Mortgage Backed Securities

Swings in global interest rates, partly a result of the U.S. trade tensions in China, appear to be holding back some would-be borrowers, a new report from the Mortgage Bankers Association says.

U.S. existing-home sale rise as expected in July, but the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors says that a shortage of properties on the market is putting upward pressures on prices, eliminating some of the benefits from a recent drop in mortgage rates.

U.S. applications to refinance mortgages rise 0.4% during the week ended Aug. 16, to the highest since 2016.

The leveraged lending market is proliferating, and for those who think there isn't much risk involved, think again.

My 'Hopium/Doomium' model has stood the test of time.

Sophisticated income investors can participate in this high-yield market via mREITs, preferreds and funds.

New home sales in the U.S. totaled 607,000 in January, down from 652,000 in December, the Census Bureau reports. The drop was steeper than projected by economists, who had estimated January sales at 620,000.

Loans to companies with low credit ratings swelled by 15% last year to $1.3 trillion, prompting warnings from the Federal Reserve and International Monetary Fund. Yet Wall Street firms that are deeply immersed in the market, from banks including JPMorgan Chase to private-equity firms like Blackstone, say they don't see what the problem is.

A government report shows that the economy added 312,000 jobs in December, well above economists' average projection of 180,000.

Subprime loans give those with financial struggles a chance to buy a house or car, but they can have drastic consequences - both for the borrower and the world economy.