Jobless Claims

17 Apr 2023

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – April 17, 2022

Financial Reports

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on inflation, retail sales, and consumer sentiment. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. March Inflation Slows as Retail Sales Fall Inflation slowed to a month-to-month pace of 0.10 percent in March as compared to February’s reading of 0.40 percent growth. Year-over-year inflation rose by 5.00 percent and fell short of analysts’ expected reading of 5.10 percent year-over-year inflation and February’s year-over-year inflation rate of 6.00 percent. Core inflation, which excludes volatile readings for food and fuel, rose by 0.40 percent in March and matched analysts’ expectations. The year-over-year reading…

10 Apr 2023

By Tawnya King

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – April 10, 2023

Financial Reports

Last week's economic reporting included readings on construction spending and labor sector readings on employment and the national unemployment rate for March. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. Commerce Department: February Construction Spending Falls The U.S. Commerce Department reported less construction spending in February than in January as construction spending fell by 0.10 percent to a year-over-year reading of $1.844 trillion for all types of construction. Year-over-year construction spending increased by 5.20 percent. While total construction spending fell in February, residential construction spending increased. Spending on single-family home construction slowed due to builders’ concerns over…

03 Apr 2023

By Tawnya King

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – April 3, 2023

Financial Reports

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on home prices, inflation, and pending home sales. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also published. S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices Report Slower Home Price Growth in January Home price growth cooled in January according to S&P Case-Shiller’s 20-City Home Price Index. Home prices increased by 2.50 percent year-over-year in January but rose at a slower pace than December’s reading of 4.60 percent. The FHFA Home Price Index also showed slower growth in January with year-over-year home price growth of 5.30 percent as compared to December’s home price growth rate of…

20 Mar 2023

By Tawnya King

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – March 20, 2023

Financial Reports

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on housing starts and building permits issued, the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index, and Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s Senate testimony. The Commerce Department reported on housing starts and building permits issued published, and a monthly reading on consumer sentiment was published. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. Two bank failures instill fear in depositors In the aftermath of two bank failures last week, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that “the banking system is sound” during testimony to the US Senate last Thursday. When asked if…

13 Mar 2023

By Tawnya King

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – March 13, 2023

Financial Reports

Last week’s economic reporting included Fed chair Jerome Powell’s testimony to the House of Representatives, data on job growth, and weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims. Fed: Chairman Powell says no decision on March rate hike Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that no decision has been made about raising the Fed’s target interest rate range in March. Mr. Powell said, “We have not made any decision about the March meeting. We’re not going to do that until we see the additional data.” Mr. Powell said that the Fed is not on a “pre-set path. We will be…

06 Mar 2023

By Tawnya King

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – March 6, 2023

Financial Reports

Last week’s economic reporting included readings from S&P Case-Shiller home price indices, data on pending home sales, and weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims. S&P Case-Shiller: December Home Price Growth Slows in 20-City Index Home price growth slowed in December according to S&P Case-Shiller’s 20-City Home Price Index. Home prices rose by 4.60 percent year-over-year as compared to November’s year-over-year home price growth rate of 6.80 percent. The top three cities for home price growth in the 20-City Index were Miami, Florida, Tampa, Florida, and Atlanta, Georgia. Former leading cities for home price growth have fallen to the…

27 Feb 2023

By Tawnya King

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – February 27, 2023

Financial Reports

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on sales of previously-owned homes, the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s most recent Federal Open Market Committee meeting, and weekly readings on average mortgage rates and jobless claims. Federal Reserve leaders raise key interest rate range The Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve raised the Fed’s key interest rate range by 25 basis points to 4.50 to 4.75 percent. Fed officials cautioned that failure to ease inflationary pressure by raising interest rates could lead to inflation remaining higher than the Fed’s target inflation pace of two percent per year. In other matters, …