Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Public Markets | Aug 1, 2025

Image: Freepik/ijeab
According to a Reuters report, President Donald Trump has begun private talks with the heads of the largest US banks about how to return Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the public markets. These two companies (government sponsored enterprises with private shareholders), which guarantee most American mortgages, have been under government control since the 2008 financial crisis.
Trump has had meetings with bank CEOs, the discussions include executives such as Jamie Dimon from JPMorgan Chase, David Solomon from Goldman Sachs, and Brian Moynihan from Bank of America. The White House is gathering proposals on how a stock offering for Fannie and Freddie could work if the companies are moved out of federal conservatorship.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken over by the US government during the 2008 financial crisis when losses in the housing market threatened to bring them down. Since then they have returned to profitability and repaid the funds that the US Treasury provided at the time.
Trump has said on Truth Social that he wants to explore ways to bring these companies back to the stock market while keeping some form of government guarantee for the mortgage market. Fannie (FNMA) and Freddie (FMCC) shares have surged 8.72% and 14.8% respectively after news of the bank meetings.
How these companies are handled will have a direct effect on investors, banks, and taxpayers. A public stock offering could return value to shareholders and possibly reduce the taxpayer risk that comes with government control. At the same time, if guarantees remain in place, taxpayers could still carry some exposure to future losses.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has said that the companies will remain in conservatorship for now. Any plan to sell stock or change their status would need approval from the President and would likely be debated in Congress.
These changes are not just about the United States. Canadian pension funds, banks, and other institutions invest in American mortgage backed securities that are tied to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. A change in their structure could affect the value of these investments and may influence how Canadian regulators look at housing finance and risk management.
It is also possible that US mortgage reform could shift how capital markets treat housing assets, which in turn may influence borrowing costs and investor strategies across North America.
The talks with the banks are at an early stage. In the coming months the White House is expected to receive detailed proposals from these financial institutions. From there, a plan could be developed that would outline whether there will be a public stock sale, how much government support would remain, and the timeline for any transition.
Canadian investors and policy makers will be watching these developments closely. The scale of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac makes any change in their structure important well beyond US borders.
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