By Ruth Mantell
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Economists expect that new-home sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 384,000 in January from 369,000 in December, as the housing market continued to benefit from low interest rates and pent-up demand, according to a survey by MarketWatch. Despite substantial gains over the past year, new-home sales remain at relatively low levels. The U.S. Department of Commerce will issue the January report at 10 a.m. Elsewhere at 10, the Conference Board will report its gauge of consumer confidence for February, and analysts expect an increase to 62.3, thanks to higher prices for stocks and homes. In January the confidence index fell to 58.6, the lowest level since November 2011, on higher payroll taxes, among other factors. Generally when the economy is growing at a good clip, confidence readings are at least 90.
