Mortgage Daily News Rate Watch

• Mortgage Rates Recover Some of This Week's Lost Ground
  Posted on Friday October 31, 2025
  After hitting the highest level in several weeks on Thursday, mortgage rates managed to move moderately lower on Friday. Counterpoint: Friday's rates are still the 2nd highest of the past 2 weeks and still meaningfully higher than last Friday's (6.28% vs 6.19% in terms of MND's rate index). The improvement makes it clear that lenders were setting rates defensively on Thursday. We know this because the level of improvement in rates is greater than that suggested by the underlying bond market. In other words, Thursday's rates had a bit of a cushion and lenders removed that cushion on Friday. Another caveat is that Friday's bond market movement argued for a mid-day adjustment toward higher rates, but it wasn't sharp enough for the average lender to go to the trouble of changing rates. In these scenarios, we can safely assume that if bonds are unchanged by Monday morning, most lenders will be offering slightly higher rates.   This is a big "if," of course. There's never any way to know exactly what bonds will do in the future, but all things being equal, there's a slight disadvantage that would need to be overcome if rates are to hold steady ... Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Are Anything But Lower This Week
  Posted on Thursday October 30, 2025
  Every now and then, a Thursday comes along where we have to set the record straight on what is actually going on with mortgage rates. That's because Freddie Mac releases its weekly mortgage rate survey on Thursdays and its methodology can cause confusion in the mortgage market.  This particular Thursday is an especially treacherous minefield of misinformation due to the juxtaposition with yesterday's Fed rate cut.  There are already too many people out there repeating the faulty notion that the Fed rate cut means lower mortgage rates. Adding fuel to that fire are various headlines today (quoting Freddie's data) saying that mortgage rates have fallen to the lowest levels in more than a year. Mortgages rates certainly WERE at the lowest levels in more than year when we reported that fact on Tuesday. But what a difference 2 days make... Actual daily average rates are up 0.20% since then--the fastest 2 day rise since the exact same thing happened after last month's Fed rate cut. We'd urge those who didn't absorb the lesson back then to do so today.  Bottom line: mortgage rates had already responded to all of the news and data that resulted in the ... Continue Reading »
• Yet Again, Mortgage Rates Surge Higher After Fed Rate Cut
  Posted on Wednesday October 29, 2025
  Today was not a foregone conclusion and there was no way to know ahead of time that it would end like this, but the outcome is exactly why we've gone to such lengths to warn you about the potentially paradoxical reaction to a Fed rate cut.  Too many people repeat the fallacy that mortgage rates will benefit from a Fed cut.  We have several recent examples of the exact opposite happening, and now today adds another strong reminder with the average lender moving higher at the fastest pace since the day after the last Fed meeting. Why does this happen?  It has nothing to do with the rate cut itself.  As we warned, volatility would come from Fed Chair Powell's press conference. In today's case, Powell said that another rate cut in December was not a foregone conclusion.  This was at odds with the market's expectations, so there was a rush to reprice those expectations.   As always, today's rates instantly adjust to expectations for rates in the future (the main reason that Fed rate cuts do little-to-nothing to impact market rates).   In relative terms, rates are still lower than most of the past year, but ... Continue Reading »
• Lowest Rates in a Year. Tomorrow's Fed Announcement Could Push Them in EITHER Direction
  Posted on Tuesday October 28, 2025
  Rates have been flirting with long term lows over the past 2 weeks, but today made it official.  Today's average top tier 30yr fixed rate perfectly matched that seen on September 16th, 2025.  That's the lowest it's been since September 2024, and we're so close to those lows that it's just as fair to say rates are the lowest they've been in over 3 years.  Today's move didn't come in response to anything specific. In fact, most of the justification for it was seen in yesterday's trading session and simply didn't have an opportunity to impact the average lender until this morning.  Incidentally, there are similar vibes this afternoon as bonds have once again improved too late in the day for most lenders to go to the trouble of adjusting mortgage rates. That means that if bonds (upon which rates are based) manage to hold their current levels through tomorrow morning, rates could be a bit lower again tomorrow.  Of course, after that, there's a fair amount of potential volatility associated with the Fed announcement at 2pm ET.  We already know the Fed will be cutting rates tomorrow and that rate cut has no bearing on what ... Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Perfectly Flat to Start The Week
  Posted on Monday October 27, 2025
  Mortgage rates fell to the lowest levels in a month last Tuesday and barely budged through the rest of the week. Now, at the start of the new week, the average lender is perfectly unchanged from last Friday. This means there are only a small handful of days with meaningfully lower rates going all the way back to late 2022. As the government shutdown continues, the bond market (which dictates rates) continues missing out on the bulk of relevant economic reports that normally help guide momentum throughout the month.  Depending on the day, however, there can be other sources of inspiration. In today's case, the bond market took some solace from a well-received auction of US Treasuries. When it comes to auctions, when demand is stronger than expected, it can put some downward pressure on rates. This happened today, and it prompted a small handful of lenders to issue mid-day improvements, but it wasn't enough to change the average rate. Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Little-Changed Despite Decent Inflation Data
  Posted on Friday October 24, 2025
