Bulls & Blogs

Rate update: My biggest fear

Interest Rates, Residential Mortgage Comments Off

Oct 092019

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

By G. Steven Bray

Mortgage rates seem to be range-bound once more. After the decidedly weak manufacturing and services sector reports last week, that may be a bit of a surprise. The talking heads predictably spouted doom and gloom scenarios of a pending recession, but it seems like investors weren’t listening very closely. Rates initially retreated on the headlines, but since then have held steady.

So, what is likely to be the next source of inspiration for rates?

I think the most important economic data to watch at this point are the confidence measures. Business confidence has been lagging most of the year due to the ongoing trade dispute with China. However, consumer confidence has been sky high. That may be changing – possibly due to uncertainty created by the impeachment drama or the constant downbeat news from the press or maybe something else. My biggest fear is that we talk ourselves into a recession.

If consumers pull back, the economy could erode quickly, which would lead to much lower rates as we close the year. Given the political considerations – election next year – I suspect political operatives will do what they can to encourage that erosion. Thus, I put higher odds on lower rates before the end of the year.

I think the most important economic issue still is the trade dispute with China. Earlier in the year, I was betting on at least a partial resolution, which I said would lead to higher rates. However, given our current political dysfunction, I doubt China will want to deal. We may see a temporary reprieve from some of the sanctions, which could tickle rates higher for a short time, but I expect the dispute will continue to dampen both domestic and global growth, which would keep a lid on interest rates.

Rate update: Thank cheap Chinese imports for lower rates

Interest Rates, Residential Mortgage Comments Off

Aug 052019

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

By G. Steven Bray

If you needed a recipe for a rate rally, just take a look at recent financial headlines. Friday, the President announced a tariff on an additional $300B worth of Chinese imports, and the investor herd started making flight-to-safety trades, buying up US bonds. When the demand for bonds is high, rates are low (because the bond issuers don’t have to offer as much interest to entice bond purchases).

Almost lost in the stampede was last Wed’s Fed rate cut and the good jobs report on Fri. Without the stampede, I’d hazard that we’d be stuck in the summer doldrums again, wondering when rates would move higher or lower. Fed head Powell hemmed and hawed when asked if the Fed would cut rates again this year, and the jobs report was strong enough to suggest a continuation of moderate economic growth. Neither provided a clear signal to investors.

But investors got their signal Fri and believe it was reinforced by weak global economic data today. On top of that, China devalued it currency overnight to levels not seen since the depths of the Great Recession.

That matters because it suggests a number of rate friendly effects. It suggests the trade war isn’t going to end soon. By devaluing its currency, China hopes to keep its good competitive despite the tariffs. Lower import prices lead to lower inflation, the mortal enemy of interest rates. And it increases the chances of a recession, and that increases the chances the Fed will have to lower short term rates even further.

As usually happens when Treasury rates fall so quickly, only a fraction of the gain has filtered through to mortgage rates. However, if Treasury rates remain in this new, lower range, mortgage rates eventually will catch up.

Rate update: Rates are heading lower

Interest Rates, Residential Mortgage Comments Off

Jun 012019

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

By G. Steven Bray

Interest rates have had an impressive rally the last couple weeks as investor sentiment has become decidedly dour. The rally began in earnest when the Chinese blew up the trade deal, but it’s taken on renewed life as talking heads have started tossing around the “R” word again.

Unfortunately for economic growth, now they have something on which to hang their hats. While employment growth and consumer sentiment still appear strong, some economic activity indicators are pulling back.

This may be a manifestation of the trade war, which means it could reverse if negotiators are able to craft a deal soon. However, other economies, particularly those of China and Germany, are slowing even more quickly. We may already be past the point of no return in terms of the next recession overseas.

So, what does this mean for mortgage rates? If you like lower rates, it’s all positive. It’s quite likely we haven’t seen the lowest rates of the year yet.

That said, it may take a while before that happens. It’s long-term Treasury rates, which readily respond to economic conditions, that have fallen so much recently. Mortgage rates are lagging behind for reasons that aren’t likely to change soon.

Even so, investor sentiment is such that traders may ignore a positive economic report, such as next week’s jobs report, and keep rates in their current, lower range, and over time, mortgage rates will catch up.

