Favorable regulatory treatment for the covered bond sector in Europe has spurred its growth. said panelists at the Global ABS 2011 conference held this week in Brussels.

While bankers are busy protesting planned additions to the pending Basel III capital regime, regulators are still arguing over the current Basel II standards.

J.G. Wentworth has completed a $265 million securitization of payment rights under structured settlement and fixed-annuity purchase contracts.

Buysiders speaking at an investor roundtable panel said that understanding ABS collateral is key to structured finance recovery.

Despite the overall struggles and uncertainty of the mortgage industry in recent years, mortgage real estate investment trusts (REITs) enjoy a unique advantage over both banks and other non-bank entities, according to a report by Morrison Foerster.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has hired Christopher C. Haspel away from the Government National Mortgage Association, giving him a top slot at the new agency, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported mortgage applications rose 13% in the week ending June 10 as the average 30-year fixed contract rate eased three basis points to 4.51%. This is the lowest level since last November.

Recent data on macroeconomic forces in the market, such as lower than anticipated GDP and consumer confidence, have and will continue to play a large part in redefining expected future growth in commercial real estate, said panelists speaking at the CRE Finance Council's (CREFC) annual June convention in New York City.

At one of the panels at the Global ABS 2011 conference being held in Brussels this week, participants discussed the new data disclosure requirements from the European Central Bank (ECB).

There remains value in certain European ABS sectors despite their risk profile, said panelists at the Association for Financial Markets in Europe’s (AFME) and the Information Management Network’s Global ABS 2011 conference being held in Brussels this week.

The mood at the Association for Financial Markets in Europe’s (AFME) and the Information Management Network’s Global ABS 2011 was upbeat, although still marked by the uncertainty that the lack of regulatory clarity brings.

Ambac Financial Group has appointed Diana Adams as its new president and CEO, replacing David Wallis who will retire July 6. Adams will also assume Wallis's responsibilities as director of bond insurer Ambac Assurance Corp.