U.S. New-Home Sales Declined More Than Forecast in December

A worker hammers a piece of lumber to a wall frame on a home under construction at the M/I Homes Inc. Bougainvillea Place housing development in Ellenton, Florida, U.S., on Thursday, July 6, 2017.Photographer: Ty Wright/Bloomberg
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U.S. purchases of new homes declined more than projected last month and were revised down in the prior period, showing the market returned to a less exuberant pace as the year drew to a close, according to government data Thursday.

The strongest annual sales in a decade reflect an improvement in fundamentals including robust job growth, historically low mortgage rates and a boost in home-equity values.