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☆ These China stocks are favored by analysts no matter how the central bank stimulus pans out
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Stocks in China rose in response, with the CSI 300 Index climbing 4.3% Tuesday, its best day since July 2020. But whether or not the latest policy steps succeed, CNBC Pro screened for China stocks that analysts praise regardless of the pace of economic growth at home. About three quarters of analysts covering PDD rate it a buy, and the stock could climb roughly 43% based on analysts' consensus price target. On Tuesday, after the announcement of the latest policies to revive the flagging China economy, PDD shares in the U.S. jumped more than 11%. Other names on the list of favored China stocks included online learning and tutoring provider TAL Education Group and digital shipping platform Full Truck Alliance .

Persons: Hong, Morgan Stanley, Terence Flynn, Flynn, CoreValues, Ben Harburg, CNBC's, Harburg, Biden Organizations: People's Bank of China, CSI, CNBC Pro, China ETF, Therapeutics, YE25, U.S, TAL Education Group, Alliance Locations: China, Ph3, U.S

☆ One of the top-performing sectors could be heading for trouble
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The communications services sector has been on an unbelievable tear for nearly two years. Since hitting a low on October 2022, the Communication Services Select Sector (XLC) has nearly doubled, outperforming the S & P 500 in that time. "The smallest sector in the market (by constituents not value) has been one of the most dominant over the past two years," wrote Wolfe Research's Rob Ginsberg. Our sense is that is better for sale here," Ginsberg wrote. Elsewhere on Wall Street this morning, Bernstein upgraded Starbucks to outperform from market perform.

Persons: Wolfe, Rob Ginsberg, Ginsberg, Bernstein, Brian Niccol, Danilo Gargiulo Organizations: Communications, Netflix, Taco Bell Locations: GOOGL

☆ Nvidia is missing key technology and could acquire these stocks to get it, says Susquehanna analyst
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Pia Singh | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Nvidia might have to look outside of its artificial intelligence empire to acquire some key data center-related technologies, according to Susquehanna Financial Group. Analyst Christopher Rolland said Nvidia has "two glaring holes" for potential acquisition within optical and analog networking. Optical technologies in data centers have a variety of purposes such as supporting network traffic growth, transmitting and receiving optical signals in data centers, and offering cost and power savings while facilitating high-capacity data transmission. Analysts' average price target, per FactSet, suggests potential downside for Lumentum and Coherent given their recent stock run-ups. Rolland holds a positive rating on Nvidia shares with a $160 price target — higher than the average from analysts polled by FactSet, which implies more than 29% potential upside for the chip darling.

Persons: Christopher Rolland, Nvidia, Rolland Organizations: Nvidia, Susquehanna Financial Group, NVIDIA, Lumentum Holdings, Marvell Technology, Marvell, FactSet

☆ Costco says its $1.50 hot dogs and $4.99 chickens are helping members stomach the annual fee increase
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Costco says it hasn't seen a meaningful drop in sign-ups or renewals after the member fee increase was announced. "We've stayed true to our principles of really trying to help the member and deliver the value," he said. AdvertisementCostco says members have largely shrugged off the latest fee increase. Millerchip also noted that Costco delayed the fee increase by about two years compared with its typical average cycle, due to the impacts on consumers from the pandemic and inflation. For the full fiscal year, membership fees totaled $4.8 billion, representing half the total operating income for the period, and the company expects the benefit from the fee increase to begin showing up in the next six to 12 months.

Persons: hasn't, Gary Millerchip, We've, —, Millerchip, There's, we've Organizations: Costco, Service Locations: Canada

☆ The majority of this generation feels behind on their retirement savings—how they can catch up
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The oldest Gen Xers are turning 59 this year, and once they reach 59½, they can begin making penalty-free withdrawals from their 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts. However, nearly 70% of Gen X, which is comprised of Americans between the ages of 44 and 59, feel behind on their retirement savings, according to a new retirement savings survey from Bankrate. The average 401(k) balance for people in their 50s, who make up the majority of Gen X, is $214,100. The good news: Many Gen Xers are already taking strides to get their retirement savings where they want them to be. Plus, they've increased their IRA contributions by 30% to the highest level in five years, per Fidelity's second quarter retirement analysis.

