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☆ Commercial real estate services firm restructures debt after default as industry's problems widen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The announcement came after S&P Global Ratings lowered Avison's credit on Friday and reported that the company had defaulted on the loan. Weeks earlier, S&P had downgraded the credit rating of Cushman & Wakefield, another major services firm. Higher interest rates have dislocated property values and stifled sales transactions, cutting off a major revenue stream for these firms. Leasing activity across major property types, meanwhile, including office, remains diminished. A push into US real estateAvison sought to rapidly grow in the US over the past decade, including in major commercial real estate markets such as New York City.

Persons: Avison Young, Weeks, Cushman, –, Mark Rose, Avison, Rose, CDPQ, Arbour, MSCI, doesn't, that's Organizations: Cushman & Wakefield, Business, Leasing, Caisse, Federal Reserve Locations: Toronto, Avison, Lane, Stamford , Connecticut, New York City

☆ U.S. crude hovers near three-month high as Middle East conflict rages on
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. crude oil futures hovered near three-month highs Tuesday as the conflict in the Middle East rages on. U.S. crude gained 3% last week to settle Friday at its highest price, $79.19 a barrel, since Nov. 6. The global benchmark rose 1.5% for the week to settle at its highest price since Jan. 26. Houthi militants on Monday attacked another cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel. The attack highlights the ongoing threats to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which has forced shipping giants such as Maersk to divert cargo around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.

Persons: Brent, Tamas Varga, PVM Organizations: The West Texas Intermediate, International Energy Agency, Monday Locations: Suez, Ismailia, Egypt, East, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Rafah, U.S, Iran, Red, Hope, Africa, Aden

☆ California Aims $2 Billion to Help Students Catch Up From the Pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Sarah Mervosh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In the fall of 2020, around the height of the debate over pandemic school closures, a lawsuit in California made a serious claim: The state had failed its constitutional obligation to provide an equal education to lower-income, Black and Hispanic students, who had less access to online learning. Now, in a settlement announced on Thursday, the state has agreed to use at least $2 billion meant for pandemic recovery to help those students who are still trying to catch up. And it includes guardrails for how the money can be used. Mark Rosenbaum, a lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, described it as a “historic settlement” that ensures that the money will go to students who are “most in need.”“Kids weren’t getting anything close to the education that was deserved, and that was baked into a system of inequities to begin with,” he said.

Persons: Mark Rosenbaum, ” Locations: California

☆ These Middle East flashpoints could trigger regional conflict that impacts oil prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-03 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

There are several key flashpoints where the Israel-Hamas war could escalate into a regional conflict that has a material impact on oil, according to the firm. Those flashpoints are the Red Sea, Lebanon and Iraq, analyst Helima Croft wrote in a note to clients this week. Crude prices fell Tuesday despite renewed attacks by Houthi militants in the Red Sea over the weekend. Maersk stopped shipping through the Red Sea again and is rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Some 12% of global trade and about 3 million barrels of crude oil pass through the Red Sea per day, according to RBC Capital Markets.

Persons: Helima Croft, Croft, Adi Imsirovic, Imsirovic, Steven Schoenfeld, Schoenfeld, Goldman Sachs, Tehran's Houthi, Donald Trump ratcheted, Biden, Benny Gantz, Israel, Saleh al, Joe Biden, Trump, Qasem Soleimani Organizations: RBC Capital Markets, Maersk, West Texas Intermediate, CNBC, Tuesday, Traders, Investors, Center for Strategic, International Studies, U.S, Prosperity, U.S . Navy, U.S . Central Command, JPMorgan, Israel Defense Forces, Three U.S, Washington Locations: Israel, Sea, Lebanon, Iraq, Red, Danish, Libya, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, U.S, Yemen, The U.S, Mandeb, Aden, Britain, Hangzhou, South Africa, Suez, Asia, Europe, Hormuz, Islamic Republic, Tehran, Beirut, Croft, Erbil, Three

Sales rose in the Northeast but fell elsewhere, although sales were down year to year throughout the country. Sales are now running at an annual rate of 3.96 million, down 15.4% from 4.68 million a year ago. On Tuesday, the Census Bureau reported that retail sales rose by 0.7%, more than twice what had been expected, as consumers flocked to eating and dining establishments and shopped more online. Among middle-income households, 25% plan to spend more, while 16% of low-income households will increase holiday spending. “Despite a lot of the negativity you see everywhere, consumers seem pretty resilient,” Rose says.

