The Commerce Department reports on sales of new homes in August. The report will be released Wednesday at 10 a.m. Eastern. SALES UP: Economists forecast that sales of new homes rose 4.3 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 430,000, according to a survey by the data firm FactSet. That would reverse two straight months of declines, with sales falling 2.4 percent to an annual rate of 412,000 in July after suffering a 7 percent decline in June to 422,000. TOUGH MARKET: The housing market has sputtered for much this year. A nascent rebound in sales and prices began to stall toward the middle of 2013. ... (full story)