A little insight behind the housing market and interest rates

Inflation, housing and manufacturing reports will stand out in this data-rich week as the Fed 
gears up for its Federal Open Market Committee meeting in December.

Last Week in Review

	"Hey, we're headed for the future." Neil Diamond. As Americans went to the polls to exercise  their right to vote for president, global markets took notice. When Donald Trump was declared president elect, the market reactions overnight were as  wild and unpredictable as the election itself. Dow futures were down more than 800 points  in the wee hours of the morning, only to close up 250 points Wednesday. Further, the  Dow Jones Industrial Average opened Thursday at a new all-time high. Investors may feel the win is more Stock-market friendly with potential tax cuts, deregulation of banks, and higher defense and infrastructure spending. There is also speculation that President-elect Trump's anticipated policies could spur a rise in inflation. Rallies in the Stock markets and inflationary increases both can have a negative effect on Mortgage Backed  Securities, the type of Bond to which home loan rates are tied. In other news, weekly Initial Jobless Claims continue to signal a robust job market. The Labor Department  reported that the number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits fell 11,000 to 254,000  during the week ending November 5, below the 262,000 expected. First-time claims have now remained  below the 300,000 mark for 88 consecutive weeks, a stretch not seen since 1970. For now, home loan rates remain attractive despite edging higher recently. Thanks to Claude Cousins at Bank of England for always keeping me  in the economic loop. Claude Cousins Vice-President Bank of England Mortgage Phone: 501-235-8890 Fax: 501-372-9801 ccousins@englending.com englendingarkansas.com