Home Builder Confidence in U.S. Surges

After leaping decisively into positive territory in July, home builder sentiment pulled another surprise in August.  A monthly index from the National Association of Home Builders measuring confidence among single-family home builders rose 2 points to 55; analysts had expected the index to hold unchanged at its July level, after steep drops in new home sales and housing starts from June to July.

A reading above 50 is considered positive sentiment. This is the third-consecutive monthly gain and puts the index at its highest level since January.

“As the employment picture brightens, builders are seeing a noticeable increase in the number of serious buyers entering the market,” said NAHB Chairman Kevin Kelly, a home builder and developer from Wilmington, Delaware. “However, builders still face a number of challenges, including tight credit conditions for borrowers and shortages of finished lots and labor.”

CNBC

Content is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc. or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. If you would like to reproduce or redistribute any of the content found on MarketPulse, an award winning forex, commodities and global indices analysis and news site service produced by OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc., please access the RSS feed or contact us at info@marketpulse.com. Visit https://www.marketpulse.com/ to find out more about the beat of the global markets. © 2023 OANDA Business Information & Services Inc.