ASIA-PACIFIC

摘要

The AUSTRALIAN OFFICE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT has called off further auctions of its holdings of residential mortgage-backed securities after failing to sell any in an attempt last month. The AOFM said that auctions scheduled for November 23 and December 8 would not proceed, and none was planned for January. If it decides to hold an auction in February, it will give at least two weeks' notice. In May, the Australian government ordered the AOFM to sell down its RMBS holdings of A$4.6bn (US$3.3bn) in amortised face value terms, in order to boost government coffers and increase liquidity in such instruments. The AOFM had initially targeted sales of A$300m-$500m in AFV terms per month, but the first auction in June raised just A$160m and in September it sold only A$78m.