The S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index and 10-city home price index both rose 1.4% in June, more than double the rate of increase seen in May.

The 20-city composite now stands at 141.86, down -15.4% over the year, although this was lower than the -16.5% annual decline economists were expecting, and the 10-city index fell by -15.1% over the year to 153.20.

Yearly price declines were seen all of the 20 cities surveyed, but 18 metro areas saw improvement in their annual return compared to May. And over the second quarter of 2009 compared to Q2 2008, prices recorded a -14.9% decline, an improvement over the record -19.1% decline recorded in the first quarter of the year.