Housing starts jump
U.S. housing starts surged 5% in December to their highest level since mid-1986, the Commerce Dept. said Tuesday. Mortgage rates have dipped to levels not seen since 1965 as the stock market remains in a three-year swoon, fueling home buying and building, making the sector one of the rare bright spots in the sluggish U.S. economy. Permits to break ground also jumped to the highest level in more than