Podcasts

Economy Watch Weekly: Interest Rates Rise While Retail Sales Dip

In a unanimous vote, the Federal Reserve decided to raise interest rates for the second time in 2017, indicating their optimism about the U.S. economy and the ability to handle more expensive real estate financing. But some sectors, such as retail, aren't performing as well as others in recent months. Economy Editor Dees Stribling has the latest.

Podcast

Economy Watch Weekly: Fitch Details Upbeat CRE Outlook

Multifamily fundamentals should lead the pack during the second half of 2017, with strong showings from the industrial sector and tech-focused office markets, Fitch's U.S. Equity REITs handbook concludes. Meanwhile, Pew Research reports that Americans are increasingly upbeat about the economy.

Podcast

Economy Watch Weekly: Unemployment Rate Hits 20-Year Low

The U.S. economy experienced below-average job growth in May, adding only 138,000 jobs compared to the average of 181,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, the unemployment rate reached a new low of 4.3 percent for the month. Economy Editor Dees Stribling has the details on the latest jobs report.

Podcast

Regions

National

Economy Watch Weekly: Memorial Day Travel Bump Reflects Industry’s Health

Recent reports from AAA and Airlines for America suggest that a boost in Memorial Day weekend travel and an expected increase in travel this summer reflect the overall positive growth of the industry, as consumers feel more confident in their ability to spend.
National 30 May 2017 14:44
Economy Watch Weekly: Traditional Retail Sees Lowest Quarterly Growth Since 2009

E-commerce sales continue to grow, posting a 14.7 percent increase in the first quarter of 2017 from the same quarter last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Conventional retailers, on the other hand, weren't so lucky. Economy Editor Dees Stribling has the latest.
National 23 May 2017 14:27
Economy Watch Weekly: Retail Sales, Inflation Rise in April

The U.S. economy saw a boost in retail sales and the consumer price index in April, which could increase the chances of the Federal Open Market Committee deciding to raise interest rates at its June meeting.
National 16 May 2017 16:55
Economy Watch Weekly: Job Creation Rebounds in April

The U.S. economy created 211,000 jobs in April, a nice improvement from the mere 79,000 jobs created the month before. Economy Editor Dees Stribling breaks down the job growth by sector.
National 09 May 2017 14:33
Economy Watch Weekly: First-Quarter Metrics Point to Slower Start

As economic metrics for the first few months of the year start to trickle in, the figures seem to suggest the U.S. economy is off to a slower start in 2017. Economy Editor Dees Stribling discusses some of these metrics, including GDP, consumer confidence and hotel occupancy.
National 02 May 2017 14:02
Economy Watch Weekly: IMF Raises US Economic Growth Forecast

The IMF now expects global economic growth to reach 3.5 percent in 2017, predicting the U.S. will lead the pack with 2.3 percent growth. But how long will this momentum last and what is the impact on commercial real estate? Economy Editor Dees Stribling tackles these questions and more.
National 25 April 2017 13:45
Economy Watch Weekly: Retail Bankruptcies Already Equal to 2016 Total

The rise of e-commerce, oversupply of shopping centers and changing Millennial preferences are among the key factors forcing many retailers to close up shop, reports Economy Editor Dees Stribling.
National 18 April 2017 13:38