COVID-19

Moody’s steps in to provide a higher rating on the Class B portion of the COVID-hardened deal.

Early pricing discussions are for a low-4% yield for the eight-year tranche, and 25 basis points more for the 10-year portion, a steep decrease in the cost of borrowing.

States in its footprint have some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. Another round of shutdowns could further damage industries like hospitality that have already been hit hard by the pandemic, executives said.

One official at the bureau said this fall could be an “unusual point in history” for the mortgage market as delinquent borrowers exit forbearance plans. The agency proposed new steps for servicers to help consumers stay in their homes.

Shared national credit balances rose 5% last year, and the percentage of at-risk loans nearly doubled. Regulators point out that banks have stashed away extra capital, but a lot will depend on the speed of the economic recovery and the performance of nonbank loans.

Vice Chairman of Supervision Randal Quarles said the agency wants to figure out why banks are holding on to capital that could be used more aggressively to respond to the pandemic.