New home construction got off to a strong start for the year, with housing starts and building permits rising in January on a monthly and annual basis -- another sign that the U.S. housing market and broader economy are headed in the right direction.
Freddie Mac is in the spotlight of the Republican presidential contest, as Mitt Romney attacks Newt Gingrich for his 2006 work for the mortgage finance firm.
U.S. stocks advanced for a third straight session Thursday, rising to fresh six-month highs, thanks to solid gains in financial shares.
New home construction slowed slightly in December after a strong November showing, but was still much more active than a year earlier.
Before U.S. stocks begin trading Thursday, investors have a lot to chew on.
U.S. stocks poised for higher open Tuesday, but investors remain cautious as they await developments in Europe.
Permits for housing construction climbed in October, signaling an uptick in optimism among homebuilders.
After showing some strength just a month before, new home construction slumped in July, according to two key measures released by the government Tuesday.
U.S. stocks were set to rebound Tuesday, as investors react to strong reports on the housing market and digest the latest batch of corporate earnings.
New home construction ticked higher in June, the government said Tuesday, as two key measures topped expectations.
Amid the clouds of gloom hovering over the nation's housing market there is a silver lining. Steven Liberati sees it. The 28-year old heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems salesman and his fiancé are about to purchase their first home -- a co-op apartment in White Plains, New York -- for a fraction of what they thought it would cost just a couple of years ago.
Permits for housing construction climbed in May, signaling a glimmer of optimism among homebuilders about the future of the housing market.
U.S. stocks were set to open lower Thursday, as concerns about Greece's debt overshadowed stronger-than-expected reports on the housing market and unemployment.
New home construction tumbled in April, the government said Tuesday, as the nation's housing market remains weak.
In an encouraging sign for the housing market, new home construction increased more than expected in March, according to a government report Tuesday.
Investors were a little more confident Tuesday, following the previous session's sell-off, with U.S. stocks headed for a higher open.
U.S. stocks finished at the highest level in more than two years Wednesday, propelled by a $20 billion merger in the pharmaceutical sector and a batch of solid corporate earnings.
Bond yields moved slightly lower in midday trade Wednesday, as investors digested data on inflation, housing and production.
New home construction rose in January, but permits for future building declined during the month, the government reported Wednesday.
Permits for housing construction soared in December, while initial construction of homes declined, the government reported Wednesday.
U.S. stocks were headed for a mixed open Wednesday, as investors mulled earnings results from financial heavyweights Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo, and reacted to reports on the housing market. Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 futures were lower ahead of the opening bell, while Nasdaq futures were slightly higher. Futures measure current index values against perceived future performance.
Bond prices ticked higher Thursday after the government released mixed economic reports and Congress continued its march toward extending tax cuts.
New home construction is not dead, just resting comfortably.
Stocks ended mixed Wednesday after trading in a narrow range for most of the day as investors weighed inflation and housing reports ahead of GM's initial public offering.
New home construction fell to an 18-month low in October, the government said Wednesday.
U.S. stocks headed for a higher open Wednesday, as investors were heartened by a report showing inflation is remaining low.
Stocks fell sharply Tuesday, amid reports that a group of bondholders are trying to force Bank of America to repurchase bad mortgages. Investors also weighed a surprise rate hike by the Chinese government, and mixed data on the housing market and corporate results.
U.S. stocks were headed for a lower open Tuesday, following a surprise rate hike by the Bank of China, some mixed corporate results and unexpected housing market data.
New home construction surged to the highest level in four months in August, a government report showed Tuesday.
U.S. stocks were headed for a higher open Monday as investors awaited the latest update on the housing sector and looked ahead to a busy week of economic events.
All summer, analysts said stocks would drift until taking direction in mid-September. But the ides of the month have passed, and the market is still flat.
Treasury yields bounced back from yearly lows Tuesday, as stocks rallied and worries about the economic recovery eased.
New home construction ticked higher in July, but indications of future building were weak, the government said Tuesday.
U.S. stock futures rose early Tuesday in reaction to financial results from retail behemoth Wal-Mart and a wave of economic data.