  This morning brought the release of the much-anticipated Consumer Price Index (CPI). This is one of the two biggest inflation reports from the U.S. government, and the only government inflation report that's coming out during the shutdown.  With big government data being a key consideration for interest rates, this special release got extra attention. Core monthly inflation was lower than expected (.227% vs 0.3 forecast) as was the annual level at 3.0% versus a median forecast of 3.1%. Inflation is the nemesis of interest rates, so the lower-than-expected result is rate-friendly at face value. The underlying bond market agreed to some extent.  The first reaction was stronger, thus implying lower mortgage rates. But mortgage lenders don't tend to publish rates for the day until around 10am ET, 90 minutes after CPI came out.  In that time, bonds had second thoughts about how strong their reaction would be--possibly due to internal components of the data that suggested non-tariff-related inflation remains elevated outside after removing the impact from housing payments. Bonds remained in just barely stronger territory, but didn't quite make it back to yesterday morning's levels. As such, most mortgage lenders were just a hair higher in rate ... Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Seeing Some Underlying Pressure Ahead of Inflation Data
  Posted on Thursday October 23, 2025
  Mortgage rates were effectively unchanged on Thursday with the average lender very close to the best levels in over a year. But when it comes to the underlying bond market and the rates available to consumers, there are some dislocations that suggest risk is increasing. Specifically, bonds lost ground today. This normally implies higher mortgage rates. But the timing and magnitude of bond market losses can dictate the size of mortgage rate changes as well as the timing. In today's case, bonds were in better shape this morning when mortgage lenders published their daily rate offerings.  There was additional bond market weakness as the day progressed, but not enough to trigger a mid-day rate change from lenders (mortgage lenders prefer to avoid mid-day changes unless bonds make bigger moves). Bottom line: instead of going into tomorrow with a cushion from the bond market, mortgage lenders will have to raise rates a bit in order to catch up.  NOTE: this assumes that bonds hold their exact same levels through tomorrow morning.  That's certainly NOT a guarantee considering we'll get the release of September's CPI inflation data at 8:30am ET.  There's no way to know how CPI will ... Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Steady At Long Term Lows
  Posted on Wednesday October 22, 2025
  Mortgage rates were perfectly unchanged today, on average.  With that, they remain in line with the lowest levels in more than a year and very close to the lowest levels in more than 3 years.  Recent momentum has been moderate and favorable. In the absence of big economic reports that are on hold due to the shutdown, bonds have taken cues from other developments like the new tariffs announced 2 weeks ago and the regional bank drama seen last week.  These market movers would normally be operating in the background--perhaps not even meriting discussion--but the dearth of data and the generally narrow range makes their effects more noticeable.  In thinking about the relatively uneventful return to long-term lows, it's good to remember that momentum comes and goes when it comes to rates and the bond market that drives them.  Sometimes, a string of good luck is the only required catalyst for a token pull-back.  Bonds are showing some fatigue as 10yr yields have pushed just under 4.0%. It may take some more convincing in the form of data or other events to motivate additional improvement.  Continue Reading »
• Another Winning Day For Mortgage Rates
  Posted on Tuesday October 21, 2025
  The bonds that underly mortgage rates were only slightly stronger today, but that's never a bad thing when they closed near the best levels in a year the previous day. Additionally, those bonds improved by the end of the day yesterday, meaning that mortgage lenders were going into today with a bit of a cushion. When lenders set rates, they are basically looking at a constantly-moving bond market and locking in rates that will be in effect for the rest of the day.  Mid-day changes only happen if bonds make a big enough move and yesterday's wasn't big enough for most lenders. Yesterday's cushion combined with today's modest additional improvement for fairly decent drop in the average top tier 30yr fixed rate.  We're also now in the zone of rates where movement happens more quickly due to the underlying architecture of the mortgage bond market.  In not so many words, this causes rates to accelerate toward levels that end in 0.125 or .625 for reasons that are too esoteric to dig into today (if you want to nerd out, here you go: Why Mortgage Rates Move in Jumps Instead of Straight Lines). Some lenders are offering their ... Continue Reading »
• Another Boring Day With Mortgage Rates Near 3-Year Lows
  Posted on Monday October 20, 2025
  Mortgage rates ended last week at the lowest levels in just over a month. It was the 3rd best day in over a year and the 24th best day in over 3 years. The other 23 days weren't too much lower either. The only difference today is a microscopic improvement that makes it the 2nd best day in over a year. In other words, we're hanging out near 3 year lows with minimal volatility. In order to see sharper, more sustained momentum, we'd likely need the government shutdown to end. That would allow the most consequential economic reports (like the jobs report) to be released. It would also allow data collection to resume for future jobs reports. Between now and then, there is other data to guide the rate market, but it's just not as heavy hitting. This week is particularly light in that regard, but there's one exception. The BLS received an exception to compile September's CPI inflation data, to be released this Friday. It's not quite on par with the jobs report, but it can certainly get rates moving (for better or worse, depending on the details). Continue Reading »

Mortgage Daily News Rates Update

• Why Did Rates Completely Ignore This Week's Bad News?
