• The 20 biggest home builders had 32.6% of the market in 2011, which was down from 34.4% two years ago, but the big builders are better poised to jump on recovering markets, according to researchers at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a securities broker and investment bank.
• The big companies have more capital on hand and access to more support than smaller companies do, so they will be able to move into more construction more quickly, the analysts reasoned.
• Even at 32.6% of the market, the large companies had more than the 31.5% they had attained in 2008, after which their share began to decline.

From the article:

The nation's largest home builders lost market share in 2011, but maintain stronger capital positions that are likely to push them into better positions in the coming years. ...