Persons: ”, Lawrence Yun, LEI, Justyna, Monica, TransUnion, Mark Rose, ” Rose Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Federal, Conference, The Conference Board, “, The, Board, Federal Reserve Bank, Atlanta’s, Census Bureau, Labor Department

☆ Dollarization would eliminate Argentina's future inflation risk, former IMF board member says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dollarization would end inflation risks in Argentina, said former IMF board member Mark Rosen. It wouldn't necessarily deal with the spending issue, but it would anchor monetary policy, and be a big positive change." But critics of Argentina's dollarization idea have previously pointed out that it would be handicapped by the shortage. But not every IMF official shares his take. Though the lender has not officially weighed in on dollarization, Argentina's economic situation does matter to it.

Persons: Mark Rosen, Javier Milei, Francisco Zalles, Argentina's, Rosen, Alejandro Werner Organizations: IMF, Bloomberg, Argentine, Service, International Monetary Fund, Ecuador dollarize, Advection Growth Locations: Argentina, Wall, Silicon, Buenos Aires, Ecuador, America, dollarization

☆ Saudi Arabia needs more than higher oil prices to fund its grand plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Eoin Mcsweeney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Abu Dhabi, UAE CNN —Saudi Arabia surprised traders again on Sunday with an oil production cut of about 1 million barrels a day, roughly 1% of global supply, which sent oil prices climbing. But Saudi Arabia knows that it cannot rely solely on a fluctuating oil market for income. Saudi Arabia targets $100 billion in annual foreign direct investment (FDI) by 2030. “We think about where most of the tourism development for Saudi Arabia, it’s along the Red Sea coast. Alongside China’s slowing economy and a sluggish oil market, there are fears for a potential global recession, with Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine adding uncertainty to the market.

Persons: Amena Bakr, “ There’s, ”, Karen Young, Investment Khalid Al, Falih, CNN’s Becky Anderson, “, ’, ” Falih, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, King Salman, Young, Bakr Organizations: UAE CNN —, Brent, Saudi, Organization of, Petroleum, Energy Intel, Monetary Fund, Columbia University Center, Global Energy, Forbes, Saudi Central Bank, ”, Investment, Gulf Cooperation, Investors, CNN, EU Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, UAE CNN — Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Saudi, “, Riyadh Monday, Gulf, Dubai, Turkey, Qatar, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Sudan, Red, China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Europe, United States, Ukraine

☆ Occidental Petroleum CEO pushes back against California plans to fine Big Oil firms: 'They don't understand the industry'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Occidental Petroleum's CEO hit back at California politicians over plans to fine Big Oil firms. California lawmakers unveiled plans to charge oil firms for their huge profits on high gas prices. "California's price gouging penalty is simple – either Big Oil reins in the profits and prices, or they'll pay a penalty," Newsom said. The average California gas price was $4.665 as of Wednesday, according to AAA. Gas prices have seen a modest pullback in step with a recent drop in oil prices, thanks to President Joe Biden's decision to release record amounts of crude from US reserves to help curb inflation.

☆ Jeremy Grantham's firm says it's time to buy into small cap stocks. Here are the themes and companies GMO is most bullish on.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Marley Jay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jeremy Grantham's firm GMO just launched a fund targeting "quality" small-cap stocks. Growing fears about a recession weren't enough to stop small cap stocks from having a great month in October. But small caps seem to have some momentum behind them despite rising interest rates and signs of a slowing economy. They say that quality small caps have outperformed small caps in general by 1.8% a year since 1976, and they've beaten a mix of small-, medium-, and large-caps by 2.8% a year in that time. That's a challenge for any investor, but they say it's harder with smaller companies because their competitive edges fade faster.

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