Finance

Standard and Poor’s: Alt-A Sees Record Fourth Quarter in 2006 

The U.S. Alt-A market achieved unprecedented volume of $104.8 billion during fourth-quarter 2006, according to a recently-released report by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services. The total surpassed the $103.5 billion record set during second-quarter 2006, and the calendar year closed with three consecutive quarters of at least $100 billion in volume. Standard & Poor’s rated a total of $386 billion in Alt-A issuance during the year, up 28 percent from $302 billion in 2005, the agency said.