  Posted on Friday November 05, 2021
  This week, the Fed announced a reduction in its bond buying. In separate news, the big jobs report was much stronger than expected. Both of these events should have pushed rates higher. So why didn't they? Let's start with the Fed and its bond buying adventures (also known as QE or "quantitative easing").  The following chart of 10yr Treasury yields (a broad benchmark for "rates") shows the paradoxical reactions to the Fed's previous decisions to stop buying bonds. In other words, we knew a paradoxical reaction was a possibility , even though past precedent is never a guarantee.  Beyond that, we also knew that rates were moving higher in anticipation of the Fed's eventual exit.  In fact, by last week, they'd already covered as much ground as they did in 2013. Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Started Flat, But Moved Lower During The Day
  Posted on Thursday November 04, 2021
  Mortgage rates  fell today as markets decompressed following yesterday's announcement from the Federal Reserve regarding the reduction of its bond buying efforts (aka "tapering").   Despite the proximity to Fed day, markets were more inspired by another central bank today: the Bank of England (BOE).   The BOE had its own policy announcement early this morning.  Unlike the Fed, there was broad disagreement about the BOE's course of action.  They ended up making the more rate-friendly decision and global bond markets reacted immediately.  Unsurprisingly, it was the British bond market that had the best day, but there's always a certain degree of correlation between UK and US lending rates.  As US sovereign debt yields fell, mortgage-backed b Continue Reading »
• Minimal Damage For Mortgage Rates Following Fed
  Posted on Wednesday November 03, 2021
  Mortgage rates  moved higher today after the Federal Reserve announced a reduction in its rate-friendly bond buying program.  Actually, to be fair, rates moved higher before  the Fed made that announcement, and largely for other reasons.  The biggest issue today was, in fact, a widely followed report on the service sector (ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI) which crushed its previous record high.  Bonds experienced additional volatility in the afternoon following the Fed announcement, but they were able to recover back to pre-Fed levels within 2 hours. The average mortgage lender began the day offering similar rates to those seen yesterday.  Several lenders responded to bond market weakness by raising rates slightly in the middle of the day.  The average b Continue Reading »
• Another Good Day For Rates, But Tomorrow is Anyone's Guess
  Posted on Tuesday November 02, 2021
  Mortgage rates began the day moderately lower compared to yesterday's latest levels.  The size of the move depends on the time of day in question due to intraday movement in the bond market.  Simply put, bonds improved steadily from the beginning of the day yesterday and ultimately peaked around 11am today.  In general, bond market improvement correlates with lower rates. The first effect of this 2-day move was for the average lender to offer mid-day improvements yesterday.  Those who did (a vast majority) were still able to offer even lower rates this morning.  Lenders who did NOT offer mid day improvements yesterday made even bigger leaps toward lower rates.  When the dust cleared, the peak to trough move accounted for almost an eighth of a percent Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Catch Up To Last Week's Market Movement (That's a Good Thing)
  Posted on Monday November 01, 2021
  Mortgage rates moved moderately lower today despite an absence of significant movement in the bond market.  In general, when bonds improve, rates fall (and vice versa), but it's not feasible for mortgage lenders to adjust their rates offerings in relative real-time as bonds can send massively mixed signals on any given day.   Last Friday was just such a day.  It began with bonds doing very poorly .  The weakness was in place before the average lender published their first rate sheet of the day, so mortgage rates started out higher.  As the day progressed, bonds improved enough for many lenders to make mid-day improvements to rates, but bonds suggested the improvements should have been bigger. That's where today came in.  Bonds began weaker yet a Continue Reading »
• Don't Fear The Taper
  Posted on Friday October 29, 2021
  For anyone following interest rates very closely in 2013, the taper tantrum is not easily forgotten. It describes the bond market's knee-jerk response to the realization that the Federal Reserve would be winding down its bond purchase program. With the Fed almost certain to make a similar announcement next Wednesday, should we be scared yet again? In a word: no .   Of course, we'll need to qualify that.  First off, whether or not we should be scared has little to do with whether or not the taper announcement will push rates higher.  Perhaps the better question--the one to which we can answer a more unqualified "no"--is as follows: Should we be afraid that next week's tapering announcement from the Fed will push rates higher?! There are a few reasons we can answe Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rate Mini-Winning Streak Comes to an End
  Posted on Thursday October 28, 2021
  Mortgage rates  finally ended this week's winning streak today.  In light of the general upward trend in rates over the past month, bond yields (which tend to correlate with mortgage rate movement) made it to surprisingly low levels as of yesterday afternoon.  Mortgage lenders responded by dropping rates to the best levels in nearly 2 weeks. Things changed today as bonds lost ground after the European Central Bank noted a still-decent outlook for the economy recovery and an earlier-than-expected outlook for ending its bond purchase program.  In general, a stronger economy hurts bonds and central bank purchases help. Then in the afternoon, a scheduled auction of 7yr US Treasuries was met with less enthusiastic demand compared to recent auctions.  The day Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Hold Steady Near Multi-Month Highs
  Posted on Wednesday October 20, 2021
  Mortgage rates  began moving off longer term lows in early August and that trend has continued ever since.  The September 22nd Fed Announcement (and press conference with Fed Chair Powell) served as a jumping-off point for additional volatility and upward momentum.  In contrast, October has generally seen rates rise at a more gradual pace.  On several occasions, they've merely held almost perfectly in line with the previous day's levels. Today is just such a day! There were no notable motivations for the underlying bond market today (bonds dictate interest rates).  As such, today's sideways momentum makes sense.  That said, it's worth mentioning that there are different versions of "sideways" when it comes to the financial market.  Today's versio Continue Reading »
