From Deseret News archives:
So far, insurers don't show big second-quarter mortgage losses
- Page:
- < Previous
- 1
- 2
And they have.
Allstate Corp. posted a 98 percent drop in net income after the auto and homeowner insurer said it suffered losses on some of its big mortgage-related investments. The company suffered $1.2 billion of realized losses in the latest quarter, mainly on securities that have dropped in value as the housing bust deepened.
At Genworth Financial, write-offs of mortgages and asset-backed securities related to subprime and Alt-A mortgages were $326 million in the second quarter. Alt-A mortgages are given to people with minor credit problems or who lack proper documentation to get a traditional prime loan, while subprime mortgage loans are given to customers with poor credit histories.
And while MetLife Inc.'s second-quarter results were also by market turmoil, Chief Investment Officer Steve Kandarian said in an investor call last week that the company holds few of the risky investments that have been the cause of billions of dollars of write-downs for other financial firms.
MetLife has $1.4 billion in CDO exposure. However, Kandarian said 98 percent of the company's holdings were rated investment grade, indicating a lower risk of default.
Investors will also look to Ambac Financial, which posted a steep loss in the first quarter as turmoil in the bond market pummeled the value of many of the bond insurer's deals.
Bond insurers like Ambac Financial have struggled since late 2007 as ratings agencies worried there will be a spike in claims, as bonds backed by troubled mortgages are likely to default. The rise in claims would severely cut into cash reserves for some bond insurers and potentially put others out of business.
On Friday, Ambac Financial said it settled one of its largest exposures to risky collateralized debt obligations. The agreed to pay $850 million to end an insurance agreement covering a $1.4 billion CDO transaction.
Analysts forecast a loss of 64 cents per share.
- Page:
- < Previous
- 1
- 2
Comments
- Open house for Vancouver temple 7:59 p.m.
- Pig cells may reverse diabetes 7:52 p.m.
- Part truths stoke health care debate 7:34 p.m.
- USU names field after Merlin Olsen 7:25 p.m.
- Tide rolls over Gators 7:19 p.m.
- Everyone wins in rival food drive 7:00 p.m.
- BYU basketball: Cougars crush Dons 6:32 p.m.
- Cougars cruise past San Francisco 6:13 p.m.
- Utahns in giving mood 5:35 p.m.
- Kirilenko will not play tonight 5:33 p.m.
- Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?
302 - Letters: Liberal because LDS
245 - 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
189 - Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
188 - Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
180 - Aggies shoot past Cougars
179 - N.Y. Senate rejects gay marriage
128 - Max Hall: a fixture in rivalry lore
118 - Unbeaten BYU takes trip to Logan
105 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
101
Trolley Square's annual Holiday Open House will feature visits with...
First, a big thank you to all who posted questions here for me to ask...
I applaud USU for honoring Merlin this way. I have followed his football,...
Thanks for everything Merlin!!! Proud to be a fellow Aggie!
How'd your Tide do last year?.....seem's like I remember some little known...
I also caught the similarities between Tebow's comments and Hall's. I wonder...
Did I judge him? Reread my question. I thought he was LDS and I don't know...
i wish i could skip a few days or months of work like Boozer and these guys...
You can buy alcohol almost anywhere served up by a 7 dollar an hour clerk,...
i agree, they should have done 4 on first and 4 on second due to the fact...
I'm tired to these hypocritical people judging others. Who cares what...
The "counter punch" is usually the more damaging hit. USU showed how the...


You can be the first to comment on this story.