By Nate Wolf

Shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were rising Tuesday after Bill Pulte, who heads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, said the U.S. government was looking to sell around 5% of the two mortgage giants in a public offering.

Pulte revealed the 5% figure Tuesday in a TV interview with Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo, adding that he thought the companies were worth $500 billion to $700 billion to the U.S. government.

"We're in no rush. The president holds all the cards, so he'll decide what to do and when to do it," Pulte said of a potential public offering. "I think we're looking at about 5%, and I think it will be very oversubscribed."

Freddie Mac shares were up 3.2% on Tuesday. Fannie Mae stock was climbing 2.6%.

President Donald Trump has solicited big banks for ideas on how to monetize Fannie and Freddie, which have been under a government conservatorship since the 2008 financial crisis. Pulte told Barron's in July that the companies would likely remain in conservatorship even in the event of a public offering.

Write to Nate Wolf at nate.wolf@barrons.com

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September 02, 2025 09:21 ET (13:21 GMT)

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