New home construction fell to an 8-month low in June, but there were indications of increased activity in coming months, the government said Tuesday.
In the latest sign of improvement in the housing market, applications for permits to build new homes jumped 7.5% in March, the government said Friday.
New home construction and building permits fell in February, according to a government report issued Tuesday, but both readings beat economists' expectations.
New home construction rose more than expected in January, while the number of building permits issued in the month dropped, according to a government report issued Wednesday.
U.S. stocks were set for a weak open on Wednesday after a disappointing report on the housing market knocked the wind out of futures.
The Federal Reserve kept interest rates near zero on Wednesday and said the economy is improving. But the Fed also pointed out ongoing job losses could dampen a recovery.
Initial construction of U.S. homes edged lower in July following a surge in the previous month, according to government figures released Tuesday.
Initial construction of U.S. homes and applications for building permits both surged in June, according to government figures released Friday.
Treasury prices flip-flopped throughout the session Tuesday as investors digested a weaker-than-expected housing report and awaited the release of the minutes from the Fed's last meeting.
Initial construction of U.S. homes and building permits both sank to record lows in April, according to a government report released Tuesday, but the same report also showed signs of stabilization in the single-family core of the housing market.
U.S. stocks were set for a lackluster open Tuesday, as investor sentiment suffered a blow from dismal housing reports.
The unemployment rate jumped last month in 49 states, with Michigan leading the way, the U.S. government reported on Friday. Nebraska was the only state to escape rising joblessness.
Initial construction of U.S. homes unexpectedly surged in February, after falling for eight months, according to a government report released Tuesday.
Initial construction of U.S. homes fell to a fresh 17-year low in September, according to a government report released Friday.
Washington Mutual failed Thursday in the biggest-ever U.S. bank failure - the latest twist in a month-long shakeout that has seen five major financial institutions either go bust or get nationalized.
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has tamed the two-headed housing-market beast known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - but not without adding to the uncertainty swirling through the financial sector.
The federal government's takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may save the battered real estate market from a complete meltdown. But financial experts say the bailout won't lead to a housing recovery just yet.
Initial construction of U.S. homes was slightly lower than expected in May, with the number of single family homes hitting a 17-year low, according to a government report released Friday.
Wall Street had a mixed day on Monday after weak economic reports revived recession fears and oil prices retreated from a new record near $140 a barrel.
Declining home prices across the nation are bringing valuations - the difference between what a home should cost and its actual price - back to pre-bubble levels, according to a survey released Monday.
Suddenly inflation is the word on everyone's lips. But as much as they might like to, policymakers cannot forget about a bigger problem - the lingering effects of the credit crunch.
Alan Greenspan was once known for his inscrutable pronouncements, but his penchant for self-justification is now plain for all to see.
Here are the minutes from the March 18, 2008 meeting of the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee:
Initial construction of U.S. homes was higher than expected last month, although down from the prior month as single-family housing starts reached a 17-year low.
Dear FSB: I manufacture custom gable-end vents and am experiencing a lot of down time with the housing slump. I'm looking for a business idea that will offset my lost business. I've toyed with the idea of building small craft crates with scrap wood from my vents. I've also considered starting a coffee shop or deli, but don't know where to begin and don't see much need for one in the town where I live.
Q: Chairman Greenspan, thank you very much for taking the time out to talk with us. I guess my first question is, as Topic A in the business world, which is what's going on in the capital markets and the housing sector, and maybe you could explain it to us, please?
Moody's Economy.com is forecasting an increased risk for recession in the next six to 12 months due to the subprime mess, which has shaken investor and consumer confidence, bumped up foreclosures and led to a tightening of credit standards for most loans.
Following are the minutes from the Federal Reserve meeting, held Aug. 7.
The head of Freddie Mac, one of the biggest U.S. mortgage finance companies, dismissed suggestions that his company should step in to bolster sagging financial markets by buying distressed loans, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
The outlook for the housing sector has grown bleaker after a key measure of builder confidence fell to its lowest level in 10 years, according to a government report released Wednesday.
