Bulls & Blogs

Rate update: Virus outbreak leads to lower mortgage rates

Interest Rates, Residential Mortgage Comments Off

Jan 282020

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Tragedy can lead to uncertainty, and uncertainty is good for lower interest rates. The outbreak of the coronavirus in China has unsettled global markets, and investors are running to the safety of Treasury bonds. Investors are concerned the virus will seriously impact global growth. One analyst already is predicting the virus will shave 0.4% off global GDP, and the outbreak seems to be growing.

The effect on stock and Treasury bond prices has been much more significant than the effect on mortgage rates. Even so, mortgage rates are the lowest they’ve been in over 3 years.

If you’ve been watching for low interest rates, don’t procrastinate. As quickly as these rates have appeared they could evaporate. If the number of new cases of the virus starts to decline, markets may conclude the effects will be limited, and rates will snap back.

In that case, we’re back to watching economic data and events, which ramp up this week. The Federal Reserve meets today and tomorrow. While no one expects the Fed to change its current policy – no rate hikes or cuts until inflation or unemployment change significantly – investors love to parse the post-meeting statements for hidden meanings.

Next week we get the ISM reports and the Jan jobs report. The service sector of the economy has remained strong despite the trade disputes, but pundits have been predicting its deterioration for many months. Should the ISM report hint a downturn, rates could improve further. Likewise, should the jobs report deviate from its current trend, that could gets rates moving.

Rate update: Markets shrug off war drums

Interest Rates, Residential Mortgage Comments Off

Jan 082020

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

When I predict whether rates will rise or fall, I always issue the caveat “absent unexpected headlines.” Well, the past few days have provided a case in point. Rates dropped quickly following the US drone strike last week on the Iranian general and rose just as quickly today following the President’s address that suggested the crisis has passed.

Where does that leave us? Rates are stuck in the range again and waiting for inspiration. Potential sources for that inspiration are many, but let’s focus on a few of them.

First and foremost, if the Iranians don’t “stand down” as the President suggests, rates are certain to fall again. Renewed hostilities will make investors more cautious, and that caution will lead to lower interest rates.

Assuming that doesn’t happen, and markets currently seem confident it won’t, the next big event is this week’s jobs report. Recession whisperers were headliners on cable news last fall when it appeared the jobs market was softening. That changed with Dec’s blowout jobs report. Markets expect another strong report this Fri. Because of this expectation, its verification is unlikely to change rates much. Should the report disappoint, rates should improve a little.

Trade is the other major source of inspiration. The Senate is expected to pass the new trade deal with Mexico and Canada soon, and the President said he expects to sign a Phase 1 deal with China mid-month. Markets widely expect this to happen, so when it does, it’s unlikely to change market sentiment. Rates seem to be experiencing some slight upward pressure, and that probably would continue. However, should we experience a hiccup in either deal, we’d likely see at least a short-term drop in rates.

Rate update: What Fed’s Powell says is important

Interest Rates, Residential Mortgage Comments Off

Jul 302019

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

This is a big week for interest rates. Not only do we have a lot of important economic reports, but the Federal Reserve is expected to announce it’s reducing short term interest rates by a quarter point. The Fed has been telegraphing the rate cut for weeks, so that really shouldn’t garner much attention. Instead, markets are going to be watching what Fed head Powell says in the post-meeting press conference.

Markets WANT the Fed to continue cutting rates at subsequent meetings this year, and the Fed’s forward guidance has indicated a willingness to do so – if economic conditions warrant it. So, I’m sure Powell will get peppered with questions trying to pin him down on that question. If he pulls back on future rate cuts, mortgage rates are likely to jump. Personally, I think he’ll thread the needle, showing a willingness to cut further, but saying the timing depends on economic data.

If that happens, markets will turn their attention to Friday’s jobs report. Last month’s report rebounded strongly from relatively weak May numbers. July’s economic data has been somewhat mixed, but generally positive. Consumer spending has buoyed the economy, making up for a slowdown in the manufacturing sector.

The problem is that the latter is more likely to be affected by slowing economies overseas. Thus, another strong jobs report still might not sway markets (or the Fed) from anticipating lower rates in the months to come, which probably would leave rates in their current range. On the other hand, if job growth shows a weakening trend, I suspect interest rates will follow that trend lower.

Rate update: The trade war blues

Interest Rates, Residential Mortgage Comments Off

May 212019

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Mortgage rates have moved very little this month, and it still seems like their next move is tied to the trade war. The announcement of new tariffs on Chinese goods created a nice little rally that brought rates down close to their lows for the year. But lately, it seems like every negative headline has been met with a conciliatory one, which has kept rates stable.

