News & Insights
Mortgage rates have shown little directional momentum in recent months, and the outlook suggests more of the same. The latest industry research forecasts point to the 30-year fixed mortgage rate staying in the high-6% range through year-end 2025, with only modest room for improvement.
The Dow and S&P 500 both hit new all-time highs on Thursday to potentially round out another month of equity gains. At the same time, the yield curve seems less optimistic about future prospects for the economy, widening to 63 basis points; creating the steepest curve since April.
Catalyst is proud to announce that its Loan Participation Program has officially surpassed $4 billion in total activity, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to empowering credit unions nationwide.
Markets were expecting a hawkish tone from Fed Chair Jerome Powell prior to his speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium. Futures were pricing in a 90% probability for a cut as recently as Monday, falling to about 71% this morning. Then Powell gave markets want they wanted to hear.
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Halfway through 2025, the market for bonds tied to home loans – known as CMOs (Collateralized Mortgage Obligations) and MBS (Mortgage-Backed Securities) – are going through some changes. These changes are mostly driven by the overall economy, government policies and what people are anticipating with interest rates.
Loan participations (LPs) have become a strategic tool for credit unions, offering flexibility in managing liquidity, funding loan growth and optimizing balance sheets. While LPs serve multiple purposes, profitability remains the ultimate benchmark.
Set against the backdrop of Lost Pines Resort & Spa near Austin, Texas, the Catalyst Strategic Summit unfolds over 2.5 immersive days, October 21-23, equipping attendees with the tools, trends and connections needed to navigate what’s next.
Markets considered Tuesday’s CPI report benign enough for the FOMC to cut rates by at least 50 basis points for the remainder of the year. President Trump’s global tariff policies officially took effect last week and there’s still one more government jobs report and one more CPI report before the next FOMC meeting, offering time for the committee to amass more data to inform their next decision.
The labor market took a turn this week after August kicked off with a government jobs report that came back well-below expectations. The jobs report included a downward revision of prior months’ totals by 258,000 and an increase in the unemployment rate.