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C.A.R. reports June median price increased 13.6 percent; home sales decreased 4.2 percent
Multimedia:
Quick Facts:
LOS ANGELES (July 22) – Home sales decreased 4.2 percent in June in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home rose 13.6 percent, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.
“Buyers who scrambled to close escrow in May to take advantage of federal and state tax credits before they expired impacted the number of homes sold last month,” said C.A.R. President Steve Goddard. “Although we expect sales to be lower in the second half of the year because of the absence of the government stimulus, they should remain above the long-run average and be significantly higher than the trough in 2007, when sales bottomed out.
“Although the tax credits are no longer available, it’s important to keep in mind that home prices are substantially below their peaks and interest rates remain at historic lows, making this a very affordable time for many first-time buyers to purchase a home of their own,” he said.
Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled 492,800 in June at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations statewide. Statewide home resale activity decreased 4.2 percent from the revised 514,230 sales pace recorded in June 2009. Sales in June 2010 decreased 11.1 percent compared with the previous month.
Trough vs. Current Price – June 2010
|
Region |
Trough Month |
Trough Price |
Jun-10 Median |
% Chg From Trough |
|
San FranciscoBay Area |
Feb-09 |
$399,040 |
$598,640 |
50.0% |
|
Santa Clara |
Feb-09 |
$445,000 |
$633,000 |
42.2% |
|
Monterey Region |
Feb-09 |
$241,130 |
$338,460 |
40.4% |
|
Palm Springs/Lower Desert |
Apr-09 |
$150,140 |
$198,570 |
32.3% |
|
San Luis Obispo |
Apr-09 |
$338,160 |
$440,000 |
30.1% |
|
CALIFORNIA |
Feb-09 |
$245,230 |
$311,950 |
27.2% |
|
Ventura |
Feb-09 |
$359,630 |
$450,930 |
25.4% |
|
Riverside/San Bernardino |
Apr-09 |
$156,840 |
$191,900 |
22.4% |
|
Orange County |
Jan-09 |
$423,100 |
$517,620 |
22.3% |
|
San Diego |
Mar-09 |
$326,830 |
$397,910 |
21.7% |
|
High Desert |
May-09 |
$106,210 |
$125,620 |
18.3% |
|
Northern Wine Country |
Feb-09 |
$310,950 |
$364,740 |
17.3% |
|
Sacramento |
Apr-09 |
$167,340 |
$196,220 |
17.3% |
|
Los Angeles |
Mar-09 |
$295,100 |
$334,800 |
13.5% |
|
Northern California |
May-10 |
$243,200 |
$247,550 |
1.8% |
The statewide sales figure represents what the total number of homes sold during 2010 would be if sales maintained the June pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.
The median price of an existing, single-family detached home in California during June 2010 was $311,950, a 13.6 percent increase from the revised $274,640 median for June 2009, C.A.R. reported. The June 2010 median price decreased 3.8 percent compared with May’s $324,430 median price.
Peak vs. Current Price – June 2010
|
Region |
Peak Month |
Peak Price |
Jun-10 Median |
% Chg From Peak |
|
High Desert |
Apr-06 |
$334,860 |
$125,620 |
-62.5% |
|
Monterey Region |
Aug-07 |
$798,210 |
$338,460 |
-57.6% |
|
Riverside/San Bernardino |
Jan-07 |
$415,160 |
$191,900 |
-53.8% |
|
Sacramento |
Aug-05 |
$394,450 |
$196,220 |
-50.3% |
|
Palm Springs/Lower Desert |
Jun-05 |
$393,370 |
$198,570 |
-49.5% |
|
CALIFORNIA |
May-07 |
$594,530 |
$311,950 |
-47.5% |
|
Los Angeles |
Aug-07 |
$605,300 |
$334,800 |
-44.7% |
|
Northern California |
Aug-05 |
$440,420 |
$247,550 |
-43.8% |
|
Northern Wine Country |
Jan-06 |
$645,080 |
$364,740 |
-43.5% |
|
Ventura |
Aug-06 |
$710,910 |
$450,930 |
-36.6% |
|
San Diego |
May-06 |
$622,380 |
$397,910 |
-36.1% |
|
Orange County |
Apr-07 |
$747,260 |
$517,620 |
-30.7% |
|
San FranciscoBay Area |
May-07 |
$853,910 |
$598,640 |
-29.9% |
|
San Luis Obispo |
Jun-06 |
$620,540 |
$440,000 |
-29.1% |
|
Santa Clara |
Apr-07 |
$868,410 |
$633,000 |
-27.1% |
“As we anticipated, home prices have continued to post modest gains, due in large part to the lean inventory of homes for sale in many regions of the state,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. “This has contributed to market stability and bodes well for the remainder of the year.
