U.S. mortgage rates jump, erasing three months of declines

Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:01:04 (GMT)
U.S. mortgage rates jump, erasing three months of declines

Mortgage rates rose again this week, bringing the 30-year and 15-year
fixed-rate mortgages to levels last seen in November.

ETF Focus: New Deutsche Bank ETNs provide leveraged, short exposure to
gold

BOSTON
A trio of new exchange-traded notes are designed to provide leveraged
and short exposure to gold-futures prices, but their approach should end
up making a notoriously volatile market even more risky for individual
investors.

Thornburg says more than $300 million in margin calls paid

Thornburg Mortgage Inc. has had to come up with more than $300 million
in cash since Valentine's Day to back troubled mortgage-related
securities, according to a regulatory filing. If it can't meet future
margin calls, Santa Fe, N.M.-based Thornburg warned that it may have to
start selling some assets to raise cash.

Sprint posts big loss, calls off dividend payments

WASHINGTON
Stung by defecting customers and falling sales, Sprint Nextel posted a
steep fourth-quarter loss and canceled its dividend "for the
foreseeable future." .

Market Snapshot: U.S. stocks skid lower after data highlights a weak
economy

NEW YORK
U.S. stocks skid lower after the government revises its estimated growth
in gross domestic product for the fourth quarter, with the U.S. economy
in 2007 grinding down to its slowing pace in five years.