Last week's economic releases included several reports related to housing. The Wells Fargo/NAHB Housing Market Index achieved its highest reading in nearly 10 years. Housing Starts dipped in August and Building Permits issued in August exceeded July expectations. The week's big news was actually no news. The Fed's Federal Open Market Committee decided not to raise interest rates. Fed Chair Janet Yellen followed up on the FOMC statement with a press conference and said that the Fed is not yet ready to raise rates, but that a majority of FOMC members are prepared to raise rates before year-end.
Last week's economic news included Case-Shiller Home Price Index reports, the Fedâs FOMC meeting statement and pending home sales. Freddie Mac mortgage rates and weekly jobless claims were also released as usual.
According to the Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index for February, month-to-month home prices increased by 0.50 percent from Januaryâs reading and achieved the highest year-over-year gain in six months. Analysts expected February home prices to increase by 4.80 percent.
Last week's economic reports included the NAHB Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, Housing Starts, and Freddie Mac's weekly survey of mortgage rates. Other news included the weekly jobless claims report and consumer sentiment for April.
Last weekâs economic news included the minutes from the most recent FOMC meeting, which indicated that the Fedâs monetary policymakers are eyeing a potential increase in the target federal funds rate, but donât expect to do so immediately.
Mortgage rates ticked upward for fixed rate loans and were unchanged for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages according to Freddie Mac. Weekly jobless claims were lower in spite of slower job growth reports.
According to the S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index report for January, home prices grew by 4.50 percent year-over-year as compared to January 2014âs year-over-year price growth rate of 10.50 percent. This was the lowest rate of home price growth since 2012.
Last weekâs events included the National Association of Home Builderâs Housing Market Index, which fell to its lowest reading since last summer. Other news included reports on housing starts and building permits, the FOMC meeting statement and Fed Chair Janet Yellenâs press conference.
Last week's economic reports included job openings, retail sales, retail sales except automotive, consumer sentiment for March and the usual reports on weekly jobless claims and mortgage rates.
Last weekâs economic news was scant on housing related reports, but several employment reports were released along with the national unemployment rate, which dipped to 5.50 percent. This was a full point below the Federal Reserveâs original target rate of 6.50 percent. Construction spending was incrementally lower than expected and mortgage rates also fell.
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