Rates faced upward pressure Thursday in volatile trading as stocks moved higher. In economic news, weekly Jobless Claims rose to 259,000, above the consensus forecast of 245,000. Leading Indicators rose 0.5% in December, in line with estimates. December New Home Sales tumbled by 10.4% to 536,000 annual units, well below expectations, as mortgage rates jumped following the November election. Results from today’s 7-year Treasury auction will be released at 1:00 PM.