The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® declined to a reading of 104.7 (1985=100) in March, down from 104.8 in February.
News in end use
New US Residential Single-Family Home Sales Down Slightly Month-Over-Month but Up Year-Over-Year in February
New residential single-family home sales for February were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 662,000, 0.3% below the revised January rate.
Existing US Homes For Sale Increased 5% and New Listings Rose 15% During the Four-Week Period Ending March 17th
Redfin reported that during the four-week period ending March 17th, the total number of US homes for sale climbed 5%, the largest year-over-year increase since May 2023.
State-Level Analysis of Construction Sector Employment for February
31 states reported month-over-month employment gains in February, the BLS and National Association of Home Builders reported.
Canadians Receiving Employment Insurance Benefits Inches Higher in January
In January, the number of Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits was up 0.3%.
US Existing-Home Sales Increase Month-Over-Month in February, but Remain Lower Year-Over-Year
Existing home sales increased 9.5% month-over-month in February to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.38 million, the National Association of Realtors reported.
US Fixed-Rate Mortgages Climb Higher in the Week Ending March 21st
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.87%, up from last week when it averaged 6.74%, Freddie Mac reported.
The Conference Board’s US Leading Economic Index® Creeps Higher in February
The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index® increased 0.1% in February, following a decline of 0.4% in January.
US Weekly Jobless Claims Move Lower in the Week Ending March 16th
The advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 210,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week.
Federal Reserve Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged; Still Plans Three Rate Cuts in 2024
The Federal Reserve announced it was holding interest rates steady and made no changes to its forecast that it will be necessary to cut rates three times in 2024, Yahoo Finance reported.