| 451. | KIT
The strong economic news had a slight negative impact on today’s markets. Also, the markets are already in the summer dolodrums. Stocks that were down included Jabil Circuit, Sanmina-Sci, Flextronics, Hewlett-Packard, and Cisco Systems. On the othEconomic news today from the Labor Department showed that the number of Americans filing initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits were down 15,000 from a revised 351,000 the prior week to 336,000 in the week ended June 12th. In a separate ..
 |
| Thursday, June 17, 2004 |
| | 452. | Mortgage Rates Remain Steady
A stronger-than-expected report on industrial production and a little profit taking after yesterday`s rally sent prices of U.S. Treasury securities down and their yields, which move in the opposite direction of price, back up. Yields, however, remainThe housing market continues to show strength in spite of higher interest rates. Although housing starts in May edged down 0.5 percent, coming in at an annual rate of 1.97 million units, starts for single-family homes were up from the past two months..
|
| Wednesday, June 16, 2004 |
| | 453. | Mortgage Rates Move Back Down
Monday`s increase in mortgage rates was a one-day event. A big sell-off in U.S. Treasury securities yesterday due to fear of aggressive rate hikes turned into a rally today as those fears vanished. A benign May consumer price index (CPI), which checkThe CPI rose 0.6 percent, which was a little stronger than the 0.5 percent that analysts were expecting. The closely watched core rate, which eliminates volatile food and energy prices, showed a 0.2 percent gain and lowered the core annual rate to 1...
|
| Tuesday, June 15, 2004 |
| | 454. | Mortgage Rates Head Up
For the past five weeks the rate on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been hovering at 6.125 percent while the 15-year mortgage was holding near 5.5 percent. Today, however, mortgage rates edged up to the next level due to yet another sell-off in UMay retail sales, which rose 1.2 percent versus a 0.6 percent prop in April, was a good news/bad news report. Strong retail sales are good for economic recovery, but they also signal a possible rise in inflation. Auto sales and auto parts led retail ..
|
| Monday, June 14, 2004 |
| | 455. | Mortgage Rates Remain Near Recent Levels
The equity markets have been trading today moderately to the upside. Procter & Gamble, which said that it was comfortable with analysts’ estimates for its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of 97 cents per share, up from 85 cents a year earlier, was downEconomic news today from the Labor Department showed that the number of people filing for first-time unemployment benefits was up 12,000 from a revised 340,000 the previous week to 352,000 in the week ended June 5th. This was higher than the 335,000..
|
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 |
| | 456. | Mortgage Rates Hold at Recent Levels
The equity markets today have been trading in negative territory. Lenders have pulled back from investing in the markets, mostly because they don’t have much confidence in recent gains, and they are concerned about how aggressively the Federal ReserEconomic news today from the Commerce Department showed that wholesale inventories fell 0.1 percent in April, following a revised 0.5 percent increase in March. Sales in April increased 0.8 percent—a slower pace than March’s upwardly revised 2.9 per..
|
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 |
| | 457. | Mortgage Rates Unchanged
U.S. Treasury securities suffered selling pressure this morning at the hands of Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan. Speaking to the IMC meeting in London via satellite, Greenspan reiterated that the Fed can be slow in raising rates, but he added that it is The Dow Jones and Nasdaq responded in a similar way. They fell on first report of Greenspan`s comments, but edged their way into positive territory. Actually, the Dow Jones posted pretty good gains, with much of the upward movement coming in the last..
|
| Tuesday, June 08, 2004 |
| | 458. | Mortgage Rates Continue Near Recent Levels
The equity markets have been trading today in positive territory Among today’s gainers were Boeing, Cisco Systems, Trend Micro, Mandalay Resort Group, and ImClone. MGM Mirage, on the other hand, fell after launching an unsolicited bid for Mandalay RWith no significant new economic news at the beginning of the day, investors were left with corporate and political news to help them gain a focus on the markets. With OPEC’s promise to boost the daily oil output, the markets, because of reduced pre..
