Commercial mortgage market growth spurs companies

The commercial mortgage bond market is en fuego, as they say. U.S. issuance in 2005 hit a record $168 billion, up from $93 billion in 2004. It seems ready for a repeat performance in 2006. JP Morgan, the No. 1 player in the U.S., seems poised to cash in. Their merger with Bank One has opened up some new possibilities, and growth seems to be a priority. JP Morgan just opened a new commercial mortgage-backed securities group in San Francisco. Other firms may jump in. Barclays Capital just started a commercial mortgage-backed securities business.

> Here's a MarketWatch article.