“We’re also seeing an increase in home sales at the higher-end of the market, a reflection of the slight thaw in jumbo financing, although there still is a long way to go before jumbo loans are readily available to qualified buyers,” she said.
Unsold Inventory Index (Months)
| Price Range (Thousands) |
June 2010 | May 2010 | June 2009 |
|
$1 million+ |
9.2 | 10.1 | 11.3 |
|
$750-1 million |
5.9 | 5.5 | 6.3 |
|
$500-750,000 |
4.8 | 4.3 | 4.0 |
|
$300-500,000 |
4.2 | 3.9 | 3.5 |
|
$0-300,000 |
3.0 | 3.1 | 2.5 |
Highlights of C.A.R.’s resale housing figures for June 2010:
Regional MLS sales and price information are contained in the tables that accompany this press release. Regional sales data are not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales. The MLS median price and sales data for detached homes are generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS® throughout the state. MLS median price and sales data for condominiums are based on a survey of more than 60 associations. The median price for both detached homes and condominiums represents closed escrow sales.
In a separate report covering more localized statistics generated by C.A.R. and DataQuick Information Systems, 232 of the 372 cities and communities reporting showed an increase in their respective median home prices from a year ago. DataQuick statistics are based on county records data rather than MLS information. DataQuick Information Systems is a subsidiary of Vancouver-based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates. (The lists are generated for incorporated cities with a minimum of 30 recorded sales in the month.)
Note: Large changes in local median home prices typically indicate both local home price appreciation, and often, large shifts in the composition of housing market activity. Some of the variations in median home prices for June June be exaggerated due to compositional changes in housing demand. The DataQuick tables listing median home prices in California cities and counties are accessible through C.A.R. Online at http://car.org/marketdata/historicalprices/2010medianprices/jun2010medianprices/.
Leading the way...® in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with nearly 160,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.
###
June 2010 Regional Sales and Price Activity*
Regional and Condo Sales Data Not Seasonally Adjusted
|
|
Median Price |
Percent Change in Price from Prior Month |
Percent Change in Price from Prior Year |
Percent Change in Sales from Prior Month |
Percent Change in Sales from Prior Year |
||
|
|
Jun-10 |
May-10 |
|
Jun-09 |
|
May-10 |
Jun-09 |
|
Statewide |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Calif. (sf) |
$311,950 |
-3.8% |
|
13.6% |
|
-11.1% |
-4.2% |
|
Calif. (condo) |
$267,740 |
-3.8% |
|
1.7% |
|
-2.8% |
8.3% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C.A.R. Region |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
High Desert |
$125,620 |
-0.6% |
|
15.7% |
|
10.4% |
-30.2% |
|
Los Angeles |
$334,800 |
-3.3% |
|
4.7% |
|
-4.2% |
-1.1% |
|
Monterey Region |
$338,460 |
-6.9% |
|
29.7% |
|
3.0% |
-22.1% |
|
Monterey County |
