Morning Report: The Street is short Treasuries

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2722.3	10.8
Eurostoxx Index	380.9	0.5
Oil (WTI)	62.7	0.0
US dollar index	83.6	0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.89%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.591
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	103.688
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	4.4

Stocks are higher this morning on no real news. Bonds and MBS are up small. 

No economic data today, but we do have a lot of Fed-Speak. 

Speculative short positions in US Treasuries are at a record. This means in plain language, that a lot of speculators are making the same bet: that interest rates are going higher. In practice, crowded trades like this often will behave in a perverse manner, especially when you get data points that don't support the prevailing view.  Right now, the Street thinks inflation is rising and they are negative on Treasuries. Any data point that supports that view will probably have a muted effect, while any data point that doesn't support that view will probably have an outsized reaction. To give an example: Say next week's GDP number comes in higher than expected - maybe 3%, with an increase of the GDP deflator (inflation) at 2.8%. Bonds might sell off from something like 2.9% to 2.92%. However, if GDP comes in light (say 2%), and the GDP deflator comes in at 2% as well, we could see bonds rally from 2.9% to 2.85%. These sorts of movements are generally short-lived (lasting a morning or a day), but they do provide opportunities to lock at good prices if you are nimble. Big picture, rates are going higher, however since there are so many speculative bets against Treasuries at the moment, it will provide some opportunities to lock in at good rates if you are quick. 

Lenders are loosening requirements to get a mortgage, particularly for first time homebuyers. We are seeing a modest drop in overall credit scores, and a slight increase in LTV and DTI ratios. This indicates a move towards low down payment loans. As rates increase, the credit box will almost invariably increase as lenders fight for fewer and fewer loans. Some lenders are also changing the way they treat student loan debt, even excluding it altogether if a parent is making the payments. 

Who is the biggest mortgage lender out there? If you said Wells Fargo, you would be correct for all of 2017. However the biggest lender in the 4th quarter was Quicken. 

HUD is providing foreclosure relief for victims of the 2017 hurricanes in Texas and Florida. Homeowners affected by these disasters (and some others) may be able to get a loan that covers their mortgage payments for a year, payable upon sale of the property or a refinance. 

How much do you have to make to be in the top 1% these days? Just shy of half a million. To be in the top 10%? Just under 150k. 

This weekend is Buffetapalooza, or the annual shareholders meeting for Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha. It has been called a Woodstock of Capitalism, where shareholders dance with the Froot of the Loom guys, eat See's candy and have dinner at Warren's favorite steakhouse. The climax will be his letter to shareholders, which is usually chock full of folksy advice for investors, along with observations on the economy and the state of affairs politically. Warren is the second-biggest corporate holder of short term Treasuries and is probably itching for a deal. That said, I think the last big deal he did was several years ago when he bought Precision Castparts. 

There is a rumor going around that the Fed will begin holding press conferences after all FOMC meetings, not just the Mar, Jun, Sep and Dec meetings. That could be a setup to begin making interest rate changes at these meetings as well. As of now, the markets expect them not to. Don't forget, press releases after a FOMC meeting is relatively new. Historically the Fed wanted to be opaque, as they believe that their policy is more effective if it is a surprise to the markets. Greenspan was known for changing interest rates between meetings.