All Things in Moderation

Vital Statistics:

Another “risk-on” day as stock markets rally overnight and bonds get sold. MBS are performing a touch better than the 10 year.

Mortgage applications hit a six year high last week, which included an adjustment for the MLK holiday. The index rose 5% while refis increased 15%. The refi index is up 183% from the same week a year ago. Purchases fell 10%. “The 10-year Treasury yield fell around 20 basis points over the course of last week, driven mainly by growing concerns over a likely slowdown in Chinese economic growth from the spread of the coronavirus. This drove mortgage rates lower,” said Joel Kan, MBA Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting. “Refinance activity jumped as a result, with an increase in the number of applications and a spike in the average loan amount, as homeowners with jumbo loans reacted more resoundingly to lower rates.”

ADP reported that payrolls increased by 291,000 last month, a huge jump from December, which was revised upward from 139,000 to 202,000. The Street is looking for an increase of 158,000 nonfarm payrolls in Friday’s jobs report, so that number appears to be too low. There was a pretty big increase in construction workers as it looks like homebuilders are eager to finally fulfill the pent-up demand for housing out there. It looks like the ADP number was the strongest in at least a year

Home prices rose 0.3% MOM in December, and are up 4% on an annual basis according to CoreLogic.

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