Foreign stocks, commodity prices, and US mortgage rates -- last week's close

For the past week,
ending August 28:

Foreign Stocks:
U.K.'s FTSE down 1.4%
    (down 20.4% year-to-date)

Japan's Nikkei down 1.6%
    (down 3.1% y-t-d)

France's CAC40 down 1.3%
    (down 18.1%)

German DAX down 1.1%
   (down 3.7%)

Spain's IBEX 35 down 2.4%
   (down 26.9%)

Italy's FTSE MIB down 1.7%
   (down 16.2%)

Brazil's Bovespa up 0.2%
   (down 12.2%)

Mexico's Bolsa down 2.2%
   (down 12.5%)

South Korea's Kospi down 4.3%
    (up 4.9%)

India's Sensex up 1.5%
   (down 6.8%).

China's Shanghai up 0.6%
   (up 10.8%)

Russia's MICEX down 2.2%
   (down 1.7%)


Commodities:
 Bloomberg Commodities Index
 up 2.3%
    (down 9.6% year-to-date).

Spot Gold ip 1.3% to $1,965
   (up 29.4%).

Spot Silver up 3.4% to $27.79
    (up 55.1%).

WTI crude oil
up 63 cents to $42.97
    (down 30%).

Gasoline up 2.4%
    (down 22%)

Natural Gas up 8.5%
     (up 21%).

Copper up 2.9%
    (up 8%).

Wheat up 2.6%
   (down 2%).

Corn up 5.5%
   (down 7%).



U.S.  Mortgage  Rates:
Freddie Mac 30-year
fixed mortgage rates
down eight bps to 2.91%
   (down 67bps year-over-year).

Fifteen-year rates
down eight bps to 2.46%
   (down 60bps).

Five-year hybrid ARM rates
unchanged at 2.91%
    (down 40bps).

Jumbo mortgage
30-year fixed rates
up six bps to 3.11%
   (down 109bps).



Federal  Reserve  Bank
Federal Reserve Credit
increased an amazing 87%
over the past year.


M2 (narrow) "money" supply
increased an amazing 23.7%
over the past year.