RMBS

Wells Fargo, the successor to Wachovia Capital Markets, told a federal court in Wichita, Kan. Friday it should dismiss National Credit Union Administration's (NCUA) suit over MBS Wachovia sold via offering prospectuses.

Thirty Democratic senators are urging the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to evaluate the use of principal reduction as a “targeted solution” for assisting underwater borrowers with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans.

There have not been very many weeks yet this year where the markets have not been roiled about something, and the last week was not one of them either.

Prepayment speeds were projected to increase 10%-15% on average in response to a higher number of collection days at 22 from 20; a pickup in refinancing activity in response to record low mortgage rates, and a rush by servicers to close conventional loans before a 10-basis-point increase in the guaranty fee went into effect on April 1.

Even though third-party due diligence has always been performed on whole loans, the providers of these services have more skin-in-the-game now that rating agencies have very stringent requirements.

Market Vectors Mortgage REIT Income ETF, a rules-based index intended to track the overall performance of publicly traded mortgage REITs, has risen by more than 10% year-to-date, according to a report published by Five Star Equities.

Fitch Ratings today lowered Saxon Mortgage Services' residential servicer ratings.

The potential sale of the Maiden Lane III (ML III) assets might signal that the Federal Reserve is making its move to take liquidity out of the system, securitization experts said today.

Freddie Mac reported a slight easing in fixed-related mortgage rates in the week ending April 5. The 30-year rates averaged 3.98%, down one basis point from last week; 15-year rates slipped to 3.21% from 3.23%, while 5/1 hybrid ARMs were at 2.86% from 2.90%.