Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory

Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory for Friday 08/07/09

Friday’s bond market has opened down sharply following the release of stronger than expected employment numbers. The stock markets are reacting favorably to the data with the Dow up 136 points and the Nasdaq up 32 points. The bond market is currently down 28/32, which should push this morning’s mortgage rates higher by approximately .375 – .500 of a discount point compared to yesterday’s morning rates.

The Labor Department reported this morning that only 247,000 jobs were lost last month and that the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 9.4%. Both of these readings were stronger than expected. Analysts had forecasted a job loss of 328,000 and an increase on the unemployment rate of 0.1% to bring it to 9.6%. In addition, average hourly earnings also exceeded forecasts with a 0.2% increase.

Today’s news was definitely negative for bonds and mortgage rates. It indicates that the employment sector is not as bad as many had thought. While it was still softening last month, it was at a much slower pace than expected. That helps support the theory that the recession may be nearing an end. In fact, some analysts are already stating they think it has ended. This is bad for bonds because economic growth often creates an environment with inflation concerns that make bonds less attractive to investors. The result usually ends up being higher mortgage rates as investors shift funds into a growing stock market.

Next week is another busy one for the markets and mortgage rates. There are several very important economic releases scheduled to be posted in addition to another FOMC meeting that can heavily influence bond trading and mortgage rates. None of them is due out Monday, but there is relevant data or events scheduled for every other day of the week. Look for more details on next week’s events in Sunday’s weekly preview.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would….
Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days…
Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days…
Lock if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days…
Lock if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now…

This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

Tags: average hourly earnings, bond, bond trading, closing, economic releases, employment numbers, employment sector, fomc meeting, inflation concerns, lock, refinancing a home, shift funds, stock, U.S., unemployment rate, week

Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory – Thursday June 19, 2009

Friday’s bond market has opened in positive territory as investors digest the week’s events. The stock markets are showing gains with the Dow up 50 points and the Nasdaq up 22 points. The bond market is currently up 4/32, but we will still see an increase in this morning’s mortgage rates due to weakness late yesterday.

There is no relevant economic data scheduled for release today. This makes it likely that bonds will be influenced mostly by changes in the stock markets today. As long as the major stock indexes remain calm, I would expect bonds and mortgage rates to follow suit. If the stock markets give back this morning’s gains, bonds may react favorably as the day goes on. However, afternoon weakness seems to be routine lately so we should go into the weekend with a cautious approach.

Next week is fairly active in terms of economic releases. There are several scheduled for release
that may influence mortgage pricing, but we also have an FOMC meeting on the calendar next week. In addition to those items, there is another round of Treasury auctions on the agenda that may also affect bond trading and mortgage rates.
None of the economic data or relevant events take place on Monday, so look for it to be a day of preparation for the week’s events. Unless something positive happens or is announced over the
weekend, there is little to lead us to believe Monday will be a strong day for bonds. But look for more details on next week’s data and relevant events in Sunday’s weekly preview.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would….
Float if my closing was taking place within 7 days…

Float if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days…

Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days…

Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now…
This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

Tags: bond, bond trading, cautious approach, closing, economic releases, Float, fomc meeting, investors digest, major stock indexes, refinancing a home, relevant events, stock, stock markets, treasury auctions, week

Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Mar. 20th

Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Mar. 20th

Friday’s bond market has opened in negative territory this morning with no relevant economic news to drive the markets. The stock markets are relatively flat with the Dow up a few points and the Nasdaq down the same. The bond market is currently down 6/32, which will likely push this morning’s mortgage rates higher by approximately .125 – .250 of a discount point over yesterday’s morning rates.

As expected, we saw some pressure in bonds late yesterday and this morning. This by no means is a point of concern for me. The selling or balancing of portfolios is common after such a drastic move in such a short period of time. I am still quite optimistic that mortgage rates still have more room to improve in the near future.

There are no relevant economic reports being released today. Fed Chairman Bernanke is giving a speech at noon today to a bankers’ conference in Phoenix, Arizona. It is not considered to be an important speech that will likely affect the markets or mortgage rates. Whenever he speaks publicly there is always a possibility of the markets reacting, but the likelihood of seeing any reaction that will change mortgage rates is minimal in my opinion.

