The stock market is trading broadly higher today, on hopes that good news comes in the form of a recovering housing market (NYSEARCA:IYR).  Housing stocks are proving especially popular today.  These stocks are often considered a proxy for the health of the economy as a whole: these companies’ revenue increases when the economy is growing, and consumers are confident in buying new homes, and their revenues tend to decrease when the economy slows.

The National Association of Realtors, which tracks a popular index of sales agreements, announced today that its index increased 7.3% of the past month, to a reading of 100.1.  A level of 100 is considered healthy.  It should be noted, of course, that real estate realtors have an incentive for the housing market to be seen as healthy, as they generate commissions from sales, and so increase their income when housing prices increase.

Following is a quick look at how institutional investors have recently been trading around top home building stock Beazer Homes:

Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (NYSE:BZH): The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $1.35 to $6.23 and recently traded at $2.41.  Institutional investors sentiment in the company is mixed.  Bullish institutions include: Paulson Management, which acquired 5,890,000 shares in the quarter ending 9/30/11, BNP Paribas Arbitrage, SA, which acquired 2,733,089 shares, for a total position of 4,242,064 shares, in the quarter ending 9/30/11; and DW Investment Management, which bought 1,288,400 shares in the quarter ending 9/30/11.   Bearish institutions include: FMR LLC, which sold 4,839,596 shares in the quarter ending 9/30/11, for a total position of 6,431,597 shares; UBS AG, which sold 1,211,706 shares in the quarter ending 9/30/11, for a total position of 161,223 shares; and Appaloosa Management, which sold 860,878 shares in the quarter ending 9/30/11, for a total position of 1,791,962 shares.

Competitors include: MDC Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:MDC), NVR, Inc. (NYSE:NVR), Hovanian Enterprises (NYSE:HOV), DR Horton, Inc. (NYSE:DHI), The Ryland Group, Inc. (NYSE:RYL), KB Home (NYSE:KBH), Comstock Homebuilding (NASDAQ:CHCI), M/I Homes, Inc. (NYSE:MHO), Standard Pacific Corp. (NYSE:SPF), and Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH).

To contact the reporter on this story: Dave Friedman at staff.writers@wallstcheatsheet.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Damien Hoffman at editors@wallstcheatsheet.com

Get Your FREE Special Report: 4 Things You Must Know About the US Economy Now!