Investments

Earnings at four of the private mortgage insurers increased significantly over last year's third quarter even as total mortgage origination volume shrunk during the same time frame.

Lennar Corp. is selling a portion of its Rialto business to Stone Point Capital for $340 million, adding to Stone Point's holdings in the real estate and financial industries.

Black Knight's third-quarter net earnings were slightly below the same period last year, although total revenue increased by 7% compared with one year prior.

The structure reduces counterparty risk in the GSE's benchmark Connecticut Avenue Securities program; it also expands the investor base.

Under the Federal Housing Finance Agency's plan, small Home Loan banks would face a new housing benchmark and a volume threshold for meeting the goals would be eliminated.

Rising interest rates and the continued slowdown in mortgage originations prompted Ellie Mae to cut its revenue forecast for the full year by at least $18 million.

All four national title insurance underwriters saw an increase in third-quarter net earnings compared with one year prior even as new orders declined because mortgage origination volume fell this year.

Mortgage rates increased slightly across the board, even as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 1,000 points over the past few days, according to Freddie Mac.

Builder M/I Homes set third-quarter records in four areas and recorded consistent levels of mortgages held for sale in its most recent earnings results.

Despite an overall weak mortgage originations market, Flagstar Bancorp's third-quarter earnings grew 20%, due in large part to its ongoing efforts to diversify operations.

New York developer Silverstein Properties Inc. built a $4 billion pipeline of real estate deals just weeks after starting. None of the money was for buildings it will own.

The mortgages being reinsured are more seasoned than most other deals rated by Morningstar, which helps offset the risk of lower initial weighed average LTV.

MGIC Investment Corp.'s quarterly earnings were again driven by better-than-expected loss development, and those favorable results should be seen in the other private mortgage insurers' results as well, an industry analyst said.

A notable drop in home equity lending at Bank of America during the third quarter contributed to an overall decline in new single-family loans produced by the company.

The REIT is purchasing another $500 million of credit risk transfer notes through Fannie's L Street Securities program; this is its first deal rated by Fitch.

Mortgage-related earnings at five banks were lower due to the effect of higher interest rates on loan volume this year, even though late-season homebuyers improved consecutive-quarter origination numbers at three companies.

Washington Mutual successor WMIH Corp. has completed its pending 1-for-12 reverse stock split and its common shares will soon begin trading under the Mr. Cooper name it inherited from Nationstar Mortgage.

D.R. Horton is selling more homes, but its cancellation rates also are higher in the company's primary fiscal year results, a sign that rising mortgage rates may be affecting the market.

The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency priced $74.5 million of tax-exempt bonds.

State officials have lost two rounds in a lawsuit that says California improperly diverted money intended for homeowners to make payments on housing bonds.