The numbers: The initial reading of consumer sentiment jumped to 83 in early March, according to an index produced by the University of Michigan. That is the highest level in a year. Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal had forecast the index would rise to 78.9. What happened: The …
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Total mortgage application volume fell 4.1% from the previous week, but were 16% higher than a year ago. The average loan amount for homebuyers hit another record high — $ 395,200, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index reported by CNBC. Homebuyers are seeing prices rise at the …
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For 17-straight weeks, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage interest rate has averaged below 3%. This week the Freddie Mac 30-year fixed-rate mortgage average dipped to another historic low, the thirteenth this year, hitting 2.72%. Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist Sam Khater cited weak consumer spending as the reason for the decline. Historically …
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MarketWatch illustration/iStockphoto The demands of at-home schooling and work amid the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the personal-computer market to its strongest growth in more than a decade, according to third-party analyses released Monday. Gartner Inc. and IDC reported that PC shipments enjoyed their second consecutive quarter of strong growth after years …
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Americans grew more optimistic toward the end of September as consumer sentiment reached a six-month high, reflecting more confidence in the U..S. economy after a summer lull. The final consumer sentiment survey in September climbed to 80.4 from a preliminary reading of 78.9, the University of Michigan said Friday. It …
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Stocks rallied Monday as investors cheered news that the Food and Drug Administration granted “fast track” status to a pair of vaccine candidates produced by Pfizer Inc. and German biotech firm BoNTech SE. The upbeat mood on Wall Street comes even as investors prepare for a tough earnings season. What …
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