US mortgage applications surge 28.5pc

(Sharecast News) - US mortgage applications surged 28.5% in the week ended 9 January, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, up from the prior week's far more modest 0.3% uptick. Applications to refinance a mortgage shot up by 40% week-on-week, while applications to purchase a home increased by 16.9%.

Last week's increase was the sharpest since September and was in line with a decline in benchmark mortgage rates, with 30-year contracts dropping to a 15-month low of 6.18%.





Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com