, compared to a net loss of $16.9 billion in 2011, while the company reported fourth quarter earnings of $7.6 billion. “We have taken a number of actions since 2009 to manage...[Includes one data chart]
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The Structured Finance Industry Group formed as a non-profit company about a month ago and is working to set up an infrastructure to compete with the American Securitization Forum. The group said its initial efforts will focus on hiring an executive director, advocacy and arrangements for an industry conference. The SFIG was formed by major securitization industry players frustrated with the governance of the ASF. While the SFIG has been careful not to publicly compare itself with the ASF, three of the SFIG’s four initial officers were previously board members of the ASF and the group shares a number of goals with the ASF. Reginald Imamura was named...
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The Treasury Market Practices Group announced last week that a margining recommendation for agency MBS initially set to be implemented in June will be delayed until the end of 2013. The provisions apply to primary dealers working with four broad categories of forward-settling agency MBS transactions as part of an effort to manage counterparty exposures. The implementation date was delayed in response to concerns from market participants. Timothy Cameron, managing director and head of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s asset management group, said buy-side participants need to negotiate agreements for each of their accounts, which can include thousands of documents. “It is clear many market participants will not be able...
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The International Accounting Standards Board has proposed an accounting treatment that would force holders of all but the most senior tranche of an MBS to account for those assets at fair value through net income – something that has the Mortgage Bankers Association expressing concern. The MBA generally supports the introduction of fair value through an “other comprehensive income” (OCI) classification for financial assets held within a business model in which assets are managed both in order to collect contractual cash flows and for possible sale, according to James Gross, vice president of financial accounting and public policy for the trade group. However, the MBA has...
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A white paper issued last week by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association recommends that a Securities and Exchange Commission mandated, but still nascent, automated securities monitoring system should and will eventually incorporate ABS and MBS products into its field of supervision. Last summer, the SEC approved a final rule requiring national securities exchanges, known as SROs, to establish a consolidated audit trail. The SEC rule requires securities exchanges and securities associations to submit to the SEC a plan to create a CAT system that will capture information regarding securities quotes and orders. In particular, the CAT system will have to track...
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