> U.S. MBA reported mortgage applications tumbled another -5.3% in the December 20 week, after dropping -5.0% in the prior week. The index has been on a choppy course all year. However, it is still 58.7% y/y higher compare to last year. The refi index declined -5.1%, and the purchase index fell -4.8%.> U.S. initial jobless claims dropped -13k to 222k in the week of December 21, after sliding -17k to 235k in the prior week (revised from 234k). Claims are correcting from the 49k spike to a 2-year high off 252k in the December 7 week. The 4-week moving average rose to 228k after edging up to 225.75k previously (revised from 225.5k).> This Reuters article is making the rounds (https://reut.rs/2QoJoC6), suggesting that online holiday shopping in the US surged nearly 19% in 2019 versus 2018. Reuters also cited a credit-card linked data tracking service, which for overall holiday retail sales, excluding autos, also showed a 3.4% gain. Recap & Discussion: