Industry News

Increased trade tensions were positive for mortgage rates and negative for stocks this week, while the economic data contained no surprises and had little impact. Rates ended at the lowest levels in over a year. The economic data took a back seat to the news on trade this week. Investors hoping for signs of progress […]

Increased trade tensions between the U.S. and China were modestly positive for mortgage rates and negative for stocks this week, while the economic data and the Fed minutes had little impact. As a result, rates declined a bit and ended at the lowest levels in over a year. The U.S. and China appeared to take […]

Weaker than expected economic data was modestly positive for mortgage rates this week. Headlines about the trade negotiations between the U.S. and China caused some volatility but had little net effect. The latest figures released this week on retail sales for April were a good deal weaker than expected with a small decline from March. […]

The two main influences on mortgage rates this week, a lack of progress in the trade talks and weak inflation data, both were modestly positive for mortgage rates. As a result, rates ended a little lower. Last week, senior administration officials suggested that a trade deal between the U.S. and China could be close, so […]

This week was packed with major economic news highlighted by Wednesday’s Fed meeting and Friday’s Employment report. The result was a lot of volatility, but the various influences were offsetting, and mortgage rates ended the week nearly unchanged. As expected, the Fed made no change to the federal funds rate. The statement released after the […]

The big news this week was Friday’s GDP report, and it was favorable for mortgage rates. As a result, rates ended a little lower, ahead of several major economic releases next week. While the headline figure for first quarter GDP, the broadest measure of economic growth, was much stronger than expected, mortgage rates declined after […]

Despite unexpected strength in consumer spending, Thursday’s report on retail sales caused little reaction. Beyond that, major economic news was scarce this week, and mortgage rates ended nearly unchanged. Since consumer spending accounts for about 70% of all economic activity in the U.S., the retail sales data is a closely watched indicator of growth each […]

Most investors expect moderate U.S. economic growth this year, some degree of weakness in other regions, and continued low levels of inflation. This week’s news did little to alter their outlook, and mortgage rates ended slightly higher. Wednesday’s release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a widely followed monthly inflation report that looks at the […]

Although investors had a wide range of major U.S. data and geopolitical events to track this week, the economic news generally did not cause much reaction in mortgage markets. After falling to the lowest levels in over a year, rates ended the week a little higher. A slowdown in the pace of wage growth offset […]

It was a light week for economic news with few surprises, and mortgage rates ended nearly unchanged. One big reason that mortgage rates have improved in recent weeks, and that the Fed has shifted toward looser monetary policy, is that inflation has held steady. Despite a very tight labor market by historical standards, wage growth […]