$274,000 |
-2.1% |
|
33.7% |
|
7.8% |
-23.8% |
|
Santa Cruz County |
$507,500 |
-3.3% |
|
-2.2% |
|
-6.1% |
-18.2% |
|
Northern California |
$247,550 |
1.8% |
|
-4.5% |
|
15.9% |
12.1% |
|
Northern Wine Country |
$364,740 |
0.4% |
|
6.2% |
|
8.6% |
6.1% |
|
Orange County |
$517,620 |
2.3% |
|
6.0% |
|
-2.5% |
6.4% |
|
Palm Springs/Lower Desert |
$198,570 |
7.5% |
|
24.9% |
|
-5.2% |
-5.1% |
|
Riverside/San Bernardino |
$191,900 |
-1.6% |
|
15.0% |
|
12.0% |
-21.0% |
|
Sacramento |
$196,220 |
2.5% |
|
7.6% |
|
3.5% |
1.7% |
|
San Diego |
$397,910 |
1.7% |
|
9.7% |
|
-4.1% |
1.1% |
|
San Francisco Bay |
$598,640 |
1.0% |
|
16.3% |
|
-1.9% |
-3.1% |
|
San Luis Obispo |
$440,000 |
15.2% |
|
18.1% |
|
2.5% |
-5.2% |
|
Santa Barbara County |
$400,000 |
-15.8% |
|
2.7% |
|
4.8% |
-15.8% |
|
Santa BarbaraSouth Coast |
$914,760 |
1.4% |
|
15.2% |
|
-5.8% |
-4.7% |
|
NorthSanta Barbara County |
$251,140 |
5.0% |
|
-4.3% |
|
11.8% |
-23.4% |
|
Santa Clara |
$633,000 |
0.5% |
|
15.1% |
|
-10.5% |
-8.0% |
|
Ventura |
$450,930 |
2.4% |
|
1.6% |
|
-0.2% |
18.3% |
na - not available
* Based on closed escrow sales of single family, detached homes only (no condos). Movements in sales prices should not be interpreted as measuring changes in the cost of a standard home. Prices are influenced by changes in cost and changes in the characteristics and size of homes actually sold.
sf = single family, detached home
Source: CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Median Prices By Region – Current Month vs. Year Ago
|
|
Jun-10 |
May-10 |
|
Jun-09 |
|
|
Statewide |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Calif. (sf) |
$311,950 |
$324,430 |
|
$274,640 |
r |
|
Calif. (condo) |
$267,740 |
$278,300 |
|
$263,190 |
r |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C.A.R. Region |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
High Desert |
$125,620 |
$126,430 |
|
$108,600 |
|
|
Los Angeles |
$334,800 |
$346,350 |
|
$319,860 |
|
|
Monterey Region |
$338,460 |
$363,640 |
|
$260,910 |
|
|
Monterey County |
$274,000 |
$280,000 |
|
$205,000 |
|
|
Santa Cruz County |
$507,500 |
$525,000 |
|
$519,000 |
|
|
Northern California |
$247,550 |
$243,200 |
|
$259,080 |
r |
|
Northern Wine Country |
$364,740 |
$363,140 |
|
$343,590 |
|
|
Orange County |
$517,620 |
$505,750 |
|
$488,320 |
|
|
Palm Springs/Lower Desert |
$198,570 |
$184,690 |
|
$158,960 |
|
|
Riverside/San Bernardino |
$191,900 |
$194,960 |
|
$166,840 |
|
|
Sacramento |
$196,220 |
$191,430 |
|
$182,400 |
|
|
San Diego |
$397,910 |
$391,410 |
|
$362,650 |
|
|
San Francisco Bay |
$598,640 |
$592,930 |
|
$514,650 |
|
|
San Luis Obispo |
$440,000 |
$382,080 |
|
$372,620 |
|
|
Santa Barbara County |
$400,000 |
$475,000 |
|
$389,390 |
r |
|
Santa Barbara South Coast |
$914,760 |
$902,500 |
|
$794,000 |
r |
|
North Santa Barbara County |
$251,140 |
$239,280 |
|
$262,500 |
|
|
Santa Clara |
$633,000 |
$630,000 |
|
$550,000 |
|
|
Ventura |
$450,930 |
$440,370 |
|
$443,850 |
|
With so many delays with escrow closings, they extended the home buyer tax credit for those especially with short sales in escrow... Please click on link for full article.
