The Mortgage Bankers Association reported a 1.9% increase in mortgage applications in the week ended July 17 after a 2.7% decrease in the previous week, with refinancing activity lower and new home applications higher despite the highest mortgage rates since August.
Total crude oil inventories fell by 3.0 million barrels in the week ended July 17, with commercial oil inventories up 2.0 million barrels and stocks in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve down 5.1 million barrels. Gasoline inventories and distillate inventories both increased last week.