Market Perspective

While investors were on the lookout for new developments in the Middle East or on tariffs, there was little market-moving news in these areas over the past week. The economic data revealed a much weaker than expected reading for consumer confidence, which was positive for mortgage markets, and rates ended the week a little lower.

There were no notable surprises in the Federal Reserve meeting this week, and it caused little reaction. The most significant economic report released over the past week revealed that consumer spending was weaker than expected, which was mildly positive for mortgage markets, and rates ended the week slightly lower.

Automation is a proven way to increase productivity, but it can be a struggle to make the leap from “I should be doing this” to “I’m so glad I’m doing this!” Like any technology, automation takes time to set up and fine-tune, but that effort quickly pays off. When automation handles the busywork, you’re free to focus on the high-impact, human-centered tasks that only you can do — and that’s where the magic happens.

While news about tariffs continued to add volatility in mortgage markets over the past week, its lasting influence was relatively small. This week’s economic data provided a mixed message about inflation. The most recent inflation report was lower than expected, but wage gains exceeded the consensus forecast, increasing future inflationary pressures. The net result of this offsetting data was that mortgage rates ended the week with little change.