By Paul Bubny | GlobeSt.
Home prices nationwide rose at a slower pace in March than in February, but increases in a 20-city index either met or beat expectations. The latest S&P/Case-Shiller home price index, released Tuesday, showed a 0.85% increase month-over-month and a 5.43% gain year-over-year in the 20-city index.
Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal had expected an annual increase of 5.4%, while a Bloomberg Business survey called for 5.11%. The S&P/Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index, covering all nine US census divisions, reported a 5.2% annual gain in March, down from 5.3% the previous month.