• Highest Rates in Months
  Posted on Monday October 18, 2021
  Mortgage rates had a mixed showing last week.  They started out high before improving through Thursday.  Finally, they took a step back up on Friday.  Now at the start of the new week, the upward momentum is continuing.  The bond market was much weaker in overnight trading, and weaker bonds mean higher rates, all other things being equal.  Bonds hit their weakest levels just before the average mortgage lender released rates for the day.  As such, the average conventional 30yr fixed rate quote was the highest in roughly 4 months .   As the day progressed, bonds found their footing to some extent.  It was enough for most lenders to offer mid-day improvements to rates.  Keep in mind though, these improvements are generally small. Continue Reading »
• No, Mortgage Rates Are Not "Sharply Higher" This Week
  Posted on Thursday October 14, 2021
  Mortgage rates   fell today as a majority of lenders finally got caught up with the past few days of strength in the bond market.  Lenders rely on bonds--specifically mortgage-backed securities (MBS)--to determine where to set mortgage rates.  Bonds are constantly on the move, but lenders prefer to just set mortgage rates once per day, if possible.  As such, when volatility is higher and when rates have been rising more than falling, lenders tend to be more defensive.  In other words, they need to see more sustained improvement than normal before bringing rates back down. Today's improvement was the biggest of the week, and it brings the average conventional 30yr fixed quote well below those seen at the end of last week.  Even so, there are numerous Continue Reading »

Mortgage Daily News NewsLetter

• Mortgage Applications Responded to Lower Rates, But Things Are Already Changing
  Posted on Friday October 31, 2025
  Mortgage applications jumped sharply last week, driven by lower rates and a rebound in refinance activity. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending October 24, total volume rose 7.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis and 7% unadjusted. The Refinance Index increased 9% from the previous week and is now 111% higher than the same week one year ago. Refi demand remains the primary engine of growth, with larger-balance borrowers especially responsive to rate drops. It bears repeating that things look different in context.  Specifically, while refi demand looks great compared to the past 2 years, we're just now getting up to levels that were considered "very slow" historically. “ Mortgage rates decreased for the fourth consecutive week, with the 30-year Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Are Anything But Lower This Week
  Posted on Thursday October 30, 2025
  Every now and then, a Thursday comes along where we have to set the record straight on what is actually going on with mortgage rates . That's because Freddie Mac releases its weekly mortgage rate survey on Thursdays and its methodology can cause confusion in the mortgage market.  This particular Thursday is an especially treacherous minefield of misinformation due to the juxtaposition with yesterday's Fed rate cut.  There are already too many people out there repeating the faulty notion that the Fed rate cut means lower mortgage rates. Adding fuel to that fire are various headlines today (quoting Freddie's data) saying that mortgage rates have fallen to the lowest levels in more than a year. Mortgages rates certainly WERE at the lowest levels in more than year when we reported tha Continue Reading »
• Yet Again, Mortgage Rates Surge Higher After Fed Rate Cut
  Posted on Wednesday October 29, 2025
  Today was not a foregone conclusion and there was no way to know ahead of time that it would end like this, but the outcome is exactly why we've gone to such lengths to warn you about the potentially paradoxical reaction to a Fed rate cut.  Too many people repeat the fallacy that mortgage rates will benefit from a Fed cut.  We have several recent examples of the exact opposite happening, and now today adds another strong reminder with the average lender moving higher at the fastest pace since the day after the last Fed meeting. Why does this happen?  It has nothing to do with the rate cut itself.  As we warned, volatility would come from Fed Chair Powell's press conference. In today's case, Powell said that another rate cut in December was not a foregone conclusion.  This was a Continue Reading »
• Lowest Rates in a Year. Tomorrow's Fed Announcement Could Push Them in EITHER Direction
  Posted on Tuesday October 28, 2025
  Rates have been flirting with long term lows over the past 2 weeks, but today made it official.  Today's average top tier 30yr fixed rate perfectly matched that seen on September 16th, 2025.  That's the lowest it's been since September 2024, and we're so close to those lows that it's just as fair to say rates are the lowest they've been in over 3 years.  Today's move didn't come in response to anything specific. In fact, most of the justification for it was seen in yesterday's trading session and simply didn't have an opportunity to impact the average lender until this morning.  Incidentally, there are similar vibes this afternoon as bonds have once again improved too late in the day for most lenders to go to the trouble of adjusting mortgage rates . That means that if bonds (upon Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Perfectly Flat to Start The Week
  Posted on Monday October 27, 2025
  Mortgage rates fell to the lowest levels in a month last Tuesday and barely budged through the rest of the week. Now, at the start of the new week, the average lender is perfectly unchanged from last Friday. This means there are only a small handful of days with meaningfully lower rates going all the way back to late 2022. As the government shutdown continues, the bond market (which dictates rates) continues missing out on the bulk of relevant economic reports that normally help guide momentum throughout the month.  Depending on the day, however, there can be other sources of inspiration. In today's case, the bond market took some solace from a well-received auction of US Treasuries. When it comes to auctions, when demand is stronger than expected, it can put some downward pressur Continue Reading »
• Weaker Purchase Demand Offset by Stronger Refis
  Posted on Friday October 24, 2025
