The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® fell by 0.6% in July to a reading of 100.4 (2016=100), following a decline of 0.2% in June.
Wood Markets News
Kalesnikoff Lumber Highlights Move to Mass Timber Manufacturing
Chris Kalesnikoff speaks to the Vancouver Sun about the journey of the Kalesnikoff family to a key player in the mass timber and prefabricated mass timber building industry.
Townhouse Construction Continues to Expand in Q2
Single-family attached starts totaled 42,000 in Q2, 8% higher than 2023Q2, the Census Bureau and NAHB reported.
US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update as of August 19th
As of Monday, 62 large active wildfires are being managed with full suppression strategies nationwide. Current fires have burned 2,237,578 acres.
US Housing Starts, Building Permits, and Completions Fall in July
Housing starts in July were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,238,000, 6.8% below the revised June rate.
Canadian Labor Minister Rejects CN Request for Intervention in Railroad Labor Dispute
Labor Minister MacKinnon rejected CN’s request to intervene in the ongoing labor dispute between the company and the union representing railway employees, CTV News reported.
Canadian Housing Starts Soar 16% in July
The total monthly seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts for all areas in Canada increased 16% in July to 279,509 units, MBA reported.
Mortgage Delinquency Rate Increases in Q2
The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties increased to a seasonally adjusted rate of 3.97% of all loans outstanding at the end of Q2, MBA reported.
US Army Moving Forward With Green Military Installations Using Mass Timber
The US Army is looking to build greener, safer, and more resilient military installations, starting with a $100 million, 89,000-square-foot facility that broke ground last week, Wood Central reported.
University of Michigan Reports Preliminary Results of Its Consumer Sentiment Index for August
The University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment rose to a reading of 67.8 in August, up from 66.4 in July. This is a month-over-month increase of 2.1% but down 2.3% year-over-year.