Frank Nothaft Quotes on War & Peace (4 Quotes)

Concern over weaker consumer confidence and industrial production outweighed the pick-up in retail sales and business inventories causing interest rates to decline even further this week. Adding to the decline was a flight-to-quality in the bond market from nervous investors worried about falling stock prices and the possibility of war in the Middle East.

The political and economic uncertainty of war in Iraq is wearing on the confidence of consumers and restraining business expansion. And that, in turn, translates into a weaker economy which places downward pressure on interest and mortgage rates.

Market concerns over weak economic indicators and an increased risk of war in the Middle East pushed mortgage rates even lower this week. That and falling stock prices raised investors' appeal for U.S. Treasury bonds, which in turn allowed most interest rates to drift even lower.

The Fed rate cut and Greenspan's recent remarks that the economy has hit a 'soft spot' had a huge impact on financial markets, ... Combined with the anticipation that the U. S. could soon be at war with Iraq, market sentiment turned toward the negative, driving mortgage rates to new lows again.