The FOMC announced its first rate hike of 2017 and hinted at additional increases throughout the remainder of the year. Although Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) was conducted prior to the Fed’s decision, the release of the February jobs report all but guaranteed a rate hike and boosted the 30-year mortgage rate 9 basis points to 4.30 percent this week.
The 10-year Treasury yield rose about 10 basis points this week. For the first time in weeks, the 30-year mortgage rate moved with treasury yields and jumped 11 basis points to 4.21 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.68 percent.
The 30-year mortgage rate fell 6 basis points to 4.1 percent. Since the beginning of the year, the 10-year Treasury yield has covered a 22 basis point range. The range of movement for the 30-year has been half that, just 11 basis points.
In a short week following Presidents Day, the 10-year Treasury yield fell about 8 basis points. However, the 30-year mortgage rate rose 1 basis point to 4.16 percent. This week’s survey once again displays the disconnect between mortgage rates and Treasury yields, a result of continued uncertainty.
For the last 46 years, the 30-year mortgage rate has been almost perfectly correlated with the yield on the 10-year Treasury, but not this year. From Dec. 29, 2016, through today, the 30-year mortgage rate fell 17 basis points to this week’s reading of 4.15 percent. In contrast, the 10-year Treasury yield began and ended the same period at 2.49 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.65 percent.
The 30-year fixed mortgage fell two basis points to 4.17 percent this week. Rates are at about the same level at which they started the year and have stayed within a two basis point range over the past three weeks. Mixed economic releases such as Friday’s jobs report and uncertainty about the Administration’s fiscal policies have contributed to the holding pattern in rates.
The 30-year mortgage rate remained flat at 4.19 percent, starting the month 47 basis points higher than this time last year.
The 10-year Treasury yield increased more than 10 basis points this week. The 30-year mortgage rate moved up as well to 4.19 percent, a 10 basis point jump. This week marks the first increase in the mortgage rate since December 29.
The 30-year mortgage rate fell three basis points to 4.09 percent, the third straight week of declines. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.81 percent.
After absorbing a mixed December jobs report, the 10-year Treasury yield fell 8 basis points. The 30-year mortgage rate moved in tandem with Treasury yields falling 8 basis points to 4.12 percent, the second decline since the presidential election.
