| Last | Change | Percent | |
| S&P Futures | 1866.6 | -17.9 | 0.92% |
| Eurostoxx Index | 2882.8 | -13.8 | -0.48% |
| Oil (WTI) | 27.85 | -0.1 | -0.40% |
| LIBOR | 0.619 | 0.001 | 0.10% |
| US Dollar Index (DXY) | 96.44 | -0.850 | -0.87% |
| 10 Year Govt Bond Yield | 1.74% | 0.02% | |
| Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA | 105.3 | ||
| Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA | 104.7 | ||
| BankRate 30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage | 3.69 |
Stocks are higher this morning based on prepared testimony for Janet Yellen's appearance before Congress. Bonds and MBS are down small.
Keep in mind that the Chinese stock market is closed all week in observance of the Chinese New Year, so the biggest catalyst for downside movement in the markets will be absent this week.
Janet Yellen is traveling to the Hill for her Humphrey Hawkins testimony. In her prepared remarks she did spend some time talking about the turmoil in the financial markets and that acknowledgement was soothing enough to stocks to give them a boost. Overall, however the message is that the US economy is improving, and rate are going up gradually. The rest of the testimony will probably be a bunch of ideological questions from various congresscritters trying to get the Chairman of the Fed to agree with their ideological worldview.
Goldman is forecasting 3 rate hikes in 2016. Given the overall weakness in the global economy and the rush to negative interest rates globally, it may not affect long-term interest rates in the US (or mortgage rates for that matter).
Blackrock is forecasting that US growth has probably peaked for the near term as more and more central banks enter the negative interest rate vortex. I wonder what our grandkids will think about today's PhD standard. If it ends up not working, do we go back to the gold standard?
In New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders won the Democratic primary vote, and Donald Trump won the Republican primary vote. John Kasich had a surprisingly strong showing.
Mortgage Applications rose 9.3% last week as purchases were up 0.2% and refis were up 15.8%. The refi index has had a nice run since rates started collapsing, but we are nowhere where we used to be compared to 2013.
Competition in the jumbo market is fierce, and the typical rate for a jumbo is now 15 basis points below a conforming mortgage. Historically, jumbos have cost an extra 25 basis points to the borrower.
Do you think your underwriters are approving too many shaky loans? Move them to Seattle. Are they too conservative? Move them to San Diego.
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