Modestly Stronger Ahead of Fed Day

Modestly Stronger Ahead of Fed Day

Without any market moving econ data on Tuesday, bonds finally managed to find a bid.  Or at least that's how it seemed during domestic hours.  When considering the overnight session, we actually saw yields hit their lows of the day before the open, sell-off a bit at 8:20-8:40am surrounding a weekly employment update from ADP, and then return to the best levels mid-day.  The 7yr auction was slightly weaker, but bonds didn't mind (perhaps just relieved to have supply in the rearview). With tomorrow's Fed cut a 100% certainty, volatility potential depends on Powell's press conference as well as whether or not the Fed makes any sort of announcement to end quantitative tightening (something that has been increasingly speculated by trade desks).  The QT news wouldn't be as big as it sounds, but it might help a bit (or hurt a bit if it's not announced).

Market Movement Recap
10:38 AM

2 way volatility early.  MBS back to unchanged.  10yr still weaker, up 1.8bps at 3.993

12:52 PM

MBS up 1 tick (.03) and 10yr up just under 1bp at 3.983

02:11 PM

minimal reaction to 7yr auction.  It was slightly weaker than expected, but yields are a hair lower since before the auction.  10yr up 0.6bps at 3.98 and MBS still up 1 tick (.03). 

04:19 PM

Heading out at the best levels of the day with MBS up an eighth and 10yr down 0.2bps at 3.973

Latest Video Analysis

Modestly Stronger Ahead of Fed Day

MBS & Treasury Markets
UMBS 5.0 100.11 +0.08 10YR 3.975% +0.000% 10/28/2025 5:00PM EST
First off, bonds are doing fine this morning.  10yr yields are technically higher on the day, but only when compared to yesterday's 5pm levels.  As far as most trade desks are concerned, 3pm is the closing time for Treasuries, and against that benchmark, we're slightly stronger on the morning.  MBS are stronger still, almost certainly because they don't have to concern themselves with the digestion of $183bln of new issuance over the first 2 days of the week (u...   READ MORE
Today's Mortgage Rates
30YR Fixed 6.13% -0.06% 15YR Fixed 5.72% -0.04% 10/28/2025
Rates have been flirting with long term lows over the past 2 weeks, but today made it official.  Today's average top tier 30yr fixed rate perfectly matched that seen on September 16th, 2025.  That's the lowest it's been since September 2024, and we're so close to those lows that it's just as fair to say rates are the lowest they've been in over 3 years.  Today's move didn't come in response to anything specific. In fact, most of the justification for it was s...   READ MORE
Economic Calendar
Time Event Period Actual Forecast Prior
Tuesday, Oct 28
9:00AM Aug FHFA Home Price Index m/m (%) Aug 0.4% 0.1% -0.1%
9:00AM Aug FHFA Home Prices y/y (%) Aug 2.3% 2.3%
9:00AM Aug Case Shiller Home Prices-20 y/y (% ) Aug 1.6% 1.9% 1.8%
9:00AM Aug CaseShiller 20 mm nsa (%) Aug -0.6% -0.3%
10:00AM Oct CB Consumer Confidence (%) Oct 94.6 93.2 94.2
1:00PM 7-Yr Note Auction (bl) 44
Wednesday, Oct 29
7:00AM Oct/24 MBA Purchase Index Oct/24 157.3
7:00AM Oct/24 Mortgage Market Index Oct/24 316.2
7:00AM Oct/24 MBA Refi Index Oct/24 1214.7
8:30AM Sep Wholesale inventories (o (%) Sep -0.2%
10:00AM Aug Wholesale inventories (o (%) Aug -0.2% 0%
10:00AM Sep Pending Home Sales (%) Sep 1.6% 4%
10:30AM Oct/24 Crude Oil Inventory (ml) Oct/24 -0.4M -0.961M
11:30AM 2-Year FRN Auction (%) 0.200%
11:30AM 2-Yr Note Auction (bl) 30
2:00PM Fed Interest Rate Decision 4.0% 4.25%
2:30PM Fed Press Conference
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The end of October brings the next Fed announcement and it is a 100% certainty that they will be cutting rates again. Many people believe this means lower mortgage rates. Many people are wrong. To be perfectly fair, mortgage rates COULD move lower after the Fed rate cut, but they could also move higher. We've certainly seen our fair share of counterintuitive reactions to rate cuts in the past. ... READ MORE