Housing Market Index · NAHB / Wells Fargo HMI
ReleasedMonthly · 10:00 AM ET · ~mid-month
FrequencyMonthly
Definition
A survey of homebuilders on current sales, buyer traffic and sales expectations; above 50 means more builders see conditions as good than poor.
Why investors care
Builder sentiment leads housing starts and is among the most rate-sensitive sentiment gauges in the economy.
What to watch
It’s a fast leading indicator — builder optimism turns months before starts and new-home sales do.