Fed Selects Four Firms to Manage MBS Purchase Plan
By Craig Torres
Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve chose BlackRock Inc., Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Pacific Investment Management Co. and Wellington Management Co. to manage a $500 billion purchase of mortgage-backed securities it plans to complete by June.
Only fixed-rate agency mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae will be eligible for purchase, the central bank said in a statement released in Washington today. The Fed said the purchases, to start early in January, will include securities with maturities of 30, 20, and 15 years, and will exclude riskier securities such as interest-only bonds.
By buying mortgage bonds, the central bank aims to increase money available to purchase and refinance homes and stem the decline in house prices. The collapse of U.S. mortgage finance last year led to the worst credit crisis in seven decades and triggered write downs and losses at financial institutions exceeding $1 trillion.
âThe investment managers will be required to purchase securities frequently and to disclose the Federal Reserve as principal,â the central bank said.
The Fed said its exposure to risk on the securities would be âminimalâ and âmitigated by the conservative, buy-and-hold investment strategyâ of the program.
Fed officials announced the program Nov. 25 and said the action was taken to âreduce the cost and increase the availability of credit for the purchase of houses.â
By Craig Torres
Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve chose BlackRock Inc., Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Pacific Investment Management Co. and Wellington Management Co. to manage a $500 billion purchase of mortgage-backed securities it plans to complete by June.
Only fixed-rate agency mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae will be eligible for purchase, the central bank said in a statement released in Washington today. The Fed said the purchases, to start early in January, will include securities with maturities of 30, 20, and 15 years, and will exclude riskier securities such as interest-only bonds.
By buying mortgage bonds, the central bank aims to increase money available to purchase and refinance homes and stem the decline in house prices. The collapse of U.S. mortgage finance last year led to the worst credit crisis in seven decades and triggered write downs and losses at financial institutions exceeding $1 trillion.
âThe investment managers will be required to purchase securities frequently and to disclose the Federal Reserve as principal,â the central bank said.
The Fed said its exposure to risk on the securities would be âminimalâ and âmitigated by the conservative, buy-and-hold investment strategyâ of the program.
Fed officials announced the program Nov. 25 and said the action was taken to âreduce the cost and increase the availability of credit for the purchase of houses.â