OREANDA-NEWS. The volume of newly issued U.S. prime jumbo RMBS during first-quarter-2015 (1Q'15) set a post-crisis milestone, according to Fitch Ratings in its latest quarterly 'US Prime Jumbo RMBS Trends' report.

Fitch reported 13 RMBS deals coming to market in 1Q'15. This represents the most active issuance quarter for prime jumbo RMBS since the financial crisis. 'The roughly \$4.7 billion of issuance in first-quarter-2015 was nearly half the total issuance of 2014, and reflects an increasing number of active issuers in the market,' said Director Sean Nelson.

The performance of post-crisis RMBS remains exceptional. 'The high credit quality of Prime 2.0 collateral is reflected in the performance, with only four borrowers out of roughly 28,000 more than two months behind on their mortgage,' said Nelson. In addition, mortgage rates have dropped over 75 basis points from the start of 2014, resulting in a modest increase in prepayment speeds.

'U.S. Prime Jumbo RMBS Trends' is available at www.fitchratings.com or by clicking on the above link.