The US construction sector has slowed to a five-year low

Expert market comment made by Chief Market Analyst Alex Kuptsikevich of the FxPro Analyst Team: The US construction sector has slowed to a five-year low
FxPro | 75 days ago

The US construction sector has slowed to a five-year low

There are new warning signs from the US construction market. Although the number of new housing starts rose by 5.2% in June after a 5.9% the previous month, the number of building permits has been falling for the last four months.

The number of permits is a leading indicator of future construction. This indicator has fallen to a rate that was last seen five years ago. The housing market has a clear correlation with interest rates, turning downward in 2022 almost simultaneously with the start of the Fed's key rate hike cycle.

Interestingly, rate cuts at the end of last year paused but did not reverse this trend, and the market continued to slide this year.

Pressure on prices is also evident from individual releases on new home sales. The median price of a new home sold in June was $401,800. Except for the drop to 397,600 in November last year, this is the lowest figure in the last four years.

Americans can take out new loans based on the value of their homes, so the decline in sales and prices is a wake-up call. Currently, the price decline is 6.5% compared to 15% between the peak in March 2007 and the start of the global financial crisis in September 2008. There is still room for manoeuvre, but it would not be superfluous to look at this situation with concern right now.

By the FxPro Analyst Team

FxPro
Tips: NDD
Regulation: FCA (UK), SCB (The Bahamas)
read more
USDPJY, AUDUSD, GBPUSD

USDPJY, AUDUSD, GBPUSD

Fed speakers and ADP data in focus; USDJPY near 8-month high; RBA to hold rates at 3.60%; AUDUSD under pressure; BoE likely to stand pat; GBPUSD weak, eyes 6½ -month low
XM Group | 2h 7min ago
Dollar traders lock gaze on private data

Dollar traders lock gaze on private data

Dollar extends gains following hawkish Fed decision - Amid ongoing US shutdown, ADP and ISM reports enter the spotlight - Yen and pound stay wounded due to dovish BoJ and BoE bets - Stocks gain, gold rebounds, oil opens with positive gap on OPEC decision
XM Group | 2h 24min ago
ATFX Market Outlook 3rd November 2025

ATFX Market Outlook 3rd November 2025

U.S. equities ended higher on Friday, led by Amazon’s upbeat earnings forecast, though investor optimism was tempered by renewed caution from several Federal Reserve officials. For the week, the S&P 500 rose 0.7%, the Nasdaq gained 2.24%, and the Dow added 0.75%. Several Fed hawks voiced opposition to further rate cuts, citing persistent inflation risks, which boosted the U.S. Dollar Index
ATFX | 3h 57min ago