Quikrete Industry Dashboard

The latest data from the Commerce Department shows single-family starts, the bread and butter of the lumberyard business, up slightly in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 918,000. Total starts, however, slipped to a pace of 1.256 million.

Both measurements were up compared to a year ago.

Elsewhere on the dashboard, NAICS 444 and 44413 sales were both down slightly for August, the latest month of available data for both retail categories. Both were up on a year-over-year basis.

Meanwhile, all 10 hardware and building supply stocks are trading higher than a year ago, with BLDR setting the pace.

Coming soon, the National Association of Realtors will report existing home sales on Oct. 22.