Oct 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is "opportunistically evaluating" a public offering for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, possibly as soon as end-2025, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte said on Monday. "President Trump made the right decision not to take Freddie and Fannie public during his first term and is opportunistically evaluating an offering this time around, which could be as early as the end of 2025," Pulte said on X.

"We are focused on running them like a business and taking out costs so I don’t think there’s any limit to what they could be worth one day," Pulte added.

Trump, who said in May he was working on taking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public, wants to end the long-standing conservatorship of the housing giants, which have been under the U.S. government's control since 2008 after they suffered heavy losses during the subprime mortgage crisis. He had tried to reduce government control of the pair during his first term.

The FHFA, which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is expected to play a central role in any effort to return the pair, which backs the majority of the nation's residential mortgages, to the private sector.

Shares of both companies, which are traded over the counter, have climbed more than 700% since Nov. 5, 2024, when Trump was elected, and they now have a combined market value of about $20 billion.