CMBS

Kroll Bond Ratings is set to publish its initial rating criteria and research for structured finance at the end of February, according to James Nadler, president and chief operating officer at the company.

In the aftermath of wholesale downgrades of RMBS by the ratings agencies, following the housing market downturn, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) decided to try a different approach.

A source of industry ruin became a surprisingly lucrative growth area for some big banks last quarter: commercial real estate (CRE).

Several new deals that have been in the works signal that the CMBS new-issue market might be picking up steam, according to Scott Buchta, head of investment strategy at Braver Stern Securities in an emailed note.

Fitch Ratings, in a recent report, updated the “Challenge Factors” (CFs) assigned to 36 emerging market countries in 2009.

A Canadian CMBS transaction called Institutional Mortgage Securities Canada Inc., Series 2011-1. is in the market. The eight-tranche transaction is managed by TD Securities.

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft hired Joseph Beach for its Charlotte office as special counsel in the capital markets department. His practice will focus on loan finance and securitization.

The American Securitization Forum (ASF) released its detailed agenda for its ASF 2011 conference that will be held in Orlando, Florida from Feb. 6-9.

The U.S. Treasury released details on the legacy securities public-private investment program (PPIP) capital activity.

Martin Fingerhut, previously a partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon's (Blakes) financial services group and chair of the law firm's structured finance group, is moving to Cassels Brock & Blackwell, another Canadian law firm based in Toronto. Fingerhut was hired as a senior partner and head of the firm's securitization group.