Mortgage application activity was mixed in the week ending Oct. 26 with refinancings lower and purchases higher.

Iconix Brand Group plans to launch a new $1.1 billion securitized financing program, the company said today.

FHA lenders stuck to their bread and butter product, originating $124.5 billion of purchase money loans in fiscal year 2012 with nearly 78% going to first-time homebuyers.

The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) recommended that fixed-income markets be open tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 31, for the trading of U.S. dollar-denominated fixed-income securities in the U.S., according to a statement published on the association’s Web site.

Downgraded European sovereigns saw ratings on their covered bonds lowered at levels ten times higher than those from more stable European sovereigns, according to a Moody's Investors Service special comment published today.

Travelers Capital Corporation has arranged long term non-recourse financing for the acquisition of the Raging River hydroelectric power facility on North Vancouver Island, for Aquila Infrastructure Management.

Interactive Mortgage Advisors is sending out for auction a $370 million package of servicing rights backed by Ginnie Mae loans.

Both large and small banks protested a June proposal that would implement the Basel III accord by forcing financial institutions to hold more and higher-quality capital.

Oliver Wyman's valuations of the troubled RMBS and CLOs held by Spanish banksprovide a benchmark on what sort of losses securitised transactions face, said analysts at the Royal Bank of Scotland.

However, the government housing programs have limited credit implications in terms of French RMBS and covered bonds, Moody's Investors Service said.

S&P downgraded 242 ratings during 3Q12, for a 1.9 upgrade-to-downgrade ratio, dropping from the record ratio of 3.3 in 2Q12.

Hurricane Sandy is likely to affect coastal and some inland regions of several states, but analysts at Standard & Poor's said today that it was still too early to gauge the effects on residential and commercial real estate.