Although the first month of the year was very strong, with the Dow climbing over 500 points since the year’s beginning, investors clung to the sidelines today as initial jobless claims came in higher than economists expected. CNNMoney reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average nudged down -0.36 percent, -49.84 points, to end the day at 13,860.58. The Nasdaq remained fairly flat, dropping -0.01 to 3,142.53, while the S&P moved down -0.26 percent to end the month at 1,498.11. The Yahoo! Finance Manufactured Housing Composite gained +0.48 percent to close at 1361.1. Housing stocks we track closed mixed or even. Nobility Homes gained the most of tracked stocks, moving up +3.00%, +0.55, to end the day at 5.15. Equity LifeStyle Properties fell the most of stocks we follow, dropping -1.45%, -1.10 to 71.60. Affiliated Managers Group 143.93 -0.67 (-0.46%). Cavco Industries, Inc. 51.86 +0.74 (+1.45%). Clayton Homes, Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, as well as MH home-building, lending and other housing suppliers parent company Berkshire Hathaway 145,875 +370.00 (+0.25%). Champion, Liberty Homes, Deer Valley and Palm Harbor continued unchanged. Drew Industries 36.62 +0.07 (+0.19%). Louisiana Pacific Industries 19.43 -0.07 (-0.36%). Patrick Industries, Inc. 16.10 +0.25 (+1.65%). Skyline Corp. 4.77 -0.07 (-1.45%) Sun Communities, Inc. 42.95 +0.24 (+0.56%). Third Avenue Value Fund (Jan. 30) 52.52 +0.16 (0.31%). Universal Forest Products, Inc. held steady at 40.65, while UMH remained at 10.35.
