Sebastian Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 Key US housing data is due out Wednesday. With housing starts having hit a low annual rate of 1.399 million in January, the rate has since recovered to 1.506 million and 1.518 million in February and March respectively. Some analysts put the recent bounce down to milder weather for the time of year and suggest we may not yet have seen the worst, so April's number is crucial. The numer of permits issued reached a low rate of 1.513 million last November and thus far this year has returned rates of 1.571 million, 1.532 million and 1.544 million, from January through to March respectively. There's a graph and a description at the link below. http://www.todayfx.com/whatisit.html#HStarts A decline in starts to 1.485 million is forecast tomorrow, while permits are expected to fall to 1.515 million. Any pick-up in the rate is sure to help confidence although there is a long way to go because house starts were more than a whopping 25% lower in March this year than in the same month last year. Do you think we have now seen the worst for the US construction sector and what might tomorrow's data tell us, if anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DissipatedYouthIsValuable Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 Key US housing data is due out Wednesday.With housing starts having hit a low annual rate of 1.399 million in January, the rate has since recovered to 1.506 million and 1.518 million in February and March respectively. Some analysts put the recent bounce down to milder weather for the time of year and suggest we may not yet have seen the worst, so April's number is crucial. The numer of permits issued reached a low rate of 1.513 million last November and thus far this year has returned rates of 1.571 million, 1.532 million and 1.544 million, from January through to March respectively. There's a graph and a description at the link below. http://www.todayfx.com/whatisit.html#HStarts A decline in starts to 1.485 million is forecast tomorrow, while permits are expected to fall to 1.515 million. Any pick-up in the rate is sure to help confidence although there is a long way to go because house starts were more than a whopping 25% lower in March this year than in the same month last year. Do you think we have now seen the worst for the US construction sector and what might tomorrow's data tell us, if anything? Call me a pervert if you will, but I find viewing a house in appalling weather conditions much more useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted May 15, 2007 Author Share Posted May 15, 2007 Call me a pervert if you will, but I find viewing a house in appalling weather conditions much more useful. If indeed it is built. Bad weather conditions will prevent builders from starting new homes so weather can distort data for those months where snowmen are in the ascendancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
House of Lords Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 As a wise person pointed out, why would anyone get a warm glow from people starting more new housese when you've got far too many of them in the first place! If they had a brain between them, the lower the number the better but then that would require at least mid-term thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the end is a bit nigher Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 (edited) Do you think we have now seen the worst for the US construction sector and what might tomorrow's data tell us, if anything? there may be a bounce but if we are having a serious downturn in housing then it will last for years - it's apopular bull misconception that upward moves last for years but downward moves only last for months Edited May 15, 2007 by the end is nigh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted May 15, 2007 Author Share Posted May 15, 2007 As a wise person pointed out, why would anyone get a warm glow from people starting more new housese when you've got far too many of them in the first place!If they had a brain between them, the lower the number the better but then that would require at least mid-term thinking. It all depends on the region I guess. The air of demand and depression will shift with the geography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted May 15, 2007 Author Share Posted May 15, 2007 there may be a bounce but if we are having a serious downturn in housing then it will last for years - it's apopular bull misconception that upward moves last for years but downward moves only last for months I agree with you on that, especially when the number of houses for sale on the market continues to grow and the time it takes to close a sale extends. It is interesting to note though that the number of houses that have actually been finished has exceeded the number that were started for every month over the past year, during which time the sector has being going through the mill. Is that telling us something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Don't Surf Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 Well, expect to see the Dow Jones set new records if the news is only as bad or slightly better than expected! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted May 15, 2007 Author Share Posted May 15, 2007 Well, expect to see the Dow Jones set new records if the news is only as bad or slightly better than expected! The Dow has already hit a new record today - currently at 13,458. The Dow has taken all the good news on board, but doesn't want to retreat when the news is less than good. Considering most of the economic data out of the US has been less than good in recent months, the Dow's performance is nothing less than miraculous. So if the data tomorrow turns out to be poor, don't be surprised if the Dow ignores it and climbs again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the end is a bit nigher Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 The Dow has already hit a new record today - currently at 13,458. The Dow has taken all the good news on board, but doesn't want to retreat when the news is less than good. Considering most of the economic data out of the US has been less than good in recent months, the Dow's performance is nothing less than miraculous. So if the data tomorrow turns out to be poor, don't be surprised if the Dow ignores it and climbs again. indeed, whilst i am still bullish on stocks, the DOW seems to have achieved too much too fast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
