December 31st Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/31/08 03:31 PM
MBS prices are up +8/32 (FNMA 30-yr 4.5 at 101.53), below the initial price level at =9/32 - many lenders repriced or are are issuing repices now.  It was a volatile session with very light volume. Jobless Claims came in lower than expected. The Dow is up 80 points. The ISM index will be released on Friday. MBS markets will be closed tomorrow, and will close early at 2:00 et on Friday.   Happy New Year to all. 
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December 30th Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/30/08 04:20 PM
MBS prices are down -8/32 (FNMA 30-yr 4.5 at 101.25), at the initial morning price level at -8/32. It was a quiet session. December Consumer Confidence fell to a record low reading of 38.0, below the consensus of 45.0. December Chicago PMI came in close to expectations. The Dow rose 180 points. Jobless Claims will be released tomorrow at 8:30 et. MBS markets will close early at 1:00 et tomorrow and Friday, and will be closed on Thursday
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December 29th Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/29/08 04:36 PM
MBS prices are down +3/32 (FNMA 30-yr 4.5 at 101.50), below the initial morning price level at +11/32. Unfavorable repricing was seen. It was a quiet session in MBS markets until a late decline took place on very light volume. No economic data came out today. Tensions in the Middle East pushed oil prices a little higher. The Dow fell 30 points. Tomorrow, Chicago PMI and Consumer Confidence will be released...
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December 17th Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/17/08 04:54 PM
MBS prices are down -9/32 (FNMA 30-yr 4.5 at 101.66), far below the initial price level at +19/32. Unfavorable repricing took place - a couple of times!  No economic data came out today. MBS markets started with a significant rally, building on the momentum following yesterday's Fed announcement. After reaching a high of +24/32, however, investor sentiment changed to a belief that the rally had gone too far. MBS prices then declined to a low of -17/32. Longer-term Treasuries posted large gains today. The Dow fell 100 points. Tomorrow, Jobless Claims, Leading Indicators, and Philly Fed will be released.
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Fed Takes Giant Step Toward Lowering Interest Rates - 12/16/08 05:08 PM
Despite the fact that lowering short term interest rates usually results in higher long term rates such as mortgages, language in their statement prompted huge gains for Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS).  The higher MBS securites go the lower interest rates will be.  In a unanimous vote, the Fed cut the target Fed Funds rate from 1.00% to a range between 0.00% and 0.25%. The 75 basis point cut was larger than the consensus forecast for a 50 basis point cut. This marked the first time that the Fed has targeted a range rather than a fixed value, reflecting that it is … (0 comments)

December 16th Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/16/08 05:02 PM
MBS prices are up +42/32 (FNMA 30-yr 4.5 at 101.94), far above the initial price level at +1/32, and at the high for the day. Today's CPI and Housing Starts data had little impact on MBS markets. The big move today took place after the Fed announcement at about 2:25 et, as MBS and stock markets posted significant gains after its release. The Dow rose 360 points. No economic data will be released tomorrow.
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December 15th Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/15/08 04:25 PM
MBS prices are down -7/32 (FNMA 30-yr 4.5 at 100.62), down 5/32 from the initial price level. It was a quiet session. Industrial Production and the Empire State index came in close to expectations. The Dow fell 66 points. Tomorrow, CPI and Housing Starts will be released at 8:30 et. The Fed announcement will take place at 2:15 et. Investors have priced in a 50 basis point rate cut, but it will be the statement which will likely determine the reaction. It may be a volatile day.
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Falling Rates Challenged by Resets of Troubled Mortgages - 12/12/08 04:09 PM
Since the Fed announced a plan to purchase $500 billion of mortgage-backed securities on November 25, mortgage rates have moved progressively lower, and the trend continued this week. Conforming fixed-rate mortgage rates dropped to levels last seen in 2003. Weak Retail Sales data and low inflation figures released during the week also supported the move lower.
 
As the government strives to offset the current weakness in the economy, its actions have exerted a much stronger than usual influence on mortgage rates. Programs to purchase mortgage-backed securities and to provide capital to financial institutions have been favorable for mortgage rates, while … (0 comments)

December 12th Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/12/08 04:01 PM
MBS prices are up +5/32 (FNMA 30-yr 5.0 at 101.81), above the initial price level at -2/32. It was a volatile session. The PPI and Retail Sales data came in close to expectations. Consumer Sentiment rose to 59.1, above the consensus of 55.0. The Dow rose 60 points. For the week, MBS prices rose +37/32.The big news next week will be Tuesday's Fed meeting. Expectations are for a 50 or 75 basis point rate cut, and the accompanying statement will provide the Fed's latest views on the state of the economy and the financial system. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most closely … (0 comments)

