The Lede

HousingWire, Feb. 12, 2019--Kelsey RamirezEllie Mae announced Tuesday it entered into an agreement to be acquired by Thoma Bravo, a private equity investment firm. The deal is an all-cash transaction of $3.7 billion.

Bloomberg, Feb. 12, 2019--Steve MatthewsFederal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the U.S. economy is "strong" though its benefits haven't been felt evenly across the country.

The Mortgage Leader, Feb. 12, 2019An investor group led by Black Knight Inc. and others has completed the acquisition of Dun & Bradstreet Inc., which had already been announced. The other lead investors include Cannae, CC Capital Partners, Bilcar, and funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners.

Commercial Observer, Feb. 12, 2019--Matt GrossmanThe past decade has marked a great business cycle for lenders of all stripes. But bank executives at the Mortgage Bankers' Association‘s conference in San Diego yesterday betrayed a sense of wariness that they're being squeezed out of the running for good returns on palatable deals.

HousingWire, Feb. 12, 2019--Ben LaneThe Mortgage Bankers Association recently predicted  multifamily lending was on track to set another record in 2018. And now that 2018 is over, we're starting to get a look at just how good of a year it was for multifamily lending.

Commercial Property Executive, Feb. 12, 2019--Therese FitzgeraldDebt funds originated about $67 billion in mortgages in 2018-about 10 percent of total originations, up from $52 billion in 2017 and $32 billion in 2016, according to Jamie Woodwell, vice president of Commercial-Multifamily Research at the Mortgage Bankers Association. "They are clearly a significant player," he said.

Commercial Observer, Feb. 12, 2019--Matt GrossmanMarcy Fink, the chief administrative officer at SunTrust Commercial Real Estate, said that her institution's upcoming merger with BB&T Bank is designed to build the scale needed for massive technology investments. She made the comments while speaking on a panel at the Mortgage Bankers Association conference in San Diego.

American Banker, Feb. 12, 2019--Kate Berry (subscription)Twenty-two Democratic state attorneys general said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lacks sweeping authority to create a fintech sandbox that provides immunity from state law.