Tracking home prices

The latest installment of a closely watched barometer of U.S. home prices should provide insight into the health of the housing market. The S&P Corelogic Case-shiller home price index, which tracks the value of homes in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas, is due out today. It has been increasing at a more measured pace as the housing market has cooled amid sharply higher mortgage rates. Still, in August the index showed a 13.1% annual increase. Economists expect the latest reading will show a 10.6% increase in September from a year earlier.