Moody’s Investors Service downgraded another handful of residential mortgage-backed securities this week because of the deterioration in the performance of the underlying mortgage pools backing the transactions. For the past few months, Moody’s has been lowering MBS ratings as the pools suffer numerous setbacks in conjunction with macroeconomic conditions that remain ?under duress. Moody’s also recently updated loss expectations on Alt-A pools issued between 2005 to 2007. The ratings agency also continues to see “an increasing potential for a double-dip recession, which could cause a further 20% decline in home prices.” Analysts downgraded much of $10.4 billion of securities backed by Alt-A residential mortgages issued by Deutsche Bank in 2006 and 2007. Three certificates issued by Ocwen Financial‘s residential in 1998 worth $37 million were downgraded to junk status, and $9 million of RMBS issued by Bear Stearns Mortgage Securities in 1996 and 1997 was downgraded. Moody’s said the collateral for all the debt includes fully amortizing loans originated under a Department of Housing and Urban Development insurance programs. Following default, the loans were repurchased by HUD and subsequently sold in a series of public auctions, Moody’s said. Write to Jason Philyaw.