  Mortgage application activity edged lower last week, driven by purchases, but the decline was marginal compared to recent swings. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending October 17, total volume slipped 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis and 0.2% unadjusted. The Refinance Index rose 4% from the previous week and was 81% higher than the same week one year ago. The uptick was driven by a 6% increase in conventional refinances and a 12% jump in FHA refinances as borrowers capitalized on the lowest rates in a month. “The lowest mortgage rates in a month spurred an increase in refinance activity, including another pickup in ARM applications,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “The refinance index increased 4 percent, driven Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Seeing Some Underlying Pressure Ahead of Inflation Data
  Posted on Thursday October 23, 2025
  Mortgage rates were effectively unchanged on Thursday with the average lender very close to the best levels in over a year. But when it comes to the underlying bond market and the rates available to consumers, there are some dislocations that suggest risk is increasing. Specifically, bonds lost ground today. This normally implies higher mortgage rates. But the timing and magnitude of bond market losses can dictate the size of mortgage rate changes as well as the timing. In today's case, bonds were in better shape this morning when mortgage lenders published their daily rate offerings.  There was additional bond market weakness as the day progressed, but not enough to trigger a mid-day rate change from lenders (mortgage lenders prefer to avoid mid-day changes unless bonds make bigg Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Rates Steady At Long Term Lows
  Posted on Wednesday October 22, 2025
  Mortgage rates were perfectly unchanged today, on average.  With that, they remain in line with the lowest levels in more than a year and very close to the lowest levels in more than 3 years.  Recent momentum has been moderate and favorable. In the absence of big economic reports that are on hold due to the shutdown, bonds have taken cues from other developments like the new tariffs announced 2 weeks ago and the regional bank drama seen last week.  These market movers would normally be operating in the background--perhaps not even meriting discussion--but the dearth of data and the generally narrow range makes their effects more noticeable.  In thinking about the relatively uneventful return to long-term lows, it's good to remember that momentum comes and goes when it comes to Continue Reading »
• Another Winning Day For Mortgage Rates
  Posted on Tuesday October 21, 2025
  The bonds that underly mortgage rates were only slightly stronger today, but that's never a bad thing when they closed near the best levels in a year the previous day. Additionally, those bonds improved by the end of the day yesterday, meaning that mortgage lenders were going into today with a bit of a cushion. When lenders set rates, they are basically looking at a constantly-moving bond market and locking in rates that will be in effect for the rest of the day.  Mid-day changes only happen if bonds make a big enough move and yesterday's wasn't big enough for most lenders. Yesterday's cushion combined with today's modest additional improvement for fairly decent drop in the average top tier 30yr fixed rate.  We're also now in the zone of rates where movement happens more quickly d Continue Reading »
• Another Boring Day With Mortgage Rates Near 3-Year Lows
  Posted on Monday October 20, 2025
  Mortgage rates ended last week at the lowest levels in just over a month. It was the 3rd best day in over a year and the 24th best day in over 3 years. The other 23 days weren't too much lower either. The only difference today is a microscopic improvement that makes it the 2nd best day in over a year. In other words, we're hanging out near 3 year lows with minimal volatility. In order to see sharper, more sustained momentum, we'd likely need the government shutdown to end. That would allow the most consequential economic reports (like the jobs report) to be released. It would also allow data collection to resume for future jobs reports. Between now and then, there is other data to guide the rate market, but it's just not as heavy hitting. This week is particularly light in that re Continue Reading »

Mortgage Daily News Commentary

• Sideways Overall Despite Hawkish Fed Speakers
  Posted on Friday October 31, 2025
  Sideways Overall Despite Hawkish Fed Speakers Although there was some mid-day volatility (early buying followed by slower selling back to roughly unchanged territory), that movement was more in line with month-end tradeflows than any interesting, specific motivations. Nonetheless, there were interesting, specific developments in the form of several comments from several Fed speakers.  Rather than display a balanced mix of differing viewpoints, today's crop of comments was distinctly hawkish across the board. Logan said she would have preferred to hold rates steady this week and can't see a case for a December cut.  Hammack said it's not clear what the right answer is for rates, but that it's important to stay restrictive. Bostic said he was glad Powell said a December cut is far from a foregone conclusion.  And Schmid said he dissented in this week's vote due to economic momentum and inflation concerns. While bonds didn't react to this today, the lopsided hawkishness makes for an interesting 6 weeks of data-watching ... Continue Reading »
• Some Early Month-End Buying
  Posted on Friday October 31, 2025
  With the shutdown ongoing, and the big ticket econ data vanished into the void, there's little for the bond market to do apart from get its books in order for month-end.  If you're curious about some of the month-end trading considerations that can impact bonds, we have a primer. Month-end can involve either buying or selling (or both).  Timing can vary, but the more visible impacts tend to show up between 8-10am and/or around the 3pm CME close or 4pm NYSE close.  So far today, this morning's strength has some month-end flavor with apparent asset-allocation trading (bond yields and stock prices moving in same direction) starting at the 8:20am CME open.  End of day volatility is a possibility, but not a guarantee.  Either way, as hoped, the market got this week's post-Fed trading out of the way by yesterday mid-day. Continue Reading »
• Uneventfully Flat After Initial Weakness
  Posted on Thursday October 30, 2025
