K-Shaped Economy Bites Back: Retail CRE Transactions For Shops, Malls Plunge February U.S. commercial real estate transaction activity appeared soft on the surface, but Goldman analysts believe the weak initial print will likely be revised meaningfully higher. The most notable area of weakness in last month’s transaction data was across the retail space, which is not especially surprising as the K...
K-Shaped Economy Bites Back: Retail CRE Transactions For Shops, Malls Plunge February U.S. commercial real estate transaction activity appeared soft on the surface, but Goldman analysts believe the weak initial print will likely be revised meaningfully higher. The most notable area of weakness in last month’s transaction data was across the retail space, which is not especially surprising as the K-shaped economy continues to pressure lower-income consumers. Goldman real estate analyst Julien Blouin wrote Wednesday that the initial February reading on CRE transaction volumes showed a 13% year-over-year decline. He noted that transaction data from MSCI Real Assets is typically "revised materially higher" and said the early print is not a major cause for concern. Blouin added that prior months were revised higher by roughly 24% to 25% on average, suggesting the final February reading will likely show transaction growth in the high single-digit territory once the data is finalized. February Transaction Volumes Volumes are muted and well below Covid surge. Need rates lower. Deal activity is improving in some areas, especially office and industrial. Multifamily faced a much tougher comparison versus the same period last year, so the decline looks a lot worse than the underlying trend. The sharpest drop in CRE transactions was in retail, which includes shops, strip malls, convenience stores, restaurants, and malls. CRE bucket breakdown for February: Multifamily/apartments: down 24% year over year Office: up 9% Industrial: up 15% Retail: down 61% Retail CRE volumes plunged Blouin did not get into the details of the slump in retail deal activity, but it does appear buyers may still be selective in retail, due in part to the K-shaped economy , which is pressuring lower-income consumers’ ability to go out and spend at restaurants and shops. Related: AI Takeover Complete: Data Center Construction Surpasses Office Construction For The First Time The takeaway is that the sharp dr...
Austria plans to announce a sweeping ban on social media for children and add school classes on digital competency, moving ahead of the European Union’s efforts to protect kids from online addiction. Youth below the age of 14 won’t be able to access social media platforms and schools will allocate more time to teaching AI and media literacy, according to government plans presented to reporters in ...
Austria plans to announce a sweeping ban on social media for children and add school classes on digital competency, moving ahead of the European Union’s efforts to protect kids from online addiction. Youth below the age of 14 won’t be able to access social media platforms and schools will allocate more time to teaching AI and media literacy, according to government plans presented to reporters in Vienna on Friday. The announcement highlights urgency on the matter, with several other EU member states considering similar bans and a US jury having ruled earlier this week that tech companies were liable in an addiction claim. The Austrian government aims to pass legislation by the fall that will help control users’ age without transferring personal data to tech companies. The steps can enter into force following EU sign-off, which usually takes three to six months. The policy won’t target specific platforms by name, but instead focus on functionality that can lead to addiction or seeks to prolong the attention of users. “We cannot waste time and must move forward with national legislation before EU-wide rules,” said Austrian Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler . “Concerns worth billions have developed algorithms that create addiction and distort our children’s attention while making profits.” Read more: Australia’s Social Media Ban Meets a Wave of Teen Workarounds Australia in December passed the world’s first law requiring social media companies to keep children under 16 off of their platforms. France and other EU member states are in the process of implementing similar steps. Austria is one of few EU member states to introduce a digital tax targeting online advertising. Earlier this week, a US jury found Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google liable for harming a 20-year-old user with products designed to be addictive, threatening to put social networking companies in the same category as Big Tobacco and opioid makers. The companies have vowed to ap...
STORY: From oil prices going up to Meta being ordered to pay a big fine... this is The Week in Numbers. :: $105 More than $105 was how high the price of oil rose to at one point. It was largely driven by fears over supply disruptions from a possible drawn out conflict in the Middle East. One analyst said global energy markets have been hit by military escalation in the region, as well as limited t...
STORY: From oil prices going up to Meta being ordered to pay a big fine... this is The Week in Numbers. :: $105 More than $105 was how high the price of oil rose to at one point. It was largely driven by fears over supply disruptions from a possible drawn out conflict in the Middle East. One analyst said global energy markets have been hit by military escalation in the region, as well as limited tanker movement under strict Iranian conditions. The conflict has nearly stopped shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world's crude oil and LNG supply. :: $375 million $375 million is how much Meta was ordered to pay in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Jurors found the tech giant broke state law by misleading users about how safe Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are for children. Meta said it strongly disagreed with the verdict and planned to appeal. It all comes as tech companies face more pressure over child and teen safety. :: 16% Around 16% was how far shares in Kpop agency HYBE tumbled. Investors sold off after it posted a weaker than expected turnout at the comeback concert for supergroup BTS in Seoul. City authorities had projected as many as 260,000 people to arrive to be part of the crowd outside. But the Yonhap News Agency cited city government estimates in saying just 40,000 to 42,000 turned up. :: $914.5 million $914.5 million was Xiaomi's fourth quarter profit. It marked the first slide in three years for the Chinese company. The electric vehicle and smartphone giant faced rising costs and growing competition. Xiaomi beat its EV delivery target of 350,000 EVs last year, but global smartphone shipments missed targets. :: $14 billion $14 billion is how much a Reuters souce believes SK Hynix could raise from listing shares in the U.S. The South Korean chipmaker said it plans a confidential filing to list its stock in the country in the second half of the year. One person with direct knowledge of the discussions said the c...
