Mortgage rates unexpectedly increased yesterday afternoon as the U.S. stock market staged a late rally. By the end of the day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.9 percent, or 247.77 points.
This is a typical pattern.
When stocks are moving higher, investors want to ride the wave and look for sources of cash. Often, bonds serve as that source.
Now, remember that mortgage rates are based on the price of mortgage bonds. When bonds are in demand, bond prices increase and the associated rates fall. When bonds are being sold -- as what happened yesterday -- prices decrease and that pushes mortgage rates higher.
That's what happened yesterday.
As the DJIA added 150 points in the last two hours of trading, mortgage rates rapidly worsened. If you locked your rate in the afternoon, it may have been markedly worse than if you locked in the morning.
