Morning Report: Blue Apron IPO demonstrates shift on Wall Street

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2423.5	3.8
Eurostoxx Index	382.0	1.3
Oil (WTI)	45.2	0.2
US dollar index	87.8	0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.28%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	102.88
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	103.75
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	4

Stocks are higher this morning after yesterday's bloodbath. Bonds and MBS are down as well.

Should be a relatively quiet day ahead of the July 4 weekend. Expect liquidity to dry up in the bond market as most of the Street will be on the LIE by noon.

Consumer sentiment increased in June, according to the University of Michigan survey, while the Chicago PMI also jumped. 

Personal incomes rose 0.4% in May, while spending rose 0.1%. Inflation remained muted as the core PCE index (the preferred inflation measurement for the Fed) rose 0.1% MOM and 1.4% YOY. The increased spending was driven primarily by utility spending, so it isn't that great of an indicator for the economy going forward. The savings rate increased to 5.5%, and has rebounded from the lows of the bubble years. The increase in the savings rate represents the de-leveraging of the American consumer, which does depress GDP in the near term.

Regulatory issues are restricting mortgage credit, according to Treasury. This is causing people at the lower end of the credit spectrum to be shut out of the mortgage market. The recommendations largely involve clarifying QM and TRID rules to make them less uncertain, which drives risk-averse behavior out of lenders. They also propose a moratorium on new servicing rules. They also recommend revising or repealing the residential mortgage risk retention requirement, which has more or less shut down the private label MBS market. The goal of this is to (a) increase credit, and (b) draw private capital into the market. As of now, the US taxpayer bears pretty much all of the credit risk of new origination. 

Unicredito Bank's Chief Economists sees the US unemployment rate falling to 3%. If you believe the Phillips Curve, that level should trigger inflation, however we have so much slack in the labor market with the long-term unemployed we still might not see much wage inflation. Janet Yellen has already said the Fed is willing to let the employment market "run hot." At any rate, the Fed is just moving from "ultra-accommodative" to simply "accommodative."

Blue Apron priced its IPO at the lower end of its reduced range and broke price (i.e traded lower than the IPO price) in the aftermarket. Old-timers might remember the days when something like that was a huge embarrassment for the issuing bank. For the most part, getting in on a IPO typically meant at least a 20% pop on the first day of trading. The behavior of APRN represents the change in the landscape in investment banking over the past 20 years. 20 years ago, IPOs were priced that way in order to reward the buy side for their trading business. Since issuers used investment banking services only sporadically, and the investment banks dealt with the big mutual funds every day, the banks were more concerned with making sure that the buy side was happy and therefore under-priced IPOs (which means the issuer was leaving money on the table). Fast forward 20 years, and trading commissions are now 5% - 10% of what they used to be. Nowadays the banks are more worried about keeping the issuers happy, which means IPOs are no longer underpriced. Which is why IPOs are no longer the free money trade they used to be. 

Morning Report: Bond yields rising on hawkish central bankers

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2443.8	5.0
Eurostoxx Index	384.9	-0.9
Oil (WTI)	45.3	-5.4
US dollar index	87.9	-0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.27%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	103.81
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.91

Stocks are higher this morning after the big banks announced increases in dividends and buybacks in response to passing their stress tests. Bonds and MBS are down after hawkish comments from central bankers globally. 

In the past few days, the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada, and the ECB have warned that short term rates are heading higher. This has sent the 10 year bond yield up over 10 basis points, and has really clobbered the German Bund, which now yields 44 basis points. The Fed Funds futures have tweaked their assessments of the September and December meetings, with the markets now handicapping a 18% chance of a Sep hike (up from 12%) and a 57% chance of a hike in December (up from 50%). 

The third and final revision to first quarter GDP came in at 1.4%, an upward revision of 0.2%, as personal consumption was revised upward from 0.6% to 1.1%. The inflation indicator fell from 2.2% to 1.9%. Know what bumped up the consumption numbers? RVs. If it weren't for Winnebagos, GDP would have grown less than 1%. 

Initial Jobless Claims ticked up slightly to 244k, while corporate profits were up 12% YOY.

The head of the NYSE thinks short sellers are "icky" You want icky? Here's icky.

Good info: 15 money-saving tips for first time homebuyers. Also questions any homebuyer should ask the seller before taking the plunge. 

Hottest real estate markets in June 2017. Mainly the usual suspects, but there are signs of life in the Rust Belt: Columbus OH is #5 and Detroit is #6. 

