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☆ Russia’s Swift March Forward in Ukraine’s East
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Constant Méheut | Josh Holder | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +11 min

Russia’s Swift March Forward in Ukraine’s EastTwo years of territorial changes in the Donbas Russia gained more territory in October than any month since July 2022 150 sq. miles Amount of territory Russia gained 100 50 0 Ukraine has made only marginal gains this year 50 Amount of territory Ukraine gained 100 Jan. April July Oct. Jan. April July Oct. 2023 2024 Amount of territory Ukraine gained Amount of territory Russia gained 100 50 0 50 100 150 sq. Amount of territory Ukraine gained Amount of territory Russia gained 100 50 0 50 100 150 sq. In August, Ukraine’s defensive lines buckled, and Russia rapidly advanced 10 miles toward Pokrovsk and closed in on Selydove from the west and north. In just the past week, Russia advanced roughly six miles north of Vuhledar — an unusually swift pace compared with previous gains.

Persons: Russia’s Swift, Jan, Vuhledar, Pasi, ”, Russia Vuhledar, Selydove Kurakhove, Marinka, Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Paroinen, Vincent Tourret, Tourret, “, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Chasiv Yar, Russia “, Serhii Kuzan, Chasiv, ” Mr Organizations: Ukraine, New York Times, Institute for, American, The New York Times, Bird Group, Railways, Russia, French Foundation for Strategic Research, Russian, National Security and Defense Council, Ukraine’s Security, Cooperation Center, Territory, LUHANSK, Kramatorsk, Selydove Avdiivka, Sloviansk, Vuhledar, Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Locations: Ukraine’s East, Donbas Russia, Russia, Ukraine, Donbas, Selydove, Pokrovsk, Finland, RUSSIAN, Russia Selydove, Russia Vuhledar Russia, Russian, Luhansk, Donetsk, Ukraine Ukraine, Chasiv Yar DONETSK, Selydove Avdiivka Donetsk, Azov Ukraine, Sloviansk LUHANSK, Azov, Vuhledar, Kursk, Ukrainian

☆ Commercial property has been in a slump. How lower interest rates could lift it out.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewUma Moriarity, a senior investment strategist at a real estate investment firm based outside of Philadelphia, is feeling better about deal-making in commercial real estate. A reduction in the Fed's benchmark rate would bring relief to the $22.5 trillion US commercial real estate market, which was shaken by a series of interest rate increases beginning in March 2022. AdvertisementThe increases diminished commercial property values, raised mortgage defaults, and triggered the sector's worst downturn since the financial crisis more than 15 years ago. "We're looking at a very good 2025 and beyond," Mark Rose, the CEO of the real estate services firm Avison Young, said. "Commercial property prices have increased over the past few months as bond yields have declined," Peter Rothemund, the co-head of strategic research at Green Street, said in the firm's recent property pricing report.

Persons: —, Uma Moriarity, Moriarty, Mark Rose, Avison Young, Richard Barkham, We've, Fitch, CMBS, Peter Rothemund, Alan Todd, Todd, CLO Organizations: Service, Federal Reserve, Business, CenterSquare Investment Management, Green, Mortgage, Association, Bank of America, Bank of America Securities Locations: Philadelphia, Trepp

Though mortgage rates are currently at a five-month high, they still should ultimately trend down this year. But if inflation remains sticky in the coming months, mortgage rates will likely remain elevated for longer than currently expected. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. But because inflation has been somewhat sticky in recent months, mortgage rates have remained elevated so far this year.

Persons: Fannie Mae, Hamilton Fout Organizations: Zillow, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Association, ARM Locations: Chevron

☆ Mortgage interest rates expected to drop in 2024—here's how much you could save on monthly payments
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

If you were priced out of the housing market in 2023, you might have better luck finding an affordable home in 2024. Mortgage rates are expected to decrease by nearly 1% by year's end — from 6.6% down to as little as 5.75% — according to recent housing forecasts. That's good news for buyers, as the decrease would reduce their monthly mortgage costs by roughly $200 for a median-priced home. On Thursday, 30-year fixed mortgage rates slid to 6.6% after peaking at 7.79% in October 2023, per Freddie Mac data. This lines up with other recent projections:

Persons: Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae's Organizations: Strategic Research

So far this month, mortgage rates have been holding relatively steady after dropping down to an average of 6.43% in December, according to Zillow data. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. This is good news for mortgage rates — as inflation slows and the Federal Reserve is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates are expected to trend down as well. Fannie Mae researchers expect prices to increase 3.2% in 2024, while the Mortgage Bankers Association expects a 4.1% increase in 2024.

