Overall, trading today has been a range-bound affair with prices above yesterday’s lows and below yesterday’s highs. Traders call this an “inside day” which is simply a neutral pattern. Expecting mortgage pricing to hold steady is a pretty good bet.
Next week will be the true test, one that we would expect will see the market trade sideways to a little better (slightly improving mortgage pricing). Overall, we think this is the low probability trade as QE2, even though it is fully priced in, is a force to be reckoned with. When the Government is the buyer of choice, most follow the ant age, “Don’t fight the Fed.”
The week ended with the terrific news that Existing Home Sales shot UP 9.4% in September to a 5.57 million annual rate. This was almost twice the increase the consensus expected and a nice boost coming off the slight drop we saw in August. Best of all, the inventory is now down to a 7.8 month supply, getting us closer and closer to the 6-month level of a normal housing market.
Apple blew the doors off with earnings at $1.82 per share. PPI posted better than expected numbers and certainly takes the Fed off the inflation hook. Housing numbers didn’t impress anyone. We’ll stick with our neutral market call while leaning towards the bullish camp.
With most chart time frames in harmony, the future of interest rates will most likely follow the stock market’s lead. We’ll stick with our neutral call, keeping one eye on a stock chart and the other on MBS.
