--- title: "September’s Economic Signals: Momentum, Mixed Trends, and Housing Shifts" description: September's economic signals reveal mixed trends with stronger GDP growth, varied business investments, and a housing market moving in two different directions. image: https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/09-September/Econ%20UPdate%20End%20of%20Sept%20blog%20(2).png --- ![](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/09-September/Econ%20UPdate%20End%20of%20Sept%20blog%20(2).png?width=1600&height=500&name=Econ%20UPdate%20End%20of%20Sept%20blog%20(2).png) forecasting freightcast # September’s Economic Signals: Momentum, Mixed Trends, and Housing Shifts ![FTR Analysts](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/FTR_2022%20icons_Forecasting.png?width=48&height=48&name=FTR_2022%20icons_Forecasting.png) FTR Analysts September 29, 2025 September’s Economic Signals: Momentum, Mixed Trends, and Housing Shifts 2:39 As September wraps up, the economic picture is looking a little brighter in some areas — but not without a few head-scratchers. From stronger GDP growth to a housing market pulling in two different directions, here’s what the latest reports are telling us. **GDP Packs More Punch** The economy surprised to the upside in Q2. Growth came in at **3.8%**, stronger than first reported. Most of that strength came from services spending, which alone added **0.6 percentage points** to the topline. Even more encouraging: the underlying measure of demand — real final sales to private domestic purchasers — was revised up to **2.9%**. It’s not quite keeping pace with headline GDP, but it’s solid momentum heading into the fall. ![FTR_FSA webinar_Oct 2025_v2 1 Week](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/Events/Webinars/2025/FSA%20+%20FTR%20Webinar/Social%20Media/FTR_FSA%20webinar_Oct%202025_v2%201%20Week.jpg?width=1080&height=1082&name=FTR_FSA%20webinar_Oct%202025_v2%201%20Week.jpg) ### Free Webinar! Don’t wait—our free webinar is happening THIS THURSDAY, October 2.The economy is volatile, tariffs keep shifting, and capacity remains uncertain—leaving food shippers and carriers asking: How do we prepare for 2026? Join FTR and FSA for a one-hour session that cuts through the noise and delivers clarity on freight demand, driver supply, and the 2026 outlook for trucks and trailers. [ Register Today! ](https://www.ftrintel.com/fsa2025) **Durable Goods: Some Spark, Some Caution** Here’s where things get interesting. Business investment was originally thought to be fairly weak in Q2, at just **1.9%**. The revision? A much healthier **7.3%**. Intellectual property spending, in particular, shot up from **6.4% to 15%**. On the flip side, August durable goods orders told a more mixed story: - Overall orders jumped **2.9%**, thanks mostly to transportation. - Core capital goods orders rose **0.6%** — a good sign businesses are still investing. - But shipments of those same goods slipped **0.3%**, hinting that actual investment might cool in Q3. The bottom line? Businesses are buying equipment, but the industrial sector still feels stuck in neutral, continuing the flat trend we’ve seen for a few years now. **Housing: A Tale of Two Markets** **Existing homes**: - Sales slipped **0.2%** in August, keeping the market stagnant. - Prices ticked up to **$422,600**, about **2% higher than last year**. - Inventory has grown — up **11.7% year-over-year** — but the higher prices are keeping buyers cautious. **![house being framed-1](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/house%20being%20framed-1.png?width=254&height=254&name=house%20being%20framed-1.png)New homes**: - A completely different story. Sales surged **20.5%** in August to an annualized pace of **800K**, the strongest since early 2022. - Lower mortgage rates and builder incentives gave the market a boost, helping bring inventories down. - Granted, new home data can swing wildly with revisions, but there’s at least a glimmer of momentum here. **What’s Next** It’s a lighter week for economic releases. Pending home sales and the JOLTS report are on deck, and both are expected to keep with recent trends rather than shake things up. All in all, the economy seems to have a bit more wind at its back than many expected, even if manufacturing is dragging its feet and housing remains a split story. --- [![2025 FTR SOF Symposium_LI_1-1(1)](https://5867190.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/5867190/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/Events/Houston%20Symposium/2025/Social%20Media/2025%20FTR%20SOF%20Symposium_LI_1-1(1).jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=2025%20FTR%20SOF%20Symposium_LI_1-1(1).jpg) ](https://www.ftrintel.com/2025-sof-symposium) Join industry leaders on **November 4, 2025**, in Houston for the **FTR State of Freight: Chemicals & Petroleum Symposium**—a one-day, deep-dive into how shifting trade, equipment markets, and economic forces are reshaping freight. Designed for shippers, carriers, and procurement professionals, this small-group forum blends expert forecasts with candid discussion to help you make smarter investment decisions. 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Together, Truckstop and FTR break down big data to deliver information you can use to maximize your profits. - Weekly predictions and capacity - Equipment and lane data - Trusted names, trusted partners Sign up for **Spot Market Insights**, the trucking industry’s weekly wellness report. https://truckstop.com/product/spot-market-insights/ ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Ftoday.ftrintel.com%2Fmarket-update-september-29-2025](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Ftoday.ftrintel.com%2Fmarket-update-september-29-2025) ## Keep reading [![](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/Blogs/Blog%20images/2026/July/_Class%208%20July%202026%20blog.png?width=1600&height=500&name=_Class%208%20July%202026%20blog.png) class 8 trucks forecasting ### Class 8 Orders Surge Again as Industry Nears 2026 Production Capacity ](https://today.ftrintel.com/class-8-july-2026) [![](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/Blogs/Blog%20images/2026/June/_RMU%20June%2026%202026%20blog.png?width=1600&height=500&name=_RMU%20June%2026%202026%20blog.png) intermodal carload Rail ### Rail Traffic Holds Steady While Intermodal Extends Its Winning Streak ](https://today.ftrintel.com/rmu-june-26-2026) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "FTR Analysts", "url" : "https://today.ftrintel.com/author/ftr-analysts" }, "dateModified" : "2025-09-29T15:38:12.974Z", "datePublished" : "2025-09-29T15:38:12.000Z", "headline" : "September’s Economic Signals: Momentum, Mixed Trends, and Housing Shifts", "image" : [ "https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/09-September/Econ%20UPdate%20End%20of%20Sept%20blog%20(2).png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://today.ftrintel.com/market-update-september-29-2025", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/FTR%20Logos%20and%20Icons/FTR_Logo_Primary_FullColor.png" }, "name" : "FTR | Transportation Intelligence" } } ```