Chasing the Outperformance of Home Builders

outperformance (Credit: Dr. Duru at the Charles Shultz Museum)

I assumed the seasonal trade on home builders came to an end some time in May. However, the tailwinds lifting builders higher remain as strong as ever. This strength and outperformance has confused and confounded those assuming higher interest rates would mean disaster for the housing market and an eventual recession. A recent upgrade for … Read more

Fresh Hope from A New Peak in Mortgage Rates – Housing Market Review

fresh hope (Credit: kitty.green66 on Flickr)

Housing Market Intro and Summary Real estate is local. Regional banks often sit at the heart of local communities. So it seems odd writing about the relative strength in the housing market in the wake of the Panic of 2023 that featured the historic collapse of two regional banks, Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB) and Signature … Read more

Builders Eye A Floor Despite A Sinking Reality – The Housing Market Review

Housing Market Intro and Summary A month ago, housing-related stocks managed to stabilize despite deteriorating data. Reality caught up in June with a fresh round of selling in the stocks of home builders. A surprising jump in new home sales provide some relief for an otherwise on-going din of negative housing news. The National Association … Read more

KB Home: A Tempting Off-Cycle Buy At A Recession Valuation

The reaction to the Q1 2022 earnings report from KB Home (KBH) symbolizes the skepticism that enshrouds housing-related stocks when the economic cycle turns against them. KBH management was almost as bullish as can be during the earnings conference call. Yet, sellers took KBH down the next day by 4.6%. Last week, KBH tested its … Read more

Leaning into the Headwinds of Higher Rates – The Housing Market Review

Housing Market Intro and Summary A hawkish Federal Reserve has changed the game for the housing market. At first, I thought the normalization in monetary policy would generate a “settling in” for the housing market. However with inventories tight, a scarcity in available labor, rising material costs, and a dysfunctional supply chain, higher rates may … Read more

Settling In – Housing Market Review

Housing Market Intro and Summary The story of housing remained relatively steady for most of the year: low inventory, rising prices, strong demand, low interest rates, and the desire for more space, especially in the suburbs. In my last Housing Market Review, I explored the market as a nexus of economic recovery and inflation. In … Read more

KB Home Q2 2021 Earnings: Still Recovering from Disappointment

Overall Assessment I am neutral on KB Home (KBH). The KB Home Q2 2021 earnings report delivered strong results. Management was bullish, confident and even raised guidance. Yet, investors sold off the stock to the tune of a 6.7% loss. Clearly expectations were riding high. For example, KBH was one of the first home builders … Read more

The Spring Selling Season Extended Key Downtrends – Housing Market Review (June, 2021)

Housing Market Intro and Summary The housing data for April and now May confirm that the housing market had a kind of false start to the Spring selling season. Normalization continues to pressure short-term trends. Housing starts, new home sales, existing home sales, and home builder sentiment are in key downtrends. These measures are now … Read more

Follow-Through Trades: The S&P 500 Left Churning Stocks Behind

The Follow-Through: Churning While the S&P 500 (SPY) cruised higher all week, much of the rest of the market resigned to churning. The dichotomy of a market rebound versus the wounds left to heal continued to play out. Many of the follow-through trades for this week churned with the rest of the stock market. See … Read more

A Strong Market Rebound that Failed to Heal All Wounds – Above the 40 (June 25, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary Even the Federal Reserve must sit back and marvel as the S&P 500 (SPY) refuses to rest for long. Post-Fed handwringing sent the stock market into a period of doubt over previous assumptions of inflation fears. The previous week even ended with oversold conditions looming. However, as is the case with so … Read more