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In Atlanta, Equity Loans LLC announced it has expanded into the wholesale market and appointed an SVP of sales to support growth.

According to this month's first reading, the Consumer Sentiment Index has a value of 82.7, a turnaround from the 84.5 reading in May. An analysis from economist Amna Asaf at Capital Economics pointed to the "modest rebound in gas prices and the latest wobble in equity prices" as cause for the dip. However, Asaf noted the drop "reversed only part of the sharp gain of May." The Current Economic Conditions Index also declined, falling to 92.1. Meanwhile, the Expectations Index climbed to 76.7, a seven-month high.

Aklero Risk Analytics Inc. and NYLX have merged to form LoanLogics, according to a release from the new company. The merged company has 450 clients and more than 20,000 users and offers proven technology, compliance and risk expertise, and strong industry leadership to improve the transparency and reliability of loan assets through the life of the loan.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) labeled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as "critical concerns" in the composite rating category for 2012. FHFA noted the GSEs generated positive annual income in 2012, a first since 2006, with Fannie Mae bringing in more than $17 billion in earnings and Freddie Mac reporting net income of $11 billion in 2012. Credit risk, though, remained a critical concern for the GSEs, unchanged from 2011. The report also noted that troubled assets are still at high levels.

Mortgage Master, one of the nation's largest privately owned mortgage companies, announced the opening of a new retail branch location to serve Connecticut's Greater Hartford area.

While fiscal headwinds have held back economic growth, Fannie Mae maintains in its newest outlook that the recovery should pick up the pace in the year's second half.

Driven by stronger auto sales but held back by falling gasoline sales, total retail sales increased 0.6 percent in May, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. Excluding auto sales, retail activity increased 0.3 percent in May compared with April, when it was essentially flat.

The overall number of listings on Zillow was down 12.2 percent year-over-year at the start of June, an improvement from the 17.5 percent shortfall recorded in January.

First-time claims for unemployment insurance fell to 334,000 for week ending June 8, dropping 12,000 after decreasing 11,000 one week earlier, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists expected initial claims to increase to 350,000 from the prior week. Claims filings for the week ending June 1 remained at the originally reported 346,000.

Significant improvements in home values helped lift 850,000 borrowers out of negative equity in the first quarter, CoreLogic reported. Overall, 9.7 million borrowers, or 19.8 percent of all residential mortgages, were underwater in the first quarter of 2013, down from 10.5 million, or 21.7 percent of all mortgages, according to the data provider's estimate.