Morning Report: Pending home sales fall

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2424.0	3.5
Eurostoxx Index	384.6	-1.4
Oil (WTI)	44.1	-0.2
US dollar index	88.3	0.0
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.21%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	103.81
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.91

Stocks are up this morning after the ECB said that they will continue to stimulate the economy. Bonds and MBS are down

Last week was bad for mortgages as applications fell 6%. Purchases were down 4% and refis were down 9%. The index was up 10% from a year ago, however. The refi share fell a point to 45.6%. Note that applications have an income skew: starter home buyers are still aggressive, while it is the jumbo space that is taking a breather. 

Pending Home Sales fell 0.8% in May, which was the third consecutive monthly decline. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says it's clear the critically low inventory levels in much of the country somewhat sidetracked the housing market this spring. "Monthly closings have recently been oscillating back and forth, but this third consecutive decline in contract activity implies a possible topping off in sales," he said. "Buyer interest is solid, but there is just not enough supply to satisfy demand. Prospective buyers are being sidelined by both limited choices and home prices that are climbing too fast."

As demand for mortgages falls and competition increases, lenders are looking to ease lending standards to capture business, according to the latest Fannie Mae Lender Sentiment Survey. The net share of lenders reporting demand growth fell to a 2 year low, while the number of lenders who expect to ease standards rose to a 2 year high. 

More on inventory woes. Trulia found that over the past year, the inventory of starter homes has fallen by 16%. The inventory of move-up homes has fallen by 13%, and the number of luxury homes has fallen by 3.9%. Inventory is so tight in California that only 25% of the homes for sale remain on the market for over 2 months. Trulia's recommendation to buyers: Move fast, make multiple offers, and be willing to adjust to the seller's timetable. 

Redifin looked at 11 metro areas and found that 33% of the people who bought a home in the past year made an offer without visiting the property. Note to LOs who are worried about rates: Only 5% of the respondents said they would cancel their purchases if mortgage rates topped 5%. The metro areas were Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

A new ransomware attack is hitting Europe. It is similar to the Wanna Cry attack a few months ago. So far it has not been reported in the US, but it has hit big European companies like advertising giant WPP and shipper Maersk, which has shut down shipping terminals worldwide. The cost to decrypt your machine is $300 in bitcoin. Obviously don't open suspicious attachments - and also note that the hackers are getting better and better at disguising these attachments. For example, an email might appear to be coming from a vendor you work with frequently, but if you check the actual email address it is clear that it isn't actually from that vendor. 

Separately, it is good news the hackers are asking for a fixed dollar value of Bitcoin, since is has been on a tear the past couple of months.

Janet Yellen said that another 2008 style crisis is not likely in our lifetimes. While she attributes that to regulation and increased capital, the real reason is that only residential real estate bubbles cause this sort crisis. Residential real estate bubbles are the Hurricane Katrinas of banking and economics, and they really only come around ever few generations. That said, we will undoubtedly see another 2008 style financial crisis - it just won't be in the US. China has an immense real estate bubble and is trying to find a way to deflate it slowly. Canada has one as well, although it is probably tied pretty closely to Chinese money. 

MBA head Dave Stevens and ex-FHFA head Ed DeMarco will testify in front of the Senate today on housing reform. 

Morning Report: Seattle home prices rise 13%

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2433.8	-2.3
Eurostoxx Index	386.3	-2.7
Oil (WTI)	44.0	0.6
US dollar index	88.4	-0.3
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.17%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.31
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.375
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.91

Stocks and bonds are lower this morning as we have a lot of central bankers speaking today. 

Home prices rose .5% in April and are up 5.7% YOY, according to the Case-Shiller Home Price Index. Seattle home prices rose almost 13%, while Portland and Dallas rose over 9%. They ask the question whether we are in another bubble, which we are not. Bubbles are fundamentally psychological phenomenons, where both investors and lenders view an asset as "special" and argue that it cannot fall in price. While home prices may be reaching unsustainable levels, the lending side of the business is emphatically not exhibiting bubble-like behavior. Credit is still tight for anything that doesn't fit in the government / GSE box. In fact, the government would like lenders to take more risk than they are willing to take at the moment. 

Consumer confidence rose in June, while the Richmond Fed Manufacturing index improved. 

Fannie Mae's latest Housing Outlook is out, and they are predicting 2% GDP growth for 2017. For Q2, they are forecasting 2.9%. Housing will continue to be held back by labor and land shortages, however mortgage rates will remain supportive of the housing market in general. 

Senators Bob Corker and Mark Warner are working on a plan to break the Fannie / Freddie duopoly. The plan would split the single-family and multi-family lines and break the single family up into more independent firms. The broad guidelines are to increase competition, reduce barriers to entry, reduce risk to the taxpayer, and to maintain the 30 year fixed rate mortgage. The most difficult part will be dealing with low-to-moderate income support, where there are genuine philosophical differences between Republicans and Democrats. 