Persons: Xers, Mark Hamrick Organizations: Fidelity Investments Locations: Bankrate

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Apple, Micron, Nike, Meta, Microsoft, First Solar, Tesla & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

For long term investors we continue to believe they have the best enterprise AI platform and retain our 18-month $500 price target." Truist initiates First Solar as buy Truist said the solar company has a wide moat. " Deutsche Bank reiterates Tesla as buy The firm said it's sticking with its buy rating heading into the company's delivery report in October. UBS reiterates Micron as buy UBS said it's sticking with the stock following earnings on Wednesday. "We are taking the opportunity to reaffirm our positive view on DKNG and up our year-end 2025 price target to $54."

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Morgan Stanley downgrades, Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, Truist, Tesla, Jefferies downgrades Hershey, Jefferies, it's, Orion, Bernstein, NYCB, Morgan Stanley downgrades Sonos, there's, JPMorgan, Ralph Lauren Organizations: UBS, GE Healthcare, Entertainment, Tencent, Microsoft, Inc, Deutsche Bank, Hershey, Susquehanna, Nvidia, NVIDIA, Nike, Deutsche, Apple, Barclays, Community Bank, Micron, MU, " Bank of America, Meta, Bank of America, SONO, UW, GE Vernova, GE, RL Locations: China

☆ Oppenheimer's top stock ideas heading into October
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Sean Conlon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

This comes after all three major averages recovered from the Aug. 5 global sell-off to close out last month higher. DKNG YTD mountain DKNG, year-to-date Biotechnology stock Viking Therapeutics also made the list. The stock has already surged more than 239% this year as its experimental obesity treatment advances through clinical trials. Telecommunications stock AT & T was another best idea, with its target of $23 implying more than 6% upside. Other names that made the list include Cigna , whose target implies more than 14% upside, and chip giant Broadcom .

Persons: Oppenheimer, Goldman Sachs, Jed Kelly, DKNG, Jay Olson, NASH, Timothy Horan, Horan isn't Organizations: Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Biotechnology, Viking Therapeutics, Telecommunications, AT, JPMorgan, Broadcom

☆ UK finance chiefs are banging the drum for one major reform to boost economic growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Ian Forsyth | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesLiverpool, ENGLAND — U.K. finance chiefs are banging the drum for pension reforms to boost anaemic investment and growth in the country. William Vereker, chairman of Santander U.K., cited pension reform as one of three paths to economic growth, alongside skills and education, and regulation. "If we do not have domestic capital investing in domestic businesses, we will not see the growth that this government is so rightly focused on," he added. "For me, pension reform is the way to unlock growth in the U.K.," Lee told "Squawk Box Europe." UK pensions reviewU.K. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves in July announced a landmark pensions review as part of a "big bang" of reforms to unlock growth.

Persons: Ian Forsyth, —, William Vereker, Vereker, Muirinn O'Neill, we're, Tiina Lee, Lee, it's, Rachel Reeves, Tulip Siddiq Organizations: Labour Party Conference, ACC Liverpool, Getty, Labour, Santander U.K, Citi U.K, CNBC, Finance, Treasury Locations: Liverpool, England, ENGLAND, City, London

☆ Ron Insana: China's stock rally won't last because its economic problems run too deep
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Ron Insana | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

China's stock market has recently rebounded on the promise of further economic and market stimulus. The measures include cuts to a variety of interest rates , as well as support for China's flagging real estate sector . China's stimulus efforts The Shanghai Composite has rallied sharply in the aftermath of those moves but remains about 50% below its all-time high of nearly 6,000, last seen in 2007. These moves have failed to boost growth or lead to a durable and sustainable stock market rally. The U.S. stock market accounted for roughly 60% of global stock market valuation in 2023.

Persons: David Tepper, Let's, Ron Insana Organizations: Bank, Atlanta, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, European Union, U.S . Energy, Administration, The, U.S, Olympus, CNBC Locations: United States, China, It's, Shanghai, U.S, Beijing, Europe, Canada, European, The U.S, Russia, Iran, North Korea

☆ We may have finally pulled ourselves out of our economic funk
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

After two years of the double pain of inflation and high interest rates, those things are normalizing. Sure, jobs were plentiful and the economy was growing, but the combination of high prices and high interest rates felt demoralizing. It’s hard to overstate how much interest rates can change the economic mood, Brendan Duke, a senior director for economic policy at the Center for American Progress, told me. And while both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have proposed ways to increase the housing supply, the process will take years. “There are economic trends like falling interest rates, and there are policies like making an investment in housing supply that can move the needle,” Duke says.

