美国住宅建筑商信心小幅上升 销售优惠助力

Core Insights - The confidence among U.S. home builders has slightly increased in December, with builders continuing to offer sales incentives to attract buyers [1][2] Group 1: Market Conditions - The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo reported a 1-point increase in the market conditions index to 39, the highest since April [1][2] - Despite the increase, the index remains below 50, indicating that more builders view market conditions as poor rather than good [1][2] Group 2: Mortgage Rates and Buyer Behavior - Mortgage rates have hovered around 6.3%-6.4% for the past two months, close to a one-year low, which has encouraged some buyers to enter the market [1][2] - However, builders are still required to provide price discounts and other incentives, which is compressing their profit margins [1][2] Group 3: Builder Incentives and Challenges - In December, 67% of builders reported offering sales incentives, the highest record since the pandemic, while 40% indicated they had lowered prices [3][5] - Builders continue to face supply-side challenges due to high regulatory costs and material prices, as noted by NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz [3][5] - An increase in inventory has led to more intense competition for new homes [3][5] Group 4: Sales Expectations - The six-month sales expectations index rose by 1 point to 52, marking the third consecutive month above the neutral line [3][5] - The current sales index also increased by 1 point to 42, while the potential buyer traffic index remained unchanged [3][5]