Home Sales in U.S. Probably Climbed to Second-Lowest on Record

Sales of existing homes in the U.S. probably climbed in August to the second-lowest level on record, indicating housing remains depressed a year after the economic recovery began, economists said before a report today.

Home resales rose to a 4.1 million annual pace, behind only July’s 3.83 million as the weakest in a decade’s worth of data, according to the median of 72 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. Other reports may show jobless claims held at a two-month low and the index of leading indicators increased.