Mortgage, Mortgage Securities | featured news

Federal prosecutors are stepping up their investigation of Standard & Poor's ratings of troubled mortgage securities during the financial crisis, according to former analysts questioned by prosecutors.

The U.S. regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac accuses the banks of negligence in misrepresenting the risks embedded in the securities sold to the home-finance giants.

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday accused a New York firm that helped manage complex mortgage securities of defrauding investors as the housing market collapsed.

The New York attorney general has launched an investigation into eight banks to determine whether they misled ratings agencies about mortgage securities, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

Morgan Stanley shares dropped Wednesday following a report that the investment bank is facing an investigation into mortgage derivative deals.