Forecast for the Week 
After last week’s slow calendar, this week features a steady stream of reports.
- Economic data kicks off on Tuesday with Retail Sales for July. This comes after a decent reading in June.
- Inflation data from the wholesale-measuring Producer Price Index and the Consumer Price Index will be released on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
- In the manufacturing sector, the Empire State Index and Philadelphia Fed Index will be released on Thursday along with Weekly Initial Jobless Claims.
- To round out the week, Housing Starts, Building Permits and Consumer Sentiment will be disseminated on Friday.
Remember: Weak economic news normally causes money to flow out of Stocks and into Bonds, helping Bonds and home loan rates improve, while strong economic news normally has the opposite result. The chart below shows Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS), which are the type of Bond that home loan rates are based on.
When you see these Bond prices moving higher, it means home loan rates are improving — and when they are moving lower, home loan rates are getting worse.
To go one step further — a red “candle” means that MBS worsened during the day, while a green “candle” means MBS improved during the day. Depending on how dramatic the changes were on any given day, this can cause rate changes throughout the day, as well as on the rate sheets we start with each morning.
As you can see in the chart below, Bonds have improved from multi-year lows in recent weeks. I’ll be watching closely to see if they can improve further.
Chart: Fannie Mae 3.5% Mortgage Bond (Friday August 09, 2013)
The Mortgage Market Guide View…
Brain Breakthroughs
Many people think intellect is a matter settled at birth, and mistakenly believe there’s no way to boost their brain brilliance. But scientific studies prove just the opposite. In fact, small lifestyle adjustments combined with a few mental gymnastics can not only increase intelligence, but also improve general brain health, helping prevent aging disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
According to most neurologists, the key is staying mentally active, whatever your age. The following tips will help boost your mental acuity and increase your intelligence.
All You Have To Do Is Dream. An adequate amount of restful sleep is an important component of brain function (its effect on memory and learning is contested among scientists). Restful sleep provides energy as well as the ability to focus, both vital factors in achieving mental stimulation. Some studies have also shown the reverse to be true, that is, that more mental stimulation during the day gives you better sleep at night.
Jumpin’ Jack Flash Memory. Exercise brings oxygen-rich blood to the brain and regulates blood-sugar levels. Exercises such as aerobics, dance, and martial arts all require memorization and are great for promoting mental stimulation. They also help to develop the rhythm and timing circuitry that runs across multiple regions of the brain.
Playing Those Mind Games Together. Crossword puzzles and Sudoku, board games and card games are all excellent for mental stimulation–now you can add video games to the list. Each type of game makes various demands on brain function such as recall, hand-eye coordination, attention, memory, logic, and pattern recognition. The key here is to keep upping the skill or level of challenge as you progress.
Economic Calendar for the Week of August 12 – August 16
|
Date
|
ET
|
Economic Report
|
For
|
Estimate
|
Actual
|
Prior
|
Impact
|
| Tue. August 13 |
08:30
|
Retail Sales |
Jul
|
NA
|
0.4%
|
HIGH
|
|
| Tue. August 13 |
08:30
|
Retail Sales ex-auto |
Jul
|
NA
|
0.0%
|
HIGH
|
|
| Wed. August 14 |
08:30
|
Producer Price Index (PPI) |
Jul
|
NA
|
0.8%
|
Moderate
|
|
| Wed. August 14 |
08:30
|
Core Producer Price Index (PPI) |
Jul
|
NA
|
0.2%
|
Moderate
|
|
| Thu. August 15 |
08:30
|
Empire State Index |
Aug
|
NA
|
9.4
|
HIGH
|
|
| Thu. August 15 |
08:30
|
Core Consumer Price Index (CPI) |
Jul
|
NA
|
0.2%
|
HIGH
|
|
| Thu. August 15 |
08:30
|
Consumer Price Index (CPI) |
Jul
|
NA
|
0.5%
|
HIGH
|
|
| Thu. August 15 |
08:30
|
Jobless Claims (Initial) |
8/10
|
NA
|
333K
|
Moderate
|
|
| Thu. August 15 |
10:00
|
Philadelphia Fed Index |
Aug
|
NA
|
19.8
|
HIGH
|
|
| Fri. August 16 |
08:30
|
Housing Starts |
Jul
|
NA
|
836K
|
Moderate
|
|
| Fri. August 16 |
08:30
|
Building Permits |
Jul
|
NA
|
911K
|
Moderate
|
|
| Fri. August 16 |
08:30
|
Productivity |
Q2
|
NA
|
0.5%
|
Moderate
|
|
| Fri. August 16 |
10:00
|
Consumer Sentiment Index (UoM) |
Aug
|
NA
|
83.1
|
Moderate
|
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Mortgage Info By Michelle Wickett 