Asphalt Product Manufacturers NAICS 324121, 324122

Oct 6, 2025 - New Home Sales Rise

• New single-family home sales rose 20.5% month-over-month and 15.4% year-over-year in August 2025, according to the US Census Bureau. August’s new home sales reached 800,000 units, the highest number since January 2022. However, some economists told Reuters that the August new home sales numbers are probably inflated and may be revised downward later this year. Other housing bellwether metrics, including builder sentiment and job growth, don’t suggest a sudden surge in new home sales. However, falling interest rates could revitalize the sluggish housing market. The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark overnight interest rate from 4.25% to 4.0% on September 18 amid a tepid labor market, and the central bank is expected to announce more cuts before the end of the year. Homebuilding activity is a demand driver for composite shingles and other asphalt roofing products.
• Demand for building design services rose slightly in August from the prior month, but design demand remained in negative territory, according to a September report by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The AIA’s Architecture Billing Index (ABI) rose to 47.2 compared to July’s reading of 46.2. Any reading of 50 or more indicates growth in architectural billings. The score for new project inquiries dropped to 50.3 in August from 53.4 in July, and the index for the value of new design contracts decreased from 47.9 to 47.2. August marked the 18th consecutive month of decline for new design contracts, the longest slump in the 15 years the AIA has collected data. However, the AIA’s Chief Economist, Kermit Baker said, "While business conditions remained soft at architecture firms nationally, there are signs that the downturn may be bottoming out. Inquiries for new projects have increased four straight months, and billings both at firms with a multifamily or commercial/industrial specialization are beginning to stabilize."

• Construction firms that work on civil infrastructure projects are holding steady as they manage uncertainties, including waning backlog growth and weaker margins, according to FMI’s third-quarter Civil Infrastructure Construction Index (CICI) survey. The CICI reading for the third quarter was 50.8 compared to 52.2 in Q2 2025 – on a 100-point scale. Any CICI reading above 50 indicates that more civil infrastructure contractors see conditions as good than poor. While about 52% of firms surveyed said their work backlogs had risen in Q3 2025 compared to a year earlier, only 25% expected backlog growth in Q4. While civil infrastructure firms expect backlogs to ease, margins remain under pressure from competitive bidding and higher costs. FMI expects firms to focus on project selection and cost controls to improve margins, as higher work volumes are a less reliable profitability boost. Asphalt paving mixture manufacturers could see demand drop if road building and maintenance backlogs decline.
• A third of US states may not meet their funding needs for achieving their highway and bridge maintenance goals, according to a new report by The Pew Charitable Trusts and reporting by Smart Cities Dive. In part due to $1.2 trillion in funding through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, US states increased transportation’s average share of their budgets to 8% in 2024 compared to 6.8% in 2022, according to a recent report by the National Association of State Budget Officers. However, 24 states reported a combined transportation budget shortfall of $86 billion over the next 10 years.