The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index declined 7.2 points to a reading of 92.9 (1985=100).
News in end use
Nonresidential Construction Backlog Declines in February; Contractor Optimism Remains High
The ABC Construction Backlog Indicator declined to 8.3 months in February. Year-over-year, the measure was up 0.2 months.
NAHB Priced-Out Estimates Show Lower Interest Rates Have Improved Housing Affordability
NAHB Priced-Out Estimates show how home price increases and mortgage rates affect housing affordability in 2025.
US Remodeling Market Continues to Grow as Homes Age
A new report by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies says the strength of the remodeling market has been supported by aging homes and households, as well as record-high property values.
US Residential Construction Loan Volume Falls in Q4
The total volume of AD&C loans outstanding from FDIC-insured institutions fell 1.02% to $490.7 billion, the third straight quarterly decline, NAHB reported.
Canadian Industrial Product and Raw Materials Price Indices for February
Lumber and other wood product prices declined 1.2%, following six consecutive monthly increases. Softwood lumber was down 3.4%.
US Existing-Home Sales Rise 4.2% in February
Existing-home sales increased 4.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.26 million in February, NAR reported.
US Mortgage Rates Inch Higher in the Week Ending March 20
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.67%, up from last week when it averaged 6.65%, Freddie Mac reported.
The Conference Board US Leading Economic Index Continues to Move Lower in February
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index declined 0.3% to a reading of 101.1 in February, after a revised decline of 0.2% in January.
US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims Trend Higher in the Week Ending March 15
The advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 223,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week’s revised total.