Next week is fairly busy with economic releases, but none are considered to be of extreme importance. There are reports scheduled for several days of the week, including Monday’s posting of February’s Existing Home Sales data. Look for more details on next week’s events in Sunday evening’s weekly preview.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the b est interest of all/any other borrowers.
©Mortgage Commentary 2009

Tags: Chairman Bernanke, closing, drastic move, economic releases, economic reports, existing home sales, existing home sales data, extreme importance, fed chairman bernanke, Float, lock, negative territory, refinancing a home, week

Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory – Monday Mar. 9th

Rate Lock Advisory – Monday Mar. 9th

Monday’s bond market has opened in negative territory following early stock gains. However, stocks have given back those gains to currently stand close to Friday’s closing levels. The Dow is currently up 4 points while the Nasdaq is nearly unchanged. The bond market is currently down 9/32, which will likely push this morning’s mortgage rates higher by approximately .125 – .250 of a discount point.

There is no relevant economic data scheduled for release today. The rest of the week brings us the release of three economic releases for the bond and mortgage markets to digest along with 10-year Treasury Note and 30 year Bond auctions. All of the data will be posted the latter part of the week. Only one of the three reports is considered to be of high importance to the markets, but this does not mean that we can expect to see a quiet week in mortgage rates. We could very well see the most movement in rates the latter part of the week, but rates are likely to mo ve several days this week.

The most important of the three reports will be posted Thursday morning when February’s Retail Sales data is released. This report is extremely important to the financial markets because it measures consumer spending. Since consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the U.S. economy, data that is related usually has a big impact on the financial markets. This month’s report is expected to show a decline in sales of approximately 0.4%. If it reveals a larger decline in sales, the bond market should rise and mortgage rates will likely fall. If it reveals an increase, I expect to see bond prices fall and mortgage rates rise Thursday morning.

Overall, it will likely be another active week in the mortgage market. Thursday will probably be the most important day of the week with the Retail Sales report due. The 10-year Treasury Note auction is scheduled for Wednesday while the 30-year bond sale will be held Thursday. Results of bot h sales will be posted at 1:00 PM ET on the sale days. If investor demand was high, we may see bonds rally during afternoon trading, however, weak demand could lead to selling and an increase to mortgage rates. But I am expecting to see the most movement in rates the latter part of the week regardless of the auction results.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.
©Mortgage Commentary 2009

Tags: 10 year treasury note, bond, bond auctions, closing, economic releases, economy data, lock, mortgage market, mortgage markets, mortgage rates, negative territory, retail sales data, stock gains, Thursday, U.S., week, year

Weekly Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory – Sunday Mar. 8th

Rate Lock Advisory – Sunday Mar. 8th

This week brings us the release of three economic releases for the bond and mortgage markets to digest along with 10-year Treasury Note and 30 year Bond auctions. All of the data will be posted the latter part of the week. Only one of the three reports is considered to be of high importance to the markets, but this does not mean that we can expect to see a quiet week in mortgage rates. We could very well see the most movement in rates the latter part of the week, but rates are likely to move several days this week.

The most important of the three reports will be posted Thursday morning when February’s Retail Sales data is released. This report is extremely important to the financial markets because it measures consumer spending. Since consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the U.S. economy, data that is related usually has a big impact on the financial markets. This month’s report is expected to show a decline in sales of approximately 0.4%. If it reveals a larger decline in sales, the bond market should rise and mortgage rates will likely fall. If it reveals an increase, I expect to see bond prices fall and mortgage rates rise Thursday morning.

There will be two economic reports posted Friday morning. The first is the release of January’s Goods and Services Trade Balance. This report gives us the size of the U.S. trade deficit. It is the week’s least important piece of news and likely will not influence mortgage rates much.

Also on tap Friday is the University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Sentiment for March at 9:45 AM. This index gives us a measurement of consumer willingness to spend. If confidence is rising, then consumers are more apt to make large purchases. This helps fuel consumer spending and economic growth. A drop in confidence will probably hurt the stock markets and boost bond prices, leading to lower mortgage rates. If the index rises, indicating that confidence is rising and spending w ill likely rise, we may see mortgage rates move higher late Friday morning. It is expected to show a reading of 56.3.

