RMBS

Financial institutions are continuing to show limited signs of a greater willingness to lend to businesses, according to a survey released Monday by the Federal Reserve Board.

CoreLogic, Santa Ana, Calif., reports that — albeit modestly at 1.4% compared to 2009 — in June, year-over-year U.S. home prices (including distressed sale prices) increased for the fifth consecutive month.

Foreign investors' net purchases of agency MBS continued to trend upward in June, rising to $20.4 billion from $17.3 billion in May and $10.5 billion in April, according to a report by Credit Suisse analysts.But foreign investors on a net basis sold $2.2 billion in agency debt in June, a contrast to net purchases of $10.1 billion in May and $3.8 billion in April.

John Walsh, the former chief of staff to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), is now the acting Comptroller of the agency that supervises national banks.

The week after Wells Fargo & Co. announced the closing of its storefront subprime lending unit, Citigroup's chief executive delivered an impassioned defense of keeping alive his similar operation, CitiFinancial.

While the Basel II process dragged on for years, international and domestic regulators appear intent on delivering a new set of capital and liquidity standards on time by yearend.

Defunct bond insurer Syncora Guarantee last week reported positive net income for the second quarter, reflecting the broad success of the major restructuring it initiated in July 2009 and completed in April.

Ginnie Mae is raising its net worth requirement for MBS issuers, requiring them to meet bank-like capital standards.

Rates once again proved federal officials' go-to choice for economic policy action last week but when it comes to sizing up potential economic recovery as part of mortgage investment strategies one might do better these days watching jobs over the traditional duo of rates and real estate markets.

The New York Supreme Court on Monday denied Credit Suisse’s motion to dismiss MBIA Insurance Corp.’s claims of mortgage-related fraud and breach of contract.