U.S. housing starts, permits beat expectations

WASHINGTON — Housing starts in the U.S. rose by 1.2 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.55 million units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Meanwhile, October’s increase was revised up from 4.9 percent to 6.3 percent. Permits for new homes were at a rate of 1.64 million, up 6.2 percent from October. Economists projected a pace of 1.54 million for housing starts and 1.57 million for permits.