Ultimately Sort of Flat if You Use Your Imagination

Ultimately Sort of Flat if You Use Your Imagination

Here's a quick and easy method for imagining that bonds were flat today. Step one, go back to yesterday and use 3pm as a closing time (not a crazy request considering that's the traditional end-of-day marking time for Treasuries). Then do the same for today. The result is that 10yr yields are up about half a bp. Feel free to round that down to 0bps, and voila! Flat day.  That assessment actually fits better with the calendar and the general vibe. AM volatility came and went surrounding budget headlines and bonds are once again flirting with 4.5% 10yr yields on a holiday-shortened, mostly data-free week, waiting for the next shoe to drop.

Market Movement Recap
10:47 AM

Modestly weaker overnight with additional selling in the first 2 hours.  MBS down 5 ticks (.16) and 10yr up 4.2bps at 4.492

01:53 PM

Decent recovery with MBS down only 3 ticks (.09) and 10yr up 2.7bps at 4.478

04:47 PM

Heading out in moderately weaker territory, but in line with y'day's mid day levels. MBS down 6 ticks (.16) and 10yr up 3.3bs at 4.483

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Ultimately Sort of Flat if You Use Your Imagination

MBS & Treasury Markets
UMBS 5.5 98.63 -0.16 10YR 4.487% +0.037% 5/20/2025 5:15PM EST
It's a holiday-shortened week with a relatively empty economic calendar, thus forcing the bond market to find its movement cues elsewhere. To some small extent, corporate bond issuance has had an impact behind the scenes. It was lower than expected yesterday, which may have helped, and is picking back up today, which may be hurting. But the bigger pain aligns fairly clearly with various newswires surrounding the budget battle. In the most basic sense, bonds are protesting a...   READ MORE
Today's Mortgage Rates
30YR Fixed 6.99% +0.00% 15YR Fixed 6.35% +0.03% 5/20/2025
Mortgage rates ultimately managed to hold steady on Tuesday despite some underlying market volatility. Rates change day to day (and sometimes intraday) based on movement in the bond market, and there's been plenty of that. Yesterday's market movement was good for rates after starting out near the worst levels since February. This allowed most lenders to make positive adjustments, thus getting the average back under 7% by the end of the day.  Things started on a weak...   READ MORE
Economic Calendar
Time Event Period Actual Forecast Prior
Tuesday, May 20
9:00AM Fed Bostic Speech
9:00AM Fed Barkin Speech
9:30AM Fed Collins Speech
1:00PM Fed Musalem Speech
5:00PM Fed Kugler Speech
7:00PM Fed Daly Speech
7:00PM Fed Hammack Speech
Wednesday, May 21
7:00AM May/16 MBA Refi Index May/16 718.1
7:00AM May/16 MBA Purchase Index May/16 166.5
10:30AM May/16 Crude Oil Inventory (ml) May/16 -1.85M 3.454M
12:00PM Fed Barkin Speech
1:00PM 20-Yr Bond Auction (bl) 16
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The week began with some challenges for the rate market and a bounce for stocks following the US/China trade deal over the weekend. Stocks held their gains, but rates managed to move back down by the end of the week.  Thursday was the only important day in that regard with rates benefiting from weaker Retail Sales data and a well-received speech from Fed Chair Powell. Friday began on an ev... READ MORE