The top 10% of earners, households making about $250,000 a year or more, now account for 49.7% of all spending, a record in data going back to 1989. Three decades ago, they accounted for about 36%.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that about 55% of in-service distribution transformer units are older than 33 years and approaching their end of life. Distribution transformer capacity might need to increase 160% to 260% by 2050 compared with 2021 levels to meet demand.
The cost of a so-called “starter home” has soared in recent years. In 2012, the typical median sale price for what is defined as a starter home was $95,000. That price rose in 2019 to $165,500 — and it rose further, to $250,000, last year.
About 58 million options changed hands daily on average in January, a monthly record in data going back to 1973. That follows a record year for options trading volumes in 2024.
Shelter costs increased 4.4% in January from last year. That was the smallest annual uptick since January 2022, and well below the peak period of 2023.
Blackstone Real Estate Partners X has completed its previously announced acquisition of all outstanding common shares of Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. for $17.50 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $4 billion, including outstanding debt.
Values for less than premium grade A office buildings are about 35% to 60% lower than they were before the pandemic.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has entered into an agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V. for $13.50 per share, or approximately $2.6 billion, including approximately $900 million of debt, net of cash. Playa is a leading owner and operator of all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica and Hyatt is currently the beneficial owner of 9.4% of Playa’s outstanding shares.
Just under 900 deals were announced in the U.S. in January. That compares with more than 1,200 transactions in the previous January and over 1,500 two years ago.
