From the Desk - Economic Commentary
Brandon Casey, Member Strategies - 11/26/2025
U.S. stocks are higher Wednesday as investors reviewed the latest economic data. All three major averages finished higher on Tuesday for a third consecutive day. All three major averages are still lower for November but have significantly cut their monthly losses during the recent rally.
Looking at economic data today, initial jobless claims fell 6,000 to 216,000 last week. Initial claims had been expected to slightly increase to 225,000. Continuing claims rose by 7,000 to 1.960 million.
Elsewhere, the delayed September report showed durable goods orders rose 0.5%, matching expectations. Excluding transportation, orders were up 0.6%. Core capital goods orders, which mostly closely resemble the business spending component of GDP, were up 0.9% for the month.
Lastly, MBA mortgage applications increased 0.2% last week. Purchase applications were up 8%, while refinance applications fell 6%. The report also showed that the average interest rate of a conforming 30-year mortgage rose three basis points to 6.40%.
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