  Uneventfully Flat After Initial Weakness The bond market only had a little more selling to do thanks to the unpleasant tailwind from Wednesday afternoon's Fed press conference. That said, one could also argue that corporate bond issuance was the source of early weakness.  Either way, yields are now back where they would have been in lieu of the Oct 10th tariff announcement and the Oct 16th regional bank drama (the two biggest recent events that pushed them lower).  Fed rate expectations for the December meeting are worse off--nearly back to levels seen BEFORE the jobs report that came out in early September. This highlights the extent to which the market was overestimating the near-term rate cut path. What next? More of the same: waiting for data that won't be reported and making do with available private data.  ... Continue Reading »
• Enthusiasm Curbed. Back to Waiting
  Posted on Thursday October 30, 2025
  The simplest way to understand yesterday's post-Fed sell-off is as follows. The market's enthusiasm for 3 Fed rate cuts in 2025 had grown a bit too large for the Fed's liking. The market was nearly 100% certain of another cut in December. The Fed was not as certain, and Powell made it a point to say so yesterday. The result is a mild re-set in yields back to levels that are more consistent with a December cut being a solid possibility, but not a full lock.  Now we wait to see if the non-gov econ data tips those scales in one direction or the other.  This morning's additional selling is an acceptable and arguably inconsequential level of follow-through to the brunt of yesterday's "reset" vibes. In terms of specific Fed rate expectations: Continue Reading »
• Another Hawkish Powell Press Conference Harshes Bonds' Mellow
  Posted on Wednesday October 29, 2025
  Another Hawkish Powell Press Conference Harshes Bonds' Mellow The Fed cut rates and ended QT.  Neither were surprises for markets and neither had an impact.  The press conference was hawkish, however, with Powell saying a December cut was far from a foregone conclusion.  This is very much counter to the market's expectation that a December cut was a lock.  Fed Funds Futures tanked and yields surged about 8bps in the 10yr.  MBS lost about 3/8ths and negative reprices continue to roll in.   Econ Data / Events ... Continue Reading »
• Here's What Changed in The New Fed Announcement
  Posted on Wednesday October 29, 2025
  Recent Available indicators suggest that growth of economic activity moderated in the first half of the year has been expanding at a moderate pace . Job gains have slowed this year , and the unemployment rate has edged up but remains remained low through August; more recent indicators are consistent with these developments . Inflation has moved up since earlier in the year and remains somewhat elevated. The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. Uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated. The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that downside risks to employment have risen rose in recent months . In support of its goals and in light of the shift in the balance of risks, the Committee decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point to 3-3/ 4 to 4 ‑1/4 percent. In considering additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will ... Continue Reading »
• What Matters in Today's Fed Announcement
  Posted on Wednesday October 29, 2025
  Bonds are a hair weaker this morning with losses showing up in the overnight session and mostly flattening out in domestic trading.  Without any big ticket data this morning, this aimless drift is standard operating procedure--especially considering the pre-Fed consolidation was largely assumed to be seen via the modest weakness at the end of last week. That brings us to the Fed this afternoon.  Forget the rate cut.  That's 100% priced in.  Instead, we have two other considerations: Powell's tone at the press conference and the potential inclusion of a change to quantitative tightening in the announcement. Many of our clients have high hopes that an end to QT would be some sort of big victory for bonds, but we'd caution that it's not a game changer.  QT is ending soon one way or the other, and the Fed has been clear about that. It's not as if this would constitute QE-levels of bond buying.  Bottom line, 2pm or 2:30pm ET could definitely bring some volatility, but nothing that creates big, lasting momentum.  For that, we continue to wait for the shutdown to end and for data to return. Continue Reading »
• Modestly Stronger Ahead of Fed Day
  Posted on Tuesday October 28, 2025
  Modestly Stronger Ahead of Fed Day Without any market moving econ data on Tuesday, bonds finally managed to find a bid.  Or at least that's how it seemed during domestic hours.  When considering the overnight session, we actually saw yields hit their lows of the day before the open, sell-off a bit at 8:20-8:40am surrounding a weekly employment update from ADP, and then return to the best levels mid-day.  The 7yr auction was slightly weaker, but bonds didn't mind (perhaps just relieved to have supply in the rearview). With tomorrow's Fed cut a 100% certainty, volatility potential depends on Powell's press conference as well as whether or not the Fed makes any sort of announcement to end quantitative tightening (something that has been increasingly speculated by trade desks).  The QT news wouldn't be as big as it sounds, but it might help a bit (or hurt a bit if it's not announced). ... Continue Reading »
• MBS Continue to Outperform as Auctions Weigh on Treasuries
  Posted on Tuesday October 28, 2025
  First off, bonds are doing fine this morning.  10yr yields are technically higher on the day, but only when compared to yesterday's 5pm levels.  As far as most trade desks are concerned, 3pm is the closing time for Treasuries, and against that benchmark, we're slightly stronger on the morning.  MBS are stronger still, almost certainly because they don't have to concern themselves with the digestion of $183bln of new issuance over the first 2 days of the week (unlike Treasuries). With that in mind, keep an eye on today's auction results (typically 1:02pm, despite the 1pm official time). Bonds will either be seeing some post-supply relief, or simply locking into whatever the pre-Fed positioning trade may be. Bonus chart: Labor Differential (a metric inside the consumer confidence numbers that shows the spread between those who view jobs as being plentiful vs those who say jobs are "hard to get"). It's hard to see in the chart, but that 9.40 reading is up slightly from last month.   Continue Reading »
• Bonds Improve After Treasury Auctions
  Posted on Monday October 27, 2025
  Bonds Improve After Treasury Auctions Treasury auctions don't always cause a reaction in bonds, but they did today. This has less to do with the results being remarkable and more to do with the fact that there were two big auctions on a Monday (as opposed to the typical auction schedule that plays out Tue-Thu) as well as the fact that there's not much else going on in terms of data due to the shutdown. In hindsight, we can see the market likely built in a small concession ahead of these auctions, and the concession was traded back out after the auction results printed. One final way we know the auctions are having an impact is via the outperformance of MBS. Since MBS aren't weighed down by a big glut of new supply, they were free to outperform both 10 and 5yr Treasuries--something like probably would not have happened so decisively in the absence of the auction cycle.  ... Continue Reading »

