Mortgage rates were slightly more today as the bond market is taking some profits. When bonds prices move higher, bond yields (or rates) move lower, all other things being equal (see graph below). In the current case, bonds were generally cautious heading into the weekend ahead of the Fed Meeting next week in Jackson Hole. The taper talk (Treasury decreasing the bond purchases, which has created an asset bubble, and fear is when tapering begins, bond prices will fall and rates will rise).
There are two ways to look at “rates.” The mortgage rate that most people discuss is the one that their payment is actually based on, aka the “note rate.” But mortgages have upfront costs as well. Granted, these can also be credits and they can also be paid by the lender, but they’re always there, and they almost always change every day. Today was just another day in that regard. The underlying costs implied for borrowers moved lower, thus meaning the effective cost of a mortgage is lower. We can express the cost in terms of effect on monthly payments over the average life of the loan to determine a change in the “effective rate.”
So will we lose ground next week? No one could competently predict that sort of thing consistently. All we can do is take stock of the bigger picture and the key factors behind the potential moves. On that note, COVID continues to be the critical underlying theme, as well as the uncertainty surrounding additional potential lockdowns as the new school year begins. That said, COVID only matters if it has an impact on the economy. Market participants are eager to see how big that impact will be in the coming weeks. Traders are also anxious to see if Fed Chair Powell’s tone changes at the end of next week. He’s set to speak at the Jackson Hole Symposium, which will be occurring a full month after the meeting that produced the “minutes” that moved markets yesterday. Given the uptick on COVID cases during that time, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a softer relative stance on pulling back (taper) its rate-friendly bond buying programs.
Bottom Line: I am advising clients to “cautiously” float into next week.
SOURCE & AUTHOR |
Keith Murphy Branch Manager – Essex Mortgage NMLS #330827
Direct: 714-309-1140
Apply: www.GoTeamMurphy.com
