Every two weeks, we prepare a report focused on understanding market intelligence and analyzing construction industry data and trends.
This in-depth report is developed primarily for internal distribution, but because we want to keep construction professionals like you informed about the industry, we make this report available to anyone who's interested in reading it.
What's New In This Report?
Highlights
The ABI dropped below 50 (neutral) in March 2019 to 47.8 points. Most of the regions and sectors also dropped below 50, with only the South region and the Mixed Practice sector staying above neutral.
In April 2019, the Housing Market Index (HMI) was at 63 with increased performance in the current and traffic components of the index.
Construction Update
In March 2019, housing permits reflected an annual rate of 1.27M, 7.8% down from their year-ago rate with decreases in both Single- and Multi-family permits.
Also, housing starts in March 2019 were 14.2% below their year-ago rate with 1.14M starts, with decreases in both Single- and Multi-Family starts.
The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) reached 145.5 in March 2019, 0.5% above the revised February score of 144.8.
Economic Update
The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) reported an 8.2% increase from the previous month in their Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) to 8.8 months of backlog in February 2019.
The Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) projected annual spending for home improvements and repairs to grow 6.9% in Q2 2019, reaching $345B.
