Down Grade Home Builders

BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF /quotes/comstock/13*!xhb/quotes/nls/xhb (XHB 18.16, -0.21, -1.16%) was off more than 1% Tuesday morning after the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo housing market index remained unchanged at 16 for the third straight month in January. "At this point, housing remains on the sidelines of a weak economic recovery as consumers and builders wait for clear and consistent indications that jobs and economic output are reviving," said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. Beazer Homes USA Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!bzh/quotes/nls/bzh (BZH 5.78, -0.37, -6.02%) and Meritage Homes Corp. /quotes/comstock/13*!mth/quotes/nls/mth (MTH 23.92, -1.92, -7.43%) were both down more than 5% to lead the decliners in the home-builder sector. UBS downgraded Meritage to sell on valuation, while CRT Capital Group cut Meritage and Beazer to fair value from buy.
/marketstate/country/us
SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF
Market open

XHB
/quotes/comstock/13*!xhb/quotes/nls/xhb
$
18.14

Change
-0.23 -1.24%

Volume
Volume 1.60m

Jan 18, 2011, 1:15 p.m.

Real time quotes

/quotes/comstock/13*!xhb/quotes/nls/xhb
Previous close
$ 18.37

$ 18.14
Change
-0.23 -1.24%

Day low
Day high

$18.09
$18.32

Open: 18.25 52 week low
52 week high

$13.59
$20.00

Market cap
$828.77M

Average volume
4.84M

P/E ratio
33.43

EPS
0.54

Dividend
0.24

Div yield
5.24%

$18.15 -0.22 (1.20%) 52Wk Range: 13.37 - 19.64

ITB
$13.97 -0.28 (1.96%) 52Wk Range: 10.47 - 15.70
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/builders-slip-on-confidence-downgrades-2011-01-18