Housing starts in January jumped 9.7 percent from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,326,000, according to data released by the Department of Commerce. Construction of homes of five units or more surged 19.7 percent, while single-family starts climbed 3.7 percent. Starts increased across three of the four U.S. regions, but dropped by […]
The White House released its infrastructure plan this week offering $200 billion in federal funds, far short of the $1 trillion promised during the Trump election campaign. The plan is to “stimulate” $1.5 trillion in investment over the next 10 years to be accomplished through a combination of incentives, asset divesture and reductions in regulations. […]
The release of President Trump’s infrastructure plan drew mixed responses from trade groups involved with the steel industry. Although all support the much-needed infrastructure work, several question the president’s plan to fund it. Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute supported the streamlining of permits proposed in the plan. […]
The Dodge Momentum Index fell 5.1 percent in January to 143.7 from December’s revised score of 151.5. On a year-over-year basis, the index gained 7.7 percent. The Dodge Momentum Index, published by Dodge Data & Analytics, is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which has been […]
U.S. automotive sales were a mixed bag in January. General Motors’ sales climbed mildly by 1.3 percent. Ford and FCA saw sales drop, while Toyota gained 16.8 percent year over year. Asian manufacturers, in general, did well in January. Mazda had its best January since 1994, reporting double-digit growth along with Kia and Nissan. Honda […]
The automotive industry downturn is slight, especially considering the past two years have been record years, said Bernard Swiecki, Senior Automotive Analyst at the Center for Automotive Research, during a presentation Jan. 25 at the regional meeting of the Association of Steel Distributors. Total light vehicle sales slipped 1.8 percent in 2017, but the […]
Home prices are rising faster than the rate of inflation, according to the latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices. Data for November shows a year-over-year gain of 6.2 percent for the National Home Price Index. The 20-city composite posted a 6.4 percent annual gain with Seattle, Las Vegas and San Francisco reporting the highest year-over-year […]
Architecture firms saw increases in billings in 10 out of 12 months last year. December was no exception with an Architecture Billings Index score of 52.9, a decrease from November’s score of 55, but still firmly in growth territory. Firms reported strong backlogs and inquiries into new projects. The new projects inquiry index registered 61.9, […]
Auto and light truck production continued to decelerate in December, even in Mexico, according to the latest Steel Market Update analysis of auto production in the NAFTA region. U.S. Vehicle Sales Economy.com reported that a tumultuous 2017 ended on a high note. “U.S. December vehicle sales posted a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 17.85 million […]
Sales of existing homes slowed last month, reports the National Association of Realtors. Existing home sales slipped 3.6 percent in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million, down from November’s revised rate of 5.78 million. Single-family home sales were down 2.6 percent, while condo sales fell 11.6 percent. Sales for 2017 totaled […]
Future automotive trends reinforce the role of steel, says Greg Ludkovsky, vice president of global R&D for ArcelorMittal. In the following commentary, Ludkovsky contends that steel offers the optimal balance of strength, performance and mass reduction with the least impact on the environment compared to aluminum and other materials: While sales of battery electric vehicles […]
Construction workers in Texas will get an assist from the Associated General Contractors to deal with financial burdens resulting from Hurricane Harvey. The AGC Charities, the charitable arm of the association, is providing 83 construction workers in Texas with checks of $2,350 each to cover the costs of uninsured and uncompensated damages caused by the […]
U.S. Department of Commerce data shows that new-home starts declined in December while building permit authorizations remained relatively flat. Housing starts dropped 8.2 percent in December from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,192,000. Compared to December 2016, starts were down 6.0 percent. Single-family housing starts were 11.8 percent below November’s […]
When Ford surprised the market by introducing an aluminum-bodied F-150 in 2014, cutting the pickup’s weight by a dramatic 700 pounds, many assumed its rivals would have to follow suit to keep pace with the fuel economy savings. Instead, they decided to wait and see if the truck would perform as promised and if it […]
Both the steel and aluminum sectors have made major strides in supplying automakers with new, strong-but-light materials to take weight out of vehicles and boost their miles per gallon while lowering harmful tailpipe emissions. But to meet the current federal requirements for 2025, which call for a fleetwide average of over 50 mpg, the auto […]
