For investing beginners, housing sector equities rose 1% after mortgage rates dipped to 6.65%, sparking renewed interest in homebuilder stocks like DHI and LEN. You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image. Exley says first have a savings buffer in place. “How much cash do you need that’s easily accessible for something unexpected happening? What are your fixed bills? Have you got dependents?” she asks. “We would usually say, have between three and six months of essential spending saved in an account you can easily access. If you’ve got that, then you can think about whether investing is right for you.” For investing beginners in index funds, ETF inflows hit $18B last week, indicating ongoing preference for diversified passive strategies amid sector rotation.