President Donald Trump made a lot of promises on the campaign trail, and now that his second term has begun, Wall Street is keeping a close eye on one in particular: the privatization of mortgage companies Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC),

It could have widespread effects through the housing, banking, and bond markets. Hedge fund managers like Bill Ackman have built huge stakes in the government-sponsored entities.

Shares slip after a run-up that followed December disclosure of Pershing Square chief’s plan to end government conservatorship of mortgage insurers.

Ackman recently took activist investing to an even higher level. He wants -- and expects -- President-elect Donald Trump to make two stocks in his Pershing Square Capital Management portfolio big winners. Both stocks have already delivered gains of more than 6x in the last 12 months.

Freddie Mac has hired Craig Phillips, a former Treasury Department official under the first Trump administration, as executive vice president of corporate strategy and external affairs.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday he would nominate Bill Pulte to be the next director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

Investors have struggled to navigate the election, underlining the difficulty Wall Street so often has with politics.

Expanded opportunity zones and a reduction in regulation could boost the sector, but tariffs and mass deportations could bite.

President Donald Trump said he was still considering putting a 10 per cent tariff on imports from China on February 1, repeating a threat he made on the campaign trail. His comment came one day after he ordered an investigation into Chinese trade practices but held off on announcing any new tariffs.

Investors are appraising the likely impact of Trump's orders on stocks on the first trading day after the inauguration.

The post Surprising Illinois City Becomes the Hottest Housing Market for the First Time appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Many sellers have expectations about their home value that stem from the buying craze of 2021–22 when listing prices shot up across the country,' a senior economist Joel Berner at Realtor.com said.  'Sellers can see what their neighbors got for their homes during that period and are reluctant to list for less,