The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today that the producer price index (PPI) climbed 10.8 percent (unadjusted) for the twelve months that ended in May. On a monthly basis, the PPI for final demand increased by 0.8 percent in … Continue reading →
The “all items” Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) increased at an annual pace of 8.6 percent for the twelve months ending May, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s June 10 BLS report. This mark’s the largest 12-month increase since the … Continue reading →
Miami-based CGI Merchant Group is in contract to acquire the 263-room luxury hotel lease for $375 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. In 2012, the U.S. government awarded a sixty-year lease (with two, twenty-year renewal options) of the Old … Continue reading →
Upzoning is a change in the zoning code to allow for increased development or density (for example, increasing the allowable FAR). On September 16, California governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill No. 9 (SB 9) into law. Known as the … Continue reading →
A blank check company is an early or development stage entity that has no specific business plan or purpose but is founded by investors to bring their specialties, backing and experience to bear on businesses that have good concepts but … Continue reading →
Employment for the bottom quartile of American earners (those making less than $27,000/year) is 21 percent below January 2020 levels whereas employment for the top quartile of earners (those making over $60,000/year) is up 1.6 percent from pre-pandemic levels, according … Continue reading →
RentPath Holdings, the owner of Rent.com and ApartmentGuide.com, has terminated its $588M deal to be acquired by CoStar, according to Bisnow. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint in November to block the move on antitrust grounds, One could … Continue reading →
Between 2000 and 2017, the obligations of foreign debtors to the government of China increased from less than $500 billion (one percent of global GDP) to more than $5 trillion (six percent of global GDP), according to a Kiel Institute … Continue reading →
On May 27, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared Hong Kong to be no longer autonomous from China. The State Department announcement could enable Congress to end longstanding rights to freer trade and travel between Hong Kong and the U.S. … Continue reading →
The IMF projects a global growth rate of –3.0 percent in 2020, a downgrade of 6.3 percentage points from its January 2020 forecast. On the assumptions that the pandemic fades in the second half of 2020, allowing containment efforts to … Continue reading →