Stephen Cunningham

Great Memorial Day weekend with the fam!

🏡 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟱, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 👎
Rates moved quite a bit higher last week when inflation readings came in stronger than expected, showing that inflation increased rather than dropped. Markets reacted to the data by dropping the number of Fed rate cuts forecasted for later this year.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲👎
Rates are likely to creep higher this week as markets adjust to expectations that the Fed may cut rates only twice or even once this year. Strong economic and labor data along with increasing inflation have shelved the idea that any rate cuts will happen before September at the earliest.

🗓️ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸:
- Fed speakers: Lots of Fed officials will be out speaking this week, likely sharing the message that the Fed does not need to cut rates yet.
- The Fed: Markets are now expecting only two or even one Fed rate cut this year as Fed officials continue to say that the strong economy and labor market along with stubborn inflation make it too early to even consider cutting rates. Mortgage rates won't move lower unless/until expectations grow again that the Fed will have to cut rates.
- Economic data: Not a lot of data this week, and what we've seen already was bad for mortgage rates.

🏡 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟲, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 👍
Mortgage rates crept higher through the week last week, but a strong performance on Friday helped to end the week basically unchanged. Faced with the current rate climate, that's a win for the week.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 👎
This week there's a lot of economic data that markets will be watching that could push mortgage rates higher. If the economic data points to a strong economy, that means it is less likely the Fed will cut rates anytime soon... and that means mortgage rates will suffer for the week.

🗓️ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸:
- Economic data: This week has a full calendar, with reports every day as well as Treasury auctions through the week that could influence markets and affect mortgage rates. The biggest reports come out Thursday and Friday.
- Month's end: The underlying markets that set mortgage rates could be affected by traders positioning portfolios for month's end.
- The Fed: Rates hit their recent best levels in December when markets thought the Fed would be forced to cut in March or May to avoid doing damage to the economy, but mortgage rates have moved higher now that markets are speculating the Fed won't cut till June or even July.