Bright outlook for U.S. housing ETFs

Article Excerpt

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in early 2020, U.S. homebuilding stocks took a big drop, along with the overall market. However, they quickly rebounded, and most homebuilding stocks went on to hit new all-time highs in December 2021. Since then, they have fallen around 20% from those highs. Notably, supply-chain challenges and construction labour shortages have made it difficult for homebuilders to satisfy the continuing high demand. Longer term, though, the challenges in getting homes finished will lessen, and the stocks should regain their highs and rise even further. Here’s a look at two ETFs that aim to benefit from strong demand for housing in the U.S. (Please see our supplement for more information on the prospects for U.S. housing markets.) ISHARES U.S. HOME CONSTRUCTION ETF $65.05 (New York symbol ITB; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $3.2 billion) invests in firms in the U.S. homebuilding and home improvement industries. Pure homebuilding companies make up 64% of the portfolio; providers of building products, 14%; and…