Investing.com – U.S. existing home sales unexpectedly rose in June, bolstering optimism over the health of the housing market, according to a report released on Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.
The industry data showed that home resales increased 1.1% in June to a seasonally adjusted 5.57 million units from the 5.51 million units in May that was revised from the initial read of 5.53 million.
The consensus forecast was for a 0.5% decline to 5.48 million units.
The data helps to gauge the strength of the U.S. housing market and is considered to be a key indicator of overall economic strength.
After the report, EUR/USD was trading at 1.1004 from around 1.1013 ahead of the release of the data, GBP/USD was at 1.3188 from 1.3198 earlier, while USD/JPY traded at 106.41 compared to 106.39 before the release.
The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was at 97.15, compared to 97.13 ahead of the report.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock markets were mixed after the open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 36 points, or 0.20%, the S&P 500 slipped 1 point, or 0.05%, while the NASDAQ Composite inched up 4 points, or 0.08%.
Elsewhere, in the commodities market, gold futures traded at $1,319.85 a troy ounce, compared to $1,317.65 ahead of the data, while U.S. crude oil traded at $45.62 a barrel from $45.51 earlier.