The bloom is off the rose for the post-election surge in confidence, according to Gallup. The economic confidence index stayed at 3 last week, off of its March high of 15, but still above the pre-election level of -11. Much of this breaks down along partisan lines, with Democratic voters the most gloomy about the economy and Republican voters most confident. Before the election, this dynamic was reversed - with Democrats optimistic and Republicans pessimistic. 

Morning Report: Inflation adjusted home prices over the years

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2442.5	7.5
Eurostoxx Index	390.7	3.1
Oil (WTI)	43.1	0.1
US dollar index	88.7	0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.15%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.31
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.375
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.91

Stocks are higher this morning on good economic news overseas. Bonds and MBS are flat. 

Not a lot of important data this week, although we will have a lot of Fed-speak tomorrow. Personal Income and Personal Spending on Friday will be the biggest event. 

Durable Goods orders fell 1.1% last month, as aircraft orders (which are notoriously volatile) fell again. Ex transportation, they were up .1% MOM and 5.5% YOY. Capital Goods orders (which is a proxy for capital expenditures) fell .1% MOM and is up 5% YOY. 

Economic Growth slowed in May, according to the Chicago Fed National Activity Index. This looks like a bit of a reversal from a strong April reading. Production indicators drove the decrease, while employment and housing contributed. 

The recent rally in the markets could provide another justification for rate hikes, according to NY Fed President William Dudley. "When financial conditions ease, as has been the case recently, this can provide additional impetus for the decision to continue to remove monetary policy accommodation."

Note the language "remove monetary policy accommodation." To the Fed, they are still stimulating the economy, and they are dialing back that accommodation, not tightening in the classic sense. 

On an inflation-adjusted basis, home prices have been outstripping inflation for decades. In the 1940s, the median house price (inflation adjusted to 2000 dollars) was $30,600. The median home price in 2000 was almost 200k, inflation adjusted. If you look at non-inflation adjusted numbers, the median home price in 2000 was $2938, and the median income was $956, making the median house price to median income ratio 3.07x. Generally speaking, that ratio is in the 3.1x - 3.6x range historically. It did peak at 4.8x in 2005, and we are back to elevated levels again. 

Speaking of inflation, while things like healthcare, college tuition have outstripped inflation, technology has driven it lower. Check out this Radio Shack Flyer from 1991. Everything on that page cost over $3,200 and all that functionality can now be found on your smartphone. (Yes, even the CB can be monitored via browser). Here is what your phone may be able to do in 10 years. 

Delinquent GSE mortgages are at the lowest level since 2008. DQ GSE loans were 1%, while DQ FHA loans were 4%. DQs overall were 2.8%. 

Morning Report: New Home Sales exceed expectations

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2433.0	1.3
Eurostoxx Index	387.2	-1.3
Oil (WTI)	42.9	0.1
US dollar index	88.7	-0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.15%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.31
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.375
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.92

Stocks are flattish after the Fed gave a clean bill of health to the banks it stress-tested. Bonds and MBS are up small. 

One year ago today, the UK voted to leave the EU, which ignited a big rally in the bond market and pushed the 10 year down to a 1.37% yield. 

New Home Sales ticked up in May to a seasonally adjusted pace of 610k. This was up 2.9% MOM and 8.9% YOY.  The median new home sales price was $345,800 and the average price was $406,400. There are 268,000 new homes for sale at the moment. The 610k print was pretty much the average for the US from 1965-1995. New home sales peaked at over 1.3 million during the bubble years, but we are still a long way from normalcy, given population growth and obsolescence. 

34 systemically important banks passed their stress tests yesterday. The banks are getting better at passing these exams, and the sense is that the Trump Administration will nominate someone to the Fed who will dial back these exams a bit. Next week, the Fed will release its comprehensive capital review, which will determine whether the big banks can increase their dividends or buy back stock. 

Here is a good way to determine how tight a local housing market is: compare the ratio of new jobs to new building permits. In the Bay Area, that ratio is 6.4x: over the past 5 years, that MSA has added 373,000 new jobs, but has issued permits for only 58,000 new units. Lack of land, along with regulatory issues are holding back building there. In less constrained MSAs (both land and regulation) like Houston, the ratio is 1.3x. For the whole US, the country added just about 2.2 million jobs in 2016 and building permits totaled about 1.2 million, or a ratio of 1.8x. 

