Stocks on the HW 30 — HousingWire’s exclusive list of mortgage-related companies — were somewhat of mixed bag on Friday, with some landing in positive territory and others falling short.
With October proving to be a weak month for consumers, sentiment fell to 73.2 in the final reading, down from an index score of 75.2 at mid-month and down from 77.5 in September.
"Today’s report suggests [consumers] are less than upbeat about the current jobs market and increasingly cautious about long-run prospects," explained Econoday analysts.
A continued weakening of jobs reports has sealed the deal for many investors that the Federal Reserve will remain committed to its asset purchases for the remainder of the year — further providing a floor for housing.
Mega lenders finished out Friday strong, with all major banking institutions posting gains.
Bank of America (BAC) finished out the day strong, up 0.64%, while JPMorgan Chase (JPM) followed suit, up 0.55% Friday.
Mortgage lending giant Wells Fargo (WFC) also entered positive territory, up 0.40% for the day.
Homebuilders felt the squeeze of consumer confidence, underperforming at close on Friday
Smaller homebuilders D.R. Horton (DHI) and Lennar Corp (LEN) took a beating, down 0.45% and 0.59%, respectively.
On the reverse side, Toll Brothers (TOL) was the only homebuilder to see gains Friday, with the stock finishing up 0.15%.
