Privately-owned housing starts in July were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,168,000, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced. This is 0.9% above the revised June estimate of 1,158,000, but is 1.4% below the July 2017 rate of 1,185,000. Single-family housing starts in July were at a rate of 862,000; this is 0.9% above the revised June figure of 854,000. The July rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 303,000.

In the week ending August 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance was 212,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 214,000, the Labor Department reported. The four-week moving average was 215,500, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week’s revised average of 214,500.

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 4.53%, down from 4.59% one week ago, according to Freddie Mac. The average interest rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is 4.01%, down from 4.05%.

Thursday, the Dow climbed 396.32 points (1.58%) to finish at 25,558.73, the NASDAQ was up 32.41 points (0.42%) at 7,806.52, and the S&P 500 increased 22.32 points (0.79%) to 2,840.69. The Russell 2000 gained 15.09 points (0.90%) to finish at 1,685.75, and the Wilshire 5000 closed 240.54 points (0.82%) higher at 29,610.05.

The price of the 10-year Treasury note was down 1/32, increasing its yield to 2.865%. The price of the 30-year Treasury bond was up 3/32, decreasing its yield to 3.030%.

ON THIS DATE: In 1790, the capital city of the U.S. moved to Philadelphia from New York City. In 1863, federal batteries and ships bombarded Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, harbor during the Civil War. In 1896, the Klondike gold rush was set off by George Carmack discovering gold on Rabbit Creek in Alaska. In 1903, Joseph Pulitzer donated a million dollars to Columbia University. This started the Pulitzer Prizes in his name. In 1915, Charles F. Kettering received a patent for the first electric ignition device. In 1961, the Communist East German government completed the construction of the Berlin Wall. In 1977, Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD) reported that in one day the number of orders for flowers to be delivered to Graceland, upon the death of Elvis Pressley, had surpassed the number for any other event in the company’s history. In 1982, the Senate approved an immigration bill that granted permanent resident status to illegal immigrants who had arrived in the United States before 1977. In 1996, Ross Perot was announced to be the Reform Party’s presidential candidate. It was the party’s first-ever candidate. In 1998, NationsBank and BankAmerica merge to create the largest U.S. bank. In 2002, in Santa Rosa, California, the Charles M. Schulz Museum opened to the public.

And now it’s time for FRIDAY FILES!

In Allegany, New York, the Department of Environmental Conservation says officers obtained a warrant to search a home. According to the Associated Press, officers say inside they found three king cobras, six venomous Gila monsters and seven species of turtles kept in enclosures throughout the home. It’s illegal in New York state to own venomous snakes, and officials say the man living at the house faces charges.

In Fayette County, Georgia, police are looking for someone who stole a large amount of ramen noodles—$98,000 worth. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, a large trailer holding the noodles was parked at a Chevron store. As cheap as this item is in stories, it is amazing to think how much was taken to amount to $98,000.

In Strongsville, Ohio, an Arby’s employee called police after a goose fell off the roof of the restaurant. Apparently, the stunned animal was holding up the drive-thru line. However, the bird was gone before police arrived there.

Have a great weekend!