US Investors, Mortgage Deliquency Rate, Federal Open Market Committee Meeting
April 22, 2016
Friday – April 22
U.S. investors withdrew $4.5 billion from U.S.-based Stock funds in the latest week, despite the 1% gain in market value over that time period, reports mutual and hedge fund data company Lipper, Inc. So far in 2016, investors have withdrawn $51 billion with just three weeks this year during which funds attracted more than investors withdrew.
Mortgage delinquency rates continue to improve across the U.S. since the housing bubble burst back in early 2008. Black Knight Financial Services reports that in March, the rate of 30-day delinquencies was the lowest since just before 2000 at 1.95% when Black Knight started compiling the data. In addition, the overall home loan delinquency rate, which tracks loans which are 30 or more days past due but not yet in foreclosure, fell to 4.08% in March, the lowest since March 2007.
The regularly scheduled two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting will kick-off next week on Tuesday with the monetary policy statement being released on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. ET. There will be no post-statement news conference by Fed Chair Yellen, nor will there be any forecasts associated with the release. Currently Fed Fund Futures show almost a zero percent chance of a hike at the meeting, while June shows just a 21% chance of a hike. Fed Fund Futures now show a 63% chance of a Fed move by December, up from about 50% forecasted at the end of last week.
