|

Housing starts end 2024 on a surprisingly strong note

Total gain boosted by volatile multifamily category

Residential construction ended 2024 on a positive note. Total housing starts surprised to the upside and surged 15.8%, more than offsetting the decline posted in the month prior. Both single family and multifamily construction improved during the month. The jump in overall starts, however, largely was owed to an eye-catching 61.5% rise in multifamily starts, a category which is highly volatile on a monthly basis.

A slight decline in total permits paints a less-rosy picture for residential construction. Single family permits increased solidly during December, however, much of the gain was attributed to a rise in the hurricane-impacted South region. Overall, the trend in single-family has been essentially flat over the past several months as high mortgage rates and elevated inventory levels continue as headwinds for construction. Meanwhile, multifamily permits fell 5.0% during the month, dashing hopes that the jump in starts is an inflection point for multifamily development still weighed down by tight credit and soft apartment market conditions.

Download The Full Economic Indicator

Author

More from Wells Fargo Research Team
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD corrects lower, returns to 1.1650

EUR/USD could not sustain an earlier move to fresh tops just above 1.1680 on Thursday, coming under fresh selling pressure and revisiting the mid-1.1600s in the latter part of the NA session. The pair’s correction comes in response to an acceptable bounce in the US Dollar.

GBP/USD attempts some consolidation near 1.3350

GBP/USD is alternating gains with losses near 1.3350 on Thursday. The Greenback’s attempts to recover aren't really sticking, upbeat data or not, as traders stay confident that the Fed will deliver a 25 bps rate cut at its final meeting of the year.

Gold clings to gains above $4,200

Gold advances modestly just above the $4,200 area per troy ounce on Thursday, but it’s struggling to build much momentum from there. The generalised lack of direction in the risk appetite is keeping a lid on further gains, while the ongoing vacillating performance of the US Dollar is also collaborating with the yellow metal’s uptick.

XRP slides amid record on-chain activity, mixed technical signals

Ripple (XRP) is trading under pressure at the time of writing on Thursday, after bulls failed to break the short-term resistance at $2.22. The reversal may extend toward Monday’s low of $1.98, especially if risk-off sentiment persists in the broader cryptocurrency market.

Why the Fed may cut rates in December: Understanding the policy shift

The Fed has gone through a noticeable policy swing in recent months - from initiating a rate cut, to signaling a potential pause, and now shifting once again toward another cut in December. This has created understandable confusion among traders and investors trying to interpret the Fed’s reaction function.

XRP edges lower despite record on-chain activity and steady ETF inflows

Ripple is trading under pressure at the time of writing on Thursday, after bulls failed to break the short-term resistance at $2.22. The reversal may extend toward Monday’s low of $1.98, especially if risk-off sentiment persists in the broader cryptocurrency market.