After months of murmurs, the Trump administration is reportedly prepping to take mortgage giants Fannie Mae ( FNMA ) and Freddie Mac ( FMCC ) public, per the Wall Street Journal . The report adds that officials believe the offering could raise $30 billion in such a debut, valuing the two at "roughly $500 billion."

The two firms are operated by the federal government, which receives its profits and manages its day-to-day business through a conservatorship. The two firms were taken into government control after they faced significant losses on mortgage securities during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008.

In particular, the firms were heavily exposed to subprime mortgages. The government's takeover of the firms at the time helped stabilize the market. However, after 17 years

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