THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)

Construction spending up 0.4%

Spending rose less than expected in Dec., but still hit a record $933.2 bil annual rate. For the year, spending grew 4.3%. Residential spending rose 0.9% from Nov. to a record $502.2 bil. Private nonresidential outlays fell to a $210.2 bil rate, the lowest since June '97.

Housing affordability rose in Q4

A family earning the median income had 139.2% of the funds needed to buy a single family home vs. 136.6% in Q3, the National Association of Realtors said. Median family income rose 0.7% to $53,996. Median home prices fell 3% to $171,600. They still rose 6.6% from a year ago.

CEOs wary despite rising profits

A PricewaterhouseCoopers survey found 9 in 10 U.S. CEOs feel good about '04 revenue growth prospects and 85% say they'll meet or beat profit targets. But 44% say they're more risk-averse now than a year ago. Just 5% are taking significantly more risks, while 39% are taking "somewhat" more risks.

IMF seeks global plan for dollar