Persons: homebuyers, Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae Organizations: Strategic Research, Zillow, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Association, ARM Locations: Chevron

☆ Cash versus bonds? Pros weigh what to buy for the next 2 years and beyond
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That's quite similar to what investors can get on government bonds, while high-quality corporate bonds yield more nearly 6.5% in the U.S. and U.K., and 4.6% in Europe. Here's what the pros say on how to invest within the fixed income space — cash or bonds — in the next two years and beyond. Schroders' Head of Strategic Research Duncan Lamont also stated his preference for bonds, saying that putting your money in cash means being exposed to interest rate fluctuations. And those rates are higher than cash — at 6.2% for corporate bonds with an average maturity of three years, and 6.5% on high-quality U.S. corporate bonds with an average tenure of 10 years, noted Lamont. "Fixed income is experiencing greater inflows than equities in the US and the same trend relative to cash in Europe.

Persons: Schroders, Luis D, Alvarado, Duncan Lamont, Lamont, Ashish Shah Organizations: Wells, Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Fed, CNBC Pro, Strategic, U.S . Federal, Goldman, Management, Goldman Sachs Asset Management Locations: U.S, Europe, Wells Fargo

☆ China's 1.4 billion population can't fill the country's millions of empty homes. Here's 3 things that would.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He said the estimate is extreme, but said even China's 1.4 billion people can't fill all of them. "How many vacant homes are there now?" The most extreme believe the number of vacant homes are now enough for 3 billion people. But China has yet to publish an official estimate on the total floor space of its empty homes. Government statistics from August say the total area of all unsold homes in China is around 7 billion square feet, per Reuters.

Persons: that's, it's Organizations: Service, China, National Bureau of Statistics, Government, Reuters, Strategic Research Institute, Chinese Academy of personnel Management Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Western Europe, Beijing, Dongguan

Google invested in generative AI startup Runway as part of a $100 million round, sources say. Google and Runway also signed a $75 million cloud computing project, leaked documents show. Google has invested in generative AI startup Runway as part of a $100 million deal, as the Alphabet-owned company leverages its cloud advantage to cozy up to other artificial intelligence players. In addition, Runway has signed a cloud deal with Google worth $75 million over three years, according to internal documents reviewed by Insider. It previously raised $100 million from Amplify Partners, Lux Capital, Coatue, and Felicis Ventures.

Persons: Oscar, Anthropic Organizations: Google, Runway, Lux, Felicis Ventures, Financial Times, Microsoft's, MIT Technology Locations: New York, OpenAI

☆ Meet David Sacks, the friend of Elon Musk who could play kingmaker for Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Ron DeSantis — including hosting the candidate's kickoff event on Twitter — demonstrate how Sacks is working to become a GOP kingmaker. A DeSantis campaign spokesman did not return a request for comment before publication. Sacks, according to Puck, serves as one of the group's directors. Kevin McGrann, a lobbyist at government relations juggernaut Forbes Tate Partners, is also linked to Bay Strategies, according to Hall. And Sacks said during a recent episode that he plans to ask the DeSantis campaign for the Florida governor to agree to an interview.

