Finance

The Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corp.'s net earnings rose in the first quarter to $13.3 million, more than seven times higher than its income of $1.8 million during the same period in 2014.

More lenient capital requirements than expected from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were good news for two legacy private mortgage insurers, but another is facing a bigger deficit than initially thought.

Nomura Holdings Inc. and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc engaged in "enormous" deception in selling defective mortgage-backed securities, a judge ruled following a trial over a trigger to the 2008 financial crisis.

A lot of bankers want on-balance-sheet mortgages declared ultrasafe under federal rules, and Wells Fargo executive Brad Blackwell explains why he thinks it's in their self-interest more than ever to live up to their arguments in favor of such a policy.

The U.S. commercial-mortgage backed security delinquency rate fell again in April, fueled by strong new issuance, according to Fitch's latest index.

Trading of securities backed by Fannie, Freddie and Ginnie is down sharply since the beginning of the year. Bankers' concerns about capital and rates are among the reasons, and the problem may ultimately make the underlying market for mortgages less liquid.

The commercial mortgage-backed security loan delinquency rate dropped slightly in April, according to analytics and technology firm Trepp.

Investor-owned ratings agencies would send a message to mutual fund shareholders, retirement plan participants and other investors that steps have been taken to avoid repeating the inaccurate ratings that contributed so heavily to the financial crisis.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage loan originations in the first quarter were up 49% year over year, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Fannie and Freddie will have more room to finance affordable rental housing, but it is unclear if it's enough to prevent possible disruptions later this year.

PHH Corp. reported a strong jump in income due to favorable adjustments to mortgage servicing rights and increased mortgage application volume.

Fannie Mae reported net interest income of $5.1 billion in the first quarter, over half of which came from guarantee fees rather than its investment portfolio.

Conforming loan rates hit their highest levels in two months during the first week of May, according to the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

Fannie Mae will pay the Treasury Department $1.8 billion after reporting net income of $1.9 billion for the first quarter.

The Boston and San Francisco Home Loan banks are poised to join the MPF Direct program, which allows FHLB members to sell jumbo loans to Redwood Trust.

The regulator of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae plans to ease annual restrictions on their apartment mortgage business to prevent a lending slowdown.

Wholesale lenders and their brokers are finding preparing for the new mortgage disclosures that take effect in August especially tricky.

President Obama's administration has joined Democratic and Republican lawmakers in attacking potential raises for the top executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Bolstered by higher originations, Freddie Mac reported Tuesday that net income was $524 million for the first quarter, up from $227 million a quarter earlier.

Freddie Mac will return $746 million to the Treasury Department next month after reporting first-quarter net income of $524 million, according to a regulatory filing Tuesday.