S&P Eyes 1,887 Alt-A RMBS Classes

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has placed 1,887 classes of alternative-A, first-lien residential mortgage-backed securities on CreditWatch with negative implications. The classes are from 404 RMBS transactions issued in 2006 and the first half of 2007, and they have a current balance of $12.9 billion, S&P reported. The actions "reflect a persistent rise in the level of delinquencies among the alt-A mortgage loans supporting these transactions," S&P said. The rating agency said it is also reviewing the affected transactions in the light of its revised assumptions for the surveillance of U.S. RMBS. The affected alt-A transactions are collateralized by negative-amortization (payment-option adjustable-rate mortgage), short-reset hybrid ARM (2/28 and 3/27), and fixed-rate and longer-dated hybrid ARM loans. S&P can be found online at http://www.standardandpoors.com.