Fitch Downgrades 30 Subprime MBS Classes

Thirty more classes of mortgage pass-through certificates in subprime securitizations by two issuers have been downgraded by Fitch Ratings as a result of changes to the rating agency's subprime loss forecasting assumptions.Fitch also affirmed the ratings on classes with outstanding balances of more than $2 billion. The latest downgrades affect the following securities: 20 classes from five Merrill Lynch Mortgage Investors issues and 10 classes from two Long Beach issues. The rating actions were attributed to changes to Fitch's subprime loss forecasting assumptions that "better capture the deteriorating performance of pools from 2006 and late 2005 with regard to continued poor loan performance and home price weakness."