Below is the latest data released by the the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) regarding residential and commercial heating and cooling equipment shipments through November 2017. You may read the press release on their website here. Residential Storage Water Heaters U.S. shipments of residential gas storage water heaters for November 2017 decreased 3.4 percent, […]
The tug-of-war between steel and aluminum for a greater share of the lucrative automotive materials market will be on full display beginning this week at the North American International Auto Show. The Detroit auto extravaganza will run from Jan. 13-28, showcasing the latest and greatest in automotive design as carmakers strive to wow consumers and […]
Total construction expenditures have turned around and grew by 3.9 percent in three months through February year over year. The growth of total construction on a rolling 12-month basis year over year has been constant at 2.1 percent for each month December through February. On a rolling three-month year-over-year basis, the situation is much better […]
A favorable indicator of construction activity, the Dodge Momentum Index gained 3.6 percent in December for a reading of 153.9. The November index was revised downward to 148.6 from 149.5. The gain last month was due to an 8.5 percent jump in planning for institutional building projects. The commercial building index gained just 0.7 percent […]
The construction industry gained 30,000 jobs in December for its highest employment level since September 2008. Construction employment totaled 6,993,000 in December, according to government data analyzed by the Associated General Contractors of America. During 2017, 210,000 jobs were added for a 3.1 percent annual increase. “Employment and pay in construction have risen more rapidly […]
Annual auto sales reached 17.13 million vehicles in December, according to WardsAuto, making it the third year in a row the industry has topped 17 million, but breaking the industry’s growth streak. It was the first time annual sales declined since the recession eight years ago. Actual December sales were reported as 1.596 million units […]
New home sales surged in November to the highest pace since July 2007, report the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development. The seasonally adjusted annual sales rate of 733,000 was up 17.5 percent from October and 26.6 percent from November 2016. Home prices averaged $377,100 in November with a median sales price […]
Through November, Mexico continued to take a greater share of light vehicle assemblies from the U.S. and Canada. U.S. Vehicle Sales At the close of 2017, the Big Three U.S. auto makers see their market share closing in on less than 44 percent, down from over 50 percent in 2007. This comes as analysts are […]
Existing home sales surged for a third month in November, increasing at their strongest pace in almost 11 years, reports the National Association of Realtors. Sales jumped 5.6 percent sequentially to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.81 million and were 3.8 percent higher year-over-year. The median home price for all types of existing housing […]
Housing starts surprised economists by jumping 3.3 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,297,000. Compared to November 2016, starts were up 12.9 percent. Starts of single-family homes jumped 5.3 percent to 930,000 units, the highest level since September 2007. Construction starts on buildings with five units or more in November inched […]
The Dodge Momentum Index climbed 13.9 percent to 149.5 in November. The Dodge Momentum Index, published by Dodge Data & Analytics, is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which has been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. Construction planning was […]
Below is the latest data released by the the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) regarding residential and commercial heating and cooling equipment shipments through October 2017. You may read the press release on their website here. Residential Storage Water Heaters U.S. shipments of residential gas storage water heaters for October 2017 increased 12.2 percent, […]
A strong U.S. economy is helping to boost auto sales along with incentives offered by dealers to move 2017 models off dealer lots. Approximately 1.383 million U.S. light-vehicles were sold in November, according to WardsAuto, after providing an estimate for delayed Nissan sales results. That puts the seasonally adjusted annual rate at 17.3 million units, […]
Construction employment increased in 243 out of 358 metro areas between October 2016 and October 2017, declined in 59 and stagnated in 56, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. “Growing demand, especially from the private sector, is continuing to drive construction employment gains in […]
Home prices continued to accelerate across the nation in September, posting the fastest annual rate increase since June 2014. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index showed home prices up 6.2 percent in September, compared to a gain of 5.9 percent in August. The 20-City Composite posted a 6.2 percent gain year-over-year, […]