iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (NYSEArca: ITB)
YTD: Up 4.6%
Decline From 2006 High: Nearly 52%
Comment: As was previously noted, homebuilder ETFs were accurate predictors of the looming crisis because ITB started falling in 2006. ITB would essentially need to double from current levels to return to its 2006 highs. Depending on one’s point of view, that is either possible or unlikely on the basis that the ETF has more than doubled in the past two years. [Homebuilder ETFs Still a Far Cry From Old Highs]