Home prices in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas probably dropped in February at a slower pace, adding to evidence the market may be stabilizing, economists said before a private report today.

The S&P/Case-Shiller index decreased 18.7 percent from a year earlier after a record 19 percent decline in January, according to the median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Another report may show consumer confidence climbed in April for a second month.

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