The Canadian housing bubble continues to defy gravity, but the signs are there that its days are probably numbered. Warren Buffet took a 38% stake in troubled Canadian lender Home Capital and agreed to provide a $2 billion line. You can see from the chart below how far the Canadian bubble has exceeded the US one: Note that these are inflation-adjusted indices which is why US prices appear to have not recouped the losses from the bubble years. They have on a nominal basis, but not an inflation-adjusted basis. 

The current median house price in Canada is about 520k and the median income is about 76k, putting the median house price to median income ratio at 6.8x. The US ratio peaked at 4.8x, which gives you some idea of how far prices have gone up North. Once the bubble bursts, it is bound to have some knock-on effects in the US, especially at the high end of the market which is probably more linked to China's bubble than people care to admit. 

The US Government has recommended that the new benchmark short term rate become the Treasury repo rate instead of LIBOR, which is subject to manipulation (as we saw in the UK). Not sure how this will affect current adjustable rate mortgages, but new ones will probably lose LIBOR and will use constant maturity treasuries or some alternative index. 

Morning Report: Home price appreciation is accelerating

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2431.8	-1.8
Eurostoxx Index	387.6	-0.9
Oil (WTI)	42.9	0.4
US dollar index	88.8	-0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.15%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.31
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.375
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.92

Stocks are lower this morning as oil turns into a bear market. Bonds and MBS are up small. 

Initial Jobless Claims rose 3000 last week to 241k, while the index of leading economic indicators rose again. The LEI report noted that pretty much everything is improving, except for housing and the manufacturing workweek. 

Home Prices rose 0.7% in April, according to the FHFA House Price Index. On a YOY basis, they are up 6.8%. As inventory gets tighter, price increases are accelerating, which is a problem as house prices are now pretty stretched versus incomes. The West Coast is still experiencing close to double digit growth, while home price inflation in the Upper Midwest and Northeast lag the rest of the country. 

Some Trump advisors are recommending that Janet Yellen be replaced when her term ends in February. Yellen is a dove, and Trump recently seemed to reverse his pre-election view on interest rates. As a general rule, politicians love dovish Feds, so this is unsurprising. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin says Trump "hasn't given this much thought" since it is so far away. Among the other names being mentioned include Stanford's John Taylor, Columbia's Glenn Hubbard, and former Fed governor Kevin Warsh. 

As rates have fallen, prepayment speeds have increased, which is generally good news for originators, but bad news for those who own servicing. Delinquencies have reversed their calendar-driven April rise as well, according to Black Knight Financial Services. In fact, loans 90 days down or in foreclosure hit a 10 year low. 

The average closing rate for a mortgage inched up in May, according to the Ellie Mae Origination Insight Report. The typical FICO rose a point to 723, with an 80 LTV. The closing rate hit 70.4%. 

What are the priorities for the MBA in the upcoming year?  Removing regulatory barriers to housing, GSE reform, GNMA servicing, and much more. 

Morning Report: Existing home sales rise

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2436.5	-1.0
Eurostoxx Index	387.7	-1.5
Oil (WTI)	43.3	-0.9
US dollar index	88.9	-0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.17%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.31
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.375
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.92

Stocks are lower this morning on no real news. Bonds and MBS are flat.

Mortgage applications rose 0.6% last week as purchases fell 1% and refis rose 2%. The average 30 year fixed rate mortgage was flat at 4.13%. The share of refis rose to 46.6% from 45.4%. 

Existing home sales rose 1.1% MOM and 2.7% YOY, according to NAR. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says sales activity expanded in May as more buyers overcame the increasingly challenging market conditions prevalent in many areas. "The job market in most of the country is healthy and the recent downward trend in mortgage rates continues to keep buyer interest at a robust level," he said. "Those able to close on a home last month are probably feeling both happy and relieved. Listings in the affordable price range are scarce, homes are coming off the market at an extremely fast pace and the prevalence of multiple offers in some markets are pushing prices higher."

Chicago FRB President Charles Evans said the Fed can wait until December to hike rates, and that it could begin to start shrinking its balance sheet earlier than that. Note the Fed Funds futures are predicting the Fed will stand pat at the July and September FOMC meetings. The median house price was up 5.8% to $252,800. Unsold inventory is at 4.2 months' worth and days on market fell to 27 days. The first time homebuyer accounted for 33% of sales, down a percentage point from April but up 3 from a year ago. 

On this day, 10 years ago the financial crisis began as creditors began to auction off collateral at two Bear Stearns hedge funds. 

Is the high price of housing in the Bay Area bringing back the 19th century concept of the company town? Google has been buying apartments for temporary housing for its employees. Interesting issue, where builders won't take the risk on building new housing, but companies need the housing for their employees. 

