Housing improves but durable orders fall
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Existing home sales posted their largest gain in two years last month, a sign the housing market may be climbing out of a slump, but orders for big-ticket factory goods fell as businesses showed wariness about the economy's health.
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Factory orders for costly manufactured goods in July recorded the biggest gain in four months. Meanwhile, sales of new homes slid, according to a pair of reports that offered a mixed picture of economic activity.
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WASHINGTON -- Housing construction plunged in August, falling to the lowest level in more than three years as the industry showed further signs of a dramatic slowdown.
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Housing construction fell in November, with single-family activity dropping to the lowest level in more than 16 years. Analysts said the recession in housing showed no signs of a turnaround.
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U.S. new home sales fell a  steeper-than-expected 9 percent in November, but business  activity elsewhere perked up this month, according to reports  on Friday that showed pockets of strength in the economy  despite a housing sector meltdown.
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Orders for long-lasting US goods slipped unexpectedly in October, but new home sales rose, consumer sentiment brightened a bit this month and claims for jobless aid fell, a mixed bag of reports showed on Wednesday.
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WASHINGTON -- Orders for big-ticket manufactured goods unexpectedly fell again in September, raising new worries about how much harm a severe housing slump and credit crunch are causing to the overall economy.
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Sales of new homes were unexpectedly weak last month, although they climbed off an 11-year low, and orders for long-lasting goods fell, according to data on Thursday that underscored the economy's weakness.
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Sales of previously owned homes inched up in November but that didn't change the overall bleak picture for an ailing housing industry that has been suffering through a painful slump.
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Orders for US durable goods posted a larger-than-expected rise in July, but new home sales showed signs of buckling under the weight of higher interest rates, two government reports showed on Wednesday.
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NEW YORK -- American shoppers took a breather last month as the worst housing recession in 16 years eroded demand for building materials, appliances, and furniture.
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U.S. manufacturing growth eased in  September to its slowest in more than a year, but home sales  and construction figures suggested a less abrupt decline in the  housing sector than many experts had foreseen.
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Orders for durable goods rebounded in November and last week&#39;s jobless claims rose by 17,000, to 333,000, which was less than expected, according to reports yesterday from the Commerce and Labor Departments.
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Applications to buy and refinance  homes dropped last week, an industry trade group said on  Wednesday, the latest sign that U.S. housing remains mired in a  downturn.
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NEW YORK -- Orders for US durable goods declined by the most in more than six years and consumer confidence unexpectedly fell, pointing to a deepening economic slowdown.
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WASHINGTON - Factory orders for costly manufactured goods in July recorded the biggest gain in four months. Meanwhile, new-home sales slid, according to a pair of reports that offered a mixed picture of economic activity.
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Stronger-than-expected orders for U.S.-made durable goods in December suggested the economy retained some life and might not need a heavy dose of interest-rate cuts, even though house prices fell a record amount in November.