Home sales finished 2025 with surprisingly strong momentum, reflecting easing mortgage rates and slower growth in home prices. ...

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference call primarily discusses the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and its economic projections, focusing on interest rate policies and inflation expectations. Core Insights and Arguments - **Interest Rate Cuts**: Most FOMC participants supported the December rate cut, with expectations to continue lowering rates into 2026 if inflation aligns with projections [2][4][8] - **Diverse Opinions**: A few participants expressed concerns about the labor market data justifying a rate cut, indicating a split in opinions among the members [3][8] - **Inflation Concerns**: Despite inflation remaining above target, most participants anticipated further rate cuts if inflation decreases as expected [4][8] - **Labor Market Outlook**: There is a notable concern regarding the labor market, with many participants indicating that a neutral policy stance could help prevent significant deterioration in labor conditions [3][9] - **Balance Sheet Discussion**: The FOMC approved "Reserve Management Purchases" to manage reserve balances in the banking system, addressing tensions in repo markets [10] Important but Overlooked Content - **Economic Projections**: The December summary of economic projections indicates a change in real GDP expected at 1.7% for 2025 and 2.3% for 2026, with unemployment rates projected to decrease slightly over the years [6] - **Volatility in Claims**: Initial claims for unemployment insurance are expected to rise slightly, reflecting seasonal volatility around the holidays [11][14] - **Manufacturing Index**: The FRB of Dallas manufacturing index fell to -10.9, indicating continued contraction in the manufacturing sector for five consecutive months [19][23] - **Pending Home Sales**: The pending home sales index rose by 3.3% in November, although it remains historically low, indicating a mixed outlook for the housing market [27] This summary encapsulates the key points discussed in the conference call, highlighting the FOMC's stance on interest rates, inflation, and economic projections, along with additional insights into the labor market and housing sector dynamics.

Existing home sales in November rose 0.5% to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 4.13% million units. That is right along expectations. Sales down 1% from November of last year.Now, this count is based on closing. So, contracts likely signed in September and October when mortgage rates initially came down a little bit but then stayed in a very tight range. The headline on this report is supply.It is coming down again. We've reported on more sellers delisting their homes. There were 1.43% 43 million uni ...

Well, Rick, existing home sales in November rose 0.5% to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 4.13% million units. That is right along expectations. Sales down 1% from November of last year.Now, this count is based on closing. So, contracts likely signed in September and October when mortgage rates initially came down a little bit but then stayed in a very tight range. The headline on this report is supply.It is coming down again. We've reported on more sellers delisting their homes. There were 1.43% 43 ...

Singapore’s new private home sales slowed sharply in November with a lack of major projects released, a month after a surge in buying reignited concerns that the government may take fresh steps to cool the market https://t.co/TVM2sDz8gf ...

Singapore home sales rebound to the highest level in almost a year after a recent rush of buying, renewing concerns about over-exuberance in the market https://t.co/j9kD0BGnjf ...

Economic Data Overview - The latest NAHB housing market index shows a slight improvement, coming in at 37, above the expected 33, but still indicates a contractionary sentiment in the housing market [2][3] - The Philly Fed manufacturing index has turned negative, dropping 36 points to -12.8%, the lowest since April, with significant declines in shipments [6][7] Housing Market Insights - The housing market remains in a dismal state, with any index below 50 indicating pessimism; however, there are signs that future interest rate reductions could stimulate buyer activity [3][4] - Inventory levels are increasing, which may lead to lower prices in the housing market [4] Manufacturing Sector Analysis - New orders in the manufacturing sector increased by six points, while the employment index slightly decreased to 4.6% [8] - The manufacturing landscape shows variability across different regions, with the Empire State manufacturing index performing better than the Philly Fed index [8] Commodity Market Trends - Gold prices are reaching new all-time highs, driven by FOMO trading and market volatility, with significant inflows into gold ETFs [11][13] - The energy sector is experiencing downward pressure on prices due to economic growth concerns, with natural gas prices also declining [15] Oil Market Dynamics - The oil market is skeptical about claims from India regarding reducing Russian oil imports, as alternative supply sources are not clearly defined [17][18] - A potential meeting between President Trump and Ukraine's president could lead to an LG deal, which may positively impact oil prices due to the correlation between LG demand and oil prices [19][20]

Market Trends - Canadian home sales experienced a decline in September, concluding a five-month period of increases [1] - The decrease in home sales coincided with a reduction in new listings [1]

Toronto home sales rose last month as the Bank of Canada resumed interest-rate cuts https://t.co/hDpyfXyaRZ ...

China’s home sales steadied in September, signaling potential stabilization nearly three years after support policies began https://t.co/zKc6wXI2Gi ...