US Lumber Futures Hit 2026 Low

U.S. lumber prices have weakened as housing demand softens: new-home sales fell 5.3% year over year in September, while high mortgage rates, construction costs and low builder confidence have kept buyers on the sidelines. Lumber futures settled at their lowest level of 2026, and Madison’s Lumber Prices Index slipped to $495 per thousand board feet for the week ending Oct. 23, down 1% from the prior week and month. Builders are also starting fewer single-family homes, while West Fraser plans to indefinitely idle an Arkansas sawmill, reducing its annual capacity by 225 million board feet.