The government is looking to tackle GSE reform again, Johnson - Crapo from 2014 was simply too complicated, and affordable housing types were against it as well. Sen Mike Warner said: "We have consensus on the importance of the 30-year loan, we have consensus that there needs to be more capital on the front end so in the event of a catastrophic event where the government guarantee kicks in, you'll have private capital at risk. We're also thinking of using Ginnie Mae as the wrap. And we're trying to maintain an active TBA market so there is liquidity and the ability of borrowers to lock in their mortgage rates." Warner went on to say that GSE reform could happen before financial reform as there is more bipartisan consensus on that. 

Morning Report: Good numbers out of Lennar

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2446.3	-1.3
Eurostoxx Index	391.2	-0.8
Oil (WTI)	43.1	-1.1
US dollar index	88.9	0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.18%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.31
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.375
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.92

Stocks are lower as oil continues to fall. Bonds and MBS are flat.

No economic data today, however we do have some Fed-speak. Overnight Stanley Fischer observed that some countries have real estate bubbles and low interest rates might have played a role. (Gee, ya think?) The planet's central bankers are on a mission to create inflation, however the inflation they want (wages) is not happening - it is going into inflation they don't necessarily want (asset prices). Fischer noted that the US government basically IS the mortgage market in the US and that government support for MBS should be made explicit. 

Lennar reported better than expected earnings this morning, with revenues up 19%. Deliveries increased 15% and backlog was up 20% in dollar terms. While revenues rose, margins are falling, with gross margins down 160 basis points. Lennar CEO Stuart Miller said: "We are now seeing, contrary to recent reports on housing starts and building permits, more of a reversion to normal in the housing market than the slow and steady recovery pace of the last several years." The stock is up a couple of percent pre-open. 

Meanwhile, the lousy housing starts number prompted a number of houses to take down their Q2 GDP estimates. Merrill took their estimate down to 2.2%, while the Atlanta Fed took their estimate down to 2.9%. The NY Fed's estimate is coming in at 1.9%. 

Credit risk for new mortgages edged up according to CoreLogic. The index is at similar levels to 2001-2003, which CoreLogic considers a baseline for credit risk. Part of this is due to the effect higher interest rates have on credit scores. As CoreLogic observes: “Since 2009, for every one-half percentage point increase in mortgage rates, the average credit score on refinance borrowers has dipped by 9 points, and this pattern will likely continue if mortgage rates move higher. That is because when rates rise, applications drop off and loan officers spend more time with the applicants that have less-than-perfect credit scores, require more documentation or have unique property issues.”

Morning Report: Slow week coming up

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2437.0	7.3
Eurostoxx Index	391.4	2.8
Oil (WTI)	44.8	0.1
US dollar index	88.6	0.2
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.17%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.31
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.375
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.89

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

Slow news day.

We don't have much in the way of important economic data this week (new home sales on Friday is probably the biggest), but we do have a lot of Fed-speak. Also, the Fed will release the results from its latest stress tests on Thursday afternoon. We will get some more housing data with existing home sales and the FHFA House Price Index. 

Where do the Fed Funds futures stand after the FOMC meeting last week? For the upcoming July meeting, a 97% chance of no changes to rates. For the Sep meeting, an 87% chance of no changes, and for December a 54% chance of no moves. The Fed continues to insist that the weak inflation numbers are transitory, however the markets don't seem to believe them. Note that monetary policy is a partisan issue as well. 

Another reason why inventory is so tight? 10% of the housing starts last year were tear-downs, which means a new structure is replacing an older one, so there is no net change in housing inventory. 

Debt supernova? Bill Gross warns of the possible negative consequences of $9.5 trillion in negative-yielding sovereign debt. The problem with the supernova theory is that most of the buyers of this negative yielding debt are central banks, not retail investors, and central banks are doing it for policy reasons. It is still strange though, Grandpa tell me again about how you had to pay money to lend to the government?

Elizabeth Warren wants the Fed to fire Wells Fargo's Board of Directors. 

Morning Report: Housing starts fall

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2433.8	1.8
Eurostoxx Index	388.2	2.2
Oil (WTI)	44.9	0.4
US dollar index	88.5	-0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.17%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.31
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.375
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.89

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

Slow news day.

Housing starts fell in May to an annualized rate of 1.09MM. This is a 5.5% drop from April and a 2.4% drop YOY. Building Permits fell as well. Both single-fam and multi-fam segments fell. Builders claim that a lack of skilled labor and available land are causing the problem. 