Persons: David Sacks, Paul Chinn, Caroline Wren, Wren, Donald Trump's, Jan, president's, Sacks, George Soros, Puck, Ron DeSantis, Peter Thiel, Ro Khanna, didn't, Joe Biden, Thiel, Elon Musk, –, Joe Lonsdale's, Julie Samuels, Samuels, DeSantis, I've, Trump, Stewart Hall, Jill Kendrick, Hall, Sen, Richard Shelby, Kendrick, Kevin McGrann, juggernaut Forbes, McGrann, John Boehner, OpenSecrets, Musk, Bari Weiss, isn't, Peter, Jason Calacanis, David Friedberg, Chamath, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Biden, Nikki Haley, Calacanis Organizations: TechCrunch, Calif, San Francisco Chronicle, Hearst Newspapers, Getty Images Venture, Trump, U.S . Capitol, Republicans, Commission, Florida Gov, Twitter, GOP, PayPal, CNBC, Democratic, Microsoft, DeSantis, Purple Good Government PAC, FEC, Ron DeSantis PAC, PAC, Republican Party, Purple Good Government, Stewart, Public, Crossroads, Altria Group, Boeing, General Electric, Hearst Corp, Washington , D.C, Forbes Tate Partners, juggernaut Forbes Tate Partners, Forbes Tate, Association of Independent Mortgage Experts, United Wholesale Mortgage, SpaceX, Republican, YouTube, Biden, CNN Locations: San Francisco, Florida, Silicon, Trump, DeSantis, Puck, Washington ,, Ohio

But rates are still relatively low compared to earlier this month, when 30-year mortgage rates were inching up toward 7%. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.42%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.68%, a small decrease from the prior week, according to Freddie Mac data.

Mortgage rates have increased over the last couple of weeks as markets adjusted to the expectation that the Federal Reserve won't be cutting rates this year. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. But whether mortgage rates will drop in 2023 hinges on if the Federal Reserve can get inflation under control. If the Fed acts too aggressively and engineers a recession, mortgage rates could fall further than what current forecasts expect. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowToday's refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. Just keep in mind that HELOC rates are variable, so if rates start to trend up further, yours will likely increase, as well. But whether mortgage rates will drop in 2023 hinges on if the Federal Reserve can get inflation under control. If the Fed acts too aggressively and engineers a recession, mortgage rates could fall further than what current forecasts expect. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage refinance rates todayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage calculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 30-year fixed mortgage ratesThe current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.42%, according to Freddie Mac. Inflation remains elevated, but has started to slow, which is a good sign for mortgage rates and the broader economy. Just keep in mind that HELOC rates are variable, so if rates start to trend up further, yours will likely increase, as well.

Average 30-year fixed mortgage rates dropped around a full percentage point over the past few weeks, and they remain low today. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage calculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 30-year fixed mortgage ratesThe current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.27%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-year fixed mortgage ratesThe average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.69%, an increase from the prior week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and have increased significantly so far in 2022.

☆ The godfather of the inverted yield curve breaks down why his famous recession indicator with a perfect track record won't be accurate this time around
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The inverted yield curve has preceded the last eight recessions. Right now, short-term inflation expectations are much higher than long-term inflation expectations, which means the real-yield on longer-duration bonds are higher. "You've got an inverted yield curve — people know that that's got a very strong track record. The inverted yield curve's legacyThe inverted yield curve has come to be revered as an extremely reliable harbinger of economic pain. December 2022. ustreasuryyieldcurve.comDecember 2012. www.ustreasuryyieldcurve.comAs for what Harvey thinks for the future of the yield curve as a recession indicator?

See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowCurrent refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage calculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 30-year fixed mortgage ratesThe current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.61%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-year fixed mortgage ratesThe average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.98%, a 40-basis-point drop from the prior week, according to Freddie Mac data. But average 30-year fixed rates will likely remain somewhere in the 5% to 6% range throughout 2023.

LONDON/WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - A failure to secure meaningful progress on a debt relief for the world's poorest nations at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meeting in Washington has left policymakers, campaigners and investors frustrated. Two years ago the Group of 20 launched the Common Framework - a mechanism designed to provide a swift and comprehensive debt overhaul to nations buckling under debt burdens after COVID-19 shock that would reach beyond temporary debt payment moratoriums. The Common Framework is a good start, but you need some fixes." China's role as a lender to poorer nations and Beijing's foot-dragging on debt relief drew much ire at the Washington meeting. JPMorgan's Joyce Chang, whose bank held an investor seminar alongside the IMF World Bank gathering, said asset managers had more discussions on repayment challenges and restructurings for emerging markets than at any time since the 1990s.

See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage refinance rates todayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage calculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 30-year fixed mortgage ratesThe current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.92%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-year fixed mortgage ratesThe average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.09%, an increase from the prior week, according to Freddie Mac data. Adjustable rate mortgages can look very attractive to borrowers when rates are high, because the rates on these mortgages are typically lower than fixed mortgage rates.

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