News Briefs

The NAHB Housing Market Index held steady at 72.0 in February, hovering near record highs.  The outlook for the next six months remains solid, though builders still face increasing materials prices and shortages of labor.  NAHB Report
 
Industrial production edged down 0.1% in January (up 3.7% Y/Y), after increasing 0.4% (revised) in December.  Capacity utilization fell 0.2 point to 77.5 in January.  Fed Report
 
Initial jobless claims rose 7,000 to 230,000 last week. The four-week moving average increased 3,500 to 228,500.  DOL Report
                                                                                                             
The headline Producer Price Index (“PPI”) for final demand rose 0.4% in January and is up 2.7% since January of last year.  The core — which removes the volatile prices of food, energy, and trade services — also increased 0.4% and is up 2.5% on the year.  BLS Report