Many Homebuilders Up 100% From Lows (MTH, PHM, LEN, WCI, SPF, HOV, XHB)

Everyone knew homebuilders would turn one day and when they turned it would be fast and in a flurry of buying volume.  Much of this may attributed to short covering, but much is because the good old Fed and another 125 basis points in rate cuts within a 10-day period.  You know you can’t pay attention to the headlines on home sales or even the earnings out of these, because that is dismal.  But traders are taking aim here.  In fact some of these are up 100% off of lows already.

• Meritage Homes (NYSE: MTH) up 12% at $15.26, up over 100% from lows; 52-week range $7.04 to $46.65.
• Pulte Homes (NYSE: PHM) up 14% at $15.52, up over 80% from lows; 52-week range $8.20 to $35.56.
• Lennar (NYSE: LEN) up 8% at $19.70, up over 60% from lows; 52-week range $11.98 to $56.54.
• WCI Communities (NYSE: WCI) up 14.5% at $5.98, up over 200% from lows; 52-week range $1.35 to $24.20.
• Standard Pacific Corp. (NYSE: SPF) up 22% at $3.78, up over 100% from lows; 52-week range $1.47 to $30.52
• Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: HOV) up 10% at $9.68, up over 100% from lows; 52-week range $4.25 to $37.58.

We even ran the key ETF for the sector.  The SPDR S&P Homebuilders (AMEX: XHB) is up over 8% today to $22.10.  But even this is up almost 50% from the recent lows; 52-week trading range $15.22 to $40.03.  That low was just on January 9, 2008.

There are many other names that were equally charged.  But these were the ones that fir the screen today.

Jon C. Ogg
January 31, 2008