U.S. Economic News
March 21, 2018
U.S. Economic Indicators
Existing home sales rose 3.0% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.54 million in February, and are 1.1% above year-ago levels. NAR notes that although the housing market showed signs of rebounding in February, gains were unevenly distributed across the country and inventories remain 8.1% below year-ago levels. NAR Report
U.S. News
The Wall Street Journal reports that Congressional leaders say that they are nearing a deal to fund the Federal government through October. Lawmakers remain at odds over certain topics such as immigration and infrastructure, which may drive dealmakers to pass a short-term bill to give Congress more time to negotiate. WSJ
Bob Davis of the Wall Street Journal writes that the White House is planning to limit Chinese firms’ ability to acquire advanced U.S. technology and invest in U.S. firms. The actions are in response to alleged Chinese intellectual property theft from U.S. firms operating in China. WSJ