Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Wednesday November 2 20916 Housing and Economic stories


US real estate sector hit by soaring bond yield - (www.ft.com) The US real estate sector faced heavy selling pressure on Thursday, as Treasury bond prices declined, amid rising expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year. The market-implied odds that the Fed increases rates in December have crept higher throughout October, hitting nearly three-quarters on Thursday from 60 per cent at the start of the month, as data have reinforced expectations that economic output growth accelerated after a disappointing first half of 2016. At the same time, an increasing number of top Fed policymakers have warned over the risks that tightening in the labour market could eventually push inflation above the central bank’s 2 per cent target if it does not slowly increase its benchmark interest rate, which remains just slightly above the crisis-era low.

German Bonds in Worst Month Since 2013 Amid Global Selloff - (www.bloomberg.com) German bonds headed for their worst month since 2013 as a global selloff deepened amid speculation major central banks are moving closer to reining in stimulus. Yields on Europe’s benchmark 10-year securities rose earlier to the highest in almost six months. Ten-year debt yields in the U.S. and Australia also climbed to levels last seen in May, buoyed by expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year and amid signs that global inflation is accelerating. A report showed consumer prices in Germany rose this month at the fastest annual pace in two years, adding to signs that the European Central Bank’s efforts to revive price growth in the region are paying off.

Auto Lenders Have New Reason to Worry - (www.wsj.com) For auto lenders, there is trouble on the used-car lot. Several large companies have warned that prices of used vehicles are likely to weaken, potentially leading to higher losses on loans on which cars are the collateral. That, combined with looser terms for loans and the growth of loans going to subprime borrowers, is sounding a warning for the long credit boom that has spurred auto sales. Auto-loan balances topped $1 trillion for the first time ever this year. Actual default rates remain low, but losses are starting to tick up, leading some big lenders to scale back. That has the credit underpinnings of the auto boom looking shakier.

EVs will Crush Jobs in Auto Manufacturing, VW Warns - (www.wolfstreet.com) Volkswagen’s big kahuna of HR, Karlheinz Blessing – Member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Human Resources and Organization – dropped another brake shoe on global employment in auto manufacturing, which has been under pressure for decades from automation. This time, it’s electric vehicles. Every global manufacturer is working on a lineup of passenger and commercial EVs. Numerous EV brands are already on the road, from tiny cars to delivery vehicles. UPS, FedEx, USPS, and other delivery services are already looking at EVs or are testing them.

Woe in the oilfield: 213 companies have now declared bankruptcy - (www.fuelfix.com)  Fewer and fewer oil exploration and production companies are declaring bankruptcy. But more oilfield service companies are. So far this month, only one North American E&P firm filed for Chapter 11 protection, according to data released on Tuesday by the Dallas law firm Haynes & Boone. That’s down from two in September, three in August and four in July. But it’s been an especially tough few months for service companies. As crude prices began crashing in 2014, drillers started idling rigs. That led to fewer jobs for the companies that make their money helping producers pump oil and gas. Moreover, when producers did hire service companies, they often forced them to heavily discount their rates.




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