The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged for the fifth straight time in January. Following are the minutes from the central bank's meeting:
Markets have been hitting new highs, prompting some Wall Streeters to celebrate while others tremble. The real estate bust is officially underway--will that tank the economy or just shift the actio...
Markets have been hitting new highs, prompting some Wall Streeters to celebrate while others tremble. The real estate bust is officially underway - will that tank the economy or just shift the action? And how much longer can the U.S. consumer carry on? If ever an investor needed expert guidance, it's now. That's why we brought together five of the best big thinkers in investing.
The U.S. economy should experience slower growth than originally anticipated for the remainder of the year and in 2007, the White House said Tuesday.
Tucked away in the briefcase of Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab & Co., is a chart so scary she's hesitant to show it to investors. It plots the National Association o...
The economy appears thriving away from home, or more precisely, away from homes.
Home prices posted their biggest drop on record in September while sales fell for the sixth month in a row, a real estate group said Wednesday - the latest signs that the housing market is still weakening.
The Dow hit a new record closing high Wednesday, briefly pushing past the 12,000 mark on strong housing numbers, tame inflation and solid earnings reports.
The Dow hovered just below the 12,000 mark early Wednesday afternoon after pushing past it earlier in the session on strong housing numbers, tame inflation and solid earnings reports.
The Dow hovered just below the 12,000 mark early Wednesday afternoon after pushing past it earlier in the session on strong housing numbers, tame inflation and solid earnings reports.
Anyone who reads the newspaper knows that these are interesting times for real estate watchers. Day after day more grim statistics emerge: Housing starts fell 2.5% in July. Giant homebuilder KB Hom...
Since peaking last summer, shares of the nation's biggest homebuilders have tumbled some 60 percent, and the sector's probably going to get worse before it gets better, industry analysts say.
Stock futures bounced up Tuesday after two key economic reports eased inflation fears, but suggested further cooling of the housing market.
New evidence of a housing market slowdown emerged Tuesday - growth in the price of a single family home was just 1.17 percent in the second quarter, a decline of more than one percentage point from the prior quarter when prices grew 2.20 percent.
Mortgage rates fell for the fourth week in a row, bringing the 30-year rate to its lowest level since April, on signs of weakness both in the housing sector and in the larger economy, Freddie Mac reported Thursday.
The closely watched home building market showed more signs of trouble Wednesday as a report showed builders slowed their pace of housing starts and building permits fell more than expected in July.
The appointed director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should both be allowed to prop up the U.S. home mortgage market if banks, hedge funds and institutional investors shy away in times of financial turbulence, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The pace of new home sales showed an unexpected increase in May, as the latest reading of the real estate market's strength bucked rising mortgage rates and other signs of a cooling housing market
Treasury prices slipped Tuesday after a stronger-than-expected housing report fueled speculation of another rate hike by the Federal Reserve later this month.
You don't need to be in the market to buy or sell a home to be affected by the cooling housing market.
In the latest sign that home price appreciation is slowing as mortgage rates rise, mortgage lender Freddie Mac said Monday that third-quarter price gains were the slowest in five quarters.
Fannie Mae ousted CEO Franklin Raines and finance chief Timothy Howard after regulators found accounting problems at the giant mortgage company.
Housing starts took their biggest tumble in almost 11 years in November, raising worries about the housing market and the strength of home prices in the long run.
Homes sold at a faster pace in September, according to an industry report that showed the sales of existing homes coming in well above Wall Street expectations.
Homebuyers and those who aspire to owning a home are watching this market carefully. That's because there are signs that the red-hot housing market may be cooling. In fact, some worry that the boom in prices is about to go bust.
Every family eventually discovers its black sheep. And when the troublemaker misbehaves, the other members of the clan usually suffer the consequences.
Everyone's talking real estate these days, and it's no wonder why. With stocks down for three years, the outlook for bonds pretty poor and money markets paying next to nothing, Americans have taken...
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble." Okay, so I'm taking liberties with Shakespeare. But in the financial markets, as in Macbeth, talk of bubbles means that someone's up to no good.
The signs of recovery are so obvious that only an Olympics figure-skating judge could miss them. The manufacturing sector rebounded in February after an 18-month-long tailspin. Activity in the all-...
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