according to The Wall Street Journal, sources familiar with the matter said that the U.S. government is preparing to have Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac go public later this year, with the offering expected to raise about $30 billion and likely to launch later this year. Some sources said that in the plan being discussed by some government officials, the total valuation of these two companies could reach around $500 billion or higher, with the offering involving the sale of 5% to 15% of their stocks. However, whether the two mortgage giants will go public as one company or as two separate entities is still under discussion. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are mainly engaged in the packaging and selling of mortgage loans, and have been under government regulation since the 2008 financial crisis, relying on government-backed guarantees to protect investors from losses.