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Economy in Brief
Delay in Release
of Data for Construction, MSIO, Intl Trade, Wholesale Trade, Monthly Treasury, Retail Sales, Business Sales & Inventories, and Housing Starts Due to Lapse in Federal Government Funding.
U.S. Home Builder Index Improves
The NAHB -Wells Fargo Composite Housing Market Index rose to 58 during January...
U.S. Mortgage Loan Applications Continue to Strengthen
The MBA total Mortgage Applications Index increased 13.5% (1.4% y/y) during the week ended January 11...
EMU Inflation Pokes Above 2% Then Dives
Inflation in the EMU, in its largest economies, and in the U.K., remains subdued...
U.S. Producer Prices Decline Led by Lower Energy Costs
The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index using new methodology fell 0.2% during December...
by Tom Moeller May 17, 2005
The May National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Composite Housing Market Index recovered all of the prior month's sharp drop and rose to 70.
During the last twenty years, annual changes in the composite index had an 83% correlation with the change in new home sales. There's been an 86% correlation with the change in single family housing starts.
All of the index components improved in May though the index of expected sales in six months by just 1.3%.
Traffic of prospective home buyers rose to the highest level this year.
The NAHB index is a diffusion index based on a survey of builders. Readings above 50 signal that more builders view conditions as good than poor.
Visit the National Association of Home Builders.
| Nat'l Association of Home Builders | May | April | May '04 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composite Housing Market Index | 70 | 67 | 69 | 68 | 64 | 61 |
