Report: Countrywide Will Do Mostly GSE Loans

The beleaguered Countrywide Home Loans, Calabasas, Calif., is expected to shift its production into mostly GSE and government-backed loans as the secondary market's liquidity crisis worsens, according to a new report issued by Credit Suisse.Countrywide is not only the nation's largest overall residential funder, but the biggest subprime originator as well, according to National Mortgage News. In the subprime sector, it has a market share of 8.87%. The Credit Suisse report says the lender will shift "its origination mix towards predominantly [government-sponsored enterprise] eligible paper, which solidifies its ability to sell its production. Clearly, origination volumes should decline dramatically in the present environment." CS analyst Moshe Orenbuch notes that Countrywide has now tapped an $11.5 billion credit facility, 70% of which has an existing term greater than four years. He writes that the short-term financing market "has virtually shut down." In response to Countrywide's liquidity problems, Fitch Ratings downgraded the company's long-term issuer default rating from A to BBB-plus, citing "the unprecedented disruption in the capital markets." Moody's Investors Service downgraded the senior debt ratings of Countrywide and its parent company, Countrywide Financial Corp., from A3 to Baa3 and the rating on deposits of Countrywide Bank FSB from A2 to Baa1.