Fannie, Freddie Mortgage Profit Reaches 10-Year High

Bloomberg (08/27/08); Shenn, Jody
Citigroup Inc. reports a yield of approximately 40 basis points on current-coupon mortgage bonds bought by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, surpassing the amount they pay to borrow by unloading benchmark bonds. Net interest income recorded by Fannie Mae surged to $2.1 billion in the second quarter from $1.7 billion in the first quarter, according to Credit Suisse Group, with investment profits rising to 100 basis points from 82 basis points. Meanwhile, Freddie Mac posted a 92-percent jump in net interest income to $1.5 billion, with investment profits increasing to 80 basis points from 48 basis points. According to Loomis Sayles & Co. Vice Chairman Dan Fuss, "They, at the increment, are very, very profitable. If they can continue to do anything close to business as usual, they are immensely profitable."