Sales of Existing U.S. Homes Probably Rose Last Month

Sales of U.S. previously owned houses probably rose in December for a second month as demand struggled to rebound from a decade low, economists said before a report today.

Purchases increased 4.1 percent from the prior month to a 4.87 million annual rate, according to the median forecast of 72 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Other reports may show a gauge of the economy’s direction grew for a sixth month, and manufacturing expanded in the Philadelphia region in January.