EXISTING HOME SALES & CONSUMER CONFIDENCE DECLINE

From The New York Times:

Purchases of previously owned homes in August dropped 4.3 percent from July, sending sales to a five-year low, the National Association of Realtors said this morning. The annual sales rate fell to 5.50 million from 5.75 million in July. Existing home sales are down nearly 13 percent over the last 12 months.

The bad news in the housing sector was coupled with a discouraging report on consumer confidence from the Conference Board, whose index dropped to 99.8 in September from 105.6 in August, much more than forecast. The index is now at its lowest level in nearly two years. A weak job market and stagnant salary growth has caused anxiety among consumers, analysts said, suggesting potential declines in consumer spending and job creation over the coming months.