Shares of home-improvement retailers rose Monday, on expectations they will benefit from demand for wood and other supplies from homeowners in the region that has been battered by hurricane Harvey all weekend. Harvey, which is now a tropical storm, is expected to dump about 50 inches of rain over Houston this week, an “unprecedented” rainfall, according to the National Weather Service. J.P. Morgan said the disaster could generate insurance losses of $10 billion to $20 billion, although estimates are preliminary as flooding is expected to continue for several days and to hit neighboring Louisiana too. Home Depot Inc. shares jumped 1.1% in early trade, while Lowe’s Cos. Inc. was up 1.9%. Home Depot shares have gained 13% i 2017, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained about 11% and the S&P 500 has gained 9%.
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