U.S. MBA's Mortgage Applications Index Dropped 0.2% Last Week - 2004-03-24
An index of U.S. mortgage applications came of an eight-month high as purchases abated, an industry group said.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's index fell 0.2 percent to 1114.9 last week, the first decrease in six weeks. The Washington- based group's index of purchase applications declined 0.8 percent to 448.9 from 452.4.
Read the full story at Bloomberg.com

Mortgage Giant Freddie Mac total mortgage portfolio up - 2004-03-24
Freddie Mac, the No. 2 U.S. mortgage finance company, on Wednesday indicated its total mortgage portfolio was up at an annual rate of 2.3 percent to $1.43 billion.

Freddie Mac's duration gap, a measure of interest rate exposure, was at zero months, unchanged from January.

Freddie Mac's retained portfolio decreased at an annual rate of 4.9 percent in February. This decline follows a drop of 8.9 percent in January.
Read the full story at IWon