NEW YORK - Lower U.S. interest rates could help support outperforming U.S. homebuilder stocks, even as they raise worries about the economy, while a bonanza of industry data and Federal Reserve speakers next week are likely to help shape the outlook.
This week, U.S. 30-year Treasury yields fell to a record low below 2%, while benchmark 10-year yields declined to a three-year trough as trade tensions linger and global economic growth continues to slow. A report on Friday showed U.S. homebuilding fell for a third straight month in July amid a steep decline in the construction of multifamily housing units, even as the data provided a positive sign for housing: a jump in permits to a seven-month high.Housing and homebuilding stocks should continue to do well as long as rates remain low, but the potential for slower demand is a risk, said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles.