Chad Thomas's (chadthomasspokane) Blog

GDP, our country’s gross domestic product, grew 3.2% in the 4th quarter 2010, a touch below expectations of 3.6%.  Consumer spending gave the number its biggest kick, up 3.0%.  That component had the biggest gain in more than four years.  The Employment Cost Index, another component of GDP, rose...

As we suspected, the early morning trade was being sat on by traders looking to buy the auction cheap.  It’s one of the things money managers try to do, talk or sell the market down so they can buy auction paper at the best level possible.  Check out the results; 29 billion came at a yield of 2.7...

The FOMC kept interest rates at 0% to .25%, unchanged from the prior period.  The policy statement had only modest changes, generally confirming improving economic conditions albeit insufficient to bring down unemployment in a still struggling employment picture.  QE2 is expected to run full ter...

Details of today’s 35 billion in 5 year notes just hit the screen.  The issue came with a yield of 2.041%, Indirect bidders took 45% (good), bid to cover was 2.97 to 1 (very good), and the issue stopped through the screen by 1.4bps (excellent).  Through the screen means that investors paid up to...

The focus this week for mortgage interest rates, will be directed at the President’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, the first FOMC meeting of 2011 on Wednesday, and the first release of fourth quarter GDP on Friday.  Reports this weekend were that President Obama’s administration would m...

Just released, the minutes reveal changes to the economic outlook as "relatively modest".  Participants see incoming economic data as mixed, suggesting that a moderately paced recovery is in place.  Full detail is below.   Release Date: July 14, 2010 For release at 2:00 p.m. EDT The Federal Rese...

Bonds, notes, and mortgage backs have been slowly fading as the day moves on, due in part to stocks opening higher and holding their gains.  Currently, the Dow is up 183 points and nervous about the last hour of trade, waiting to see if the rally can hold or fades as has been the pattern.  No new...

On Friday, President Obama signed the Tax Credit Extension. In addition to approving the extension of the tax credit closing deadline, President Obama signed the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2010 on Friday morning. This retroactively reauthorizes the Federal Emergency Managem...

"I owe, I owe, so off to work I go".  Not exactly what the Seven Dwarfs had in mind but fitting as we start a new week after a long weekend.  Quiet trading has been the mood for both bonds and stocks.  Stocks are higher however, bouncing from severe oversold conditions and "no bad news" over the ...

We have a new month, a new quarter, and the beginning of the second half of the year.  Time fly's when you're having fun.  Based on my technical analysis below, I am advising my clients to lock in their interest rates today.  While I don't forsee a major reversal coming soon, the risk created by ...