US housing starts slowed in July, falling 12.4% to a 1.24mln annualized pace
versus a 1.35 mln survey expectation. Single-family starts dropped 9.9% to 808k,
the lowest since November 2022. Multifamily starts fell nearly 17% after a prior
surge. The pullback highlights difficulty for the US housing market to regain
momentum amid rising mortgage rates since the Iran war outbreak and elevated
home prices. Residential investment made a small positive contribution to Q2 GDP
— the first in 2024 — but gains were modest. Outlook for starts remains unclear.