Persons: CNN Business ’, New York CNN —, Matt Phillips, Dow, That’d, Brendan Duke, ‘ it’s, ’ ”, that’s, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, It’s, ” Duke, they’re Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Dow, Wall, Center for American Progress, National Association of Realtors Locations: New York, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

☆ We're upping our price target on Costco after another steady quarter fortifies our thesis
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

The report didn't blow us away, but it still offered plenty of reminders on why Costco investors should stick around. Total revenue in its fiscal 2024 fourth quarter totaled $79.7 billion, missing analysts' expectations of $79.97 billion, according to estimates compiled by LSEG. Costco has succeeded for decades, but the high inflation of recent years has made the company's value-focused ethos really shine. Put it all together, we're increasing our price target on the stock to $950 a share from $875. In the quarter, Costco's membership renewal rate in the U.S. and Canada came in at 92.9%, a tick lower than the 93% rate observed in the third fiscal quarter, while worldwide held constant at 90.5%.

Persons: Gary Millerchip, Ron Vachris, Millerchip, it's, Kirkland, Costco's, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Justin Sullivan Organizations: Costco, LSEG, Wholesale, Walmart, Club, Amazon, Costco's, Kirkland, Kirkland Signature, Management, U.S, CNBC Locations: Costco's, Yemen, U.S, Canada, Maine, Richmond , California

Unless the economic outlook changes, mortgage rates may hold steady for the rest of 2024. If they were to weaken unexpectedly, that could spur the Fed to cut rates more aggressively, which in turn could push mortgage rates down further. 5-Year Mortgage Rate TrendsHere's how 30-year and 15-year mortgage rates have trended over the last five years, according to Freddie Mac data. But now that inflation has decelerated and the Fed is expected to cut rates soon, mortgage rates have trended down. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: you'll, They've, they've, Freddie Mac, it's, Fannie Mae Organizations: Fed, Zillow, ARM, Federal Housing Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Mortgage, Association Locations: Chevron

☆ China's Xi and top leaders call for halting real estate decline, responding to public concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Authorities "must work to halt the real estate market decline and spur a stable recovery," the readout said in Chinese, translated by CNBC. The readout said leaders called for strengthening fiscal and monetary policy support, and touched on a swath of issues from employment to the aging population. Just days after the U.S. cut interest rates, the People's Bank of China on Tuesday announced a slew of planned interest rate cuts and real estate support. This real estate policy is aiming at reducing its drag on the economy." Tempering growth expectationsThe meeting readout said China would "work hard to complete" the country's full-year economic targets.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Zhiwei Zhang, Stocks, Goldman Sachs, Yue Su, Zong Liang, Zong, Bruce Pang Organizations: Getty, CNBC, Communist Party, People's Bank of China, Economist Intelligence Unit, Bank of Locations: Yuexi County, Anqing, Anhui province, China, BEIJING, Hong Kong, U.S, Beijing, JLL

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Time to look at AI-adjacent plays
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. The Stoxx Europe 600 Bank Index fell 0.73% as investors monitored UniCredit's potential merger with Commerzbank . Done selling NvidiaNvidia CEO Jensen Huang is done selling the company's stock for now. In March, Huang set out a plan to sell up to six million Nvidia shares by first quarter of 2025.

Persons: Jensen Huang, Huang, Meta Organizations: CNBC, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Commerzbank, Google, Microsoft Google, European Commission, European Union, Microsoft, Nvidia, Bain & Company, Labs, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Locations: Europe

☆ Social Security’s death benefit has been $255 since 1954. Some senators want to change that
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

When a Social Security beneficiary dies, their loved ones may qualify for a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment. Yet that amount has not changed in 70 years — since 1954 — while inflation has pushed the costs for funerals higher. On Wednesday, Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., introduced a new bill, the Social Security Survivor Benefits Equity Act, to raise the lump-sum death benefit to $2,900 to reflect today's cost of living. Under the terms of the bill, the higher $2,900 death benefit would go into effect in 2025. The proposal has been endorsed by advocacy organizations Social Security Works and the Strengthen Social Security Coalition.