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• Home Price Appreciation Keeps Cooling; New Loan Limits Coming Into Focus
  Posted on Friday October 31, 2025
  Both the FHFA and the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller indices released new home-price data this week covering the month of August. The message is unchanged: prices remain higher than a year ago, but the pace of appreciation continues to slow. Case-Shiller’s national annual gain eased to 1.5%, the smallest in more than 2 years, while FHFA is near its lowest annual pace since 2012. Caveat: “lowest in x years” refers to growth rate, not price levels. Index levels remain near all-time highs with only modest recent slippage—nothing like 2008–09. The following chart represents the year over year change (%) in the index values above: The following chart represents the month-over-month change (%) in the index levels from the first chart.  NOTE: FHFA (blue line) is seasonally adjusted, meaning there are no regular peaks/valleys that correspond with typical real estate price cycle.  Contrast that to Case-Shiller (orange line) which DOES show those regular peaks/valleys.  On that note, August's price data (the subject of today's update) is the earliest possible month for the index to bottom out on any given year, and also an uncommon one.  More typically, the bounce occurs in October (which ... Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Applications Responded to Lower Rates, But Things Are Already Changing
  Posted on Friday October 31, 2025
  Mortgage applications jumped sharply last week, driven by lower rates and a rebound in refinance activity. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending October 24, total volume rose 7.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis and 7% unadjusted. The Refinance Index increased 9% from the previous week and is now 111% higher than the same week one year ago. Refi demand remains the primary engine of growth, with larger-balance borrowers especially responsive to rate drops. It bears repeating that things look different in context.  Specifically, while refi demand looks great compared to the past 2 years, we're just now getting up to levels that were considered "very slow" historically. “Mortgage rates decreased for the fourth consecutive week, with the 30-year fixed rate down to 6.30 percent, its lowest level since September 2024. This recent decline in rates spurred the second consecutive week of increased refinance activity, driven mainly by conventional refinance applications,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “The ARM share of applications, which had been trending higher, dipped below 10 percent last week, as lower rates prompted more borrowers to choose fixed-rate loans. Additionally, the average ... Continue Reading »
• Existing Home Sales Rose Last Month, But The Bigger Picture Hasn't Changed
  Posted on Friday October 24, 2025
  Existing-home sales climbed modestly in September, rising 1.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million , according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Sales were also 4.1% higher than a year earlier as easing mortgage rates and better affordability began to lift demand. Even so, the market remains well below pre-pandemic norms as many owners stay put. “As anticipated, falling mortgage rates are lifting home sales,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Improving housing affordability is also contributing to the increase in sales.” Yun added that inventory levels are near a five-year high but remain below pre-COVID averages. “Many homeowners are financially comfortable, resulting in very few distressed properties and forced sales. Home prices continue to rise in most parts of the country, further contributing to overall household wealth.” Regional Breakdown (Sales and Prices, September 2025) Region Sales (annual rate) MoM Change Median Price YoY Change Northeast 490k +2.1% $500,300 +4.1% Midwest 940k -2.1% $320,800 +4.7% South 1.86m +1.6% $364,500 ... Continue Reading »
• Weaker Purchase Demand Offset by Stronger Refis
  Posted on Friday October 24, 2025
  Mortgage application activity edged lower last week, driven by purchases, but the decline was marginal compared to recent swings. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending October 17, total volume slipped 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis and 0.2% unadjusted. The Refinance Index rose 4% from the previous week and was 81% higher than the same week one year ago. The uptick was driven by a 6% increase in conventional refinances and a 12% jump in FHA refinances as borrowers capitalized on the lowest rates in a month. “The lowest mortgage rates in a month spurred an increase in refinance activity, including another pickup in ARM applications,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “The refinance index increased 4 percent, driven by a 6 percent increase in conventional refinances and a 12 percent increase in FHA refinance applications, as borrowers remain attentive to these opportunities to lower their monthly mortgage payment. VA refinances bucked the trend and were down 12 percent.” Purchase applications decreased 5% from the previous week on a seasonally adjusted basis and 5% unadjusted, but remained 20% stronger than a year ago. While activity has cooled ... Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Apps Dip, But Demand Still Running Strong After September Surge
  Posted on Wednesday October 15, 2025
  Mortgage application activity declined again last week, though the drop was more moderate than the prior week’s pullback. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending October 10, total volume fell 1.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis and 2% unadjusted. The Refinance Index slipped 1% from the previous week but remains 59% higher than the same week one year ago. Refi activity has flattened out after September’s surge but continues to hold at elevated levels as some FHA borrowers take advantage of a rate gap of more than 10 basis points below conventional loans. “Mortgage rate movements were mixed last week, with the 30-year fixed rate decreasing slightly to 6.42 percent. Mortgage applications were lower than the week before, as conventional and VA applications saw declines,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “FHA applications saw a stronger week, and FHA refinance applications in particular increased 12 percent as the FHA rate stayed more than 10 basis points lower than the conventional fixed rate. Purchase applications declined for the third consecutive week but remained 20 percent ahead of last year’s pace as improving inventory conditions in certain markets continue to maintain ... Continue Reading »
