For the third consecutive month, home prices rose in August. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index showed the prices rose 1% from July in 20 major cities. Prices are still down 11.4% from a year ago, reports J.W. Elphinstone for the Associated Press.

Consumer confidence fell in October to 47.7, the second-lowest reading since May. Analysts had expected a reading of 53.1. Any reading above 90 indicates the economy is on solid footing; a reading above 100 indicates solid growth, reports Ashley M. Heher for the Associated Press. Fewer jobs, lower salaries and a gloomy business climate are bringing shoppers down and keeping them reluctant to spend. Retail Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XRT) is down nearly 2% this morning. (A holiday ETF?)

BP (NYSE: BP) reported a bigger-than-expected profit in the third quarter, even though lower oil and gas prices put a dent in its earnings. BP met its target by cutting costs by $3 billion. WisdomTree International Energy (NYSEArca: DKA) is up 1.5% this morning; BP is 8.6%.

United States Steel (NYSE: X) posted its third consecutive quarterly loss, thanks to the global economic downturn, which has depressed steel demand. The company did note that production and shipments rose from the second quarter and that a narrower loss in the fourth quarter is expected. Market Vectors Steel (NYSEArca: SLX) is down nearly 2.5% this morning; United States Steel is 5.1%. (Where steel and copper are going).

This brings the Spider line to include 80 ETFs, with 31 of those focused on global access to international markets. The new offerings enter a market space that WisdomTree had been cornering.

Why would you choose one or the other? As Gary Gordon for ETF Expert says: it’s a matter of preference. State Street’s funds have a traditional market-cap weighted methodology. WisdomTree’s funds have a dividend-weighted index methodology. Dividends in the WisdomTree funds will come annually, while State Street’s will be quarterly.

The expense ratio for the State Street funds is set at 0.5%, while the WisdomTree funds come in at 0.58%.

The 10 new ETFs are are international sector SPDRs and they give access to investments outside the U.S. benchmarked to a series of S&P World ex-US Broad Market Indices. The following ETFs are market-cap weighted, include only non-U.S. holdings, and use the Global Industry Classification Standard, or GICS.

The ETFs are:

• SPDR S&P International Consumer Discretionary Sector (IPD)
• SPDR S&P International Consumer Staples (IPS)
• SPDR S&P International Financial Sector (IPF)
• SPDR S&P International Health Care Sector (IRY)
• SPDR S&P International Industrial Sector (IPN)
• SPDR S&P International Materials Sector (IRV)
• SPDR S&P International Technology Sector (IPK)
• SPDR S&P International Telecommunications Sector (IST)
• SPDR S&P International Utilities Sector (IPU)
• SPDR S&P International Energy Sector (IPW)

WisdomTree’s funds launched Oct. 13, 2006 and they are:

• WisdomTree International Basic Materials Sector (DBN)
• WisdomTree International Communications Sector (DGG)
• WisdomTree International Consumer Discretionary Sector (DPC)
• WisdomTree International Consumer Staples Sector (DPN)
• WisdomTree International Energy Sector (DKA)
• WisdomTree International Financial Sector (DRF)
• WisdomTree International Health Care Sector (DBR)
• WisdomTree International Industrial Sector (DDI)
• WisdomTree International Technology Sector (DBT)
• WisdomTree International Utilities Sector (DBU)