Monday, September 10, 2007
Washington Mutual sees "perfect storm" in housing
Washington Mutual sees "perfect storm" in housing
Monday September 10, 11:08 pm ET
By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Washington Mutual Inc (NYSE:WM - News) said on Monday that most U.S. housing markets are weakening, creating a "near perfect storm" that may force the largest U.S. savings and loan to set aside more money for bad loans.
Chief Executive Kerry Killinger said the thrift may set aside $500 million more for loan losses than the $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion it had forecast in July. Any increase would be Washington Mutual's fourth this year.
Speaking at a Lehman Brothers Inc. financial services conference, Killinger said the housing market faces rising delinquencies and foreclosures, higher borrowing costs, tighter underwriting standards and tough capital markets, "creating what we call a near-perfect storm for housing.
"Most housing markets appear to be weakening, to us," Killinger said. "We would not be surprised to see declines in housing prices in many regions of the country ... for the next few quarters." He said corrections in the housing and credit markets will last longer than the thrift expected.
Seattle-based Washington Mutual has fallen to sixth in U.S. mortgage lending from third in 2005, after it stopped making some riskier loans and in 2006 eliminated nearly 11,000 jobs, or 18 percent of its work force.
Mortgage volume totaled $83 billion from January to June, according to the newsletter Inside Mortgage Finance.
Killinger nevertheless said Washington Mutual is well positioned to benefit, as "weaker competitors close down or finally 'fess up."
Dozens of mortgage lenders have reduced lending or quit the industry this year. More than 50,000 jobs have been eliminated, including up to 12,000 announced on Friday by Countrywide Financial Corp (NYSE:CFC - News), the largest mortgage lender.
Washington Mutual plans to hold more loans for investment, citing potential for strong risk-adjusted returns.
It also plans to move some "nonconforming" loans, which don't meet Fannie Mae (NYSE:FNM - News) and Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE - News) purchase requirements, to loans held for investment from loans held for sale.
This will result in a third-quarter loss from that activity, Killinger said, as investors resist buying many nonconforming loans. Washington Mutual's home loans unit lost $150 million from January to June.
Washington Mutual shares fell $1.05, or 3 percent, to $33.97 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Through Friday, they have fallen 32 percent this year.
