WASHINGTON — Sales of new homes improved last month after the worst summer in nearly five decades, but not enough to lift the struggling economy.

The Commerce Department says new home sales in September grew 6.6 percent from a month earlier to a seasonally adjusted annual sales pace of 307,000. Even with the increase, the past five months have been the worst for new home sales on records dating back to 1963.

Paul Dales, U.S. economist with Capital Economics, called the September home sales encouraging. But he said it doesn't change the fact that activity remains at extremely low levels.

The uptick in new home sales wasn't enough to convince investors that the sector has returned to health. Most major homebuilder stocks fell after the report's release. Toll Brothers fell nearly 2 percent.

"The housing stocks are likely to perform well only if broader indications of economic improvement continue," said Michael Gaiden, an analyst with Morningstar.