|
| Monday, June 07, 2004 |
| | 459. | Mortgage Rates Hold Near Recent Increased Levels
The equity markets today have been rallying. The markets received a boost from a big increase in May payrolls and from Intel’s upbeat outlook. Stocks up include IBM, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Flextronics, Ericsson, PMC-Sierra, and Mandalay Resort In economic news today the Labor Department said that 248,000 new jobs were added in May, following a revised 346,000 job increase in April. The March job increase was also revised higher to 353,000. The May job increase was broad-based. Manufactu..
|
| Friday, June 04, 2004 |
| | 460. | Mortgage Rates Edge Up Somewhat
The equity markets today have been trading mixed—some up and others down. Today’s economic news was mixed, oil prices continued a concern, and investors anxiously wait for the May employment report tomorrow. At midday, stocks that were up included In economic news today the Labor Department said that the number of people filing initial claims for jobless benefits dropped 6,000 from a revised 345,000 the previous week to 339,000 in the week ended May 28th. The Institute for Supply Managers’ ind..
|
| Thursday, June 03, 2004 |
| | 461. | Mortgage Rates Continue Close to Recent Levels
The equity markets today have been trading a lot in negative territory, but some in positive territory. High oil prices have weighed somewhat on the markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 have managed to climb into positive terriEconomic news today from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and UBS showed that sales fell 0.5 percent in the week ended May 29th, which matched the 0.5 percent drop in the previous week. Compared with the same week a year ago, sal..
|
| Wednesday, June 02, 2004 |
| | 462. | Mortgage Rates Remain Near Recent Levels
The equity markets today began and remained mostly in negative territory—turning positive at the end of the day. Stocks to the upside included Sun Microsystems and Accenture. On the other hand, Qwest Communications was down. In international tradiEconomic news today from the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) indicated that U.S. manufacturing activity expanded at a vigorous pace in May. The ISM index of manufacturing activity rose from a revised 62.4 in April to 62.8 in May. This was bett..
|
| Tuesday, June 01, 2004 |
| | 463. | Mortgage Rates Hold Firm
U.S. Treasury securities sold off today in the wake of a report by the Chicago Purchasing Managers that showed big increases in hiring and in the "prices paid" index. An improved labor market and signs of inflation are two things Treasury traders donThe May index on Chicago manufacturing conditions soared to 68--far better than analysts` forecasts of 62, and far above the April index of 63.9. The "prices paid" component rose to its highest level since 1995, while new orders hit an 18-year high a..
|
| Friday, May 28, 2004 |
| | 464. | Mortgage Rates Hold as Yields Slide
U.S. Treasury securities continued yesterday`s rally and then some. A weaker-than-expected GDP revision, a mild drop in first-time jobless claims and a big decline in oil prices spurred buying in Treasuries, as signs pointed to the possibility that tFirst quarter gross domestic product (GDP), the broadest measure of the nation`s economic activity, inched up to 4.4 percent from 4.2 percent--just short of expectations. On the other hand, core personal consumption expenditures--one of the Fed`s fav..
|
| Thursday, May 27, 2004 |
| | 465. | Mortgage Rates Hold Steady
A convergence of forces moved in today that benefited U.S. Treasury securities. Weak economic data, month-end portfolio adjustments, a successful auction of 2-year notes and a new warning about a possible terror attack ignited aggressive buying of TrWeaker-than-expected reports on April durable goods orders and new home sales sparked buying in Treasuries. Orders for durable goods, those items meant to last more than three years, fell 2.9 percent--the largest drop in 20 months. Light orders from ..
|
| Wednesday, May 26, 2004 |
| | 466. | Mortgage Rates Remain Unchanged
U.S. Treasury securities have had their ups and downs, but over the past few weeks they have traded in a narrow range. Today stocks staged a huge rally, breaking through 200-day averages, but Treasuries held their own.
