WASHINGTON — Sales of new single-family houses were down 0.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 321,000 in January, the Commerce Department reported Friday.
The January rate was above the 315,000 median annual rate projected by economists polled by Thomson Reuters, but below the revised December rate of 324,000. The rate was 3.5% above the January 2011 level of 310,000.
A combination of a "stronger-than-expected economy, higher Treasury rates, robust supply, and rich valuations resulting in choppy markets" have made the trading environment in H124 "quite difficult," according to Barclays.
Two rating agencies upgraded Los Angeles Unified School District's bond ahead of multi-billion dollar refunding.
The Basel III Endgame proposal to restructure capital holding levels comes under fire.
Friday price talk for the unrated tax-exempt paper was between 11% and 15%.
The board approved that step at its second quarter board meeting held this week.
The Inflation Reduction Act, affordable housing and clean energy were among the topics discussed at Baker Tilly's DevelUP conference in Chicago this week.