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2010070101?OpenDocument
July 2010 Orange County Stats: # Of Homes For Sale vs. Homes In Escrow
| City | For Sale | In Escrow |
| Yorba Linda | 373 | 179 |
| Brea | 109 | 69 |
| Fullerton | 402 | 281 |
| Anaheim Hills | 188 | 111 |
| Newport Coast | 147 | 53 |
| Orange | 406 | 235 |
| Irvine | 724 | 433 |
| Laguna Beach | 385 | 54 |
For questions please contact me at 714-743-9778
Brea 94 73
Fullerton 391 285
Anaheim 186 121
Newport Coast 148 54
Irvine 667 483
Orange 382 259
Laguna Beach 368 64
For questions regarding this information contact Ashlie DuCros at 714-743-9778
Home prices, sales up
Market’s high end awakened in April, pulling up median.
By JEFF COLLINS and JONATHAN LANSNER THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The recovering housing market got a boost in April from a reawakening high-end segment, figures from market tracker MDA DataQuick show.
Price cuts are getting buyers to buy pricier homes, pushing the median price up.
“Price drops (at the high end) and the numbers of sales are certainly bringing up the median,” said Lesslie Giacobbi, an agent for Seven Gables Real Estate.
The result, DataQuick reported Tuesday, was a 13.2 percent gain in the median price of an Orange County home – or the price at the midpoint of all sales.
Last month’s median was $430,000, which was $50,000 higher than in April 2009.
Sales likewise showed signs of improvement, climbing to 2,669 deals in April. That’s up 11.6 percent from April 2009 and was the largest number of homes sold in three years.
The year-over-year gains were fairly widespread throughout the county. Breaking down market trends by ZIP code, the numbers show:
Sixty-two of Orange County’s 83 ZIP codes had gains in median selling price.
Forty-eight local ZIP codes had year-over-year sales gains.
Thirty-four local ZIP codes had both sales gains and price gains.
Broker Ron Accornero of OC Signature Properties in Orange said that homes in Villa Park that once sold for more than $1 million are now selling for around $800,000 or $900,000. Homes priced above $1 million still are not moving, he said.
Rich Cosner, president of a chain of Prudential California Realty offices in north Orange County and the Inland Empire, said that most of the high-end sales are due to increased demand.
“The last few years, (the price of a home) has been artificially low because there were so few homes selling over $1 million in the county,” he said. “We are seeing that market come back.”
DataQuick figures show that homes priced at $700,000 and above accounted for 20 percent of all sales, the highest proportion in nearly two years. Sales in that price bracket fell to 12 percent of all sales in January 2009.
Cosner and Accornero said that demand remains overheated for homes at the lower end of the price spectrum because there now are too few homes selling for less than $500,000.
Prices, added Giacobbi, are firming up only at the low end “where investors are paying all cash. All cash is about 20 percent of the sales, and that’s more than it used to be.”
Cosner said that 10 or more offers still are common for homes selling at $500,000 and below.
“Buyers in this price range are still of the belief that it is a buyer’s market and they can make low offers on properties,” Cosner said. “They learn quickly, after losing out on properties, that this is just not the case. Under $500,000 today the issue is can you get the property at all, not how good of a deal you can get on it.”
Meanwhile, the number of homes going into default continued to decline, Data-Quick figures show.
DataQuick reported that 1,625 homeowners received notices of default, issued after at least three months of missed payments. That’s down 45 percent from a year ago and down 16 percent from March.
Still, 797 homeowners lost their homes at foreclosure sales, 65 percent more than in April 2009. Although up from a year ago, foreclosures have been relatively flat since June.
Meanwhile, sales of homes for less than is owed on the mortgage – so-called short sales – continue to dominate the market.
Giacobbi said she’s heard estimates that 35 percent to 40 percent of all deals are short sales these days. Those deals are more timeconsuming since the lender with the outstanding loan must approve them.
“Some of the banks are terrific to work with. Others are disasters,” Giacobbi said. “It’s not uncommon to be in escrow for months, and when you go back to the agent, she says the buyer lost interest.”
Giacobbi estimated that 1 in 8 of those attempting short sales have the means to pay their loan, but decided to walk away from the home because it’s lost so much value and wiped out all of their equity.
“They’re not willing to keep making payments on their house,” she said.
Agents say it remains to be seen how the expiration of federal tax credits will affect the market. Buyers have until the end of May to close deals to qualify for federal tax credits.
The state tax credit, which began May 1, has yet to have an impact, they said.
“There is strong demand in the market, and housing in O.C. would have sold with or without the tax credit,” Cosner said.
