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Last Week's Headlines

• The National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index attempts to gauge home builders' perception of the general economy and housing market conditions based on a survey of its members. According to its most recent report, builders gained confidence in the market for newly constructed single-family homes in October as the index rose 3 points to 64. The index for current sales also gained 3 points to 70 in anticipation of favorable new home sales. Expected sales over the next six months increased 7 points to an index reading of 75--all indications of continuing strength in the housing sector.
• New residential construction picked up in September, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's latest figures. Privately owned housing starts (beginning of the construction phase) were at an annual rate of 1,206,000, or 6.5% above the revised August estimate, and 17.5% over the September 2014 rate. Looking forward, residential building permits fell off by 5% in September compared to August, indicative of a possible slowdown in residential construction in the months ahead.
• Following last month's decline in existing home sales, the National Association of Realtors® reports that existing home sales increased 4.7% for September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.55 million. Total existing home sales are 8.8% above a year ago (5.10 million). However, the median existing home price for all housing types fell in September to $221,900, which is down from August's median price of $228,500. Nevertheless, the housing market, in general, continues to be a positive economic sector.
• Manufacturing, which has been a relatively weak sector this year, may be showing signs of an uptick. October's Purchasing Managers' Manufacturing Index increased to 54, up from 53.1 in September. The companies surveyed for the index indicated that improving demand from domestic markets and competitive pricing strategies have led to accelerated production levels. While this is a preliminary report, any favorable news on the manufacturing front is welcome.
• Initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 3,000 for the week ended October 17, to close at 259,000, up from the previous week's revised level of 256,000. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was unchanged at 1.6% for the week ended October 10, while the advance number for continuing unemployment insurance claims increased 6,000 to 2,170,000.

Eye on the Week Ahead

Much of next week's focus will be on the Federal Reserve's meeting, which again will raise the question of whether, or when, interest rates will be raised. The first preliminary report on the gross domestic product for the third quarter is also scheduled for next week.

Data sources: News items are based on reports from multiple commonly available international news sources (i.e. wire services) and are independently verified when necessary with secondary sources such as government agencies, corporate press releases, or trade organizations. Market data: Based on data reported in WSJ Market Data Center (indexes); U.S. Treasury (Treasury yields); U.S. Energy Information Administration/Bloomberg.com Market Data (oil spot price, WTI Cushing, OK); www.goldprice.org (spot gold/silver); Oanda/FX Street (currency exchange rates). All information is based on sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or guarantee is made as to its accuracy or completeness. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed herein constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities, and should not be relied on as financial advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal, and there can be no guarantee that any investing strategy will be successful.

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