Blog categorized as Mortgage Rates

Trade-related news dominated investor sentiment during the week.  Last Monday, news of a bilateral trade agreement between the U.S. and Mexico propelled several stock indexes to new all-time highs including the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 indices.  With stocks making new highs, bond p...

The stock market recorded moderate gains with the S&P 500 notching another all-time record high on Friday, the first time since January 26 ^th of this year.  Bonds also fared well with U.S. Treasury yields decreasing modestly during the week.  President Trump’s publicly pronounced unha...

The stock market turned in a “mixed” performance while mortgage bonds and treasuries traded essentially flat on the week.  Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 were able to advance while the technology-heavy NASDAQ Composite Index posted a modest loss.  Equity markets were...

Another wave of trade disputes ignited by a somewhat unusual situation unsettled the stock and currency markets late in the week.  In a dispute with Turkey over that country’s jailing of an American pastor, President Trump announced the U.S. would be doubling its tariffs on steel and aluminum i...

The stock market posted modest gains this past week, as did mortgage bonds, while the 10-year Treasury yield pulled back on Thursday and Friday after hitting the 3% mark intraday on Wednesday.  This resulted in relatively stable equity, bond, and mortgage markets for the week.   There were...

Mortgage bond prices slipped lower and the 10-year Treasury yield moved modestly higher this past week while the major stock market indices put in a mixed performance.  While the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 saw some decent gains, the technology-heavy NASDAQ Composite Index ...

This past week was the second week of earnings season resulting in a roughly flat finish for the stock market with bonds edging modestly lower.  So far, approximately 20% of corporations have reported their second quarter earnings and they have mostly exceeded expectations as the economy contin...

Trade tensions and inflation data dominated investor sentiment creating increased volatility in the stock market.  Stocks got off to a good start last Monday primarily due to a lack of any bad news over the prior weekend.  Stocks then fell on Wednesday when trade tensions surfaced on news ...

This past holiday-shortened week was good for both the broad stock market indexes and mortgage bonds as both asset classes finished the week moderately higher.  Trading volumes were lower than usual due to the 4 ^th of July holiday, although active investors had to wade through ongoing news of ...

The stock market ended the week moderately lower on continuing trade tensions primarily between the U.S. and China.  The Energy Sector was a notable exception as oil prices reached new four-year highs following a lower than expected U.S. oil inventory report and news the U.S. State Department w...

Although the Nasdaq Composite Index set a new all-time high last Wednesday, the three major stock indexes finished the week lower amid escalating trade tensions primarily between the U.S. and China and the U.S. and the European Union.  The Trump Administration wants to level the playing field w...

In addition to some generally positive economic news, there were three major events affecting the financial markets this past week.  There was an historic initial summit between the U.S. and North Korea over denuclearizing the Korean peninsula; a 25 basis point rate hike by the Fed; and further...

The major stock market indexes made a solid advance during the week amid strong jobs and economic data resulting in lower bond prices and rising yields.  Tuesday, the ISM Non-manufacturing Index showed a greater than forecast expansion in the services sector with a reading of 58.6 in May from 5...

The major stock market indexes were “mixed” for the week with the Dow Jones Industrial Average modestly lower while the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 Indexes posted moderate gains.  Early in the holiday-shortened week, investors had to navigate political unrest in Italy and Spain as well as ...

The major stock market indexes managed to grind out some marginal gains as investors reflected on a torrent of uncertain geopolitical news centered on U.S.-China trade negotiations and the U.S.-North Korea summit “canceled” last Thursday by President Trump.  Still, White House press secretary S...

The three major stock market indexes plus mortgage bonds ended the week modestly lower after strong economic data elevated fears of higher interest rates.  The week’s solid economic data sent the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note up to 3.12% on Thursday, its highest level in seven ye...

The stock market registered solid gains for the week propelled by solid corporate earnings reports, economic news, and geopolitical events.  In fact, the S&P 500 Index recorded its best weekly advance in two months, closing above its 100-day moving average for the first time since the middl...

The stock market seemed to lack conviction this past week as investors had to wade through a plethora of corporate earnings, including technology giant Apple's quarterly report, in addition to the latest monetary policy decision from the Fed and the Employment Situation report for April.  As a ...

Market action in stocks and bonds was driven by a combination of 1 ^st Quarter earnings reports, economic news, and geopolitical news of a historic meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea, who agreed on Friday to work to remove all nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula and, within t...

Stock market traders responded with a “relief rally” to the previous Friday’s air strike on Syria when they realized it was limited in scope and after it did not trigger a military response from Russia.  Additionally, crude oil prices continued to rally with West Texas Intermediate crude moving...