Rate Lock Advisory

Tuesday, February 18th

Tuesday’s bond market has opened in positive territory as stocks react negatively to concerns from Apple. The Dow is starting the new week down 106 points while the Nasdaq has lost 13 points. The bond market is currently up 7/32 (1.56%), which should keep this morning’s mortgage rates close to Friday’s early pricing. The financial and mortgage markets were closed yesterday for the President’s Day holiday.

7/32

Bonds

30 yr - 1.56%

106

Dow

29,291

13

NASDAQ

9,717

Mortgage Rate Trend

Trailing 90 Days - National Average

  • 30 Year Fixed
  • 15 Year Fixed
  • 5/1 ARM

Indexes Affecting Rate Lock

Medium

Neutral

None

There is no relevant economic data scheduled for release today. The rest of the week brings us the release of only four pieces of relevant economic data for the bond market to digest along with the minutes from the most recent FOMC meeting.

High

Unknown

Producer Price Index (PPI)

Tomorrow has three events set that may influence mortgage pricing, beginning with January's Producer Price Index (PPI) at 8:30 AM ET. This index is the sister report to last week's Consumer Price Index but measures inflationary pressures at the producer level of the economy. The core data reading is more important to market participants than the overall reading because it excludes more volatile food and energy prices. They are expected to show an increase of 0.1% in the overall reading and a 0.1% rise in the core data. Good news for bonds would be a decline in both readings, particularly the core data as it would ease concerns about future inflation that make long-term securities less attractive to investors.

Low

Unknown

Housing Starts (New Residential Construction)

Also early tomorrow morning is January's Housing Starts that gives us an indication of housing sector strength and mortgage credit demand by tracking new housing groundbreakings. It usually does not affect rates unless the results vary greatly from forecasts. Current forecasts are calling for a large decline in construction starts of new housing. A weak housing sector makes broader economic growth less likely in the near future, which makes bonds more attractive to investors. Therefore, the smaller the number of starts, the better the news it is for mortgage rates.

Medium

Unknown

Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Minutes

The release of the minutes from the most recent FOMC meeting will close out the day’s activities. Traders will be looking for any indication of the Fed's next move regarding monetary policy, which is currently expected to keep key short-term interest rates unchanged for the foreseeable future. Comments and discussion amongst Fed members could be helpful to shape trader opinions on when the Fed may act next. The Fed’s next move may not be adjusting short-term rates. It could be making changes to their balance sheet and the amount of bonds they buy each month or let roll off when the security matures. The minutes will be released at 2:00 PM ET, therefore, any reaction will come during afternoon trading tomorrow. These minutes may lead to afternoon volatility, or they may be a non-factor. However, they do carry the potential to influence mortgage rates, so they should be watched.

Medium

Unknown

None

Overall, tomorrow is the best candidate for most important day of the week for mortgage rates. The calmest day may be Thursday. Corporate earnings season is winding down, removing one heavy influence on stocks that can cause bonds to react. The coronavirus headlines are getting somewhat repetitive from the market’s perspective, at least until its impact on the global economy becomes clearer. These factors should keep bonds a bit calmer for the immediate future than we have seen recently. That doesn’t mean that we won’t see movement in rates this week, just that the chance of seeing a volatile week is minimal unless something unexpected happens.

Float / Lock Recommendation

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would.... Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days... Float if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days... Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days... Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now... This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.




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