House of Lords Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 Yes, it does make we wonder when they'll run out of Prozac...down hill from there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted May 15, 2007 Author Share Posted May 15, 2007 indeed, whilst i am still bullish on stocks, the DOW seems to have achieved too much too fast It's like a runaway train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 It's like a runaway train. Data is out: http://www.census.gov/const/newresconst.pdf US Housing starts up 2.5% in April but building permits down a massive 8.9% and housing completions down 5.8%. Permits and Completions are good indicators of sentiment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FernandoMorientes Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/16/news/econo...sion=2007051608 No. 5 builder KB Home (Charts, Fortune 500) returned to an operating profit in its most recent quarter after an earlier loss, but its CEO warned in April that he expects the housing slump to get worse. Data is out:http://www.census.gov/const/newresconst.pdf US Housing starts up 2.5% in April but building permits down a massive 8.9% and housing completions down 5.8%. Permits and Completions are good indicators of sentiment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rondy Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Do you think we have now seen the worst for the US construction sector and what might tomorrow's data tell us, if anything? Why do you think it is already 2012? USA has just started the slump, there are 5 years to go to reach the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rondy Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 The Dow has already hit a new record today - currently at 13,458. The Dow has taken all the good news on board, but doesn't want to retreat when the news is less than good. Considering most of the economic data out of the US has been less than good in recent months, the Dow's performance is nothing less than miraculous. So if the data tomorrow turns out to be poor, don't be surprised if the Dow ignores it and climbs again. Dow will stop increasing when the last fool is parted from his/her money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Confounded Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Dow will stop increasing when the last fool is parted from his/her money. Still more fools left, DOW up 30 Wall Street heads toward higher open NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks headed toward a higher opening Wednesday after data showed an increase of home construction in April, even as building permits dropped to their lowest level in 17 years. http://www.advfn.com/news_Wall-Street-head...n_20658799.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 Still more fools left, DOW up 30Wall Street heads toward higher open NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks headed toward a higher opening Wednesday after data showed an increase of home construction in April, even as building permits dropped to their lowest level in 17 years. http://www.advfn.com/news_Wall-Street-head...n_20658799.html US Industrial Production rose 0.7% in April, so there appears to be a rebound in manufacturing that is helping the markets today. Interestingly enough, April factory capacity utilisation rose to 81.6% from 81.2% in March and that will heighten inflation concerns, if the manufacturing recovery is sustained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Confounded Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 US Industrial Production rose 0.7% in April, so there appears to be a rebound in manufacturing that is helping the markets today. Interestingly enough, April factory capacity utilisation rose to 81.6% from 81.2% in March and that will heighten inflation concerns, if the manufacturing recovery is sustained. Yep, they published the manufacturing report after I posted. http://www.advfn.com/news_Stocks-Rise-Foll...a_20659514.html "Wall Street appeared pleased by a Federal Reserve report that found industrial output rose 0.7 percent in April. The stronger-than-expected increase reflected a rebound in manufacturing and a big jump in output by the nation's utilities. In March, output fell 0.3 percent." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 Yep, they published the manufacturing report after I posted.http://www.advfn.com/news_Stocks-Rise-Foll...a_20659514.html "Wall Street appeared pleased by a Federal Reserve report that found industrial output rose 0.7 percent in April. The stronger-than-expected increase reflected a rebound in manufacturing and a big jump in output by the nation's utilities. In March, output fell 0.3 percent." I guess you could say that the data was mixed. The Dow has just gone flat though, while the dollar is on a surge, so somebody has barked somewhere. Sterling is holding up better than the euro. Tomorrow's Philly index will be looked at closely to establish whether the manufacturing recovery is real or temporary. Crap housing data seems to be par for the course and the markets appear unphased by it at this stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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