Rates on 30-year mortgages rose for a fifth consecutive week, topping 6 percent for the first time since March as financial markets continued to worry about inflation.

Mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the nationwide average for 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages rose this week to 6.03 percent, the first time the rate has been above 6 percent since it hit 6.04 percent in the last week in March.

Analysts said that the surge in energy costs following hurricane-related production shutdowns along the Gulf Coast has sparked fears in financial markets of higher inflation.

Frank Nothaft, chief economist at Freddie Mac, said the 30-year mortgage could hit 6.4 percent in early 2006.

Rates on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, a popular choice for refinancing a home mortgage, averaged 5.62 percent this week, up from 5.54 percent last week.