“There really aren’t any hedges in this context,” says Russ Koesterich, Global Allocation Fund portfolio manager at BlackRock, as he explains how the firm is bringing down risk in the current market environment. (Source: Bloomberg)
“There really aren’t any hedges in this context,” says Russ Koesterich, Global Allocation Fund portfolio manager at BlackRock, as he explains how the firm is bringing down risk in the current market environment. (Source: Bloomberg)
Western Copper and Gold press release ( WRN ): FY as of December 31, 2025, the company held cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of C$50.5 million. As of March 26, 2026, the company held cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of approximately C$135 million. More on Western Copper and Gold Corporation Western Copper and Gold announces C$50M bought deal offering Historical ea...
Western Copper and Gold press release ( WRN ): FY as of December 31, 2025, the company held cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of C$50.5 million. As of March 26, 2026, the company held cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of approximately C$135 million. More on Western Copper and Gold Corporation Western Copper and Gold announces C$50M bought deal offering Historical earnings data for Western Copper and Gold Corporation Financial information for Western Copper and Gold Corporation
cbarnesphotography/E+ via Getty Images Listen below or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify Mortgage rates continue to rise, but housing market is gradually improving . (00:14) Netflix ( NFLX ) hiking subscription plans to pay for $20B content budget. (01:05) Senate advances Homeland Security funding bill as shutdown strains airports. (01:58) This is an abridged transcript. Freddie Mac's chief...
cbarnesphotography/E+ via Getty Images Listen below or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify Mortgage rates continue to rise, but housing market is gradually improving . (00:14) Netflix ( NFLX ) hiking subscription plans to pay for $20B content budget. (01:05) Senate advances Homeland Security funding bill as shutdown strains airports. (01:58) This is an abridged transcript. Freddie Mac's chief economist says, "The housing market continues to show gradual improvements compared to a year ago amid recent rate volatility.” Sam Khater noted, “Purchase and refinance applications are up year-over-year, and rates remain lower than last year.” But rates have increased week over week. The latest Freddie Mac ( FMCC ) Primary Mortgage Survey showed 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.38% as of March 26, up from 6.22% last week but below 6.65% in the same period a year ago. 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 5.75%, up from 5.54% last week and down from 5.89% a year ago. Your next Netflix bill will be higher. Netflix ( NFLX ) is raising the price of all its subscription plans by at least a dollar. The company telegraphed the increase during its earnings call in January. Netflix says it needs the extra money to help pay for the company’s higher content budget, expected to rise to $20B this year. That’s a $2B increase. This includes a slate of live events, including the World Baseball Classic in Japan, podcasts, and a new license deal with Sony ( SONY ). Effective immediately, a standard plan with ads will cost $8.99 a month (+$1), standard with no ads will cost $19.99 a month (+$2), and premium will cost $26.99 a month (+$2). The company also raised its extra member fee by a dollar to $7.99 a month (with ads) and to $9.99 a month (without ads). Netflix ( NFLX ) last raised its subscription fees in January 2025. President Trump said he plans to sign an order to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers immediately. This comes at the same time the Senate p...
Meitu, Inc. ( MEIUF ): FY GAAP EPS of ¥0.12. Revenue of ¥3.85B (+28.8% Y/Y). Net profit declined to ¥547.40M in 2025 from ¥806.20M in 2024, indicating a 32.1% YoY decline. Gross profit rose to ¥2,838.80M in 2025 from ¥2,277.80M in 2024, up 24.6% YoY. More on Meitu, Inc. Historical earnings data for Meitu, Inc. Dividend scorecard for Meitu, Inc. Financial information for Meitu, Inc.
Meitu, Inc. ( MEIUF ): FY GAAP EPS of ¥0.12. Revenue of ¥3.85B (+28.8% Y/Y). Net profit declined to ¥547.40M in 2025 from ¥806.20M in 2024, indicating a 32.1% YoY decline. Gross profit rose to ¥2,838.80M in 2025 from ¥2,277.80M in 2024, up 24.6% YoY. More on Meitu, Inc. Historical earnings data for Meitu, Inc. Dividend scorecard for Meitu, Inc. Financial information for Meitu, Inc.
The crisis stems from the world’s dependence on fossil fuels, which poses a significant risk not only to national economies but also to the long-term viability of businesses, Fortescue co-CEO Dino Otranto told Caixin on Monday during the China Development Forum in Beijing. Photo: VCG A top executive at Fortescue Ltd. warns energy insecurity is emerging as a core risk for global supply chains, as t...
The crisis stems from the world’s dependence on fossil fuels, which poses a significant risk not only to national economies but also to the long-term viability of businesses, Fortescue co-CEO Dino Otranto told Caixin on Monday during the China Development Forum in Beijing. Photo: VCG A top executive at Fortescue Ltd. warns energy insecurity is emerging as a core risk for global supply chains, as the mining giant accelerates its shift to renewables and deepens cooperation with China. “A less stable geopolitical environment is exposing how fragile many of the systems that underpin our economies have become,” Fortescue co-CEO Dino Otranto said in a Monday interview with Caixin during the China Development Forum in Beijing. “Energy sits at the center of that vulnerability.”