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Politics : HOWARD DEAN -THE NEXT PRESIDENT? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ann Corrigan who wrote (2198)	1/20/2004 11:42:08 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	Respond to of 3079

semi.org "The December data support the positive outlook for strong growth in semiconductor capital investment this year," said Stanley Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. "Analysts presenting at the SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium this month were in agreement that 2004 is shaping up to be a double-digit growth year for the global semiconductor equipment industry."

To: Ann Corrigan who wrote (2198)	1/21/2004 12:03:38 AM
From: Hope Praytochange	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 3079

It was a slow day economically with the NAHB Housing Market Index the only regular hours report. The headline number at 68 was less than consensus at 69 and less than the 70 from both December and November. Slower sales continue to depress the market despite the optimistic outlooks by the builders. With the economy recovering, interest rates low and inventory levels still light the conditions are ripe for a spring sales explosion but the winter weather has put sales in the deep freeze. This would suggest a continued neutral rate decision by the Fed next week could be the green light for another run for the builders as investors buy the dip in advance of the spring thaw. The worst thing that could happen for the home builders would not be what you would expect. A surge in the 4Q GDP, due out next week, that would suggest the recovery is really catching fire could actually push real interest rates up despite a Fed on hold. Rising economies can support higher rates but those same rates could slow home sales. Seems contrary to common sense but that is real life. More buyers can afford homes in a roaring economy but they have to pay more for the privilege.

To: Ann Corrigan who wrote (2198)	1/21/2004 12:48:37 AM
From: Hope Praytochange	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3079

Message 19714394

To: Ann Corrigan who wrote (2198)	1/21/2004 9:03:39 AM
From: Hope Praytochange	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3079

Housing Starts Rise in December By REUTERS Published: January 21, 2004 ARTICLE TOOLS E-Mail This Article Printer-Friendly Format Most E-Mailed Articles TIMES NEWS TRACKER Track news that interests you. Filed at 8:35 a.m. ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. builders broke ground on new homes at faster-than-expected pace in December, closing out a robust year for the housing market on a strong note, a Commerce Department report showed on Wednesday. Commerce said December housing starts rose 1.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted 2.088 million annual rate, the quickest pace since February 1984. The gain defied Wall Street analysts' expectations for a decline in starts and was led by a gain in multi-family dwellings. Single-family housing starts actually slipped from the November rate. November starts were revised slightly lower, to a 2.054 million rate from the initially reported 2.070 million pace. Building permits, an indicator of future residential construction plans, also posted a gain in December, rising 3.3 percent to a 1.924 million rate. The housing market was one of the economy's strong spots in 2003, as extremely low mortgage interest rates lured buyers into the market and led many home owners to refinance their loans and free up cash. The 1.848 million homes started in 2003 were the most since 1978, the Commerce Department said.