Jobless claims on the climb
More people sought U.S. unemployment benefits last week, though the trend in benefit applications in the past month remained low.
The U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday that weekly applications for unemployment aid rose 11,000 to a seasonally adjusted 315,000, the most since late June. Still, the four-week average of applications, a less volatile measure, rose just 750 to 304,000.
Mortgage rates rise slightly
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose slightly this week but remain near their lows for the year.
Mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday the nationwide average for a 30-year loan edged up to 4.12 percent from 4.10 percent last week, where it had stayed for three straight weeks.
The average for a 15-year mortgage, a popular choice for people who are refinancing, rose to 3.26 percent from 3.24 percent.
At 4.12 percent, the rate on a 30-year mortgage is down from 4.53 percent at the start of the year. Rates have fallen even though the Federal Reserve has been trimming its monthly bond purchases, which are intended to keep long-term borrowing rates low. The purchases are set to end next month.