Steady prices and yields, whiStocks rebounded in a big way, breaking out of their range-bound trading mode. All but one of the Dow Jones components closed positive, with AIG, Altria and Alcoa posting gains of more than 3 percent. Citigroup, Exxon, GM, JP Morgan, and Johnson & Jo..
|
| Tuesday, May 25, 2004 |
| | 467. | Mortgage Rates Move Moderately Up
The equity markets today have been trading in both negative and positive territory. In corporate news, stocks that were up included Alcoa, Caterpillar, Applied Materials, Yahoo! Applied Micro Circuits, NeighborCare, and Omnicare. On the other hand,The 30-year Treasury Bond was up 10/32 in price, with the yield down at 5.43 percent.
The 10-year Treasury Note was up 5/32 in price, with the yield down at 4.74 percent.
The 5-year Treasury Note was up 1/32 in price, with the yield down at 3..
|
| Monday, May 24, 2004 |
| | 468. | Mortgage Rates Move Slightly Down
The equity markets began the trading day in positive territory. Oil prices finally dropped more than a dollar, easing the extremely high price. On the corporate scene, Gap, Nordstrom, Martha Stewart Living, Serena Software, Marvell Technology, and The 30-year Treasury Bond was down 17/32 in price, with the yield up at 5.45 percent.
The 10-year Treasury Note was down 14/32 in price, with the yield up at 4.76 percent.
The 5-year Treasury Note was down 9/32 in price, with the yield up at 3.89..
|
| Friday, May 21, 2004 |
| | 469. | Mortgage Rates Remain Near Recent Levels
The equity markets today began trading moderately to the upside. Then in early afternoon eastern time, the markets slipped into negative territory. Investors were disappointed with the Philadelphia Fed May figure, and they continued to be concernedEconomic news today from the Labor Department showed that the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits was up 12,000 from a revised 333,000 the prior week to 345,000 in the week ended May 15th. The Conference Board leading economic indic..
|
| Thursday, May 20, 2004 |
| | 470. | Mortgage Rates Hold Firm
Stocks staged a stunning turnaround as investors went on a selling rampage in the last two hours of trading. It is believed that a reported U.S. helicopter-led bombing of an Iraqi wedding that killed 40, paired with a new high in oil prices and conceStocks soared at opening, with beaten down technology shares leading the charge. Strong quarterly reports from Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Applied Materials lit a fire under the Nasdaq. HP, which trades on the Big Board but influences the Nasdaq, rose a..
|
| Wednesday, May 19, 2004 |
| | 471. | Mortgage Rates Remain Steady
U.S. Treasury securities gave up some recent gains to Wall Street, which was ready for a rebound after closing at its lowest levels of the year yesterday. There was little in the way of news to influence Treasury traders--even housing reports were miGreat numbers from Home Depot, the nation`s biggest home improvement chain, set the tone early. The company saw earnings rise 21 percent, beat estimates, and raised full-year earnings and sales outlooks. Staples, the office supply giant, also wowed i..
|
| Tuesday, May 18, 2004 |
| | 472. | Mortgage Rates Could Edge Down
A continuation of Friday`s rally sent prices of oversold U.S. Treasury securities to their highest levels in weeks, and yields, which move in the opposite direction of price, edged down. A trio of negative developments plagued Wall Street and benefiStocks had a much tougher go today, with all three major indices losing in excess of 1 percent. Wall Street was hurt by geopolitical concerns and oil prices, but it also continues to fret about when the Fed will increase interest rates. The markets o..
|
| Monday, May 17, 2004 |
| | 473. | Mortgage Rates Unchanged Today
A mini-rally in U.S. Treasury securities sent prices up and yields, which move in the opposite direction of price, down--a rare occurrence over the past six weeks. In an effort to combat oversold conditions, buyers sought out Treasuries, spurred by aThe other economic reports supported the theory of an economic rebound, with industrial production in April growing at a 0.8 percent clip--twice what was forecast. Capacity utilization at factories, mines and utilities hit its highest level since Jul..
