Freddie Mac released its monthly volume summary today (available here), which showed continued growth in the GSE’s retained portfolio. Reuters reports:

Freddie Mac said on Thursday its huge mortgage holdings rose at the fastest pace in 16 months in July as the company took advantage of a faltering housing market to scoop up cheaper mortgage-backed bonds … Freddie Mac’s mortgage portfolio grew 14.3 percent to $720.6 billion in the biggest one-month rise since March 2006. Freddie Mac’s retained portfolio has grown each month this year, except in April.

Analysts seem to think the jump was fueled in part by cheaper valuations on mortgage bonds, according to the news agency. Deliquencies remained flat overall, according to the summary, although non credit-enhanced mortgages saw delinquencies jump to their highest level in over one year.