Rates inched lower Thursday as a sharp decline in stocks lifted mortgage-backed securities. In economic news, weekly Jobless Claims fell to 267,000, a bit below forecast. August Durable Goods Orders declined by 2.0%, close to expectations. New Home Sales surged unexpectedly to 552,000 annual units, well above the consensus forecast of 515,000. Results from today’s 7-year Treasury auction will be released at 1:00 PM.