The lack of building is pushing rents higher, and the number of people who spend 50% or more on of their income on housing is at a record level. The issue is a big problem in many metro areas, however outside of those areas affordability is better. There is also a huge difference between MSAs, with places like the Bay Area completely unaffordable compared to the Rust Belt, where prices have yet to recover their bubble peaks. 

Amazon is buying Whole Foods..  I guess you'll soon be able to get your artisanal tortilla chips delivered by drone to your house.

Morning Report: Fed hikes, but is a credibility problem brewing?

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2420.0	-15.3
Eurostoxx Index	384.3	-3.3
Oil (WTI)	44.6	-0.2
US dollar index	88.6	0.5
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.16%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.31
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.375
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.95

Stocks are lower this morning after the FOMC raised rates yesterday. Bonds and MBS are down after rallying yesterday. 

As expected, the FOMC raised the Fed Funds rate by 25 basis points and continued its policy of re-investing maturing bonds from QE back into the market. Neel Kashkari dissented, preferring to maintain the current Fed Funds rate. The dot plot basically did not change meaningfully from March to January. The projections did change, as the unemployment forecast for 2018 and 2019 was revised downward from 4.5% to 4.2%. Bonds reacted negatively to the move, but that was colored by the fact that bond yields were already down 10 basis points on the day due to the weaker than expected CPI and consumer spending numbers. The highlighted areas on the projection below show the major changes.

The Fed Funds futures are predicting a less than 15% chance of a rate hike in September, however. In fact, the Fed funds futures are handicapping a 50% chance of no more rate hikes this year. 

Compare the Fed Funds futures implied probability to the latest dot plot. The labels on the side show what each forecast is. 

Note that 14 out of the 17 FOMC members think the Fed is going to hike at least another 25 basis points this year. In fact, 4 out of 17 think that will be the case, while the market gives it about a 6% chance. There is a big disconnect happening between what the Fed is saying it will do and what the market thinks they will do. Not necessarily saying the Fed has a credibility problem, but the markets and the FOMC don't seem to be on the same page. 

In other economic data, initial jobless claims fell to 237k last week, which is more evidence that the labor market is strengthening into the summer months. The Philly Fed report showed continued strength in manufacturing, while the Empire State Manufacturing Survey picked up strength as well. 

Industrial production was flat in May after a big upwardly-revised jump in April. Manufacturing production slipped 0.4%, while capacity utilization ticked down 0.1%. Big picture: April was a huge jump in all indices and May gave back a little. 

The NAHB Housing Market Index slipped a little in May, but builder sentiment is still buoyant.

Wells is being sued for allegedly changing the terms of loans for customers in bankruptcy. They lowered the payments, but extended the term without the borrower's knowledge, nor Court approval, the suit alleges. The stock is down slightly pre-open, more or less in line with the market. 

Morning Report: Bond yields hit a 2017 low on weak data

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2440.8	2.8
Eurostoxx Index	390.4	1.7
Oil (WTI)	46.1	-0.4
US dollar index	87.9	-44.0
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.14%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.31
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.375
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.95

Stocks are higher this morning ahead of the Fed decision. Bonds and MBS are up, with the 10 year hitting a 2017 low. That sound you hear this morning is the sizzle of bond bears getting roasted over the fire. 

The Fed decision is scheduled to be released at 2:00 pm EST, and there will be a press conference as well. There could be some bond market volatility around that time, so be aware. Things to watch for: a move down in rate forecasts on the dot plot, and discussion about unwinding the balance sheet. 

Mortgage Applications increased 2.8% last week as purchases fell 3% and refis rose 9%. The drop in purchase applications is largely due to technical adjustments to the index due to the Memorial Day holiday. Unadusted, the index was up 19% and is up 8% YOY. The refi percent increased to 45.4%, which was the highest since November. As home price appreciation continues, borrowers with sufficient equity should consider refinancing out of FHA into conventional to save on MI. 

Lower energy prices moved inflation lower in May. The Consumer Price Index fell 0.1% last month and is up 1.9% on a YOY basis. Ex-food and energy, prices rose 0.1% and are up 1.7% YOY. These numbers were lower than street expectations. 

Retail sales fell 0.3% MOM and are flat on a YOY basis. Lower gasoline prices, along with slower motor vehicle sales drove the drop. The core control group was flat, but April was revised upward from 0.2% to 0.6%. On a YOY basis, they were up 3.8%. 

Brokers pretty much got decimated after the financial crisis, but they are coming back, slowly but surely. While subprime is a maybe 2% of what it was during the go-go days, the infrastructure is getting built back. One of the biggest challenges is finding brokers who remember how to do subprime loans. 

