Fannie Mae seeks $19B in US aid

WASHINGTON: Fannie Mae says it needs $19 billion in additional government aid after posting a loss of $23.2 billion in the first quarter as the taxpayer bill from the housing market bust mounts.

The mortgage finance company, seized by federal regulators last September, posted a quarterly loss of $4.09 per share on Friday. That compares with a loss of $2.5 billion, or $2.57 a share, in the year-ago period.

The results were driven by $20.9 billion in credit losses due to declining housing market conditions and $5.7 billion in writedowns of the value of its mortgage-backed securities.

The request for federal aid is its second since the takeover. The company received about $15 billion earlier this year.