Overall, it will likely be another active week in the mortgage market. Thursday will probably be the most important day of the week with the Retail Sales report due. The 10-year Treasury Note auction is scheduled for Wednesday while the 30-year bond sale will be held Thursday. Results of both sales will be posted at 1:00 PM ET on the sale days. If investor demand was high, we may see bonds rally during afternoon trading, however, weak demand could lead to selling and an increase to mortgage rates. But I am expecting to see the most movement in rates the latter part of the week regardless of the auction results.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 an d 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.
©Mortgage Commentary 2009

Tags: bond, bond auctions, bond prices, closing, economic releases, economic reports, economy data, index of consumer sentiment, lock, lower mortgage, mortgage markets, mortgage rates, retail sales data, Thursday, U.S., week, year

Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Mar. 6th

Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Mar. 6th

Friday’s bond market has opened in positive territory after this morning’s major economic news failed to hurt the recent enthusiasm in bonds. The stock markets are in negative ground, but were showing strong gains during early trading. The Dow is currently down 19 points while the Nasdaq has lost 12 points as the opening rally has fizzled. The bond market is currently up 5/32, which with yesterday’s gains should improve this morning’s mortgage rates by approximately .375 of a discount point.

The Labor Department reported this morning that the unemployment rate spiked to a 25-year high of 8.1% last month. This was higher than the 7.9% rate that was expected, which can be considered good news for bonds. The reports also revealed that 651,000 jobs were lost during the month, but that was very close to forecasts. It also revised February’s job loss higher by 57,000 jobs. The hourly earnings reading matched forecasts of a 0.2% increase.

Overall, t he unemployment rate was an attention magnet, but the other portions of the report are a non-factor in this morning’s trading and mortgage rates. The early rise then fall in stocks indicates that further weakness in them could be likely. That may benefit bonds as investors seek shelter from the volatility. However, if stocks can hold any type of a rally, the bond market could see considerable weakness, likely driving mortgage rates higher.

Next week is pretty light in terms of economic releases. There are only a couple of relevant reports scheduled to be posted, but one of them is highly important. None of the relevant news will be posted until mid-week, so look for a relative calm day for mortgage rates Monday unless the stock markets rally or sell-off again. Sunday’s weekly preview will have more details on next week’s events.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Float if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Fl oat if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

Tags: bond, bond market, closing, economic releases, Float, hourly earnings, mortgage rates, rate, refinancing a home, relevant news, relevant reports, stock markets, unemployment rate

Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Feb. 27th

Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Feb. 27th

Friday’s bond market has opened in negative territory again despite weaker than expected economic news. The stock markets are also showing early losses with the Dow down 74 points and the Nasdaq down 2 points. The bond market is currently down 11/32, which will likely push this morning’s mortgage rates higher by approximately .125 of a discount point.

Today’s big news was the first revision to the 4th Quarter GDP that showed a sizable downward revision from last month’s preliminary estimate. Today’s release revealed that the GDP, which is the sum of all goods and services produced in the U.S. and is considered to be the best measurement of economic activity, actually shrank at 6.2% annual pace. This was much weaker than the negative 3.8% that was released last month and weaker than the 5.2% decline that was forecasted for this revision. This was also the worst quarterly reading in 26 years. That indicates that the economy was weaker than many had thought .

Generally speaking, today’s headline reading was good news for bonds and mortgage rates. The problem came in a key inflation reading in the report that went from a 0.1% decline to a 0.5% gain, meaning that despite the drop in activity there still remains a concern about inflation. That has contributed to this morning’s bond loss along with further debt supply concerns that are coming as a result of the Fed’s revised holdings in banking giant Citigroup.

The University of Michigan’s revised Index of Consumer Sentiment for February was also posted this morning. It showed a reading of 56.3, which was little change from this month’s previous estimate of 56.2. This news had little impact on today’s trading or mortgage pricing.

Next week is pretty busy with economic releases scheduled for four of the five trading days. The week’s kicks off with the release of two reports- January’s Personal Income and Outlays along with February’s ISM Manufact uring Index. Both will be posted Monday morning and can influence bond trading and mortgage rates.

There is important data being posted everyday of the week except Tuesday. Look for more details on next week’s events in Sunday’s weekly preview.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

Tags: bond, bond market, closing, downward revision, economic releases, index of consumer sentiment, negative territory, outlays, quarter gdp, stock markets, supply concerns, today, U.S., week

Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Feb. 20th

Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Feb. 20th

Friday’s bond market has opened up sharply following early stock losses and renewed fears about the economy. The stock markets are showing early sizable losses after international markets posted large declines during overnight trading. The Dow is currently down 120 points while the Nasdaq has lost 13 points. The bond market is currently up 31/32, which will likely improve this morning’s mortgage rates by approximately .375 of a discount point.

