US consumer confidence fell in September to a five-month low on growing concerns about job prospects and the broader economy. The Conference Board’s gauge of confidence decreased 3.6 points to 94.2, data released Tuesday showed. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a reading of 96. READ MORE: Mortgages with rates […]
Consumer confidence falls to five-month low on job concerns Read More »
Housing starts in the U.S. fell last month to the lowest since May, as bloated home inventory slowed builders’ appetites to boost production. New residential construction decreased 8.5% last month to an annualized rate of 1.31 million homes, government data released Wednesday showed. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economist was for 1.37
Housing starts fall to lowest since May in broad decline Read More »
US Treasuries retained most of their recent gains as anticipation of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts held firm after the central bank’s preferred gauge of inflation matched economist estimates. Yields were mixed across tenors following Friday’s release of July personal income and spending data, with short maturities little changed after falling from session highs while longer-dated
Treasuries hold recent gains as inflation gauge stabilizes Read More »
Bond traders’ big bet that the Federal Reserve is poised to lower interest rates faces a key moment this week as Chair Jerome Powell gets a chance to weigh in on the economy. Powell’s speech on Friday at the central bank’s annual gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, kicks off a make-or-break stretch for the Treasury market, which
Bond market’s rate-cut bets hit decisive stretch with Powell Read More »
President Donald Trump named EJ Antoni, chief economist of the conservative Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics after firing the former head of the agency earlier this month. Trump appointed Antoni, who has been vocal about his concerns with BLS jobs data and revisions, in a Truth Social post Monday. The position
Trump names Heritage’s EJ Antoni to lead Bureau of Labor Statistics Read More »
Overall employment numbers fell below what the market anticipated, with 73,000 July job additions compared to estimates for 104,000, making it more likely that a mortgage rate drop is nigh and that industry hiring may escalate. Bond market reaction to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data could lower long-term mortgage rates near term, according to
Weak jobs data boosts odds of mortgage rate drop Read More »
Economic worries and affordability challenges continued to weigh on the housing market, new data shows, hinting that the unusually slow summer sales could portend a more bearish market in the coming months. Housing prices rose 2.3% year-over-year in May, according to new data from the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index. This is the slowest increase in
Pronounced housing slowdown appears in latest index reports Read More »
For years, investors have found themselves at the whim of President Donald Trump’s social-media posts. Now, traders are being forced to pay attention to an unlikely official: Federal Housing Finance Agency head Bill Pulte. Stocks have swung wildly on Pulte’s comments as he opines on everything from credit score pricing, to cryptocurrencies as mortgage assets,
Pulte’s social media posts become must-follow for stock traders Read More »
Treasuries slipped ahead of a sale of 30-year US bonds that will provide a fresh test of demand for the type of long-dated government debt that has been under pressure globally. US 10-year yields were two basis points higher at 4.36% Thursday morning in New York, trimming a decline of seven basis points the previous
US treasuries edge lower ahead of 30-year bond auction Read More »
A Mediterranean Shipping Co. container ship under construction at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, on March 30, 2025.SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff proposals have been put on hold for another month, giving banks and industries more time to brace for impact while also prolonging the uncertainty that
Trump tariff extension leaves banks, Fed in limbo Read More »