FTSE 100 Live: Stocks Poised to Rally Toward Record Highs
It said home completions rose by 4%, while its average selling price increased by 7%, in part due to a higher proportion of sales from its pricier Charles Church arm.
'Overall, while we are mindful of geopolitical events and challenging market conditions, including uncertainty in advance of the Budget,' the group said.
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28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tomorrow is the final day for home buyers to qualify for Chase's ‘mortgage rate sale'
In an unprecedented move to spark business in a difficult housing market, a leading national mortgage lender is offering a limited-time "mortgage rate sale." It ends on Monday. Here are the details. The Chase Home Lending mortgage rate sale Chase Home Lending has discounted its rates on mortgages nationwide with a limited-time mortgage rate sale on purchase applications, available only through Monday, Aug. 18. "The offer provides personalized, lockable interest rate discounts for buyers looking to save on their mortgage and is stackable with other discounts the lender offers," a press notice said. How much is the discount? Erik Schmitt, digital channel executive at Chase, said the discount can be as much as a quarter-point (0.25%). For example, an offered rate of 6.5% could be cut to 6.25%. That would save a borrower over $20,600 of interest with a 30-year term on a $350,000 loan — and reduce the payment by more than $55 a month. The rate discount is for the life of the loan on fixed-rate mortgages, Schmitt said. For adjustable-rate mortgages, the discount will apply during the initial fixed-rate period of the loan. There are no additional discount points or fees related to the offer, he added. The program is available on all Chase home purchase mortgages, including FHA loans. The discount can be combined, Schmitt said, with other Chase programs, such as its relationship pricing program and the Chase DreaMaker loan, which has flexible credit requirements. The bank also offers grants of $2,500 to $5,000 to borrowers in certain areas. Credit guidelines and income limits may apply. Read more: Find Chase on our list of the best mortgage lenders this month Up next Up next How to get the Chase mortgage rate discount To get the discount, qualify for a Chase mortgage, and lock in your interest rate before Monday. The Chase "Lock and Shop" program protects you from interest rate increases for 90 days. You also have a one-time relock option to get a lower rate if mortgage rates drop during your lock period. "While customers must meet standard loan qualification criteria, there are no additional requirements to qualify for the promotional rate," Schmitt told Yahoo Finance in an email. Lock in your discounted Chase mortgage rate. Tomorrow is the deadline to qualify for the mortgage rate discount To qualify, home buyers must lock in a purchase rate by the end of business Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. The rate discount is not currently available for refinance loans. Minimum credit score, loan-to-value, and property value guidelines apply, depending on which home loan program you choose. For example, a conventional loan has a higher credit score requirement than an FHA loan. The mortgage rate discount may vary by state. Laura Grace Tarpley edited this article.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Metals Exploration plc (LON:MTL) has caught the attention of institutional investors who hold a sizeable 39% stake
Key Insights Institutions' substantial holdings in Metals Exploration implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price A total of 3 investors have a majority stake in the company with 50% ownership Insiders have bought recently We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free. Every investor in Metals Exploration plc (LON:MTL) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 39% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Metals Exploration. View our latest analysis for Metals Exploration What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Metals Exploration? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. We can see that Metals Exploration does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Metals Exploration, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Metals Exploration is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Candy Ventures S.à R.L. with 22% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 20% and 7.6%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Furthermore, CEO Darren Bowden is the owner of 0.7% of the company's shares. After doing some more digging, we found that the top 3 shareholders collectively control more than half of the company's shares, implying that they have considerable power to influence the company's decisions. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage. Insider Ownership Of Metals Exploration The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Shareholders would probably be interested to learn that insiders own shares in Metals Exploration plc. In their own names, insiders own UK£19m worth of stock in the UK£404m company. This shows at least some alignment. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public-- including retail investors -- own 13% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. Private Equity Ownership Private equity firms hold a 22% stake in Metals Exploration. This suggests they can be influential in key policy decisions. Sometimes we see private equity stick around for the long term, but generally speaking they have a shorter investment horizon and -- as the name suggests -- don't invest in public companies much. After some time they may look to sell and redeploy capital elsewhere. Private Company Ownership We can see that Private Companies own 21%, of the shares on issue. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Metals Exploration better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Metals Exploration (1 is a bit concerning) that you should be aware of. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mortgage and refinance interest rates today, August 17, 2025: Rates have increased since last year
