After leaping decisively into positive territory in July, home builder sentiment pulled another surprise in August. A monthly index from the National Association of Home Builders measuring confidence among single-family home builders rose 2 points to 55; analysts had expected the index to hold unchanged at its July level, after steep drops in new home sales and housing starts from June to July. A reading above 50 is considered positive sentiment. This is the third-consecutive monthly gain and puts the index at its highest level since January. "As the employment picture brightens, builders are seeing a noticeable ... (full story)