Mortgage activity had benefited over recent weeks on the precipitous decline of mortgage rates. But last week, as average contracted rates on 30-year and 15-year fixed rate mortgages increased to 4.69% (from 4.6%) and 3.78% (from 3.75%), respectively, activity lulled. The MBA’s Market Composite Index only inched ahead 1.1% against the prior week on a seasonally adjusted basis. Purchase activity continued higher as well, with the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index gaining 1.5% against the immediately preceding period.

As expected, the Refinance Index creeped just 0.9% ahead as rates moved higher.

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Round Rock Texas-based PC maker Dell Inc. (DELL – Analyst Report) recently confirmed an information technology (IT) support deal with Hyatt Corp., an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. (H – Snapshot Report). The contract has a tenure of five years, but no financial details of it were disclosed.

Under the deal, Dell’s Services segment will provide extensive IT services and support to Hyatt, enabling the renowned hospitality service provider to better manage its business and deliver improved services to its boarders.

Dell will provide Hyatt with its Service Desk Support, Corporate Support Services, Network and Server Support Services, Asset and Inventory Management Services and Project Services.

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Brazil’s economy grew at a rate of 7% last year, partially due to significant exports to China. Even Goldman Sachs is expanding its staffing in Brazil by 20%. Investors looking for growth and stability in Brazilian investments should take a closer look at Brazilian utility stocks, all of which appear on the Brazil stock list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

CPFL Energia S.A. (CPL) is one of the largest companies that provides electric generation and distribution in Brazil is CPFL Energia. Full post…

NEW YORK (Reuters) – They are victims of their own success. So now its time for short sellers of Chinese stocks listed in North America to shift their attention thousands of miles away to Hong Kong.

Short-selling investor-bloggers have made enough noise, and cash, by shorting the shares of New York and Toronto-listed Chinese companies and issuing reports accusing them of fraud that the charges for borrowing shares in these companies has soared. And that can make the strategys costs prohibitive.

They have also picked off the low-hanging fruit – the companies, most of which came to the U.S.

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