December 10th Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/10/08 03:56 PM
MBS prices are up +15/32 (FNMA 30-yr 5.0 at 101.38), far above the initial price level at -3/32. Favorable repricing took place.  No economic data came out today. The spread between MBS and Treasuries narrowed, which pushed MBS prices higher. Treasuries posted small losses today. The 3-yr Treasury auction received close to average demand. The Dow rose 70 points. Jobless Claims, the Trade Balance, and Import Prices will be released tomorrow. There also will be a 10-yr Treasury auction at 1:00 et.
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December 9th Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/09/08 04:02 PM
MBS prices are up +9/32 (FNMA 30-yr 5.5 at 101.84), above the initial pricing level at +5/32. Favorable repricing took place. A stock market decline pushed MBS prices higher, and the Dow lost 240 points. October Pending Home Sales fell slightly to 88.9, which was above the consensus of 86.5, and was 1% lower than one year ago. Pending Home Sales are a leading indicator for the housing market. No economic data will be released tomorrow, but there will be a 3-yr Treasury auction at 1:00 et.
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December 8th Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/08/08 04:24 PM
MBS prices are up +4/32 (FNMA 30-yr 5.5 at 101.56), below the :initial price level at +8/32. It was a volatile session, and unfavorable repricing took place. No economic data came out today. The Dow gained about 300 points, and Treasury markets fell moderately, but MBS markets ended with small gains. Tomorrow, Pending Home Sales will be released at 10:00 et.
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Mortgage Rates & Jobs Plummet Unemployment Jumps to 6.7% - 12/05/08 04:31 PM
Mortgage rates moved even lower this week, helped by economic weakness and recent actions by the Fed and the Treasury. Conforming fixed-rate mortgage rates dropped to levels last seen in 2003. According to Freddie Mac, the weekly decline in rates was the largest since 1981, over its Wednesday to Wednesday measurement period.
 
The Fed and the Treasury are looking at additional programs to boost the economy. On Wednesday, the Treasury confirmed that it is considering a plan which would offer below-market mortgage rates for select loans used to purchase homes. The lower rates would not be available for refinancing loans. … (0 comments)

December 5th Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/05/08 04:27 PM
MBS prices are down -12/32 (FNMA 30-yr 5.5 at 101.44), below the initial price level at -9/32. It was a very volatile session, and unfavorable repricing took place. The weaker than expected Employment report produced a brief rally in MBS prices, but they moved lower for most of the session. Apparently, investors were prepared for weak economic data today and used the news as an opportunity to take profits from large movements earlier in the week. A late surge in the stock market sent MBS prices to their lows. The Dow rose almost 300 points. Oil prices fell as low as $41 per … (0 comments)

Purcase Money Interest Rates at 4.5%?? - 12/04/08 04:47 PM
Government officials have been under enormous pressure to help stabilize home prices and prevent foreclosures. At the same time, they don't want to appear to be using taxpayer money to bail out undeserving individuals and institutions. As Fed Chief Bernanke stated, the solution may involve a "full range of coordinated measures" aimed at different aspects of the problem.
The government has already put many programs in place, and others are under discussion. The Fed and the Treasury have used billions of dollars to provide financial institutions with capital to make loans. Last week, they instituted a program to buy MBS to … (0 comments)

December 4th Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/04/08 04:32 PM
MBS prices are up +10/32 (FNMA 30-yr 5.5 at 101.81), flat to the initial price level. It was a volatile session. The Treasury announced that it is considering a plan which would push mortgage rates as low as 4.50% for some agency guaranteed loans used to purchase homes.  Weekly Jobless Claims came in a little lower than expected, while October Factory Orders were weaker than the consensus. The European Central Bank (ECB) cut rates by 75 basis points, the largest reduction in its 10-year history. In a speech, Fed Chief Bernanke outlined different options to help prevent foreclosures without endorsing any particular … (0 comments)

December 3rd Mortgage Market Wrap-up - 12/03/08 04:28 PM
MBS prices are down -2/32 (FNMA 30-yr 5..50 at 101.50), above the initial price level at -7/32. It was a volatile session, and favorable repricing took place. Third quarter Productivity was revised a little higher than expected. November ISM Services fell to 37.3, below the consensus of 42.0, to a record low. The Fed's Beige Book reflected the expected weakness in most areas of the country. In a speech, President-Elect Obama expressed strong support for using a portion of the rescue plan funds to help prevent foreclosures. The Dow rose 170 points. Tomorrow, Jobless Claims and Factory Orders will be released. The … (0 comments)