Construction spending in the U.S. rose in June for a third consecutive month, led by a gain in nonresidential building, including factories, communications plants and commercial structures.
The 0.2 percent increase followed a revised 0.3 percent gain in May that was previously reported as a drop, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. The median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg News survey projected a 0.1 percent increase.
Lower interest rates, easier lending rules and a drop in raw-material costs may keep stimulating a rebound in commercial projects that will help underpin business investment, one of the few areas of the economy that contributed to growth last quarter. At the same time, decreases in government spending and a stagnant housing market probably mean a broad-based rebound in the industry will fail to take hold.
