construction

Hong Kong took a new step this week to let some air out of its real estate bubble, levying a heavy tax on property flippers -- a move that has already sent asking prices there downward. But Hong Kong's real estate risks are dwarfed by those in Mainland China.

U.S. housing starts unexpectedly plunged 11.7% in October to a 519,000-unit annual rate, weighed down by a 47.5% decline in apartment and condo construction. But building permits, a leading indicator of future housing construction, did inch 0.5% higher last month.

Technically, the homebuilder sentiment index inched one point higher to 16 in November. But the gain was offset by a revised one-point dip in October's reading, and the numbers remain well below those seen during a healthy housing market.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics data on regional and state unemployment for September shows jobless rates remain uneven. Nevada and Michigan have been particularly hard hit, with no relief in sight.

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) reported third quarter earnings of $1.22 per share, compared with 64 cents per share a year earlier. Sales and revenue rose 53% to $11.134 billion, the company said in a statement. "Third-quarter results continue to demonstrate our focus on aggressively managing costs and...

Building a new chipmaking plant and upgrading four others will result in thousands of construction and high-tech jobs, the world's leading supplier of microprocessors said today. It's a strong statement from a company that has been critical of Washington's business policies.

The British economy grew more than previously thought in the second quarter, boosted by a strong showing in the construction sector. The UK economy grew 1.2% from April through June, the fastest quarterly expansion in more than nine years, the country's Office for National Statistics said. The...

Last year saw a sharp decline in on-the-job injuries in the United States, mainly because there were fewer jobs. Workplace fatalities due to injuries plunged 17% to 4,340 in 2009, The Wall Street Journal reported. That's the lowest since records began 18 years ago. The economy lost 4.7 million...

Construction stocks have lately been dormant, if not huge losers. But some analysts are starting to divine that global engineering and heavy construction will come alive in the second half of 2010. And they're changing their tune on Foster Wheeler.

Caterpillar Inc (CAT) reported second quarter earnings per share of $1.09, up from 60 cents per share in the second quarter of 2009. Second quarter profit was $707 million, a 91% increase from a year ago. Sales and revenues increased 31% to 10.409 billion, from $7.975 billion in the year-ago...