New York Fed to postpone Maiden Lane sales: sources

Wall Street bond dealers are reporting that the Federal Reserve of New York is postponing regularly scheduled sales of its Maiden Lane II portfolio until after the July 4 holiday. The sales will continue sporadically until then, the sources tell HousingWire. The Fed reportedly held a conference call Monday to inform dealers that the sales will not happen this week, or the next. The next expected bid list will become available on June 6, they said. And that may be the only sale in the month. The central bank until now offered Maiden Lane II weekly, but is under no obligation to adhere to a calender of issuance, according to the dispositions segment of Maiden Lane II. The Fed clarifies on its website that it will strategize the disposition of Maiden Lane II in a way that maintains the “ability to generate maximum sale proceeds for the public.” Maiden Lane II is one of several residential mortgage securitization platforms created by the Fed to clear toxic assets assumed in the government bailout of American International Group (AIG). The Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System determine strategy on Maiden Lane sales. AIG at one point offered to buy back the assets. The Fed instead chose to unwind Maiden Lane II via the secondary market. Some bond traders complain that the offerings are pressuring the market and pushing spreads wider. Write to Jacob Gaffney. Follow him on Twitter @JacobGaffney.