Tag Archives: JPMorgan Chase

After recently reporting predictions of declining originations, FBR Capital Markets & Co., now says the market looks a little brighter, and a resurgence of refinances through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) will contribute to originations volumes this year. While FBR maintains its prediction that origination volume will be lower than the volumes recorded in the second half of last year, the company now suggests originations "will largely be better than the 20-25 percent drop-off we projected late last week."

Employment in the mortgage industry reached a post-crisis high in 2012, according to data from Mortgage Daily's Mortgage Employment Index. The index showed a gain of 2,571 jobs during last year's fourth quarter, making it the sixth straight quarter to post an increase. However, job growth wasn't as strong as the third quarter, which saw 2,926 mortgage jobs created. For the entire year, the mortgage industry gained 8,978 new jobs, more than twice what was gained in 2011 (4,320).

Mortgage origination volume continued to climb in 2012, according to data from Mortgage Daily's 2012 Mortgage Lender Ranking. According to data collected from surveys, earnings filings, and other public disclosures, loan volume across all lending firms grew 30 percent annually in 2012. In the fourth quarter alone, Mortgage Daily reports residential originations coming in around 3 percent above third-quarter volume. Year-over-year, Q4 saw mortgage production grow 17 percent.

The servicers involved in last year's settlement have provided assistance in the amount of $45.83 billion to 550,000 homeowners, according to the Office of Mortgage Settlement Oversight.

Ally has satisfied its consumer relief obligations required under last year's National Mortgage Settlement (NMS), according to settlement monitor Joseph Smith Jr.

Bank brand values across the globe are on the rise, charting their highest values ever and double their values in 2009, during the financial crisis, according to the results of an annual study by Brand Finance. The most valuable bank brand worldwide is Wells Fargo, with a $26 billion brand, according to the study.

According to its quarterly filing, JPMorgan took in $5.7 billion in net income during 2012's final quarter, up 53 percent from the same quarter in 2011. Revenue for the quarter was $24.4 billion, up 10 percent compared with the prior year. Much of that profit came on the bank of JPMorgan's strengthened mortgage business. The bank's mortgage banking division reported originations of $51.2 billion in Q4, up 33 percent year-over-year and 8 percent quarter-over-quarter.

After announcing Monday the sale of nearly $306 billion in mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) on 2 million loans, Bank of America might be looking to unload a little more. Reuters first reported Tuesday that the bank is planning to sell rights on at least another $100 billion of mortgages. BofA is likely to announce more MSR sales in the next several weeks, according to two unnamed sources who spoke to Reuters. Sales of servicing rights have become more prevalent as costs rise and servicers fall to bankruptcy, leaving hungry institutions to purchase their MSRs.

It's been months since New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed suit against JPMorgan Chase over faulty mortgage-backed securities (MBS), but the bank is now coming out of its own corner swinging. Attorneys for the bank filed a motion to dismiss in early January, arguing that because Schneiderman brought his claims under the Martin Act (an article granting the attorney general increased power to combat financial fraud), they are subject to a three-year statute of limitations that has already elapsed.

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) filed its 10th action against a major Wall Street investment firm.