Above the 40 (December 6, 2018) – Arresting Developments At Another Oversold Edge

AT40 = 31.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 25.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (just off a 32-month low)VIX = 21.2 (as high as 25.9)Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish CommentaryI have become convinced that 2019 is going to deliver another one of those poor trading … Read more

Housing Market Review (November, 2018) – The Federal Reserve Takes Note As Housing Deepens Its Slowdown

I saw a flicker of hope for home builders in the May Housing Market Review. Traders decided to snuff that flicker out very quickly afterward. When I wrote June’s housing market review and described a “struggling flicker,” the iShares US Home Construction ETF (ITB) was once again bouncing off the bottom of 2018’s trading range. … Read more

Housing Moves: Zillow, KB Home, and LGI Homes Put On A Show

Housing-related stocks continue to show signs of a return of buying interest. I keep tabs on these “housing moves” as checks on the health of the sector. These moves are of particular interest now that investors are actively worrying about a housing slowdown just as the stocks of home builders launch into their seasonally strong … Read more

Pulte Homes: Staying Confident Despite Challenging Operating Conditions

Pulte Homes (PHM) reported Q3 2018 earnings on October 23rd. The stock responded favorably with a 7.3% one-day gain. That same day, the S&P 500 (SPY) gapped down and sold off for four more trading days. The index now sits at a near 7-month low while PHM is holding an impressive 24.1% total post-earnings gain. … Read more

Home Builder Sentiment Punctuates the Slowdown in the Housing Market

I normally wait until my monthly Housing Market Review to report housing data, but I made an exception for November’s NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) which measures the aggregate of home builder sentiment. The plunge in sentiment delivered a timely exclamation point to all the other signs of a slowdown I have been observing … Read more

KB Home Confirmed Longstanding Market Fears Over Home Builders

In most of my Housing Market Reviews this year, I chronicled the growing warning signs in the housing market and the on-going technical damage in the stocks of home builders. Until the last few months, I remained hopeful that a turn-around waited around the corner; I kept looking for the reassurances of the home builders … Read more

Housing Market Review (October, 2018) – Trend Breaks And A Plunge-Worthy Housing Slowdown

I saw a flicker of hope for home builders in the May Housing Market Review. Traders decided to snuff that flicker out very quickly afterward. When I wrote June’s housing market review and described a “struggling flicker,” the iShares US Home Construction ETF (ITB) was once again bouncing off the bottom of 2018’s trading range. … Read more

Housing Market Review (September, 2018) – Data Weigh Heavy On A Breakdown for Home Builders

I saw a flicker of hope for home builders in the May Housing Market Review. Traders decided to snuff that flicker out very quickly afterward. When I wrote June’s housing market review and described a “struggling flicker,” the iShares US Home Construction ETF (ITB) was once again bouncing off the bottom of 2018’s trading range. … Read more

Book Value Home Builders Belie The Stock Market’s Stellar Q3

The S&P 500 (SPY) printed its best quarter since the fourth quarter of 2013. While the index gained 7.2% for the third quarter of 2018, home builders went in the exact opposite direction. The iShares US Home Construction ETF (ITB) tumbled 7.4% for Q3 and is now down a whopping 20.9% year-to-date. The selling accelerated … Read more