Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the biggest providers of financing for US home loans, tumbled for a third day as concern escalated that the government may be forced to start a rescue of the companies.
Fannie Mae fell $5.03, or 38 per cent, to $8.17 at 9.37am New York time (2.37pm Irish time) in New York Stock Exchange trading to the lowest level in more than 17 years.
Freddie Mac slid $3.61, or 45 per cent, to $4.39.
A government takeover of one or both companies is among several options being weighed by the Bush administration, said Joshua Rosner, an analyst with Graham Fisher & Co, who met with officials in Washington yesterday.
Officials may push for the firms, which own or guarantee almost half of the $12 trillion in US home loans outstanding, to be placed in a conservatorship if their problems get worse, he said.
A government-led takeover would likely make the common stock of each company worthless.
"The administration is considering all options in its contingency planning," Mr Rosner said. "That doesn't mean to say that we're at an inflection point where any decision is required immediately."
White House spokesman Tony Fratto declined to comment on any internal deliberations the administration may be having.
Fannie Mae, which traded near $70 a share a year ago, has dropped about 80 per cent in the past 12 months.
Freddie Mac has lost more than 86 percent of its market value in that time.
The companies, which own or guarantee about half of the $12 trillion of US mortgages, can count on a federal lifeline, said Republican Senator John McCain, and Democratic Senator Charles Schumer.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would have to post pretax losses and writedowns of about $77 billion before the US would be compelled to start a rescue, according to estimates by Fox-Pitt Kelton and Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co.
Bloomberg