Surprise jump in building approvals data
Stronger than expected building approvals figures have given the Australian dollar a boost.
The local currency hit 85.01 US cents as the data were released at 1130 AEDT on Tuesday, up from 84.88 cents just before.
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Approvals for the construction of new homes rose 11.4 per cent across Australia in October, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said.
Over the 12 months to October, building approvals were up 2.5 per cent, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.
Economists expected approvals to have risen five per cent in October.
Approvals for private sector houses fell 0.2 per cent in the month, and the ‘other dwellings’ category, which includes apartment blocks and townhouses, was up 31.3 per cent.