Finance

Moody's Investors Service said in a report that the Bank of America settlement with the GSEs does not address the uncertainty around claims by monoline insurers and private label investors.

Mortgage application activity increased 2.2% in the week ending Jan. 7 as refinancing activity picked up.

Freddie Mac announced a $1 billion offering of structured passthrough certificates (K Certificates), multifamily MBS, which are expected to price the week of Jan.17 and settle on Feb 10.

Markit has acquired QuIC Financial Technologies,a risk analytics solutions provider.

SLM Corp. or Sallie Mae,the largest student-loan company in the country, today began selling $1 billion in senior notes due 2016, according to sources.

Bingham McCutchen has elected 13 lawyers to its partnership. The promotions follow a year when the law firm expanded its key practices in the global markets, including launching its Frankfurt-based financial restructuring practice. It also grew its Hong Kong office.

Fortress Investment Group's managing director and securitized products portfolio manager Greg Finck will move to the firm's traditional asset management arm.

A new Dutch sale and leaseback transaction has joined the beginning-of-the-year European securitization new-issue pipeline.

Pooling streams of income from unusual sources like billboard advertisements. franchise loans, cell tower leases and tobacco settlement fees are making a comeback.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) claimed Ambac Assurance — which had $312.8 million of cash in the middle of 2010 — may owe more than $700 million in taxes. Its parent company is bankrupt.

Shares of MBIA jumped more than 10% Tuesday afternoon after a New York appeals court ruled in its favor, dismissing a lawsuit that had contested the company’s February 2009 restructuring.

Insurance companies will be less likely to buy CMBS AMs and yieldier dupers at a premium.

Builders started more houses last year than in 2009. But where are the buyers?

In November U.S. home prices declined for the fourth month in a row, a sign that housing markets are still on shaky ground, according to new figures released by CoreLogic, Santa Ana, Calif.

Merrill Lynch Credit Corp. (MLCC) has renewed its private label production and servicing agreement with PHH Mortgage, Mt. Laurel, N.J., according to a new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Ally Bank has filed a prospectus supplement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue $500,000 million worth of notes under its Ally Master Owner Trust Series 2011-1.

A nationwide coalition of state pension funds are asking the nation’s biggest banks once again to “immediately” begin examinations of their mortgage and foreclosure practices through corresponding in-house Audit Committees.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on Monday revised the November seriously delinquent rate for FHA-insured single family loans down to 8.34%.

Delta Lloyd’s €700 million ($906 million) ARENA RMBS deal kicks off 2011 issuance for European RMBS.

CNH Capital is in the market with a transaction called CNH Wholesale Master Note Trust Series 2011-1. The offering is managed by Deustche Bank Securities.