Construction, Factory Reports Due

The Commerce Department today will issue its monthly report on construction starts for new housing. Analysts are predicting that housing starts for March held at a high level: 1.742 million, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, versus 1.799 million for February.

The Federal Reserve is expected to report today that output of the nation’s factories, mines and utilities increased 0.2% in March, the same as in February. Utility output is likely to account for much of the gain, reflecting colder weather. Manufacturing output was subdued, analysts said.