There is other news out there, and absent the trade headlines, it might move rates. Probably the most significant is the action in the Middle East. A new fighting war would roil markets everywhere and lead to lower rates.

Europe also has current crises of note. Great Britain still has a Brexit problem – deciding how it’s going to leave the European Union. Italy, on the other hand, just thumbed its nose at European Union austerity rules, and pundits once again are talking about the survivability of the EU.

In the US, we’re watching for economic data that indicates something other than a steady as she goes economy. The next big reports aren’t due for a couple weeks, culminating in the May jobs report due on Jun 7th. Analysts aren’t predicting any surprises based on recent economic activity.

And that brings us back to the trade war. Barring something extraordinary happening elsewhere in the world, I think the fate of interest rates depends on the success or failure of trade talks. Resolution would remove the biggest uncertainty for the economy and almost certainly would lead to higher rates.

Rate update: Rates couldn’t care less about the shutdown

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Jan 282019

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

The end of the government shutdown removed one element of uncertainty for markets, but clearly it wasn’t a critical one as interest rates barely moved in response. I half expected a little volatility today, the first trading day after the government reopened. Instead, the day passed quietly. I suspect that’s because more important events await us this week.

First up is the Federal Reserve meeting, which ends on Wed. No one expects the Fed to change interest rates at this meeting, but pretty much everyone expects the Fed to soften its attitude towards future rate hikes. It also will be interesting to see what the Fed says about the effects of the shutdown. I suspect markets already have priced in a more dovish Fed. Thus, if the attitude, as reflected in the post-meeting announcement, hasn’t changed, watch out for higher rates.

Friday brings the Jan jobs report. No one knows exactly how the shutdown effected employment. While furloughed government workers were counted among the employed, employees of contractors that were sidelined by the funding lapse may have been counted as unemployed.

Analysts are predicting employers created about half as many jobs in Jan as in Dec; however, count me among the skeptics about whether analysts have captured the extent of the shutdown effect. One thing is likely: if the actual number of jobs differs significantly from the predictions, talking heads will do what they do best – talk – and markets will be choppy.

Finally, keep an eye on the China trade talks. Markets have been reacting to pretty much every headline the past couple weeks. That partly may have been because the shutdown bottled up economic data investors use to make trading decisions. However, I suspect markets would have been reacting anyway. Chinese economic data seems to show the trade war has significantly affected its economy. Positive headlines allow investors to think maybe the world’s economy isn’t really slowing, and equity markets rally in response. That’s been a negative for interest rates, and I suspect more positive headlines will bring more of the same.

Rate update: Will party poopers spoil our lower rates

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Jan 092019

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Last Friday’s jobs report was strong. How strong? Well, the number of jobs created was the most for a Dec in 20 years. Average hourly earnings growth remained above 3% for the third consecutive month, and average hours worked also ticked higher. Revisions to previous months also were positive.

It would seem that the report would confirm market fear that the Federal Reserve will continue its rate-hiking campaign unabated. As we discussed last week, markets fear the Fed will choke off economic growth with rate hikes.

However, a couple other economic headliners also attended the party. First was last week’s ISM manufacturing report, which measures the strength of the manufacturing sector. It showed the greatest one month decline since the Great Recession. While the report’s index still shows good sector growth, the report is a leading indicator of economic activity. The jobs report, on the other hand, is a lagging indicator. So, even though the job market is very healthy, the ISM report could portend a coming economic slowdown.

The second headliner was a speech by Fed head Powell. Apparently, he wrote the speech before he saw the jobs report because it was very dovish. Basically, Powell said the Fed will be sensitive to market signals in setting its future rate policy. Well, the stock market loved this and went on a tear. Bond markets, which sank after the jobs report, sank further as investors sold bonds to buy equities. (Selling bonds raises interest rates.)

The question for rates is which version of reality is the correct one: a strong economy inviting further Fed tightening or a slowing economy leading to Fed restraint? Which version markets believe is likely to dictate whether we can hold the rate gains made over the holidays.

So far this week, markets seem to be leaning towards the slowing economy with a hedge. They’ve given up about a quarter of the rate gains and have leveled off waiting for further inspiration. That inspiration may come from this Friday’s inflation report. An elevated reading will likely send rates higher again, but a tame reading – in the 2% range – probably wouldn’t elicit any response.

I see one wildcard that could push rates either way – the China trade talks. I still think positive progress could make markets overlook the ISM reports and lay bets on a stronger economy again.