The Trump administration is pushing ahead with plans to take US mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public later this year, in a move that would bring the federally-backed housing finance agencies out of government control.
The administration was discussing raising about $30bn through a stock offering, with their combined value estimated at around $500bn, according to people familiar with the situation.
While one senior White House official cautioned that the plans for the housing agencies remained fluid and might change in the coming months, a privatisation could affect the functioning of the US mortgage market and create a potential windfall for hedge funds.