Today is a double whammy for bad news for the US economy.
First, The Census Bureau monthly construction spending report reveals that highway and street spending rose 11.7% in January. The biggest decline was communication spending.
BUT, US residential construction spending slumped for the 6th straight month. It is beginning to resemble “The Matterhorn” plunge of the 2000s.
The second whammy is the FDIC report revealing that US banks reported $251 billion of “unrealized losses” on securities investments in 2018, the most since 2008.
For a less grim chart from The Federal Reserve (and a different metric), here is US Commercial Bank Liabilities Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) Available for Sale.
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Residential Spending Slumps For 6th Straight Month As Infrastructure Spending Soars Most Since 2003
…government spending rescued the headline as public construction rose 4.9% in Jan… thanks to a massive surge in infrastructure spending on Highway and Street improvements…