Persons: Sen, Peter Welch, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Welch, haven't Organizations: Social, Social Security Survivor, Equity, Finance, Social Security, National, Consumer, Urban, Clerical Workers, Social Security Coalition Locations: Sens

☆ Southwest's new premium seats come with a catch for everyone else
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Taylor Rains | Benjamin Zhang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Southwest Airlines introduces premium seating with extra legroom to boost revenue. Southwest said Thursday that about a third of its planes will get extra-legroom seats that boast at least five inches of extra pitch. Southwest is adding some typical industry perks to its planes, like inflight power and extra legroom seats. Southwest Airlines"On our larger aircraft, we didn't have to give up any seats," Southwest executive vice president for commercial transformation Ryan Green said during Thursday's Investor Day. AdvertisementIts future 737 Max 7 will have 48 extra legroom seats, also with 34 inches.

Persons: —, Ryan Green, you'd, Green, Max, Kevin Carter Organizations: Southwest Airlines, Service, Airlines, Boeing, Max, Southwest Airline Boeing, JetBlue Airways Locations: Southwest, Chicago

☆ 'Big Short' investor Michael Burry bet half of his portfolio on Chinese stocks. It's finally starting to pay off.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Famed "Big Short" investor Michael Burry is benefiting from the recent surge in Chinese stocks. Burry began aggressively buying Chinese stocks in the fourth quarter of 2022, and it seems to finally be paying off. AdvertisementBurry also has 12% of his portfolio invested in Baidu, and another 12% of his portfolio invested in JD.com. Billionaire investor David Tepper said on Thursday that it's a buy "everything" moment for Chinese stocks. Tepper believes there's more upside to be had in Chinese stocks due to their depressed valuations.

Persons: Michael Burry, —, Burry, Alibaba, David Tepper, Tepper, there's Organizations: Scion, Management, Service, Scion Asset Management, Baidu, People's Bank of China, Alibaba, CNBC Locations: JD.com, China, HedgeFollow, China's

☆ Fearful of the 'middle-income trap,' Indonesia pushes for major policy reform
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Shafi Musaddique | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Incoming President Subianto has promised to continue the charge toward making Indonesia a high-income economy. Economic reforms passed through by the outgoing president will make the achieving Indonesia's grand vision easier. "Widodo put in place a bunch of economic reforms, the most noticeable being making it easier to hire and fire new workers. Indrawati hopes to avoid "the middle-income trap" — an economic development situation where growing economies stagnate at middle-income levels and are unable to advance to the ranks of high-income countries. Major policy reforms, she believes, will help Indonesia sidestep that.

Persons: Sri Mulyani Indrawati, CNBC's, Joko Widodo, Prabowo Subianto, Subianto, Widodo, Gareth Leather, Indrawati Organizations: Afp, Getty, country's Finance, International Monetary Fund, Defense, Capital Economics, CNBC, Lowy Institute Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Washington, Australian, China, Asia

☆ Bitcoin rallied on Thursday, but recent history says this pop will fade as well
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bitcoin rallied on Thursday, but if trading this year is any guide, this pop will be one to fade. Bitcoin is down 13% from its March 13 record and ether has tumbled 34% in the same period. With a year-to-date gain of 50%, bitcoin is considered to be in a bull cycle that began in March 2023. The most recent Bitcoin halving took place in April, and the post-halving highs historically don't come until about 18 months after the supply cutting event . Between the popularity of bitcoin ETFs that launched in January, the slowing of the bitcoin supply and a slew of other macro and micro catalysts, many traders are holding out for a price surge.

Persons: Bitcoin, it's, Wolfe, Rob Ginsberg, Ginsberg Organizations: Federal Reserve, BTC, Securities, Exchange, & $

☆ CNBC Daily Open: AI-adjacent companies may be the next big play
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. U.S. markets slipped as Asian stocks riseU.S. stocks mostly fell Wednesday. The S&P 500 lost 0.19% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.7%, while the Nasdaq Composite closed near the flatline. Support for semiconductor plansIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to turn the country into a semiconductor powerhouse.

Persons: Mira Murati, Bob McGrew, Narendra Modi, Modi, Meta, Blackstone, Equity's Organizations: CNBC, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, SK Hynix, Indian, Labs Locations: U.S, Hong Kong, India, Asia

