Video Credit: Reuters - Politics - Duration: 01:02s - Published
Exorbitant lumber hampers U.S. homebuilding
U.S. homebuilding rebounded less than expected in May as very expensive lumber and shortages of other materials continued to constrain builders' ability to take advantage of an acute shortage of houses on the market.
U.S. homebuilding rebounded less than expected in May as exorbitant lumber prices and scarce materials continued to hamper the ability of homebuilders to take advantage of an acute shortage of houses on the market.
The report from the Commerce Department on Wednesday also showed permits for future home construction falling to a seven-month low.
The number of homes authorized for construction but not yet started rose to the highest level since 1999, indicating supply will likely remain tight for a while and boost home price inflation.
Demand for bigger and more expensive accommodations amid the health crisis is driving a housing market boom.
House prices have increased by the most in more than 15 years on an annual basis, raising concerns that some first-time buyers could be priced out of the market.
The inventory of previously owned homes is near record lows.
And - a survey from the National Association of Home Builders on Tuesday showed confidence among single-family homebuilders fell to a 10-month low in June.
Key Federal Reserve Inflation Gauge , Rose 2.8% in March.
According to Commerce Department
data released on April 26.
the personal consumption expenditures
(PCE) price index, not including food or energy, rose 2.8% year-over-year in March. .
That exceeded Dow Jones
estimates of 2.7%, CNBC reports. .
When also accounting for food and energy, the all-items PCE measure rose 2.7%,
which was above the 2.6% estimate.
Inflation reports released this morning
were not as a hot as feared, , George Mateyo, chief investment officer at Key Wealth, via CNBC.
... but investors should not get
overly anchored to the idea that
inflation has been completely
cured and the Fed will be cutting
interest rates in the near-term, George Mateyo, chief investment officer at Key Wealth, via CNBC.
The prospects of rate cuts remain,
but they are not assured, and the
Fed will likely need weakness in
the labor market before they
have the confidence to cut, George Mateyo, chief investment officer at Key Wealth, via CNBC.
Consumers continue to spend despite
higher prices, CNBC reports.
Personal spending increased 0.8% in March, while personal income rose 0.5%.
The personal saving rate dropped to 3.2% as more people are having to dip into their savings to cover the cost of living.
The Fed continues to target 2% inflation, which the core PCE has exceeded for
the last three years, CNBC reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
March Retail Sales , Exceeded Expectations.
New Commerce Department data surprised
some analysts on April 15, 'The Hill' reports. .
The agency's latest estimates indicate
that March retail sales increased by 0.7%.
They were only expected
to rise 0.3% last month.
While sales exceeded estimates for March, the jump
was still below the 0.9% increase in February.
Compared to the same time last year, total sales
for the first three months of 2024 were up 2.1%.
On April 10, the Labor Department released data showing that inflation rose last month. .
The consumer price index (CPI)
increased 0.4% in March and 3.5% annually.
In February, consumer prices
increased 3.2% year-over-year. .
Still, the newest Commerce Department data suggests that Americans continue to spend despite prolonged inflation, 'The Hill' reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
![Key Federal Reserve Inflation Gauge Rose 2.8% in March [Video]](https://video.newsserve.net/300/v/20240426/1373828506-Key-Federal-Reserve-Inflation-Gauge-Rose.jpg)
![March Retail Sales Exceeded Expectations [Video]](https://video.newsserve.net/300/v/20240416/1372826444-March-Retail-Sales-Exceeded-Expectations.jpg)
