Pimco: MBS that fell after refi rules a buy

Investors should buy Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities, which have slumped in response to planned changes to the government-supported companies' refinancing rules, according to Pacific Investment Management Co. LLC

Investors should buy Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities, which have slumped in response to planned changes to the government-supported companies’ refinancing rules, according to Pacific Investment Management Co. LLC.

“If you didn’t sell them two months ago and you’re selling them today, you deserve to be fired,” said Scott Simon, the head of mortgage operations at Pimco, which runs the world’s largest bond fund.

The bond fund manager joined analysts at Amherst Securities Group LP and BNP Paribas SA in saying the consequences of an expansion to the Home Affordable Refinance Plan, announced last week, may be less damaging than some investors anticipate. The market slumped last week as investors braced for a wave of refinancing in response to President Barack Obama’s efforts to stoke the economy by helping more homeowners cut loan payments.

UNDERPERFORMANCE

Fannie Mae’s 6% 30-year fixed-rate securities declined by almost 7 basis points last Monday to about 109 cents, underperforming Treasuries by the most in 20 months, after the Federal Housing Finance Agency outlined the changes to the HARP program for loans guaranteed by the company or Freddie Mac to borrowers with little or no home equity.

The debt, which reached almost 111 cents Sept. 1, climbed to 109.2 cents as of last Tuesday, outperforming U.S. government notes, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Interest rates on the underlying mortgages average about 6.5%, compared with the average rate on new home loans of about 4.2%, according to Bankrate.com data.

In September, Pimco boosted mortgage securities to 38% of assets in its $242 billion Total Return Fund, the most since January, from 32% the prior month, according to data on the firm’s website.

Mr. Simon declined to say how much of the increase was tied to government-backed agency mortgage securities or other securitized debt.