Did you know? Profits for companies in the S&P 500 were up 70% from 2020 — an expected rebound from the depressed earnings early in the pandemic — but they were 33% higher than in 2019, which was a pretty good year for corporate profits. ie: This "BECAUSE-YOU-CAN" pricing - or greed - has fueled price surges notably. Argh….
Did you know? I have always wondered why so many retail stores sit vacant for so long: why not simply lower the rent? I have since learned that many landlords who own these properties valued them at extremes to draw out capital to finance other purchases.....now many banks won't allow them to rent them for lower rates as they base valuation on rental returns…..
Did you know? "The last two years are one of the biggest policy mistakes in the 110-year history of the Fed by staying so easy when everything was booming.”— Jeremy Siegel, Wharton, saying the Fed sat idle when it should have acted, and that now it's over-reaction will hurt workers the most. "Too far, too fast" seems to be the latest chatter in some economic circles.
Did you know? Higher US interest rates have bolstered the dollar, exacerbating inflation elsewhere by raising the cost of commodities which are, more often than not, priced in dollars. So while commodity prices are down off their crazy-high's earlier this year making building cheaper in the US, the price to build outside the US is waaaaaay up. (FT)
Did you know? Crude Oil and Lumber prices slipped to levels seen in 2018 as the threat of global recession rises. Commodities dropped between 1-6% yesterday! (Maybe good for construction costs?) Check out the Lumber price Fluctuation:
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