|
| Friday, May 14, 2004 |
| | 474. | Mortgage Rates Continue Near Recent Levels
The equity markets today have been mixed—some in negative territory and some in positive territory. The major indexes continue to worry about rising interest rates. On the corporate scene, stocks up included Oracle, Juniper Networks, Walt Disney, Significant economic news today from the Labor Department showed that the Producer Price Index was up 0.7 percent in April, following a 0.5 percent increase in March. The core rate, which excludes the volatile energy and food prices, was up 0.2 perc..
|
| Thursday, May 13, 2004 |
| | 475. | Mortgage Rates Remain Near Recent Levels
The equity markets today have been in negative territory nearly all day. The major indexes continue to be pressured by worries about how rising interest rates may hurt the recovery, corporate profits, and stock valuations. On the corporate scene, sNew significant economic news today came from the Commerce Department. The department reported that although U.S. exports increased 2.6 percent from February to a record $94.7 billion, U.S. imports increased 4.6 percent to $140.7 billion in March. ..
|
| Wednesday, May 12, 2004 |
| | 476. | Mortgage Rates Hold Steady--for a Change
Prices on U.S. Treasury securities moved within a tight range, leaving yields near yesterday`s levels. After several days of aggressive selling in the wake of strong April employment numbers that just about clinched a rate hike in June, traders took Stocks rebounded after three sessions of losses that saw the major indices hit their lows for the year yesterday. This brought bargain hunters out en masse. Technology shares took the lead, and the Nasdaq recouped 1.9 percent of its heavy recent loss..
|
| Tuesday, May 11, 2004 |
| | 477. | Mortgage Rates Hold Close to Recent Elevated Levels
The equity markets today have been trading the entire day in negative territory. Stocks trading down today include Exxon Mobil, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, SunTrust Banks, National Commerce Financial, and Caterpillar. On the other hand, Applied Ma There was no new economic news today. Thus, investors have been relying on political and corporate news for gaining a sense of direction. Rate worries continue to concern U.S. investors. Such worries also hit overseas markets in overnight trading..
|
| Monday, May 10, 2004 |
| | 478. | Strong Employment Data Send Mortgage Rates Up
The addition of 288,000 jobs to non-farm payrolls in April sent the financial markets into a tailspin. In addition, the number of jobs added in March and February was upwardly revised. The report just about clinched the possibility of a dreaded rate While Treasuries dove immediately on the news, stocks spread out their losses. The Nasdaq remained positive most of the session, boosted by chips and a handful of chip gear makers that received upgrades. The Dow Jones sank into negative territory imm..
|
| Friday, May 07, 2004 |
| | 479. | Mortgage Rates Move Up Some More
The equity markets today have been trading down in a big way, although late in the day the markets came off their lows. Investors are worried that rising interest rates will hurt stock prices. In today’s trading 26 of the 30 Dow Jones stocks were dEconomic news from the U.S. Labor Department showed that non-farm business productivity increased 3.5 percent in the first quarter. Meanwhile, unit labor costs rose 0.5 percent over the first quarter—thus reinforcing the view that inflation is creep..
|
| Thursday, May 06, 2004 |
| | 480. | Mortgage Rates Continue Close to Recent Levels
The equity markets today have been in negative and positive territory. Stocks up today include Charter One Financial, Mace Security International, IPIX, Dell, and Coca-Cola. Walt Disney and Ligand Pharmaceuticals were down. In international tradingEconomic news from the Institute for Supply Management’s Index of non-Manufacturing activity showed that the services sector in the United States expanded for the 13th consecutive month in April. The index came in at 68.4 in April, compared with 65...
|
| Wednesday, May 05, 2004 |
| |
