BUZZ — US homebuilders hit 18 — month low as hot CPI lifts rate — hike bets

* Shares of US homebuilders fall as hotter CPI fuels US rate-hike bets, raising concerns over mortgage rates and housing affordability * PHLX Housing Sector Index drops 2.1%, hitting its lowest since April 2025 * The biggest US homebuilder by market cap and number of homes closed D.R. Horton falls 2.9% * Some of the largest builders in the segment, Lennar down 3.36%, PulteGroup down 3.2%, and Toll Brothers down 2.90% * Thirty-year mortgage rates rose to 7.50%, the highest since November 2023 last week * Including session's move, LEN, DHI, PHM and TOL are down over 29%, 8%, 7% and 4% YTD, respectively, versus a decline of over 2% in the PHLX Housing Sector Index (Reporting by Jayasree Prabhu in Bengaluru) ((jayasree.prabhu@thomsonreuters.com)