by Calculated Risk on 2/18/2025 07:03:00 PM Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios. Wednesday:• At 7:00 AM ET, The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) will release the mortgage purchase applications index. • At 8:30 AM, Housing Starts for January. The consensus is for 1.394 million SAAR, down from 1.499 million…
On Monday, gold prices rose slightly after a sharp decline at the end of last week. The current quote for spot gold is $2,898 per ounce. Despite the local weakening, the asset is still near record highs in the area of $2,960. Interest in the precious metal remains due to its status as a «safe…
by Calculated Risk on 2/18/2025 10:00:00 AM The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported the housing market index (HMI) was at 42, down from 47 last month. Any number below 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as poor than good. From the NAHB: Builder Confidence Falls on Tariff and Housing Cost Concerns…
by Calculated Risk on 2/17/2025 06:23:00 PM Weekend:• Schedule for Week of February 16, 2025 Tuesday:• At 8:30 AM ET, The New York Fed Empire State manufacturing survey for February. The consensus is for a reading of -1.0, up from -12.6. • At 10:00 AM, The February NAHB homebuilder survey. The consensus is for a…
Experts believe that Bitcoin is heading for a period of prosperity. The first cryptocurrency is paving its way upward thanks to an influx of capital. This source of growth for BTC remains strong, although the situation could change at any moment. Currently, Bitcoin is fluctuating around $97,000, which is an expansion of the range it…
by Calculated Risk on 2/17/2025 02:08:00 PM I usually celebrate President Washington’s birthday by reading his Farewell Address. A brief excerpt: To the efficacy and permanency of your Union, a Government for the whole is indispensable. No alliances, however strict, between the parts can be an adequate substitute; they must inevitably experience the infractions and…
by Calculated Risk on 2/17/2025 10:47:00 AM Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Lawler: Early Read on Existing Home Sales in January A brief excerpt: From housing economist Tom Lawler: Based on publicly-available local realtor/MLS reports released across the country through today, I project that existing home sales as estimated by the National…
Japan’s economy is showing signs of stagnation. By the end of 2024, the country’s GDP growth was only 0.1%, which is significantly lower than in 2023, when the economy grew by 1.5%. Nominal GDP, reflecting the size of the economy at current prices, reached 609.29 trillion yen (about $4 trillion), exceeding the 600 trillion yen…
Chinese companies are setting records for dividend payments and share buybacks thanks to corporate governance reforms. In 2024, they paid 2.4 trillion yuan (about $328 billion), and in 2025, according to forecasts, this amount will reach 3.5 trillion yuan. State-owned enterprises such as PetroChina and CNOOC demonstrate dividend yields above 7%, which makes Chinese stocks…
by Calculated Risk on 2/16/2025 06:31:00 PM The U.S. hotel industry reported negative year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar’s latest data through 8 February. … 2-8 February 2025 (percentage change from comparable week in 2024): • Occupancy: 55.9% (-0.5%)• Average daily rate (ADR): US$156.03 (-2.2%)• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$87.22 (-2.7%)emphasis added The following graph…