Time For One of Those "Path of Least Resistance" Headlines

Time For One of Those "Path of Least Resistance" Headlines

Bonds are selling off for no obvious reasons for however many days in a row it's been (at least 2 unless you count last Thursday). Episodes like this result in bond analysts dusting off phrases like "the path of least resistance"--typically only ever seen with selling pressure.  This path arguably began in early December after the jobs report failed to push 10yr yields sustainably below 4.17. One could even say it began with the jobs report in early October that singlehandedly obviated any urgency on the part of the Fed to address some sort of troubling slide in the labor market.  At the very least, the most recent leg of weakness can be thought of as the path of least resistance in light of last week's Fed announcement/dots/press conference. 

Latest Video Analysis

Steady Selling in Bonds. 'Tis The Season

MBS & Treasury Markets
UMBS 5.5 98.28 -0.14 10YR 4.632% +0.048% 12/26/2024 10:19AM EST
Bonds are selling off for no obvious reasons for however many days in a row it's been (at least 2 unless you count last Thursday). Episodes like this result in bond analysts dusting off phrases like "the path of least resistance"--typically only ever seen with selling pressure.  This path arguably began in early December after the jobs report failed to push 10yr yields sustainably below 4.17. One could even say it began with the jobs report in early October that singleha...   READ MORE
Today's Mortgage Rates
30YR Fixed 7.12% +0.02% 15YR Fixed 6.48% +0.03% 12/26/2024
Holidays have inconsistent impacts on mortgage rates because holiday's have inconsistent impacts on the bond market (and rates are dictated by the bond market). Bond traders (the people buying and selling the bonds that ultimately determine mortgage rates) are people too.  They take vacations, or tack an extra day or two onto a scheduled holiday market closure to make for an extended holiday weekend. When more than a few traders are absent, the balance of remaining t...   READ MORE
Economic Calendar
Time Event Period Actual Forecast Prior
Thursday, Dec 26
8:30AM Dec/21 Jobless claims 4-wk avg (k) Dec/21 226.5K 225.5K
8:30AM Dec/14 Continued Claims (ml) Dec/14 1910K 1880K 1874K
8:30AM Dec/21 Jobless Claims (k) Dec/21 219K 224K 220K
11:30AM 4-Week Bill Auction 4.260% 4.230%
11:30AM 8-Week Bill Auction 4.265% 4.230%
12:00PM Dec/25 15-Year Mortgage Rate Dec/25 6% 5.92%
12:00PM Dec/25 30-Year Mortgage Rate Dec/25 6.85% 6.72%
1:00PM Nov Money Supply Nov $21.45T $23.31T
1:00PM 17-Week Bill Auction (%) 4.230% 4.220%
1:00PM 7-Year Note Auction 4.532% 4.183%
1:00PM 7-Yr Note Auction (bl) 44
4:30PM Dez/25 Central Bank Balance Sheet Dez/25 $6.88T $6.89T
Friday, Dec 27
8:30AM Nov Retail Inventories Ex Autos MoM Adv Nov 0.1%
8:30AM Nov Wholesale inventories mm (%) Nov 0.2% 0.2%
8:30AM Nov Goods Trade Balance Adv Nov $-100.7B $-99.08B
10:30AM Dec/20 Nat gas-EIA, change bcf Dec/20 -125Bcf
11:00AM Dec/20 Crude Oil Inventory (ml) Dec/20 -2M -0.934M
11:00AM Dec/20 EIA Crude Oil Imports Change Dec/20 -1.131M
11:00AM Dec/20 EIA Distillate Stocks Change Dec/20 -0.7M -3.18M
11:00AM Dec/20 EIA Cushing Crude Oil Stocks Change Dec/20 0.108M
11:00AM Dec/20 EIA Distillate Fuel Production Change Dec/20 -0.135M
11:00AM Dec/20 EIA Refinery Crude Runs Change Dec/20 -0.048M
11:00AM Dec/20 EIA Gasoline Production Change Dec/20 -0.173M
11:00AM Dec/20 EIA Heating Oil Stocks Change Dec/20 -0.304M
11:00AM Dec/20 EIA Gasoline Stocks Change Dec/20 -1M 2.348M
1:00PM Dec/27 Baker Hughes Oil Rig Count Dec/27 483
1:00PM Dec/27 Baker Hughes Total Rig Count Dec/27 589
Read My Latest Newsletter
 "If anything on Fed day ends up having an impact on mortgage rates, it would have to be changes in the Fed's rate outlook and/or comments from Fed Chair Powell during the press conference that follows the rate announcement." That's how we closed out last week's newsletter , and there were certainly some changes! The gist was that mortgage rates often correlate very poorly with changes in... READ MORE