Home prices stable, index says

Home prices are ending the year on a stable note, according to new data Tuesday morning.

The Case-Shiller Index — which tracks prices nationwide and in 20 major cities — reported prices grew 4.6 percent in October compared to a year earlier.

That’s the slowest pace since September 2012, but one that many economists say is healthier for buyers and sellers than the double-digit growth seen this time last year.

From September to October, prices climbed 0.7 percent after seasonal adjustments are taken into account, though some economists say those adjustments are overly generous.

The report suggests that the housing market is hitting a good balance heading into the new year, said Stan Humphries, chief economist at real estate website Zillow.com.

Time Warner ranks low

Time Warner Cable holds the bottom two spots in the latest list of companies in the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Time Warner Cable — Internet Service Provider is the lowest rated in the index, which regularly tracks customer satisfaction for 229 companies in a range of industries, from banking to food to energy.

Time Warner Cable — TV holds the next-to-last spot on the list, a year-end annual compilation of best and worst company rankings.

The company, which this year announced a proposed $45 billion merger with Comcast, has come under scrutiny for cable price increases. This month, the company announced it was increasing fees and adding a new $2.75-per-month fee for sports programming.

Industries that rank poorly on the index typically fall short on customer service issues, according to ACSI Managing Director David VanAmburg.

— From wire reports