The US Dollar was slightly weaker against the Euro in the wake of the country’s real estate market data. The EUR/USD exchange rate added 6 pips to touch the intraday high of 1.2265.
Building permits were down 0.1% to a 1.30M units rate in December, adding to a total 4.7% rise to a rate of 1.26M units in 2017, the strongest level in ten years. The reports also revealed that the US homebuilding activity decreased more than anticipated by the end of 2017 to mark its largest drop in just a year, due to a steep fall in the single-family housing units construction. Housing starts dropped 8.2% to a seasonally adjusted yearly rate of 1.19M units, which is expected to be transitory amid solid demand for housing, driven by a strong labour market.