Mortgage rates have increased this weekend. According to Zillow, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has ticked up by five basis points to 6.52%, and the 15-year fixed rate is up seven basis points to 5.70%. Mortgage interest rates have also risen since last August. According to Zillow, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has climbed 35 basis points, up from 6.17%. Economists don't expect rates to change too much by the end of 2025, either. So, if you are looking to buy a house, do so when it makes the most sense for your situation rather than try to time the real estate market. Dig deeper: Why are home prices so high? How today's market impacts housing costs. Current mortgage rates Here are the current mortgage rates, according to the latest Zillow data: 30-year fixed: 6.52% 20-year fixed: 6.21% 15-year fixed: 5.70% 5/1 ARM: 6.86% 7/1 ARM: 6.81% 30-year VA: 6.05% 15-year VA: 5.44% 5/1 VA: 5.85% Remember, these are the national averages and rounded to the nearest hundredth. Learn more: Is now a good time to lock in your mortgage rate? Current mortgage refinance rates These are today's mortgage refinance rates, according to the latest Zillow data: 30-year fixed: 6.59% 20-year fixed: 6.11% 15-year fixed: 5.92% 5/1 ARM: 7.19% 7/1 ARM: 6.83% 30-year VA: 6.04% 15-year VA: 5.52% 5/1 VA: 5.59% Again, the numbers provided are national averages rounded to the nearest hundredth. Mortgage refinance rates are often higher than rates when you buy a house, although that's not always the case. Read more: Is now a good time to refinance your mortgage? Refinance interest rates Up Next Up Next Monthly mortgage payment calculator Use the mortgage calculator below to see how various mortgage terms and interest rates will impact your monthly payments. Our free mortgage calculator also considers factors like property taxes and homeowners insurance when determining your estimated monthly mortgage payment. This gives you a more realistic idea of your total monthly payment than if you just looked at mortgage principal and interest. 30-year vs. 15-year fixed mortgage rates The average 30-year mortgage rate today is 6.52%. A 30-year term is the most popular type of mortgage because by spreading out your payments over 360 months, your monthly payment is lower than with a shorter-term loan. The average 15-year mortgage rate is 5.70% today. When deciding between a 15-year and a 30-year mortgage, consider your short-term versus long-term goals. A 15-year mortgage comes with a lower interest rate than a 30-year term. This is great in the long run because you'll pay off your loan 15 years sooner, and that's 15 fewer years for interest to accumulate. But the trade-off is that your monthly payment will be higher as you pay off the same amount in half the time. Let's say you get a $300,000 mortgage. With a 30-year term and a 6.52% rate, your monthly payment toward the principal and interest would be about $1,900, and you'd pay $384,055 in interest over the life of your loan — on top of that original $300,000. If you get that same $300,000 mortgage with a 15-year term and a 5.70% rate, your monthly payment would jump to $2,483. But you'd only pay $146,977 in interest over the years. Fixed-rate vs. adjustable-rate mortgages With a fixed-rate mortgage, your rate is locked in for the entire life of your loan. You will get a new rate if you refinance your mortgage, though. An adjustable-rate mortgage keeps your rate the same for a predetermined period of time. Then, the rate will go up or down depending on several factors, such as the economy and the maximum amount your rate can change according to your contract. For example, with a 7/1 ARM, your rate would be locked in for the first seven years, then change every year for the remaining 23 years of your term. Adjustable rates typically start lower than fixed rates, but once the initial rate-lock period ends, it's possible your rate will go up. Lately, though, some fixed rates have been starting lower than adjustable rates. Talk to your lender about its rates before choosing one or the other. Dig deeper: Fixed-rate vs. adjustable-rate mortgages How to get a low mortgage rate Mortgage lenders typically give the lowest mortgage rates to people with higher down payments, great or excellent credit scores, and low debt-to-income ratios. So, if you want a lower rate, try saving more, improving your credit score, or paying down some debt before you start shopping for homes. Waiting for rates to drop probably isn't the best method to get the lowest mortgage rate right now. If you're ready to buy, focusing on your personal finances is probably the best way to lower your rate. How to choose a mortgage lender To find the best mortgage lender for your situation, apply for mortgage preapproval with three or four companies. Just be sure to apply to all of them within a short time frame — doing so will give you the most accurate comparisons and have less of an impact on your credit score. When choosing a lender, don't just compare interest rates. Look at the mortgage annual percentage rate (APR) — this factors in the interest rate, any discount points, and fees. The APR, which is also expressed as a percentage, reflects the true annual cost of borrowing money. This is probably the most important number to look at when comparing mortgage lenders. Learn more: Best mortgage lenders for first-time home buyers Current mortgage rates: FAQs What is a mortgage interest rate at right now? According to Zillow, the national average 30-year mortgage rate for purchasing a home is 6.52%, and the average 15-year mortgage rate is 5.70%. But these are national averages, so the average in your area could be different. Averages are typically higher in expensive parts of the U.S. and lower in less expensive areas. What's a good mortgage rate right now? The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.52% right now, according to Zillow. However, you might get an even better rate with an excellent credit score, sizable down payment, and low debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Are mortgage rates expected to drop? Mortgage rates aren't expected to drop drastically in the near future, though they are expected to move slightly lower by the end of this year.
