NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dodge Momentum Index rose 3.2% in December, according to McGraw-Hill Construction (http://www.construction.com/), a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP). The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. The December gain brought the Momentum Index to 94.9 (2000=100), up from November's revised 91.9. After showing a hesitant upward trend during the first seven months of 2012, the Momentum Index settled back from August through October, and then stabilized in November. This coincided with the economic and political uncertainty that dampened investment during that time. The December rebound for the Momentum Index brings it back close to the 95.4 reached in July, which was the highest reading reported during 2012. The latest month's upturn may also be the initial sign that the uncertainty that restrained plans for construction is now easing, with the November 2012 elections now final and the fiscal cliff being averted for the time being.

December's increase for the Momentum Index was due entirely to a pickup by its commercial building segment, which advanced an impressive 9.0% relative to November.  New plans for stores and office buildings were stronger in December, and several notable warehouse developments also bolstered the Index, including plans for two new Amazon distribution facilities in Dupont WA and Fort Worth TX. In contrast, the institutional building segment of the Momentum Index dropped 2.4% in December, weighed down by a reduction in the number of new hospitals entering the planning phase. The retreat for the institutional building segment is likely to continue for a while longer, given expected cutbacks in federal spending and state budget constraints.

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McGraw-Hill Construction's data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets,Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record—create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge BuildShare and Dodge SpecShare. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

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McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

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Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,
McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

SOURCE McGraw-Hill Construction