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United States USD

United States Building Permits Prel

Info

History

Chart

Impact:

Medium

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Latest Release:

Date:

Big Surprise:

-0.058M

USD

Actual:

1.312M

Forecast: 1.37M

Previous/Revision:

1.362M

Period: Aug

Next Release:

Date:

Forecast: 1.34M

Period: Sep

What Does It Measure?

Building permits measure the number of new residential construction permits issued in the United States, serving as a key indicator of future construction activity and housing market health. This indicator primarily focuses on residential property development, assessing economic components such as real estate, construction, and employment in the construction sector.

Frequency

Building permits are released on a monthly basis, with data often presented as preliminary estimates which are subject to revisions in subsequent reports; they are typically published around the middle of the following month.

Why Do Traders Care?

Traders pay close attention to building permits because higher-than-expected results can signal economic growth and increased construction activity, which may positively impact currencies like the USD, as well as equities in the construction and materials sectors. Conversely, lower-than-expected readings may indicate weakness in the housing market and overall economic slowdown, leading to bearish effects on relevant financial assets.

What Is It Derived From?

Building permits data is derived from the Census Bureau's monthly survey, which collects information from residential construction contractors across the United States. This survey includes a wide range of respondents, such as city and county agencies, and utilizes a statistical sampling methodology to produce its estimates.

Description

Preliminary reports of building permits are based on early data collection and may be revised as further information becomes available; final reports reflect a more comprehensive and accurate assessment of the data. Since building permit data is typically reported on a month-over-month (MoM) basis, this reporting method helps traders monitor short-term trends in the housing market.

Additional Notes

Building permits are often considered a leading indicator of economic activity, suggesting potential future growth in the housing market and the broader economy. As a key part of understanding the construction sector's trajectory, this data is frequently examined alongside other related indicators, such as housing starts and existing home sales.

Bullish or Bearish for Currency and Stocks

Higher than expected: Bullish for USD, Bullish for Stocks.

Legend

High Potential Impact
This event has a strong potential to move markets significantly. If the 'Actual' value differs enough from the forecast or if the 'Previous' value is significantly revised, it signals new information that markets may rapidly adjust to.

Medium Potential Impact
This event may cause moderate market movement, especially if the 'Actual' deviates from the forecast or there's a notable revision to the 'Previous' value.

Low Potential Impact
This event is unlikely to affect market pricing unless there's an unexpected surprise or a major revision to prior data.

Surprise - Currency May Strengthen
Actual deviated from Forecast on a medium or high impact event and historically could strengthen the currency.

Surprise - Currency May Weaken
Actual deviated from Forcast on a medium or high impact event and historically could weaken the currency.

Big Surprise - Currency More Likely To Strengthen
'Actual' deviated from 'Forecast' more than 75% of historical deviations on a medium or high impact event and may likely strengthen the currency.

Big Surprise - Currency More Likely To Weaken
'Actual' deviated from 'Forecast' more than 75% of historical deviations on a medium or high impact event and may likely weaken the currency

Green Number	Better than forecast for the currency (or previous revise better)
Red Number	Worse than forecast for the currency (or previous revise better)
Hawkish	Supports higher interest rates to fight inflation, strengthening the currency but weighing on stocks.
Dovish	Favors lower rates to boost growth, weakening the currency but lifting stocks.

Date	Actual	Forecast	Previous	Surprise
Sep 17, 2025	1.312M	1.37M	1.362M	-0.058M
Aug 19, 2025	1.354M	1.39M	1.393M	-0.036M
Jul 18, 2025	1.397M	1.39M	1.394M	0.007M
Jun 18, 2025	1.393M	1.43M	1.422M	-0.037M
May 16, 2025	1.412M	1.45M	1.481M	-0.038M
Apr 17, 2025	1.482M	1.45M	1.459M	0.032M
Mar 18, 2025	1.456M	1.45M	1.473M	0.006M
Feb 19, 2025	1.483M	1.46M	1.482M	0.023M
Jan 17, 2025	1.483M	1.46M	1.493M	0.023M
Dec 18, 2024	1.505M	1.43M	1.419M	0.075M
Nov 19, 2024	1.416M	1.43M	1.425M	-0.014M
Oct 18, 2024	1.428M	1.46M	1.47M	-0.032M
Sep 18, 2024	1.475M	1.41M	1.406M	0.065M
Aug 16, 2024	1.396M	1.43M	1.454M	-0.034M
Jul 17, 2024	1.446M	1.4M	1.399M	0.046M
Jun 20, 2024	1.386M	1.45M	1.44M	-0.064M
May 16, 2024	1.44M	1.48M	1.467M	-0.04M
Apr 16, 2024	1.458M	1.514M	1.523M	-0.056M
Mar 19, 2024	1.518M	1.495M	1.489M	0.023M
Feb 16, 2024	1.47M	1.509M	1.493M	-0.039M
Jan 18, 2024	1.495M	1.48M	1.467M	0.015M
Dec 19, 2023	1.46M	1.47M	1.498M	-0.01M
Nov 17, 2023	1.487M	1.45M	1.471M	0.037M
Oct 18, 2023	1.473M	1.45M	1.541M	0.023M
Sep 19, 2023	1.543M	1.443M	1.443M	0.1M
Aug 16, 2023	1.442M	1.463M	1.441M	-0.021M
Jul 19, 2023	1.44M	1.49M	1.496M	-0.05M
Jun 20, 2023	1.491M	1.42M	1.417M	0.071M
May 17, 2023	1.416M	1.437M	1.437M	-0.021M
Apr 18, 2023	1.413M	1.45M	1.55M	-0.037M
Mar 16, 2023	1.524M	1.34M	1.339M	0.184M
Feb 16, 2023	1.339M	1.35M	1.337M	-0.011M
Jan 19, 2023	1.33M	1.37M	1.351M	-0.04M
Dec 20, 2022	1.342M	1.485M	1.512M	-0.143M
Nov 17, 2022	1.526M	1.465M	1.564M	0.061M