“Since it was available, people would be foolish not to take advantage of it. That being said, the tax credit was not something that would make most people go out and buy a house who were not already thinking about buying.”
for questions regarding this article contact Ashlie DuCros at 714-743-9778
City Homes for Sale Homes in Escrow
Yorba Linda 320 213
Brea 87 66
Fullerton 360 314
Anaheim Hills 157 122
Newport Coast 143 52
Irvine 662 500
Placentia 119 96
Orange 359 283
Tustin 175 222
Corona Del Mar 189 39
Villa Park 35 23
North Tustin 83 34
Laguna Beach 361 73
Home prices rose in 91 U.S. cities in the first quarter as states hard hit by foreclosures began to recover and a tax credit cut the number of properties for sale.
The median price of a single-family home sold in Saginaw, Michigan, doubled to $60,800, the Chicago-based National Association of Realtors said in a report today. Prices in Akron, Ohio, climbed 90 percent to $95,300 and Grand Rapids, Michigan, recorded a 26 percent increase to $90,700. Nationally, the median declined 0.7 percent.
Cities that led the nation in foreclosures a year earlier had the biggest price increases as a tax credit of as much as $8,000 boosted demand and drove the supply of unsold homes to a four-year low in January, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Realtors’ group. Brian Bethune, chief U.S. financial economist for IHS Global Insight, said an improving job market should sustain the fledgling rebound in real estate.
“In the second half of the year, employment growth and an improving economic situation should keep the housing recovery on track,” Bethune said in a telephone interview from his Lexington, Massachusetts, office.
Today’s report showed the recovery accelerating from the fourth quarter when 67 metropolitan areas reported price gains.
Peak to Trough
The U.S. median home price tumbled 29 percent over three and a half years as defaults among subprime borrowers flooded the housing market with cheaply priced foreclosures and Wall Street piled up $1.78 trillion in losses and asset writedowns.
The median price of an existing U.S. home peaked at $230,300 in July of 2006 and hit a low of $164,600 in February, according to NAR data. The drop was 13 percent in 2009, outpacing 2008’s 9.5 percent decline.
This year, prices may increase 2.5 percent as the economy improves, according to the Realtors’ forecast.
The median price of a single-family home in the New York metropolitan area rose 1.8 percent to $380,400 in the three months ended March 31. The areas surrounding New Haven and Milford, Connecticut, gained 5.3 percent to $227,900.
The Edison, New Jersey, region had a 1.5 percent gain in the median price to $325,800; and Hartford, Connecticut, posted a 1.6 percent increase to $225,900. Prices in the Boston metropolitan area increased 11 percent to $321,800.
“The market has changed dramatically from last year, with things now selling fairly quickly at close to asking price,” said Mary Kelleher, a real estate broker with Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty in Boston. “Last year was like having root canal surgery.”
Worst Markets
The worst-performing markets were Ocala and Orlando, Florida, each with price declines of 15 percent. Reno, Nevada, fell 14 percent and Las Vegas was down 12 percent.
In a separate report, NAR said U.S. sales fell 14 percent in the first quarter from the prior period, mostly because buyers rushed to purchase homes in the fourth quarter when the tax credit for purchases was originally set to expire.
Congress ultimately extended and expanded the credit for purchase contracts signed by April 30.
South Dakota led the nationwide sales decline with transactions falling 33 percent in the first quarter. Sales in Pennsylvania and Idaho dropped 28 percent. Connecticut transactions decreased almost 15 percent and New York sales were down 9.4 percent, NAR said.
Nationally, home sales probably will rise 4.3 percent to 5.38 million this year and gain 5.1 percent to 5.66 million in 2011, according to a forecast posted on NAR’s website. In 2009, sales climbed for the first time in four years to 5.16 million.
For more information, please contact Ashlie Ducros at 714-743-9778 www.AshlieDuCros.com
By Courtney Schlisserman and Bob Willis
April 23 (Bloomberg) -- Sales of new homes surged 27 percent in March and orders for most durable goods climbed, indicating the U.S. economy sped up heading into the second quarter.
