| Last | Change | Percent | |
| S&P Futures | 1844.8 | -28.1 | -1.50% |
| Eurostoxx Index | 2902.8 | -77.7 | -2.61% |
| Oil (WTI) | 27.77 | -0.7 | -2.42% |
| LIBOR | 0.624 | 0.004 | 0.68% |
| US Dollar Index (DXY) | 99.01 | 0.019 | 0.02% |
| 10 Year Govt Bond Yield | 1.99% | -0.06% | |
| Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA | 104.9 | ||
| Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA | 104.2 | ||
| BankRate 30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage | 3.74 |
Another down day in stocks as global indices hit bear market levels. Yes, Virginia that is a 1-handle on the 10 year...
Housing starts fell in December from 1.17 million to 1.15 million, missing the 1.2 million Street estimate. Building permits fell from 1.28 million to 1.23 million, topping the 1.2 million estimate. Single-fam permits hit the highest level in 8 years. I sound like a broken record, but the economy isn't going to hit the next level until housing construction returns to normalcy, about 1.5 million units per year. The plus side of this is that the housing deficit continues to grow, which means the rebound (when it happens) will be stronger and longer. Confidence and credit remain the issues at the moment.
Mortgage Applications rose 9% last week as refis rose 18.7% and purchases fell 1.6%. With the 10 year trading below 2% again, there should be refinance opportunities. With the 10 year yield falling and the Fed Fund rate increasing, the strategy to pitch is to swap out of an ARM (which is pegged to short term rates) and into a 30 year fixed.
Inflation remains under control, as the consumer price index fell 0.1% in December. Ex-food and energy it increased 0.1%.
The dramatic sell-off in the markets has taken down rate hike expectations out of the Fed. You can see this in the 2 year bond yield, which has fallen 25 basis points since late December. This forecast was borne out in the latest Bank of America survey on the economic outlook. A month ago, 40% of fund managers expected no more than 2 rate hikes in 2016. Now that number is closer to 50%.
Earnings season is upon us, and the first companies to report are out of the banking sector. The main theme: a withdrawal from mortgage banking. The only big bank to report an increase in mortgage banking? Wells. Jamie Dimon said on JP Morgan's conference call that the banks remain under assault. And politicians in DC continue to scratch their heads and wonder why the economy remains tepid. Refer to housing starts above.
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