Carney tears up King’s rulebook August 28, 2013 BANK lending is in line for a £90bn boost after Mark Carney yesterday agreed to let the safest institutions divert resources away from regulatory liquidity buffers and into business and household credit. It comes after business secretary Vince Cable called the Bank of England the “capital Taliban,” claiming regulators’ tough capital requirements were hitting [...]
Governor stands firm on plan for UK interest rates August 28, 2013 INTEREST rates could stay at rock bottom even after unemployment falls below seven per cent, Bank of England governor Mark Carney said yesterday. In a bid to convince sceptical markets he really is serious about keeping rates down for the next three years, Carney said he would look for a wide range of evidence that [...]
US pending home sales suffer biggest monthly fall this year August 28, 2013 US pending home sales fell by more than expected in July, according to data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The pending home sales index fell by 1.3 per cent from the month before to 109.5 – the biggest fall this year. This follows a 0.4 per cent drop in the month to June. [...]
US mortgage applications continue to fall August 28, 2013 Mortgage applications in the US fell by 2.5 per cent last week from the week before, according to survey data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). This follows a 4.6 per cent fall the week before. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages increased by 12 basis points to 4.8 per cent in [...]
London Week Ahead: Mark versus market in first public speech August 26, 2013 BANK of England governor Mark Carney’s keynote lunch speech to business leaders in Nottingham tomorrow has already been dubbed “Mark versus Market” – with market watchers dubious about Carney’s claims for long-term low interest rates. Rob Wood, economist at Berenberg Bank, said: “Growing momentum in the economy, rapidly rising house prices, and wide disagreements on [...]
Transparency over the true cost of investment is more vital than ever August 26, 2013 MARK Carney has been lauded by homeowners for giving forward projections on interest rates, now set to deliver record low mortgage bills for the forseeable future. Yet after four years of 0.5 per cent interest rates, many will see forward guidance as the final nail in the coffin for cash-based savings. There is already strong [...]
Property bond issues reach four-year high August 22, 2013 BONDS backed by commercial property in Europe have hit their highest level of issuance since 2009, rating agency Standard & Poor’s said yesterday. Issues of commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) in the six months to June topped €5.4bn (£4.6bn), more than the €3.2bn issued last year. “Cautious optimism prevails in the European CMBS primary market,” [...]
US existing home sales increase at fastest rate in three years August 21, 2013 More homes than expected were sold in the US in July, according to data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) (release). Existing home sales – which are completed transactions including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.39m in July – up from a downwardly revised [...]
US weekly mortgage applications index falls to two year low August 21, 2013 The Mortgage Banker’s Association's index for US mortgage applications fell to a two-year low last week, it was revealed today. Mortgage applications in the week to 16 August fell by 4.6 per cent, following a 4.7 per cent fall the week before. The index hit 450.4 from 471.9 the week before. The weekly purchase index [...]
Look ahead to Federal Reserve minutes for clues of QE taper timing August 21, 2013 Ishaq Siddiqi, market strategist, ETX Capital: Taper blues continue to curb enthusiasm to build risk across equity, commodity and forex markets Wednesday. US Treasury 10-year note still elevated at 2.82% but off two-year highs seen this week. FOMC meeting minutes to steal the show later with many in the market viewing the report as a [...]