• Refi Demand Ebbs Gradually As Rates Remain Rangebound
  Posted on Friday October 10, 2025
  Mortgage application activity declined again last week as refi demand continues pulling back after the surge in mid September. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending October 3, total volume fell 4.7% on a seasonally adjusted basis and 5% unadjusted. The Refinance Index decreased 8% from the previous week but remains 18% higher than the same week one year ago. Refinancing activity pulled back broadly across conventional and VA segments after climbing to multi-year highs in September. This is a logical move considering rates were at long-term lows in mid-September and then rose sharply to the present range on September 17/18.  “With mortgage rates on fixed-rate loans little changed last week, refinance application activity generally declined, with the exception of a modest increase for FHA refinance applications,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s SVP and Chief Economist. “Refinance volume remains somewhat elevated relative to levels of a month ago. Purchase activity declined by about 1 percent for the week but continues to show moderate growth on an annual basis, and stronger growth for FHA loans, favored by first-time homebuyers.” Purchase applications slipped 1% on both a seasonally adjusted and unadjusted basis but were still ... Continue Reading »
• 4% Gain in Pending Home Sales Isn't Exactly What it Seems
  Posted on Friday October 03, 2025
  The National Association of Realtors’ Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)—which tracks contract signings on existing homes—ticked higher in August, but remains locked in the same flat, depressed range that has defined the past two years. Pending home sales rose 4.0% in August, lifting the index to its highest level since March, and 3.8% above the same month last year. That all sounds pretty good, but the chart tells a more sobering story. The overall trend hasn’t changed: contract activity continues to bounce around within a narrow band, showing only modest sensitivity to month-to-month rate shifts (which could also simply be coincidental). Regional Breakdown (Month-Over-Month) Northeast: −1.1% Midwest: +8.7% South: +3.1% West: +5.0% Regional YoY Change Northeast: +2.6% Midwest: +6.7% South: +4.2% West: +0.2% Three of the four regions posted solid monthly gains, led by the Midwest and West. On a yearly basis, all four regions were slightly positive, with the Midwest again the strongest performer. Continue Reading »
• Home Price Growth May be The Lowest in Years, But Home Prices Remain Near All-Time Highs
  Posted on Friday October 03, 2025
  Both the FHFA and the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller indices published updated home-price data this week. The message hasn’t changed: prices are still higher than a year ago, but the pace of growth continues to slow. Case-Shiller is now at its weakest year-over-year level in more than 2 years, while FHFA remains stuck near the lowest growth since 2012. The eternal caveat with home price data is that the "lowest in x years" classification doesn't mean home prices are falling if the percent change is still positive--something that's still easily the case in annual terms.  Another way to visualize this is with the simple price indices themselves (NOT the percent change). Note: the following chart's y axis is normalized such that 100 = 100 for both indices (which simply makes it easier to see correlation). The takeaway from this second chart is quite different. Prices remain near all-time highs and have only ebbed slightly in recent months. None of the moderation in prices over the past few years even belongs in the same conversation as the massive correction seen during the great financial crisis. FHFA House Price Index (seasonally adjusted, MoM) ... Continue Reading »
• Mortgage Apps Drop Sharply, But It Was Still The 3rd Best Week in 3 Years
  Posted on Friday October 03, 2025
  Mortgage application activity dropped sharply last week as higher rates cut into both refinance and purchase demand. According to MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending September 26, total volume fell 12.7% on a seasonally adjusted basis and 13% unadjusted. The Refinance Index decreased 21% from the previous week but remains 16% higher than the same week one year ago. The pullback was broad-based, with double-digit declines across conventional and VA refinancing after rates climbed to three-week highs. Apart from the previous 2 weeks, the index was at the highest levels in more than 3 years. "Mortgage rates increased to their highest level in three weeks as Treasury yields pushed higher on recent, stronger-than-expected economic data. After the burst in refinancing activity over the past month, this reversal in mortgage rates led to a sizeable drop in refinance applications, consistent with our view that refinance opportunities this year will be short-lived,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. Purchase applications edged lower, with the seasonally adjusted index down 1% and the unadjusted index down 2%, though both measures remain 16% stronger than a year ago. The refinance share ... Continue Reading »
• Nothing New For Existing Home Sales
  Posted on Friday September 26, 2025
  Existing-home sales held roughly steady in August after tepid uptick in July. That NAR reported a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.0 million , down 0.2% from July but 1.8% higher than a year ago. Sales have now hovered near 75% of pre-pandemic norms for three years, reflecting the same constrained but stable environment that has defined the market since 2022. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said mortgage rates are beginning to ease and inventory is slowly improving, which should help future sales. He added that record-high housing wealth and a strong stock market may support move-up activity, even as the lower end of the market remains tight. Regional Breakdown (Sales and Prices, August 2025) Region Sales (annual rate) MoM Change Median Price YoY Change Northeast 480k -4.0% $534,200 +6.2% Midwest 960k +2.1% $330,500 +4.5% South 1.83m -1.1% $364,100 +0.4% West 730k +1.4% $624,300 +0.6% National ... Continue Reading »

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