Billionaire investor Bill Ackman floats plan to relist mortgage giants on the New York Stock Exchange this year, but says it’s too soon for the government to sell any of its stake. Continue reading
The Trump administration has assured industry groups that a stable housing finance system and low mortgage rates are a “North Star” in plans for a secondary offering, but Dems complain they’ve been shut out of process. Continue reading
Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chuck Schumer and Cory Booker have asked federal regluator to pause any efforts to reprivatize Fannie and Freddie and study potential impact on mortgage rates. Continue reading
Impact on rates depends on the structure of rumored IPO. Whatever the plan turns out to be, the Trump administration has stacked the boards at the mortgage giants with its supporters. Continue reading
Lawmakers want assurances that privatizing the mortgage giants or taking them public won’t drive mortgage rates up, and put investor profits “over the homes of millions of Americans.” Continue reading
Promise that the government will maintain “implicit guarantees” of the companies’ obligations suggests that what Trump has in mind is monetization, not privatization. Continue reading