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10 Must Reads for the CRE Industry Today (August 17, 2015)

10 Must Reads for the CRE Industry Today (August 17, 2015)

 

  1. Strategic Hotels Hires JPMorgan to Advise on Options “Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc., the owner of luxury resorts across the U.S., said it hired JPMorgan Chase & Co. to review options available to the company including a possible sale.” (Bloomberg)
  2. Report: Bezos Blasts Reports of Abusive Amazon Culture “Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon.com, is reportedly blasting an article in the New York Times that accuses the retailer of having a ruthless and even abusive workplace culture. According to CNBC, in an internal memo (excerpt below), the article is inaccurate and goes beyond ‘isolated anecdotes.’” (Chain Store Age)
  3. J.C.Penney Is Coming Back As New CEO Takes Helm “J.C.Penney’s second quarter 2015 was a major improvement over the previous year. Same store sales increased 4.1%, gross margin improved 100 basis points and S.G. &A. expenses dropped $63 Million to $901 million or 31.3% of sales.  These are great results since they suggest that the company gained back some of its lost market share from Kohl’s and Macy’s in a tough, competitive quarter.” (Forbes)
  4. Goldman Sachs Bets on Indian Property Developer Piramal Realty “Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is betting $150 million on a real-estate developer looking to expand in Mumbai, the financial capital of India.” (Wall Street Journal)
  5. Investor Sentiment Strong as J-REITs Drive Japan's Commercial Activity in Q2According to CBRE, the total value of real estate investment transactions (those worth at least JPY 1 billion) in Q2 2015 declined 28% y-o-y to JPY 674 billion. Of this, investments by J-REITs totaled JPY 340 billion (up 94% y-o-y), while those by overseas investors equaled JPY 80 billion (down 28% y-o-y), accounting for 50% and 12% of the total, respectively.” (World Property Journal)
  6. JLL’s Newest Family Member “JLL continued adding to its service lines and boosting its full-service capital markets capability in the Americas with the acquisition of St. Paul, Minn.-based Oak Grove Commercial Mortgage L.L.C., known as one of the nation’s leading providers of debt financing for multi-family and seniors housing.” (Commercial Property Executive)
  7. $800M Hotel Portfolio Lands on Servicer Watchlist “The $800 million Equity Inns Portfolio came under servicer surveillance this month due to potential safety issues found at some of the portfolio’s lodging properties, according to data from New York-based data firm Trepp.” (Commercial Observer)
  8. The Next Untapped Market — Brooklyn’s Upper FloorsIn a market this hot, even less-flashy properties are starting to look good. Brooklyn prices have climbed so high that previously marginal inventory, such as unused office space above retail locations, is increasingly seen as worth the cost and effort to renovate and market.” (The Real Deal)
  9. Ground Zero for E-Tailer Storefronts is Right Here “With its small shops and charming streetscape, Armitage Avenue in Lincoln Park long has been a hub for urban retail. But these days, the 19th-century buildings are serving as a laboratory for a new generation of online merchants as they open physical stores.” (Crain’s Chicago Business)
  10. Target Promotes CFO John Mulligan to Newly Created COO Role “Target Corp promoted Chief Financial Officer John Mulligan to the newly created role of chief operating officer, and appointed Express Scripts Holding Co’s CFO, Cathy Smith, as his replacement.” (Fortune)

 

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