US DATA: Sept new home sales +5.7% to 389k SAAR vs 385k expected,
but following small downward revisions in the prev two months. In Sept,
sales rose in 3 of the 4 regions, but fell 37.3% in the Midwest region.
Supply of new homes +1.4% to 145k, but the large jump in sales pulled
the months supply down to 4.5, well below the 6.3 months supply a year
ago and the smallest since Oct 2005. The median new home sales price
-3.2% m/m to $242,400, +11.7% yr/yr. Combined with the jump in home
building and the modest decline in home resales after an August surge,
it appears that September was a positive month for the housing market.