Unemployment Claims unchanged at 245,000

In the week ending December 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 245,000, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised level of 245,000. The 4-week moving average was 237,750, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 236,000. Claims taking procedures continue to be disrupted in the Virgin Islands. The claims taking process in Puerto Rico has still not returned to normal.

CB Consumer Sentiment slipped to 122.1

Consumer confidence fell in December, a month after hitting a 17-year high, but the level of optimism among Americans this year was the highest since 2000. The index slipped to 122.1 this month from a revised 128.6 in November, the Conference Board said Wednesday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast the index to read 127.5. Americans were a little less confident in their outlook for jobs and business conditions. An index that measures future conditions dipped to 99.1 from 111.

USD - Major events in the week ahead

Events that marked the week:

On Tuesday Building Permits and Housing Starts data was published. Groundbreaking on single-family homes proceeded in November at the strongest pace in a decade, driving U.S. housing starts to a faster-than-estimated rate, government figures showed Tuesday. Residential starts rose 3.3% to 1.3m annualized rate (est. 1.25m) after 1.26m pace in prior month (revised from 1.29m). Single-family starts jumped 5.3% to 930,000, highest since Sept. 2007; South and West regions also were 10-year highs. Permits, a proxy for future construction of all types of homes, fell 1.4% to 1.3m rate (est. 1.27m) from 1.32m pace; single-family permits in U.S. and South both highest since Aug. 2007.

New Home Sales jumped to 733,000

The Commerce Department said on Friday new home sales jumped 17.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 733,000 units last month. That was the highest level since July 2007 and followed October’s downwardly revised sales pace of 624,000 units. New home sales surged 26.6 percent from a year ago.