US mortgage applications fall 8.5pc

(Sharecast News) - US mortgage applications fell 8.5% in the week ended 23 January 23rd, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, trimming the combined 47% surge seen since the start of 2026. The pullback came alongside a fresh increase in benchmark mortgage rates, which hit a three‑week high, as markets also weighed how Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae would respond to Donald Trump's directive to buy $200bn of mortgage‑backed securities.

Applications to refinance a mortgage, which are sensitive to short-term changes in interest rates, fell 16% week-on-week, while applications to purchase a new home were broadly flat.







Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com