What Happened to the Homebuilders: A Citigroup Downgrade

What Happened to the Housing Market

Question. When an analyst lowers the price target on a stock to a level still substantially higher than the current price, what do you expect to happen? What if that price target comes with a downgrade from buy to neutral? If you answered lower, you win a prize… a discounted price on homebuilder stocks. A … Read more

Has the Builder Seasonal Trade Topped Out? – Housing Market Review

Has the Builder Seasonal Trade Topped Out - Housing Market Review

Housing Market Intro and Summary In recent months, the housing market experienced several impacts from declining mortgage rates. An accelerating improvement in consumer and builder sentiment point the path toward a strong spring selling season despite on-going issues of affordability and inventory availability (in the existing home market). While housing starts pulled back from November’s … Read more

The Week’s Rally Failed to Erase Key Bearish Trading Signal – The Market Breadth

The Week's Rally Failed to Erase Bearish Trading Conditions - The Market Breadth

Stock Market Commentary A bearish divergence is well underway in the stock market. While the S&P 500 and NASDAQ rally, a key bearish trading signal persists in market breadth. The previous week, market breadth created a strong bearish signal by slicing below the overbought threshold. This key bearish trading signal was reinforced by last week’s … Read more

A Slight Summer Cooling from Spring’s Peak – Housing Market Review

cooling (Yosemite waterfall)

Housing Market Intro and Summary May’s housing market was remarkably strong and represented the peak velocity of the spring selling season. June followed up with more relative strength but a slight sequential cooling as mortgage rates continued a march back to the top of the recent range. Housing starts, new home sales, and existing home … Read more

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