The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® declined 0.4% in January to a reading of 102.7 (2016=100), following a 0.2% decline in December.
Wood Markets News
Interfor’s Meldrim, Georgia, Sawmill Sustains Fire Damage to a Kiln Building
Several local fire departments spent Sunday afternoon fighting a fire at Interfor’s sawmill in Meldrim, Georgia, WTOC/Channel 11.
US Residential Building Materials Costs Climb Higher in January
Inputs to residential construction (goods less food and energy, not seasonally adjusted) increased 1.28% month-over-month in January, the BLS and NAHB reported.
Canadian Industrial Product and Raw Materials Price Indexes Show Mixed Results in January
The Industrial Product Price Index (IPPI) declined 0.1% month-over-month and 2.9% year-over-year in January.
US Existing-Home Sales Market Slows in January as Mortgage Rates Hold Steady
New listings dropped 1.2% month-over-month in January (seasonally adjusted), Redfin reported.
US Townhouse Starts Climb 27% Year-Over-Year in 2024Q4
Single-family attached starts totaled 47,000 units in 2023Q4, a 27% increase from 2022Q4, the Census Bureau and NAHB reported.
US Housing Starts, Building Permits, and Completions All Decline Month-Over-Month in January
Privately‐owned housing starts in January were at a SAAR of 1,331,000, 14.8% below the revised December estimate.
Quebec Asks Canadian Federal Government for Extra Log Harvesting Rights to Compensate for Last Year’s Wildfires
Canada committed to planting two billion trees across the country to restore habitats and fight climate change, and now Quebec wants to harvest some of them, Canada’s National Observer reported.
Mortgage Applications for New-Home Purchases Soar in January
Mortgage applications for new-home purchases increased 38.0% month-over-month and 19.1% year-over-year in January, the MBA reported.
“TallWood Project” Testing Confirms Mass Timber’s Impressive Seismic Resilience
After more than 100 simulated earthquakes, the 10-story “Tallwood Project” building has demonstrated the impressive seismic resilience of mass timber buildings, temblor reported.