The Labor Department gave us January’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) this morning, saying that the overall index rose 0.3% as expected. The core data rose 0.2%, exceeding analysts’ forecasts of a 0.1% increase. This means that consumer prices rose more than expected if excluding volatile food and energy prices. That is considered bad news for bonds, but the stock and economic concerns has prevented a negative reaction to this morning’s news.

The concerns, both here and overseas, about the global economy are contributing greatly to this morning’s bond gains. We are seeing a shift to safety as investors sell stocks and move funds into bonds. While this is good news for the bond market and mortgage rates, this is sometimes only a temporary move and could lead to further volatility in trading in the coming days and weeks. If investors become more comfortable with stocks, we could see those same funds move from bonds back into stocks, driving bonds prices lower and mortgage rates higher. Still, no reason to panic. This just means we need to watch the markets closely.

Next week is fairly active in terms of economic releases and relevant events. There is no important news scheduled for release Monday, but we do get important data and the semi-annual monetary policy testimony from the Fed Chairman to Congress on Tuesday. The rest of the week is scattered with relevant data releases, so look to Sunday’s weekly preview for details.

If I were considering finan cing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

Tags: bond, closing, consumer price index, core data, economic releases, fed chairman, Float, index cpi, lock, move funds, relevant events, stock, stock losses, volatile food

Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Feb. 6th

Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Feb. 6th

Friday’s bond market has opened in negative territory despite the release of a fairly concerning Employment report. The stock markets are reacting favorably to the news with the Dow up 180 points and the Nasdaq up 30 points. The bond market is currently down 12/32, which will likely push this morning’s mortgage rates higher by approximately .250 of a discount point.

The Labor Department reported this morning that the U.S. unemployment rate rose to 7.6% last month. The 0.4% increase was more than expected and indicates that the employment sector is weakening at a faster pace than many had thought. While this is favorable news for bonds and mortgage rates, it gives little hope for the American worker.

The report also showed a larger than expected loss of jobs during the month. The 598,000 loss was the worst since December 1974 and brings the last three month total to 1.8 million. That’s the worst three month performance since the end of World War II and raises concerns about the rest of 2009. It is becoming more likely that we may set some new records this year that are not exactly worth bragging about.

The average earnings portion of the report didn’t reveal many surprises at an increase of 0.3%. However, despite this morning’s bond favorable data, stocks are reaping the benefits during morning trading. The weaker than expected results in the employment report did not surprise me, but the reaction in bonds was disappointing.

Next is pretty light in terms of economic releases, but it does bring us the release of one very important report. There are no relevant reports scheduled for release Monday. Look for more details on next week’s events in Sunday’s weekly preview.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

Tags: average earnings, bond, bond market, closing, economic releases, employment report, employment sector, lock, negative territory, rate, refinancing a home, Release, relevant reports, report, U.S., unemployment rate, world war ii

Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Jan. 2nd

Rate Lock Advisory – Friday Jan. 2nd

Friday’s bond market has opened flat despite weaker than expected economic news. The stock markets are starting the new year in positive ground with the Dow up 122 points and the Nasdaq up 22 points. The bond market is currently almost unchanged from Wednesday’s close, but we will likely still see an increase in this morning’s mortgage rates of approximately .250 of a discount point.

Today’s only economic news was the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing index. It showed a reading of 32.4, which was its lowest reading since June 1980. Analysts were expecting to see a reading of 35.4, meaning that manufacturer sentiment was weaker than many had thought. This is favorable news for bonds but due partly to this morning’s stock gains, this data has failed to push mortgage rates lower.

The bond market will close early again today, therefore, I don’t believe we will see much of an improvement in today’s rates. In fact, we may see so me additional pressure on bonds as traders close the shortened week. This may lead to upward revisions to mortgage rates before today’s 2:00 PM close.

Next week is fairly busy in terms of economic releases. There is no relevant news scheduled for release Monday, but the rest of the week brings us the release of several reports that may affect mortgage rates including December’s Employment report next Friday. Look for more details on next week’s events in Sunday’s weekly preview.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Lock if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

Tags: bond, bond market, closing, economic releases, employment report, institute for supply management, ism manufacturing index, lock, mortgage rates, refinancing a home, relevant news, stock gains, today, upward revisions, week