Stocks Sag on Skyrocketing Oil

September 30, 2005

This article first appeared in the Stocks Sag on Skyrocketing Oil issue of Pro Builder.

Building stocks and the major markets took a hit this month as oil prices jumped to record highs. Hurricane Katrina devastated petroleum refineries and the uncertainty of the storm's effects forced markets downward. "The president of the Philly Fed is saying the Fed has to adapt to changing circumstances," said Todd Leone, managing director of equity trading at SG Cowen Securities. "With what's going on in New Orleans, I don't think the Fed can raise rates." Despite this news and word that the government plans to release some oil from its reserves, the growing tragedy in the hurricane's wake took its toll on Wall Street.

The HousingZone.com/GIANTS Builders' and Product Manufacturers' Indicies fled south along with the national indices to end the month of August in the red. The Builders' Index lost 112.86 points, or 7.75 percent, to end at 1343.44. Declining issues surpassed advancing issues by a count of 28 to 8. On the Product Manufacturers' side, the index shed 35.04 points to close at 950.83. Declining issues outpaced advancing issues by a 10-to-4 count. For the complete list of Builders' and Building Product Manufacturers' indicies, visit www.HousingZone.com/economics.

Building Product Manufacturers' Index

Exchange Symbol	Ticker Name	Company
NYSE	ASD	American Standard Companies, Inc.
NASD	AMWD	American Woodmark Corp.
NYSE	BDK	Black & Decker Corp.
NYSE	DOW	Dow Chemical Corp.
NYSE	FO	Fortune Brands, Inc.
NYSE	GE	General Electric Corp.
NYSE	GP	Georgia-Pacific Co.
NYSE	MAS	Masco Corp.
NYSE	MYG	Maytag Corp.
NYSE	MHK	Mohawk Industries, Inc.
NYSE	SHW	Sherwin-Williams Co.
NYSE	SWK	Stanley Works
NYSE	USG	USG Corp.
NYSE	WHR	Whirlpool Corp.

	Price 8/31/2005	Price 7/29/2005	Net Change	Percent Change
Product Manufacturers' Index	950.83	985.87	-35.04	-3.55%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	10481.60	10640.91	-159.31	-1.50%
S&P 500 Index	1220.33	1234.18	-13.85	-1.12%
NASDAQ Composite	2152.09	2184.83	-32.74	-1.50%
Gainers/Losers
$ Gainer	USG Corp.			13.95
$ Loser	Fortune Brands, Inc.			-7.57
% Gainer	USG Corp.			28.53%
% Loser	Dow Chemical Corp.			-9.91%
	Advancers			4
	Decliners			10
Source: Trade Trends, Inc. (509) 327-1279

Builders' Index

Exchange Symbol	Ticker Name	Company
NYSE	AVB	AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
NASD	AVTR	Avatar Holdings, Inc.
NYSE	BZH	Beazer Homes USA, Inc.
NYSE	BHS	Brookfield Homes Corp.
NYSE	CPT	Camden Property Trust
AMEX	CAV	Cavalier Homes, Inc.
NASD	CVCO	Cavco Industries, Inc.
NYSE	CTX	Centex Corp.
NYSE	CHB	Champion Enterprises, Inc.
NASD	CHCI	Comstock Homebuilding Companies, Inc.
NYSE	DHI	D.R. Horton, Inc.
NASD	DHOM	Dominion Homes, Inc.
NYSE	FLE	Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc.
NYSE	HOV	Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.
NYSE	KBH	KB Home
NYSE	LEN	Lennar Corp.
NYSE	LEV	Levitt Corp. (Levitt & Sons, LLC)
NYSE	MDC	MDC Holdings, Inc.
NYSE	MHO	M/I Homes, Inc.
NYSE	MTH	Meritage Homes Corp.
NASD	NOBH	Nobility Homes
AMEX	NVR	NVR, Inc.
AMEX	OHB	Orleans Homebuilders, Inc.
NASD	PHHM	Palm Harbor Homes, Inc.
NYSE	PHM	Pulte Homes, Inc.
NYSE	RYL	Ryland Group, Inc.
NYSE	SKY	Skyline Corp.
NYSE	JOE	St. Joe Co., The
NYSE	SPF	Standard-Pacific Corp.
NASD	TARR	Tarragon Corp.
NYSE	TOA	Technical Olympic USA, Inc.
NYSE	TOL	Toll Brothers, Inc.
NYSE	WLT	Walter Industries (Jim Walter Homes, Inc.)
NYSE	WCI	WCI Communities, Inc.
NYSE	WY	Weyerhaeuser Co. (Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Co.)
NYSE	WLS	William Lyon Homes

	Price 8/31/2005	Price 7/29/2005	Net Change	Percent Change
Builders' Index	1343.44	1456.30	-112.86	-7.75%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	10481.60	10640.91	-159.31	-1.50%
S&P 500 Index	1220.33	1234.18	-13.85	-1.12%
NASDAQ Composite	2152.09	2184.83	-32.74	-1.50%
Gainers/Losers
$ Gainer	William Lyon Homes			24.75
$ Loser	NVR, Inc.			-53.00
% Gainer	William Lyon Homes			19.74%
% Loser	Meritage Home Corp.			-15.77%
	Advancers			8
	Decliners			28
Source: Trade Trends, Inc.