Another big question regarding the mortgage market: Where are the boomerang buyers? The people who bought during the boom years, and were foreclosed on early in the bust are now seeing that foreclosure fall off their credit reports. So far, they have been slow to materialize, however high home prices, low affordability, and competition are playing a part. 

Morning Report: Treasury releases its initial report on financial regulatory reform

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2431.8	5.3
Eurostoxx Index	388.7	2.1
Oil (WTI)	45.9	-0.2
US dollar index	88.4	-0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.22%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.47
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.33
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.93

Stocks are higher as the Fed begins its 2-day FOMC meeting. Bonds and MBS are down small. 

Producer prices were flat last month on a MOM basis and are up 2.4% YOY. The core rate is up 2.1%, which is more or less in line with the Fed's target. Note this index measures inflation at the wholesale level, not the consumer level which is what the Fed focuses on. 

Small Business Optimism was flat in May and is still much higher post-election. Small businesses expect to make additional hires and increase capital spending, though earnings trends are still net negative. How about this? The net hiring activity (.34 workers per firm) is close to a 43 year high. The report shows that small businesses are increasing compensation to retain and attract workers, although finding quality, qualified workers is a problem - the second biggest one. Taxes and regulation were #1 and #3. A year ago, taxes and regulation were #1 and #2, with poor sales coming at #3. It looks like wage inflation is building at long last, which is exactly what the economy needs, although it will concern the Fed somewhat. 

A better economy means lower delinquencies. 30-60 day DQs dropped down to 2000 levels, while LT DQs fell to a 10year low. 

Last night the Trump Administration released its report on core principles for financial regulatory reform. Any changes to the regulatory system will be generally slow, as rule changes require comment periods and coordination between the different agencies. The Treasury Department principles don't necessarily eliminate the Obama Administration's regulatory regime, but they sand down some of the more sharp edges and attempt to eliminate some of the unintended consequences. Ultimately, ending regulation by enforcement action will go a long way towards increasing capital availability. Needless to say, Democrats are panning the report, however that could be just partisan boilerplate posturing. The need to ease the regulatory burden on small banks is a bipartisan view. Changing the Volcker rule regarding proprietary trading is a different animal, as are changes to CRA enforcement and the CFPB. 

Speaking of regulation, iServe Chief Communications Officer Mike Macari and I penned an article for the California MBA discussing regulation and how it is inhibiting housing growth. When regulatory costs tack on an extra 30% to the price of a starter home, it is difficult to make that starter home affordable for someone in their 20s or early 30s. I have said it before: the difference between 2% GDP growth and 3% GDP growth (or the difference between a "meh" economy and a boom) is housing starts. Starts should be around 2 million per year, and we are barely half that. Home construction employs a lot of people and generates a lot of ancillary jobs as well. 

Morning Report: NAR studies the drivers of the low homeownership rate

Vital Statistics

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2426.3	-4.3
Eurostoxx Index	387.1	-3.3
Oil (WTI)	46.6	0.8
US dollar index	88.4	-0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.21%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.47
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.33
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.89

Stocks are lower this morning amidst a global tech stock sell-off led by Apple. Bonds and MBS are down a tick or two. 

The big event this week will be the FOMC meeting which starts Tuesday. The announcement will come at 2:00 pm on Wednesday. The Fed Funds futures are pricing in a 96% chance of a 25 basis point hike in the Fed funds rate. We will also have a Bank of England and a Bank of Japan meeting this week. 

Merrill Lynch is looking for the Fed to hike 25 basis points, but they think the focus of the press conference will be on balance sheet normalization. While there is the possibility that weak economic data on Wed morning (CPI and retail sales) could prevent the Fed from hiking that is a long shot. Merrill is also looking for the Fed to cheat down their inflation projection for 2017 to 1.7%, although they expect 2018 to be unchanged at 2%. They also note that inflows into bond funds have been elevated as bond bears throw in the towel on the Trump reflation trade. 

A group called "Fed Up" which includes liberal economists like Joseph Stiglitz and even includes former Fed President Narayana Kochlerakota is urging the Fed to increase its inflation target from 2% to something higher. The group notes that fiscal policy is almost impossible in this political environment, so higher inflation could act as a buffer against recessions. They are also concerned that the Fed's tightening could send the economy into a recession. Note that Barack Obama stacked the Fed with doves already, so if the Fed is reticent to do this now, it probably isn't going to happen as Donald Trump starts replacing members. 

Market strategists have been cheating down their end of year target rate for the 10 year bond yield, and it now stands at 2.7%, about 50 basis points higher than it is currently. The lowest forecast in the data set is 1.9%. China is prepared to buy more Treasuries to stabilize the yuan market, and developed market bond fund managers are finding relative value in Treasuries, which have sold off more than other developed countries. 

