Markets In A Minute for week ending Feb 22, 2019: Fed hints about interest rate hikes
This week on The Markets In a Minute: Fed hints about interest rate hikes, personal loan lending hits all-time highs.. and more
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- The unsecured personal loan market hit an all-time high last year, reaching $138 billion. A rise in lending from fintech firms is helping to fuel the borrowing frenzy.
- Minutes released from last month’s FOMC meeting show the Fed is likely to hold off on interest rate hikes in 2019 and may slow balance sheet reductions too.
- Jobless claims fell last week, down 23,000 to 216,000. But the 4-week average rose to a 1-year high, suggesting the labor market may be slowing down slightly.
- Homebuilder sentiment rose in February after falling at the end of 2018. Lower mortgage rates and continued job market strength have boosted optimism..
- January’s existing home sales were at their lowest level in 3+ years. Sales were down 8.5% from a year ago, continuing a loss of momentum in the market.
- January’s median price for all housing types was up 2.8% over a year ago, at $247,500. At January’s pace, inventory will be exhausted in 3.9 months.
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“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.”
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–Walt Whitman
| Rate movements and volatility are based on published, aggregate national averages and measured from the previous to the most recent midweek daily reporting period. These rate trends can differ from our own and are subject to change at any time. |
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