Analysis of January US Housing Starts Report: Detailed Insights, Trends, and Market Overview

Friday, 16 February 2024, 13:30

The January US Housing Starts report revealed key details such as a slight decrease in housing starts and an increase in building permits compared to the previous month. Single-family housing starts and building permits saw fluctuations, with noticeable changes in rates. Additionally, privately-owned housing completions showed both decreases and increases in January. The market reaction to the PPI data with higher-than-expected results impacted yields and stock prices initially, reflecting market sentiments for potential future cuts in 2024.

Housing Starts Details:

  • Housing starts 1.331M vs 1.460M estimate
  • Housing starts change for January -14.8% vs -4.3% prior
  • Housing starts represents a slight decrease of 0.7% from the January 2023 rate of 1,340,000, with a margin of error of ±11.7%.
    • Single-family housing starts in January were at a rate of 1,004,000, marking a 4.7% decrease from the revised December figure of 1,054,000, with a margin of error of ±11.6%.
    • The rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 314,000 in January.

Building Permits Details:

  • Building permits 1.470M vs 1.509M estimate
  • Building permits change -1.5% vs 1.9% last month.
  • Building permits are up 8.6% increase compared to the January 2023 rate of 1,354,000.
    • Single-family authorizations in January were at a rate of 1,015,000, which is 1.6% higher than the revised December rate of 999,000.
    • Authorizations for units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 405,000 in January.

Housing Completions:

  • Privately-owned housing completions in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,416,000.
  • This represents an 8.1% decrease from the revised December estimate of 1,541,000, with a margin of error of ±10.0%.
  • However, it is a 2.8% increase from the January 2023 rate of 1,377,000, with a margin of error of ±14.6%.
  • Single-family housing completions in January were at a rate of 857,000, which is 16.3% lower than the revised December rate of 1,024,000, with a margin of error of ±7.9%.
  • The rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 538,000 in January

The market is reacting to the PPI data which came in higher than expectations. Yield higher. Stocks initial reaction is lower (Dow Industrial Average -160, S&P -6.23 points. The NASDAQ is still up 20 points but well off its highs).

The market is now pricing in 81 basis points of cuts in 2024 vs 91 basis points before the data.

This article was written by Greg Michalowski at www.forexlive.com.


This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.


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