Tag Archives: Quarterly Earnings

First-quarter results for Bank of America recently showed that the company continues to shed its role in the mortgage market, with the giant reporting year-over-year declines to $1.6 trillion for home loan portfolios for investors. The financial institution said that mortgage portfolios serviced for investors also fell to $1.3 trillion in the first quarter from $1.4 trillion last year. The balance for mortgage servicing rights climbed to $7.6 billion from $7.4 billion.

The refinance share of originations ran up to 57 percent for independent mortgage banks during the fourth quarter last year, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The trade group said in a fourth-quarter performance report Thursday that new numbers for refinance share reflected a jump from 45 percent seen in the third quarter. Chartered financial institutions and independent bankers profited by $1,093 from each loan made in the fourth quarter, a decline from $1,263 per loan in the third quarter last year. Average production income hovered around 58 basis points in the fourth quarter.

Stocks and shares for the nation├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós four largest banks slid back Friday on news that ratings agency Standard & Poor's slashed credit ratings for several debt-saddled euro zone countries, including France, Italy, and Spain. A 0.4-percent dip led the Dow Jones Industrial Average to end the day at 12,422 points, a 48.96 loss from the day before. The S&P 500 went south in a 0.5-percent tizzy, losing 6.41 points to close at 1,298. S&P ignited an investor selloff in the markets earlier Friday by announcing credit changes for 16 European countries. S&P slashed U.S. sovereign credit last fall.

Ed Delgado, CEO of our parent company, the Five Star Institute, reflects on 2011 as we enter a New Year. He takes into account events from around the economy over the last year to forecast a period of hoped-for renewal in 2012.

Smaller mortgage originators are stepping up to the plate to make loans as larger lenders - encumbered by mounting litigation and repurchase claims - pull back from the servicing sector, according to a report released Thursday. Paul Miller, a financial analyst with FBR Capital Markets, based conclusions from the report on quarterly shares of market activity. He credited the retreat by larger lenders for reasons why rivals more than doubled their respective footprints in the mortgage market by the third quarter this year.

Balance sheets improved steadily for commercial and savings financial institutions over the third quarter, according to the FDIC, with those insured by the federal agency offering $35.3 billion in profit margins. Loan portfolios snagged an updraft over the third quarter, posting an increase for the second consecutive quarter as loans and leases went up by $21.8 billion. Residential mortgage loan balances climbed by $23.7 billion. Notably, the FDIC's "Problems List" contracted for the second consecutive quarter.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac remain under scrutiny in the wake of large salaries and bonuses for their executives, as lawmakers from both major parties mount a rare joint effort to criticize the GSEs and their federal regulator. No less than 60 senators a total of 35 Republicans and 25 Democrats crossed the aisle to circulate a letter Friday that denounced the Federal Housing Finance Agency for signing off on $12.79 million in bonuses for ten executives with the GSEs. Furor over the bonuses follows a string of changes for Freddie Mac.

The head of the agency that regulates the GSEs addressed one lawmaker's recent proposal to eliminate the federal lifeline for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Thursday even as the latter filed staggering third-quarter losses and requested another $6 billion in taxpayer funds. Federal Housing Finance Agency Acting Director Edward DeMarco and several others testified before the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets, which heard the chief regulator describe why the federal government needs to slowly phase out taxpayer support for the GSEs.

BB&T looked southward to acquire Florida-based BankAtlantic Tuesday, assuming $3.3 billion in low-cost deposits and picking up 78 branches from the retail lender in the process, according to statements released by the companies. The move ranks BB&T ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô one of the largest U.S. banks by assets ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô the sixth largest franchise in the Miami market. The North Carolina-based acquirer will pay $301 million above the premium price for the deposits and branches, plus $2.1 billion in performing loans. The acquisition is also another move up for the bank.