“Purchase applications are a leading indicator for single-family home sales and housing construction. Yesterday, the Mortgage Bankers Association announced that purchase applications rose 1% in the week of Dec. 7, making it the fifth straight week applications have increased.
This news is an encouraging sign for large home-improvement retailers, including Home Depot (NYSE: HD ) , Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW ) , and Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL ) . These three companies benefit directly by selling appliances and materials for housing-related projects, serving three customer groups:
- Do-it-yourself customers, who complete their own projects and installations.
- Do-it-for-me customers, who purchase their own materials and hire another party to complete the project.
- Professional customers, contractors, remodelers, or tradesmen…”
- Full article
