Blog categorized as Mortgage Rates

This past week investors were rewarded with the three major stock indexes reaching new record all-time highs.  The rally began last Monday following early reports that damages from Hurricane Irma were not as severe as first projected when Irma was classified as a category 5 before slamming into...

This past week investors were more focused on macro events than on individual economic reports. Stock market sentiment was negatively impacted by continuing geopolitical troubles with North Korea and its nuclear weapons testing program, the weekend arrival of potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurr...

The stock market ended higher for the week while bond prices moved ever so slightly higher resulting in the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to fall by less than one basis point on the week. Investors were bombarded by a bevy economic reports, the most significant of which were the inflation measu...

The stock market posted gains for the week largely due to a solid rally on Tuesday that may have been triggered by a report from Politico stating Republican lawmakers were working behind the scenes on tax reform legislation. According to Politico, a consensus is emerging among top administration and...

Volatility returned to the stock market this past week as geopolitical events exerted noticeable influence on traders.  Concerns about a potential military conflict with North Korea subsided to spark a rally in stocks last Monday that led the S&P 500 Index to record its largest one-day gain...

Although the stock market once again ended the week in a “mixed” fashion, the Dow Jones Industrial Average continued its march higher by setting consecutive new all-time highs during the week.  In fact, the Dow has set new all-time highs during each of the last eight trading days while crossing...

The stock market traded in a rather subdued fashion on Tuesday and Wednesday in a holiday shortened week before jumping higher on Thursday and Friday.  Stocks advanced Thursday following news the U.S. is pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord that was seen as having a destructive impact on the...

The stock market continued to march ever higher, especially early in the week when both the small-cap Russell 2000 and the technology-laden Nasdaq Composite Indexes reached record highs.  In fact, the Nasdaq Composite broke above the 6,000 mark for the first time ever.  Investor sentiment ...

The stock market closed moderately lower in an Easter Holiday-shortened the week characterized by lower than usual trading volumes.  In fact, Monday’s trading saw fewer shares changing hands than on any day so far this year.  Economic news seemed to take a back seat to geopolitical events ...

The major stock market indexes continued to grind their way higher to establish new all-time highs for the third consecutive week.  Meanwhile, bond prices received a boost (yields fell) in response to a rally in bond prices in Europe and Japan along with a month-over-month decline in the Univer...

The major stock market indexes began the week trading relatively flat until rallying on Thursday and Friday to set new record all-time highs following a discussion between President Trump and aviation executives where Trump promised “something phenomenal in terms of tax reform” in the next few weeks...

The major stock indexes advanced to new all-time highs benefiting from a midweek rally triggered by encouraging corporate earnings reports and greater sentiment for economic growth. The Nasdaq Composite Index led the way with a 1.86% weekly gain, but investor attention was captivated by the Dow Jone...

Weekly Review   The major stock market indexes posted moderate losses for the week and the psychological milestone of 20,000 for the Dow Jones Industrial Average remained elusive.  The indexes recorded the majority of their losses on Wednesday with the S&P 500 Index charting its larges...

This past week the stock market advanced for the third consecutive week with all of the major indexes reaching a series of new highs while the bond market continued lower with yields rising. In fact, this past Monday, the stock market achieved a “superfecta” for the first time in 17 years with the D...

This past week the stock market continued to advance while bond prices fell with rising yields as investors anticipate a Trump presidency will result in faster economic growth, stronger corporate earnings growth, and higher inflation.   This outlook to a certain extent was validated on Thursday...

This past week the financial markets responded to a stunning upset by Donald Trump in the presidential election.  Wall Street assumed Hillary Clinton would win the election.  When it appeared Donald Trump would win late Tuesday night, stock index futures plunged with the Dow Jones Industri...

Stock prices fell during the week while bond prices posted modest gains with slightly lower yields as traders were confronted by heightened uncertainty surrounding the upcoming presidential election.  Plunging oil prices also weighed on stock market sentiment as the latest report from the U.S. ...

Weekly Review   Both the stock and bond markets showed modest improvement during the week on “mixed” economic and third quarter corporate earnings reports.   Several economic reports showed manufacturing remains tenuous.  The New York Fed reported the October New York Empire State Man...

Bond and stock prices saw an increase in volatility this past week, rising early in the week before plunging over Thursday and Friday.  Treasury yields jumped on expectations for higher rates. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note reached its highest level since June as prices fell.   A s...

Bond prices fell and yields rose, predominately on Friday, as a greater number of investors came to the realization that the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) could raise interest rates as soon as their next meeting on September 20-21.  The financial markets essentially “tr...