本月，美国房屋建筑商的信心指数跌至14年来的最低水平，主要原因在于房贷利率超过7%、劳动力短缺以及原材料成本上升，这些因素严重冲击了房地产市场。
Confidence among US homebuilders this month slumped to a 14-year low as mortgage rates above 7%, labor shortages and elevated supply costs batter the housing market.
根据美国房屋建筑商协会（NAHB）与富国银行（Wells Fargo）联合发布的房地产市场状况指数，该指数下降了3个百分点，降至29分，为2012年6月以来的最低水平。彭博社对经济学家进行的调查显示，经济学家们的预期中值为31分。
The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo gauge of housing market conditions fell 3 points to 29, the lowest since June 2012. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists was 31.
当该指数低于50分时，意味着更多建筑商认为市场状况不佳。该指数已连续两年多时间处于这一水平以下。
A reading below 50 indicates more builders see conditions as poor than good. The index has stayed below that level for more than two years.
反映当前销售情况的指标也跌至14年来的最低点；而衡量未来六个月销售情况的指标则降至2022年11月以来的最低水平。此外，衡量潜在购房者数量的指数也跌至疫情爆发以来的最低水平。
A measure of current sales dropped to 33, also a 14-year low. A gauge of expected sales over the next six months, one of the index’s core inputs, declined to the weakest level since November 2022. The prospective buyer traffic index slid to the lowest since the onset of the pandemic.
这种悲观的市场前景表明房屋建筑商的处境日益艰难：不断上升的借贷成本抑制了购房者的需求，同时新房库存依然居高不下。双重压力迫使建筑商提供折扣并增加促销措施以吸引客户，从而压缩了他们的利润空间。
The gloomy outlook reflects a deteriorating market for homebuilders, as rising borrowing costs suppress buyer demand and new-home inventory remains elevated. The dual pressures have forced builders to offer discounts and expand incentives to lure customers, squeezing operating margins.
美国房屋建筑商协会首席经济学家罗伯特·迪茨（Robert Dietz）在周一的声明中表示：“房地产市场仍受到供应侧限制和重大 affordability（即购房负担）问题的困扰。虽然需求依然存在，但较高的房贷利率、上升的建造成本以及消费者信心的下降使得更多购房者选择观望。”根据NAHB的调查，有43%的建筑商表示已经降低了房价；约三分之二的建筑商表示本月采取了促销措施。
“Housing remains squeezed by supply-side constraints and significant affordability challenges,” Robert Dietz, NAHB chief economist, said in a statement Monday. “Demand persists, but higher mortgage rates, elevated construction costs and weaker consumer confidence are keeping more buyers on the sidelines.”The share of builders that reported cutting prices climbed to 43%. About two-thirds reported using incentives this month, according to the NAHB survey.
投资者对该行业依然持悲观态度。包含房屋建筑商和建筑材料公司的iShares US Home Construction ETF在过去三个月里持续下跌。
Investors remain pessimistic about the sector. The iShares US Home Construction ETF, which includes homebuilders and materials companies, has steadily declined over the past three months.
报告显示，南部地区的建筑商信心指数为2012年中期以来的最低水平；西部地区的建筑商信心指数下降了10个百分点，降至2011年底以来的最低水平；中西部地区的建筑商信心也有所下滑，而东北部地区的建筑商信心则有所回升。
The NAHB report showed builder confidence in the South was the weakest since mid-2012, while sentiment in the West slumped 10 points to the lowest since the end of 2011. Builder confidence also slipped in the Midwest but rose in the Northeast.
联邦政府将于周二公布新建住宅的数量以及建筑许可证的发放情况；同时，全国房地产经纪人协会（National Association of Realtors）也将发布上个月的待售房屋销售数据。
The federal government will provide a glimpse into housing starts and building permits on Tuesday, while the National Association of Realtors will release pending-home sales for last month.