Some negative news from the US housing sector caused some traders to collect profits from the substantial 2009 equity advance, causing stocks to fall this week. The decline comes on the tail end of recent 13 month highs. The poor housing news included a report that housing starts declined in excess of 10.5 percent in October, and a 4 percent decline in building permits. Both raise some serious questions about the sustainability of the apparent economic recovery. On the positive side, the consumer price index and core price index, which excludes food and energy prices, both rose only slightly as inflation is held in check by the slow recovery.
