The Quikrete Industry Dashboard shows the residential construction numbers increasing, yet slowing down in the latest month of available data. Existing home sales, meanwhile, declined for the first time in several months.
In other metrics, Consumer confidence declined. Here’s what the Conference Board said about the latest reading of 88.6 (1985=100) for December:
“Consumers’ assessment of current conditions deteriorated sharply in December, as the resurgence of COVID-19 remains a drag on confidence,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “As a result, consumers’ vacation intentions, which had notably improved in October, have retreated. On the flip side, as consumers continue to hunker down at home, intentions to purchase appliances have risen. Overall, it appears that growth has weakened further in Q4, and consumers do not foresee the economy gaining any significant momentum in early 2021.”
More detail on Consumer Confidence is contained in this chart: