US housing starts rise 4.8% in June to 1.189 million

US housing starts rose 4.8% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.189 million, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. The reading beat expectations of 1.170 million.   

Applications for building permits, a gauge of forthcoming construction, rose 1.5% to 1.153 million, slightly above the 1.150 million of consensus, and up from a downwardly revised May rate of 1.136 million.