Kevin Hawkins's (kevinhawkins) Blog

Fed Chairman Bernanke still feels the recovery needs all the help it can get, so economists expect he'll keep the Funds Rate at its super low level a bit longer. Note: In the lower chart, a 1% probability of change is a 99% certainty the rate will stay the same. Current Fed Funds Rate: 0%-0.25% A...

 Date Time (ET) Release For Consensus Prior Impact TuJul 19 08:30 Housing Starts Jun 570K 560K Moderate TuJul 19 08:30 Building Permits Jun 609K 609K Moderate WJul 20 10:00 Existing Home Sales Jun 4.93M 4.81M Moderate WJul 20 10:30 Crude Inventories 7/16 NA -3.124M Moderate ThJul 21 08:30 Initia...

This week we get a good look at the economy. June Retail Sales are forecast down from May, flat if you take out auto sales. But Industrial Production and factory Capacity Utilization should both inch up, while University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment is expected slightly off.Although the economi...

The bulls charged as stocks gained for the first three days of the holiday-shortened week. Then Friday morning the June Employment Report showed jobs down on every front. The markets dipped for the day, but ended up for the week. The downer? A piddling 18,000 nonfarm payrolls were added last mont...

It finally appears seeds are being planted for a housing recovery. Fannie Mae's monthly survey reported that Americans expect home prices to drop just 0.5% in the next year. Some reported this as a negative because a 0.7% price gain was expected last month. But other analysts see this as a bottom...

Expert opinion still says the Funds Rate will stay at its super low level for a few more Fed meetings at least. Note: In the lower chart, a 1% probability of change is a 99% certainty the rate will stay the same. Current Fed Funds Rate: 0%-0.25% After FOMC meeting on: Consensus Aug 9 0%-0.25% Sep...

Economic Calendar for the Week of July 11 - July 15  Date Time (ET) Release For Consensus Prior Impact TuJul 12 08:30 Trade Balance May -$44.0B -$43.7B Moderate WJul 13 10:30 Crude Inventories 7/9 NA -0.889M Moderate WJul 13 14:00 FOMC Minutes 6/22 NA NA HIGH ThJul 14 08:30 Initial Unemployment C...

It will be interesting to see if Wednesday's Pending Home Sales give us some positive signs about the state of housing sales a few months out. The expectation is for a small gain. The week begins with the Fed's favorite inflation reading, Core PCE Prices, forecast to be up a benign 0.2% for May.W...

It certainly takes plenty of determination to find the opportunities in today's housing market. Last week the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported Existing Home Sales down 3.8% in May to an annual rate of 4.81 million units, a six-month low. The median price was up for the month, thoug...

Weaker stock prices and stronger concerns over European sovereign debt sent investors to the safe haven of bonds, whose prices benefited.  The FNMA 4.0% bond we watch ended the week up .84, closing at $101.09. In Freddie Mac's weekly survey, national average rates for conforming mortgages held at...