The two women with very similar names offer a snapshot of the different surrogate pools for Trump and Harris. The courting of celebrity endorsements is a long-running tradition in presidential politics and one that Democrats generally win. Swift criticized the fake posting, saying it was part of the reason she is backing Harris’ campaign. Even as he downplayed Harris’ level of celebrity endorsements, Trump has tried to use people with celebrity status to appeal to specific voter blocs. Shortly after Swift backed Harris, Trump said she would “probably pay a price” for the endorsement, and five days later on Truth Social he made his bluntest and most direct attack on Swift.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Scarlett Johansson, Donald Trump, Scarlett Johnson, Harris, Johnson, Trump, Johansson, Lara Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Rock, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ye, Elon Musk, Hulk Hogan, Lil Wayne, Trump —, Harris ’, Kamala, ” Trump, Winfrey, “ She’s, Jamie Lee Curtis, ”, Hillary Clinton's, Katy Perry, Clinton, Joe Biden, Taylor Swift, Swift, “, Taylor Swift ” Organizations: Liberty, Trump, Democratic, Republican National Committee, Democratic National Convention, West, White, Democrats, Republicans, Puerto, AA, Puerto Ricans, Harvard University, Swift Locations: Wisconsin, Michigan, Hollywood, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rican, Puerto

☆ Nigerian company Autogirl wants to be the Airbnb of car rentals
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Victoria Barauna | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In 2023, it announced it would be expanding to Kenya, with a rollout of 1.2 million electric vehicles. Around the world, transport startups are embracing electric vehicles, and those in Africa are no different. In 2023, it announced it would be expanding to Kenya, with a rollout of 1.2 million electric vehicles. Uncover , a Kenyan skincare brand, says it wants to fill this gap by providing healthy cosmetics that put African women first. ‘‘We want to be the Airbnb of vehicle rentals in Africa and ultimately the world,” Arinze says.

Persons: Chinazom Arinze, ” Arinze, “, Spiro, Clement Di Roma, Simon Maina, Prince William’s, James Oatway, there's, Edwin Maina, Arinze, …, Autogirl, hasn’t, she’s, ’, ‘, Airbnb, ” Organizations: CNN, Babcock University, Getty, Reeddi Technologies, The Royal Academy of Engineering, Kenyan, Hertz, Hyundai, Lexus Locations: Nigeria, Benin, Kenya, Africa, AFP, China, Cameroon, Rwanda, Ghana

☆ These companies could be poised to start paying dividends, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Federal Reserve's move to start cutting interest rates bodes well for dividend-paying stocks, and Morgan Stanley thinks several companies are poised to join their ranks. "Equity investors are seeking durable, higher yielding dividends as market volatility is expected to continue throughout the easing cycle," wrote Morgan Stanley strategist Todd Castagno in a report last Friday. Morgan Stanley drew up a list of companies that might have what it takes to start paying dividends, drawn from stocks that boast net cash and generate a free cash flow exceeding 3%. Instacart was also seen as a potential dividend initiator by Morgan Stanley. Other companies that Morgan Stanley highlighted as potential dividend initiators include short-term vacation rental company Airbnb and biotech play United Therapeutics .

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Todd Castagno, Castagno, Morgan, Piper Sandler, James Fish, Instacart, Raymond James, Josh Beck Organizations: Equity, Companies, United Therapeutics

☆ 3 things point to a strong stock market rally through December even as election uncertainty looms, Fundstrat says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lee cites declining margin debt and a dovish Fed as key resons to be bullish on stocks. "We really haven't seen tops until margin debt actually starts to really rollover," Lee said. That "firepower" refers to the fact that FINRA margin debt declined in August to $797 billion, well below its October 2021 peak of $936 billion. AdvertisementThe S&P 500 surged 14% in the first half of 2024, putting this into play. The data shows that since 1950, the S&P 500 has delivered an average second-half gain of 9.8% under such circumstances, with an 83% win ratio.

Persons: Fundstrat's Tom Lee, Lee, —, Tom Lee, there's, Lee crunched, Volcker Organizations: Fed, Service, Federal Reserve

☆ It's not a great fall housing market, but this is 'as good as it gets,' economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

While housing affordability remains a challenge for many buyers in the U.S., conditions are somewhat improving due to lower mortgage rates. Buyers need to earn $115,000 to afford the typical home in the U.S., according to a new report by Redfin, an online real estate brokerage firm. Both declines stem from lower mortgage rates, said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. "The only reason mortgage payments are down is because of the rate effect," Fairweather said. While housing overall continues to be unaffordable for most buyers, "this is as good as it gets," said Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at Zillow, as the market is generally seeing lower mortgage rates, more inventory and low buyer competition.

Persons: Redfin, Daryl Fairweather, Freddie Mac, Fairweather, Orphe Divounguy Organizations: Finance, Federal Reserve, Vanguard Locations: U.S

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