Of Late, ITB Not Taking Cue From Builder Sentiment, Rather Other Housing Data

Directionally, ITB, the iShares Dow Jones Home Construction ETF, and U.S. homebuilder sentiment tend to move together.  The correlation coefficient is far from perfect, but at 0.68 between May 2006 and November 2015, it is decent (Chart 1). The National … Continued

Rosy Builder Sentiment, Surging Housing Starts, And Rising Supply Of New Homes

posted in: Credit, Economy, Equities | 0

Are U.S. homebuilders getting too aggressive?  Makes you wonder. This month, the National Association of Home Builders housing market index rose three points to 64, to a 10-year high.  There have been times in the past when builder sentiment ran … Continued

June Softness In New Home Sales Preceded By Price Surge — Similar Fate Awaiting Existing Homes?

posted in: Economy | 0

There is a dichotomy between U.S. sales of new and existing homes.  This has been preceded by a dichotomy between how their median prices were diverging from each other. June saw existing homes jump to a seasonally adjusted annual rate … Continued