Catastrophe bond issuer Long Point Re III has issued a catastrophe bond worth $250 million, according to a release from GC Securities, which structured the deal. The shop was also a joint bookrunner with Swiss Re Capital Markets. BNP Paribas and Aon Benfield Securities acted as co-managers.

This could be the big week when Moody's Investors Service goes after the credit ratings of global capital market banks. On the chopping block are 17 global banks, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley.

Competition from jumbo loans and recent delays in key secondary market regulations are key hurdles holding back the long-awaited return of this secondary market, which is making some strides in other areas.

Fitch Ratings said today that it downgraded 150 RMBS, 58 Structured Credit, 23 ABS and three CMBS tranches related to 156 Spanish structured finance transactions.

Fannie Mae is moving closer to launching a pilot program to dispose of some of its nonperforming residential loans, according to industry advisors familiar with the GSE’s plans.

Walker & Dunlop announced today the acquisition of CW Capital LLC . The combination will create one of the largest commercial real estate lenders in the nation.

Moody's Investors Service said in a report this week that the growing gap in performance between stronger and weaker malls requires a closer look.

Fitch Ratings said today that a substantial rise in defaults would lead to incremental losses in privately funded student loan ABS pools.

The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday unanimously approved the release of a set of proposals that would raise banks' minimum capital requirement to 7%.

Mortgage investors, who have been complaining for months about the costs they will bear under the national servicing settlement, presented a list of proposed remedies at a congressional hearing Thursday.

The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) today published a consultation report on global developments in securitization regulation.

Garett Stoffels joined BGC Partners' real estate capital markets group as senior managing director and head of equity capital markets, the company said in press release today.