May 17th, 2012
by Caleb Lawrence.
Foreclosure activity slows further as the banks opt for short-sales and extend and pretend. A true real estate bottom will not occur until inventory corrects.
May 15th, 2012
by Caleb Lawrence.
April CPI unchanged and 2.3% annualized. March TIC reports is +36.2 billion, Chines buy more Treasury’s. NAHB hits a 5-year high but is still deeply negative.
May 14th, 2012
by Caleb Lawrence.
JP Morgan’s big loss and continued Euro Zone jitters spooked the markets to begin the week. Commodities fall further. California has a new fiscal crisis.
May 10th, 2012
by Caleb Lawrence.
Spain nationalizes its 8th bank. FHA loans are going south, will we have to bail them out as well? Import prices fall to just .5% annualized in April.
May 9th, 2012
by Caleb Lawrence.
Fannie Mae turns its first post crisis profit, a real step towards repayment of the 116.2 billion it owes the taxpayer, Freddie Mac owes another 72.3 billion.
May 8th, 2012
by Caleb Lawrence.
European election losses spook the markets, could it happen here? Consumer credit jumps 21.4 billion in March, its largest gain since 2001, almost a new high.
May 8th, 2012
by Caleb Lawrence.
Stocks struggled to begin the week as the French and Greek election results spooked the markets. There is little economic data today, consumer credit comes out after the close, and expectations are for credit use to expand further. Yet another former housing bear, Lewis Ranieri, has joined the crowd calling for a housing bottom this [...]
May 4th, 2012
by Caleb Lawrence.
April employment misses big at just 115,000, the net birth/death statistical model adds 206,000 jobs to the month’s total. Mortgage rates hit a new record low.
May 3rd, 2012
by Caleb Lawrence.
April ISM services misses big at 53.5. HSBC Bank gets charged with money laundering again. Not the only ones as Wachovia and Zions Bank have also been charged.
May 2nd, 2012
by Caleb Lawrence.
Mixed economic data and a big miss in the ADP employment report continues to cast a shadow over the economy. Treasury ignores SIGTARP, more business as usual.