Construction Spending Down, Highways Up in April

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, construction spending during April 2025 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,152.4 billion, 0.4% (±0.7%) below the revised March estimate of $2,162.0 billion. The April figure is 0.5% (±1.2%) below the April 2024 estimate of $2,163.2 billion. During the first four months of this year, construction spending amounted to $660.2 billion,…

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Housing Starts Up in February 

Limited existing inventory helped single-family starts to post a solid gain in February, but builders are still grappling with elevated construction costs stemming from tariff issues and persistent shortages related to buildable lots and labor. Overall housing starts increased 11.2% in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.50 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department…

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S&P Global Assesses Economy, Impact of Trump Tariffs

Satyam Panday, chief U.S. and Canada Economist, S&P Global Ratings, said, “We look ahead to the first major inflation reading of 2025 this week. We estimate the headline consumer price index (CPI) rose 20 basis points (bps) in January, resulting in an unchanged year-over-year rate of 2.9%. Core CPI inflation likely ticked down to 3.1% on a year-over-year basis, the…

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Trade War, Bad Weather Negatively Impacts Deere Dealers

In the wake of a record-wet spring in the Midwest and the ongoing U.S. trade war with China, dealers of Deere agriculture equipment are reporting a significant decline in sales, according to a recent Reuters article. This is a worrying sign for Deere as its Agriculture & Turf segment accounts for the bulk of its sales. In May, the company slashed its full-year profit and sales…

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