On Friday, November 23rd at 10am, the Bank of Canada issued a ‘market notice’ announcement with big implications. For the first time, the Bank stated that it would begin making innovative additions to its balance sheet: the purchase of mortgage bonds, or mortgage backed securities.
The news was not announced in a press conference or a press release, but a sleepy ‘market notice’ at the bottom of the Bank’s media/press page on its website.
So, What Are Mortgage Bonds?
A mortgage bond, or mortgage backed security (MBS), is a financial product that is made up of many mortgages, let’s say 100 for example. These mortgages are usually issued at the same time, at the same mortgage rate, and generate interest (income for the purchaser). Buyers could be Canadian banks, foreign banks, and domestic and international investors.
Mortgage backed securities were at the heart of the 2007-8 financial crash. The bonds were given the highest credit ratings, (what’s safer than a mortgage/house as an investment?) and were scooped up by clients all over the world. What buyers didn’t know was that many of these mortgages were poorly underwritten, and very risky. When foreclosures started kicking in the bonds went bust, and clients lost tons of money.
Why Is The Bank Of Canada Announcement So Significant?
By now purchasing these bonds, the Bank of Canada is directly providing a powerful stimulus to the banking system and the real estate market. If Banks can now profitably sell mortgage bonds to the central bank, it is likely that their incentive to further increase mortgage debt will rise. This could have a negative impact of the quality of bank underwriting, and will provide a boon to housing prices by facilitating higher demand.
Tembo will keep an even closer eye on the Bank of Canada, this news signals that simply watching rates is not enough. This added central intervention into market brings more risk to Canada’s housing system. You heard it here first.