This year has been a rough one for US home builders and there's no help coming

The US home building sector faces a tough year with no clear optimism ahead. The home builders' ETF ($XHB) was hit hard early on and failed to recover, closing the year slightly down. While high-end builders fared better due to economic divergence, the overall sentiment remains low, with the NHB sentiment index at 39, close to record lows. Expectations for a recovery have faded, and fears remain that any rate cuts might not impact long-term rates. Recent data indicated pending home sales rose by 3.3%, suggesting pent-up demand could surface eventually. Today's Case-Shiller index is anticipated to show a year-over-year increase of 1.2%, while the FHA index is expected to rise by 1.7%. Other economic indicators, including the Dallas Fed services sector survey and the FOMC minutes, may also influence market movements as the last full trading day of the year unfolds.