The gain in new-home sales was the biggest in 47 years as buyers rushed to qualify for a government tax credit and the weather improved, a Commerce Department report showed. Bookings for goods meant to last at least three years, excluding cars and aircraft, climbed 2.8 percent.
Stocks rose and Treasuries slid as the reports pointed to pickups in housing, business investment and exports that may benefit companies from builders such as Pulte Group Inc. to makers of capital goods including Eaton Corp. The outlook for the rest of the year hinges on job gains that will spur consumer spending, which makes up 70 percent of the economy.
“The pieces are falling into place for a strong recovery,” said Gus Faucher, director of macroeconomics at Moody’s Economy.com in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “We’ve got strong business investment and we’re going to have some investment in residential” real estate.
Stocks advanced, extending the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s longest weekly winning streak in six years. The Dow climbed 0.6 percent to 11,204.28 at the 4 p.m. close in New York, completing an eighth straight weekly gain. The 10-year Treasury note fell, pushing up the yield to 3.81 percent from 3.77 percent late yesterday.
Sales of new houses increased to an annual pace of 411,000, exceeding the highest forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Last month’s purchase rate was the highest since July and followed a record-low 324,000 in February that was higher than previously estimated.
Exceeds Forecasts
Economists forecast purchases would rise to a 325,000 annual rate in March, according to the median estimate of 77 economists surveyed. Projections ranged from 300,000 to 362,000.
Demand may remain elevated through this month as Americans take advantage of a tax credit worth as much as $8,000 before it ends at the end of next week.
“We’ll probably see another jump in April and then we’ll get some payback in May and June,” said Jim O’Sullivan, global chief economist at MF Global Ltd. in New York. “Through the volatility, the trend in home sales is probably more up than down.”
Builder shares rallied, led by Pulte of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Miami-based Lennar Corp. and Standard Pacific Corp., which is based in Irvine, California.
Broad-based Gain
Sales increased in all four U.S. regions last month, led by a 44 percent jump in the South. The median price of a new home increased 4.3 percent in March from a year earlier to $214,000.
The Obama administration extended an incentive for first- time homebuyers in November and expanded it to include some current owners. The deadline for signing contracts is the end of this month, and the transactions must be completed by June 30.
Sales of previously owned homes, which account for about 90 percent of the housing market, are tabulated at contract closings, meaning demand may remain elevated through June. Purchases of new houses reflect contract signings, indicating the credit’s maximum influence on that market will be seen through April.
A report yesterday from the National Association of Realtors showed sales of existing homes jumped to a 5.35 million rate in March, the first increase in four months.
Durable Goods
The gain in orders for durable goods excluding transportation equipment last month was the biggest since the recession began in December 2007, another Commerce Department today showed.
Total orders unexpectedly dropped 1.3 percent, depressed by a 67 percent plunge in demand for commercial aircraft.
Eaton, the Cleveland-based maker of engine valves and transmissions, is among companies profiting from growth in demand for car and truck parts. This week it posted first- quarter profit that exceeded analysts’ estimates and raised its 2010 earnings forecast.
“The expanding world economy drove growth in most of our markets,” Chief Executive Officer Sandy Cutler said in a statement. “In general we are seeing the strongest growth in Asia and Brazil, while many U.S. markets are starting to accelerate and Europe is recovering more modestly.”
Business investment in equipment and software climbed at a 19 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, the biggest gain in 11 years.
Global Recovery
Factories are ramping up output as improving economies from Brazil to China and India boost overseas sales and rising U.S. demand prompts companies to update equipment and replenish stockpiles after last year’s record drawdown.
Bookings for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a proxy for future business investment, increased 4 percent. Shipments of those items, used in calculating gross domestic product, increased 2.2 percent.
Economists at Morgan Stanley in New York raised their forecast for economic growth in the first three months of the year to a 3.4 percent annual pace after the reports on goods orders from a prior estimate of three percent.
The U.S. economy, the world’s largest, expanded at a 5.6 percent pace in last three months of the year as companies stepped up efforts to stabilize inventories. It was the strongest rate of growth in six years.
To contact the reporters on this story: Courtney Schlisserman in Washington cschlisserma@bloomberg.net; Bob Willis in Washington at bwillis@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: April 23, 2010 16:40 EDT
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