Fannie & Freddie

(Newser) - What started as a whisper Monday is a roar at week’s end as investors wrestle with the fate of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Wall Street Journal reports. While neither firm, which together own or back roughly half  the nation’s mortgages, faces imminent collapse, awareness that the government is mulling options for a bailout has sent Wall Street into a speculative downward spiral. More »

(Newser) - With the shares of mortgage titans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac plummeting to their lowest points in more than 15 years, the Bush administration is weighing what to do in the event of a collapse, reports the Wall Street Journal. No rescue plan is imminent—both companies are expected to be able to raise needed capital—but as home values continue to decline and more homeowners default, Treasury officials are studying contingency plans. More »

(Newser) - Fannie Mae lost a worse-than-expected $2.2 billion this quarter, forcing it to cut its dividend and seek $6 billion in capital. The news is especially troubling as Fannie and Freddie Mac, the companies Washington relies on to keep the housing market functioning, are under unprecedented pressure, the New York Times reports. Many are now worried that one or both of them, after stepping in to rescue a torrent of troubled mortgages, may soon need bailouts themselves. More »

(Newser) - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be able to buy more mortgages after the amount of capital they're required to hold as a cushion was cut from 30% to 20% today, the Wall Street Journal reports. The move by the Bush administration should pump up to $200 billion of liquidity into the mortgage-backed securities market.  More »

(Newser) - Government-backed mortgage guarantors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can now back loans up to $729,750, the Wall Street Journal reports, after the Federal Housing Administration put into effect that provision of the federal economic stimulus package today. More than 70 counties in the US are subject to the new limit, and ceilings will rise from the previous cap of $417,000 in many others. More »

(Newser) - The nation’s two largest backers of home loans have reached a deal with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo that could help eliminate inflated mortgage appraisals, the Wall Street Journal reports. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have agreed to buy mortgages only from banks that follow a new code of conduct requiring independent appraisals. More »

(Newser) - Freddie Mac, the nation’s second-largest mortgage finance company, lost $2.45 billion in 2007's fourth quarter, topping the record $2.02 billion it lost the previous quarter, Bloomberg reports. Freddie’s CEO predicted still-greater losses ahead as loan defaults take their toll, but said the company had raised enough money to weather the storm—unless things get drastically worse. More »

(Newser) - Fannie Mae reported huge fourth-quarter losses today, painting an ugly picture both of the economy and the mortgage giant's own future. The company lost $3.56 billion—triple what analysts expected, Bloomberg reports. Derivatives were the big culprit, accounting for $3.33 billion in losses, but the company also reported spikes in late payments and delinquencies. More »

(Newser) - Predicting even tougher times for the US housing market, Freddie Mac chief Richard Syron yesterday told investors in New York that the government-sponsored mortgage lender would report another net loss in the fourth quarter and credit losses to $12 billion on its mortgage portfolio, reports the Financial Times. Freddie Mac reported a record $2 billion loss in the third quarter. More »

(Newser) - Freddie Mac, the second-largest US mortgage lender, lost $2.02 billion this quarter, its worst quarter ever, the company said this morning. With core capital almost below its regulatory minimum, the company is looking for fast cash, hiring Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers to help bail it out, and “seriously considering” slashing its dividend by 50%. Shares fell 7% in pre-market trading. More »

(Newser) - Freddie Mac posted a 45% drop in net income for the second quarter, and said the outlook wasn't rosy for the third. The home-mortgage financier was hit with a $320 million loss on new mortgages. Freddie Mac doesn't buy subprimes directly, but is still affected by the general mortgage turmoil. More »