News in end use

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® declined 0.4% in August to a reading of 105.4 (2016=100), after posting a 0.3% decline in July.

The advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 201,000 during the week ending Saturday, September 16th. This is a decrease of 20,000.

The Associated Builders and Contractors Construction Backlog Indicator declined to 9.2 months in August, down 0.1 month.

Mortgage loan application volume increased 5.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Privately‐owned housing starts in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 1,283,000. This is 11.3% below the revised July estimate of 1,447,000.

The level of commercial/multifamily mortgage debt increased by $37.3 billion, or 0.8%, in Q2, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 4.0% year-over-year in August, following a 3.3% increase in July. On a monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.4% in August.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation reported that the standalone SAAR of housing starts declined 1% month-over-month in August to 252,787 units.

Investment in Canadian building construction fell 2.6% to $17.5 billion (CAD) in July. Single-family home construction investment decreased 5.5% to $5.8 billion.