Mortgage rates fall to three-year spring low, lifting applications
Mortgage rates fell to their best spring level in 3 years, and purchase applications rose 10%.
Fresh coverage on the economy, markets, and the forces moving money.
Mortgage rates fell to their best spring level in 3 years, and purchase applications rose 10%.
S&P Global said the flash composite PMI climbed to 52.0 in April, while firms raised selling prices at the fastest pace since July 2022 and input costs hit an 11-month high.
Wall Street pushed to record highs as Brent crude topped $100 a barrel and the Strait of Hormuz stayed closed, with investors treating the Iran war as a temporary shock.
Reuters said 26 firms have cut or withdrawn guidance since the war began as shipping disruptions, fuel costs and supply bottlenecks drive prices higher.
Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 6.23%, while purchase applications rose 10% and refinance demand climbed 6%.
U.S. business activity improved in April as S&P Global’s flash composite PMI rose to 52.0, but the output-price gauge jumped to 59.9, its highest since July 2022.
Wall Street shrugged off the Iran shock as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit records even with Brent crude back above $100 and the Strait of Hormuz closed.
Freddie Mac’s 30-year mortgage rate fell to 6.23%, its lowest for 3 spring homebuying seasons, and purchase loan applications jumped 10% last week.
Trump's ceasefire deadline and Iran's leverage over the Strait of Hormuz are driving oil prices higher as the IMF warns of a possible global recession.
U.S. business activity rebounded in April as S&P Global's flash PMI rose to 52.0, but price pressures hit a nearly 4-year high amid Iran war supply disruptions.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite hit records as investors bet strong earnings will outweigh Iran-related oil risks.
Germany’s economy ministry cut its 2026 growth forecast to 0.5% as higher oil and gas prices lifted inflation expectations.