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This Week: Madison’s 12-year Anniversary Under Third Owner
Twelve years ago this week Madison’s Lumber Reporter’s second owner, Laurence Cater (Laurie) retired and I took over ownership of the company. Peter Madison started the weekly North American construction framing dimension softwood lumber price newsletter in Sept 1952, then Laurie bought it from Peter in 1973 and the two worked together for five years.…
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US Home Building, General Economy
An excellent article out of the US National Association of Home Builders this morning demonstrates well what Madison’s has been saying regarding the importance of home building and home sales for the US macroeconomy. The share of real estate activity in US GDP alone provides a strong basis to this analysis: How US Home Building…
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US Housing Starts Feb 2020 vs Softwood Lumber Prices
A recent headline from Metal Miner magazine declares, “U.S. Housing Starts Surge More Than +39% Year-Over-Year in February 2020,” while — describing the same data — Reuters says, “U.S. Housing Starts Fall Less Than Expected in February 2020.” Who to believe? Well, both.Housing starts in the US dropped -1.5% in February 2020, pulled down by…
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North American Softwood Lumber Supply Inconsistent as Demand Wavers
Sawmill operators across Canada and the US chopped softwood lumber prices last week (03/30/20) by a wide margin in response to: wavering demand; both surpluses and shortages with supply (depending on who was being asked for which commodity); and, yet more transportation issues than the previous week. A two-tiered market was in full force, as…
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Madison’s Weekly Softwood Lumber Prices: March 27, 2020
North American construction framing softwood lumber prices of most commodities (US$ per mfbm, net FOB sawmill) continued dropping last week amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. — Madison’s Lumber Reporter Weekly North America #Softwood #Lumber Prices: Movers and Shakers In week ending March 27, 2020, the price of benchmark softwood lumber commodity Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr…
