All Things in Moderation

Vital Statistics:

Stocks are higher this morning despite more hawkish talk from central bankers. Bonds and MBS are flat.

The services economy expanded in February. “Business Survey Committee respondents indicated that they are mostly positive about business conditions. Suppliers continue to improve their capacity and logistics, as evidenced by faster deliveries. The employment picture has improved for some industries, despite the tight labor market. Several industries reported continued downsizing.”

The supplier deliveries index hit the fastest level since 2009, indicating that supply chain issues are mainly in the rear view mirror. The prices index declined, however it is still elevated. One respondent in IT said: “The current dynamics in the marketplace are such that it is getting harder to reduce costs. Most industries are being pinched by inflation and more expensive labor markets. Before, cost reduction was the goal; it’s now cost avoidance. That said, since we’re not able to reduce cost to maintain margins, we have to reduce the employee base more aggressively to achieve margins.”

Fed Governor Christopher Waller sounded hawkish in remarks yesterday: “I would be very pleased if the data we receive on inflation and the labor market this month show signs of moderation,” Fed governor Christopher Waller said in remarks posted on the Fed’s website. “But wishful thinking is not a substitute for hard evidence in the form of economic data. After seeing promising signs of progress, we cannot risk a revival of inflation.”

Nonfarm productivity rose 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to BLS. This is a big downward revision from the initial 3% estimate. Output was revised downward while hours worked was revised upward. This is generally bad news for inflation, however we are talking about data that is getting pretty far in the past so I doubt it will influence the Fed all that much.

Unit labor costs rose 3.2%, which was driven by a 4.9% increase in compensation and a 1.7% increase in productivity. Manufacturing sector productivity declined 2.7%.

Fannie Mae updated its guidance on appraisals. The use of third-party data and models may now be used in some circumstances in lieu of an on-site appraisal. Fannie is changing the language from “appraisal waiver” to “value acceptance.” This should be good news for companies like Clear Capital who use technology to conduct valuations. DU will implement these changes on April 15.

UWM Corp (the parent of United Wholesale) reported fourth quarter numbers. Originations came in at $25.1 billion in the fourth quarter versus $33.5 billion in the third quarter and $55.2 billion a year ago. Gain on sale margins were more or less flat with Q3 at 51 bps.

The guidance for Q1 is for volume to come in between $16 and $23 billion, with gain on sale between 75 and 100 bps. This should translate into higher production revenue despite the drop in volume.

The Street sees Q1 earnings at breakeven and full year 2023 EPS at $0.20. Not sure how they continue to pay the $0.10 quarterly dividend. The stock yields 9.4%.

If you compare UWM’s numbers to Rocket’s it shows the vulnerability of Rocket’s model in a purchase environment. Rocket’s volumes were down much more dramatically, which shows it can dominate in a refi environment. Brokers, who are much closer to real estate agents, tend to capture more of the purchase business. You will ask your realtor for a lender recommendation in general. It will be interesting to see of Rocket’s ancillary services like Rocket Money will be able to capture some of that purchase business.

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Vital Statistics:

Stocks are lower this morning on no real news. Bonds and MBS are flat.

The manufacturing economy improved in February, however it has contracted for the third consecutive month. New Orders and production contracted. Unfortunately, prices increased again which will concern the Fed. This will probably mean that February CPI and PPI reports will be disappointing.

“The U.S. manufacturing sector again contracted, with the Manufacturing PMI^® improving marginally over the previous month. With Business Survey Committee panelists reporting softening new order rates over the previous nine months, the February composite index reading reflects companies continuing to slow outputs to better match demand for the first half of 2023 and prepare for growth in the second half of the year. New order rates remain sluggish due to buyer and supplier disagreements regarding price levels and delivery lead times; the index increase suggests progress in February. Panelists’ companies continue to attempt to maintain head-count levels through the projected slow first half of the year in preparation for a stronger performance in the second half.”

Rocket reported an 82% drop YOY drop in revenues during the fourth quarter of 2022. Origination volumes fell 75% YOY to $19 billion. Gain on sale margins also contracted to 2.17% from 2.8%. Unexpectedly high demand for the company’s promotional home purchase product was a driver of the lower margins.

“Last year marked a period of transformation for Rocket. We right-sized our business to respond to a challenging market; we also made key investments to serve our clients better on every step of their home ownership journey,” said Jay Farner, CEO of Rocket Companies. “With foundational pieces of our client engagement program in place, we are focused on expanding our top of funnel, lifting conversion and lowering our client acquisition cost, with the ultimate goal of growing our purchase market share and extending client lifetime value.”

Mortgage applications fell 5.7% last week as purchases fell 6% and refis fell 3%. The uptick in bond yields over the past few weeks drove the decrease. “The 30-year fixed rate increased to 6.71 percent last week, the highest rate since November 2022, which drove a 6 percent drop in applications. After a brief revival in application activity in January when mortgage rates dropped to 6.2 percent, there has now been three straight weeks of declines in applications as mortgage rates have jumped 50 basis points over the past month,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “Data on inflation, employment, and economic activity have signaled that inflation may not be cooling as quickly as anticipated, which continues to put upward pressure on rates. Both purchase and refinance applications declined last week, with purchase index at a 28-year low for a second consecutive week. Purchase applications were 44 percent lower than a year ago, as homebuyers again retreat to the sidelines as higher rates crimp affordability. Refinance applications account for less than a third of all applications and remained more than 70 percent behind last year’s pace, as a majority of homeowners are already locked into lower rates.”  

The yield curve continues to invert, with the 10s-2s spread at -89 basis points. The last time we were at these levels was during the Volcker tightening regime during the early 1980s.

Construction spending fell 0.1% MOM and rose 5.7% YOY, according to the Census Bureau. Private residential construction fell 0.6% MOM and 3.9% YOY. There is a big divergence between multifamily, which is up 20.6% YOY and single-family which fell 18.4%. That said, single family construction is 3x the value of multi-family.

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