Recent Updates
- New Zealand: Motor Vehicle Registrations (Sep)
- US: Job Openings & Labor Turnover Survey (Aug), IP & Capacity Utilization (Sep)
- US: Business Leaders Survey (Oct), Home Builders (Oct)
- US: Industrial Production Detail (Sep)
- Canada: Intl Transactions in Securities (Aug)
- Italy: CPI, HICP Final (Sep)
- UK: Claims (Sep), Earnings (Aug), Employment (Jul)
- more updates...
Economy in Brief
U.S. Home Builder Index Improves, but Remains Below Last Year's High
The Composite Housing Market Index from the NAHB-Wells Fargo inched up during October to 68 from an unrevised 67 in September...
U.S. JOLTS: Job Openings Rate Hits Another Record
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the total job openings rate rose to a record 4.6% in August...
U.S. Gasoline and Crude Oil Prices Ease; Natural Gas Prices Increase
Gasoline prices slipped to an average $2.88 per gallon last week (+15.7% y/y)...
Macroeconomic Assessments by ZEW Experts Continue to Sink
Financial experts responding in the ZEW economic survey found current conditions weaker just about across the board...
U.S. Retail Sales Post Disappointing Increase
Total retail sales improved 0.1% (4.7% y/y) during September...
by Tom Moeller March 24, 2005
Sales of new single-family homes recovered 9.4% in February to 1.226M after the little revised 8.6% January decline. Consensus estimates had been for sales of 1.150M.
The rise in sales last month was led by a 9.9% recovery in the Midwest (-6.8% y/y) after the one-third drop in January. In the Northeast sales surged 20.3% (-3.5% y/y) and in the South sales jumped 9.0% (+15.5% y/y). In the West sales gained 7.4% (-1.7% y/y).
The median price of a new single family home jumped 9.6% to $230,700 (+5.1% y/y).
The figures from the Census Department reflect homes sold.
| Homes Sales (000s, AR) | Feb | Jan | Y/Y | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Single-Family | 1,226 | 1,121 | 5.2% | 1,198 | 1,089 | 976 |
