A Moment of Truth for Stocks of Homebuilders

The iShares Dow Jones Home Construction ETF (ITB) has backed off from 21-month highs.

This is a moment of truth for the stocks of homebuilders. The iShares Dow Jones Home Construction ETF (ITB) last week hit a 21-month high that exactly coincided with a climactic high in January, 2018. The subsequent selling this week seemed to unfold like clockwork. The selling was particularly notable given the S&P 500 (SPY) … Read more

Housing Market Review (December, 2018) – Prices Are Still Too High

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

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

Dallas, Denver, Seattle Help Tip U.S. Housing Economics Toward Renting Over Buying

Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University co-create a “buy versus rent” scoring system called the Beracha, Hardin & Johnson Buy vs. Rent (BH&J) Index. Last month, this index crossed a critical threshold for the first time since 2010: U.S. households are once again better off renting than buying. This cross-over provides further confirmation of … Read more

Housing Market Review (August, 2018) – Worsening Affordability Issues Add to Weakening Data

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

Above the 40 (August 24, 2018) – S&P 500 Historic All-Time High Shines Cautious Light On Opportunities

AT40 = 60.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 58.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 12.0 Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary Last week the stock market made history by delivering the longest bull market in history. Tonight on Nightly Business Report, markets are … Read more

Above the 40 (August 17, 2018) – Another Picture-Perfect Rebound Ends Stretched Conditions

AT40 = 55.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 56.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 12.6 Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary The recovery from the February swoon has been full of nearly predictable bounces: whether it was oversold trading conditions or support at … Read more

Redfin Waves A Red Flag Warning At the Housing Market

Redfin (RDFN) may have provided one of the first validations of the (presumed) investor fears that have weighed down the stocks of home builders since the February sell-off. In its last earnings report on August 9, 2018, RDFN provided this brief, yet significant, warning: “We expect U.S. home sales growth to slow and even perhaps … Read more

Lumber Futures Complete A 2018 Reversal

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) consistently complains about rising construction costs, so I have taken for granted that lumber prices remain an issue. Lumber futures actually peaked in mid-May after a tremendous 2018 breakout and run-up. The return back down was a lot faster than the ride up. Earlier this week, lumber futures … Read more