The NAR wrote a white paper detailing the barriers to homeownership and many of the reasons are pretty well-known. The biggest constraints are tighter mortgage lending, student loan debt, affordability issues, and a lack of supply. They take a look at the QM and ATR rules and conclude that these rules are actually hurting mortgage availability when they were intended to ease the burden on lenders:

"Though each individual provision included in the new regulations that banks must adhere to may not cause much burden for lenders in isolation, the combined impact of the numerous regulatory changes generated a multiplicative effect that is contributing to an environment of extreme caution among mortgage lenders. One such regulation that contributes a number of strenuous lender requirements is the ability-to-repay rule, detailed in the Dodd Frank Act and enforced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The rule stipulates that lenders must ensure that borrowers are able to make timely monthly payments. While the intention behind the rule is to ensure borrower credit-worthiness and avoid the worst abuses that led to the housing bubble, the rule essentially requires lenders to document every potential element of borrower risk, no matter how small. Effectively, many lenders are forced to document issues that have little to do with lending risk, simply to remain in compliance. Additionally, the rule makes the lender liable for issues that may cause a borrower to not repay a mortgage in the future, exposing lenders to potential future litigation, the risk, scale and cost of which are largely unknown"

The paper then goes on to look at other regulatory costs, and concludes that regulatory costs and uncertainties have combined to increase average credit scores, which is shutting many creditworthy borrowers out of the market because their loan circumstances don't "fit inside the box." I would add that the private label MBS market is still a shadow of its pre-crisis self, which means that these loans have to be retained on a bank's or REITs balance sheet. This limits the available credit, however the most puzzling aspect is that a lot of lenders want to get into the non-QM business, but the demand for non-QM credit has been disappointingly small. People are ramping up the non-QM product, but the loans just haven't been there yet. 

Chart: US homeownership rate 1965-present:

Morning Report: Just how risky is the financial system right now?

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2434.5	2.5
Eurostoxx Index	389.4	0.2
Oil (WTI)	45.5	-0.3
US dollar index	88.2	0.2
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.19%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103.47
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104.33
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.92

Stocks are up small after the ECB decision. Bonds and MBS are down.

James Comey testifies today at 12:30 pm EST. Here are his prepared remarks. Punch line: Nobody looks good in this situation, but nothing impeachable. There is a small chance that something could come out in questioning, but this should be a non market-moving event. 

Initial Jobless Claims fell to 245k last week. Jobless claims are hovering around lows not seen for 45 years. 

Bill Gross sees the bond market as fraught with risk - the worst since 2008 - but he says he feels required to stay invested. His concern is not necessarily risk within the financial system, but simply the prices people are willing to pay for risk. As he says, people are not buying low and selling high - they are buying high and crossing their fingers. His view is that central banks are behind this mindset, which has been a common objection for decades (remember the "Greenspan put?"). That said, the Fed is systematically removing that support, which should help risky asset prices normalize. Any sort of pullback in asset prices will inevitably be Treasury bullish, which means lower mortgage rates.

Meanwhile, Paul Singer of Elliott fame is very concerned about the current state of the market. He notes that the leverage in the system is higher than 2008. Yes, that is true, however the assets being leveraged today are much higher quality than they were a decade ago. Think of it this way: You borrow 95 cents on the dollar to buy a Treasury bond. Yes, you are leveraged, but the asset you hold is pretty low risk. Can you lose 5% on that asset? Maybe, but you probably won't. In 2008, people were borrowing 90 cents on the dollar to buy MBS backed by no-doc pick-a-pay loans. Can you lose more than 10% on that asset? Easily. Which is a more risky trade? Yes, the leverage today is higher (95 cents on the dollar versus 90 cents on the dollar), however the underlying assets being leveraged are much safer. Note that Paul is a bit of a perma-bear who has hated the stock market since 1982. 

Case in point: Over 9 million borrowers have regained equity in their homes since the 2008 crisis. Negative equity fell to 3.1 million homes, or about 6% of mortgaged properties. The biggest markets with negative equity? Miami, Las Vegas, and Chicago. 

Higher home prices have begun to temper homebuyer bullishness, according to Fannie Mae's Homebuyer Sentiment Index. The net number of people who believe now is a good time to buy fell 8 percentage points to a record low, while the number of people who believe now is a good time to sell hit a record as well. 

The House is looking to reform the National Flood Insurance Program, which is heavily subsidized and currently running a $25 billion deficit. Reforming it will be tough without imposing sticker shock on many homeowners.