Shares of local homebuilders rose Thursday after the U.S. Commerce Department reported that building permits, an indicator of future construction, rose 6.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 812,000.

That’s the most since August 2008, according to Bloomberg News.

On the New York Stock Exchange, Ryland Group Inc. closed up 7 percent to $26.14 and KB Home gained 5.5 percent to $10.78