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: Trade war is our headliner again

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May 072019

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

By G. Steven Bray

Last week’s two big ticket items, the Federal Reserve meeting and the jobs report, lived up to their billing. The Fed didn’t change policy, nor did the post-meeting announcement really make any waves. It was Fed head Powell, at his post-meeting press conference, who got things moving. He acknowledged that foreign economies look a little stronger than earlier in the year and was equivocal when asked whether the next rate move would be a cut or a hike. (Investors have been hoping for a cut.) Interest rates quickly bounced higher.

Then, we got the jobs report on Fri. The headline numbers were great: a solid beat on jobs created and the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years. However, wage growth was tepid, reinforcing concerns about falling inflation (which tends to depress rates). On top of that, the services sector report missed expectations. Interest rates edged down again, and it looked like we’d be riding the range a while longer.

This week set up to be rather quiet until Friday’s inflation report – until the Chinese pulled away from trade negotiations. Markets have been hopeful for a trade deal, so the president’s threat to impose new tariffs created waves of uncertainty. Investors responded to that by buying bonds, which pushed rates down.

So, where do we go from here? Given that multiple recent economic reports have agreed about receding inflation, it’s unlikely Friday’s Consumer Price Index is going to have much effect on rates. If the index surprisingly doesn’t agree with the other reports, rates may tick up a bit.

However, I suspect rates will rise or fall based on the trade talks. A further breakdown is bound to make investors nervous about a full blown trade war, leading to lower rates.

Rate update: Trade war vs inflation

Interest Rates, Residential Mortgage Comments Off

Jul 102018

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

By G. Steven Bray

If you’ve been waiting to lock your mortgage rate, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you haven’t lost any ground. Rates have been remarkably flat for the last few weeks. The bad news is that if you were hoping for lower rates, your hopes went unfulfilled.

Rates seem to be caught in a tug of war. On one side, we have trade war fears. Traders have been yo-yo-ing in response to constant headlines. Now, it’s quite possible that trading partners are using the headlines to manage their bargaining positions, but this leads to uncertainty, which exerts downward pressure on rates.

On the other side, we have inflation. The Federal Reserve’s favored inflation metric, the personal consumption expenditures index, finally rose to the Fed’s target of 2% in May. Analysts attribute the rise to the robust economy. Even though last Friday’s jobs report didn’t show elevated wage inflation, it did show that job growth remains strong. A strong labor market does exert pressure on wages in some parts of the economy even if the overall inflation rate remains tame.

So, which side will win? We could find out this week. This Thurs, we get the granddaddy of inflation reports, the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Analysts predict 2.3%, which is as high as the CPI has been since the Great Recession. A higher number could pull the rope in favor of inflation, leading to a quick jump in mortgage rates. However, a number that matches expectations probably will leave rates stuck in their current range for another couple weeks – waiting for the next headline.

Rate update: Tariff Twitter good for rates

Interest Rates, Residential Mortgage Comments Off

Jun 192018

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

By G. Steven Bray

Rates have had it good lately:

– First up was the inflation report. It matched expectations. While this put the core rate at 2.2%, above the magic 2% mark, markets were worried it would be higher. Additionally, the Fed’s favored inflation metric, the PCE, continues to be below 2%.

– Next came the Federal Reserve. While the Fed raised short term rates as expected and increased the chances of a 4th rate hike this year, Chairman Powell said that he wasn’t concerned at all with inflation getting out of control and, maybe more importantly, that we’re getting closer to a “neutral Fed funds rate.” Analysts concluded that the trajectory of Fed policy is about as tight as it’s going to get, and bond markets sighed in relief.

– The next day brought the European Central Bank meeting. The ECB did announce it will end its asset purchase program by the end of the year, a negative for rates. However, it also said it doesn’t expect to hike rates until the end of next summer, and the ECB president made a case for economic weakness during his press conference. Bond markets cheered.

– Finally, we were treated to tariff Twitter. Markets don’t really care about the imbalances caused by prior administations’ trade policy. More important is the uncertain effects of the various proposed tariffs. I still say a full-blown trade war is unlikely. The targets of the tariffs have more to lose, and negotiation is the most likely outcome. However, the uncertainty may keep a lid on rates for now.