ThinkstockIn its announcement Wednesday afternoon, the FOMC cited concern over recent developments in the housing market as a reason to maintain its asset purchase program at $85 billion a month. In particular…
ThinkstockThe number of U.S. homeowners who owe more on their mortgages than their houses are worth fell to 7.1 million at the end of the second quarter of 2013, an improvement of…
ThinkstockSince hitting a five-year peak in mid-May of this year, shares of homebuilders’ stocks have dropped between 15% to 33%. That is about the time that mortgage interest rates began climbing and…
ThinkstockThe S&P/Case-Shiller home price index for June posted another month of solid gains, but not on the same pace as the record-setting rise in May. The 20-city composite rose 12.1% year-over-year, just…
August 21, 2013: Markets opened mixed this morning as traders and investors waited for the afternoon’s release of the July FOMC meeting minutes. Existing home sales rose more than expected in July.…
courtesy of TargetIn its second-quarter earnings report released before markets opened on Wednesday, Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) announced adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.19 on revenues of $17.12 billion, compared with…
ThinkstockBefore markets opened on Wednesday, Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW), the country’s second largest home improvement store chain, reported second-quarter diluted earnings per share of $0.88, up from $0.64 in the second…
ThinkstockSo far this earnings season U.S. retailers haven’t put up a very good show. Retailers that have already reported results said that customers had become cautious again during the quarter and same-store…
ThinkstockLowe’s Companies (NYSE: LOW) announced this morning that Orchard Supply Hardware Stores (OSHWQ) did not receive a higher bid than the $205 million Lowe’s offered in June and that the company will…
Jon OggStocks have shown that they no longer can go only up, and now investors are looking for solid research ideas that can bring their next wave of profits. 24/7 Wall St. reviews…
Investors and traders have seen three days of selling now and might want to consider looking for stock bargains in the malaise. 24/7 Wall St. reviews many fresh research calls each morning…
ThinkstockYou have probably noticed in the last couple of months that some of the strong housing recovery news headlines have tamed. Some of the price hikes, existing home sales, permits reports, pending…
ThinkstockToday’s report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) on existing home sales in June may mean that there is trouble brewing for home improvement centers like The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE:…
courtesy Best Buy Co. Inc.Despite a poor revised second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) number of just 1.8%, there are undeniable signs that the U.S. economy is starting to improve. The housing market…
ThinkstockThe stock market may be challenging all-time highs again, but interest rates have skyrocketed and mortgage applications have hit a serious soft patch as a result. As interest rates rise, it drives…
