Retail investors are showing renewed interest in RE finance holdings as brokerage reports highlight sustained dividend payout ratios above 4%. Have a question for Caroline Basile or our other editors? “After the burst in refinancing activity over the past month, this reversal in mortgage rates led to a sizeable drop in refinance applications,” said Joel Kan, vice president and deputy chief economist at the MBA, noting that it was consistent with the view that refinance opportunities will be short-lived this year. Institutional buy-side desks increased positions in RE finance ETFs, citing favourable macro conditions. Portfolio managers expect sector dividend yields to remain attractive in the near term.