In the U.S.: As expected, the Fed left rates unchanged. Of note, the Fed reaffirmed that they were on course to raise rates in December. The Midterm election results saw the Democratic party win back the House of Representatives. Given the current partisan nature of Washington politics, it is widely expected that the new house will clash with the White House and make it very difficult for President Trump to implement his agenda. In earnings, 370 companies in the S&P 500 Index have reported, 82.2% beat, 0.9% were in-line, and 16.9% missed estimates. REIT Focus: Prologis, Inc. (PLD) and global real estate investor Ivanhoé Cambridge announced a 20/80 joint venture to develop and operate logistics real estate in Brazil. Operating

In the U.S.: Bloomberg reported that President Trump wants to reach a trade deal with Chinese President Xi when they meet later this month and asked key US officials to begin drafting potential terms. The news followed a recent call between the leaders and would be a strong step forward to ending the trade war. However, critics of the President Trump believe the move to be a political stunt aimed at helping Republicans gain support for the midterm elections. In earnings, 310 companies in the S&P 500 Index have reported, 82.7% beat, 0.2% were in-line, and 17.1% missed estimates. REIT Focus: CyrusOne, Inc. (CONE) announced entry into an agreement with Agriport A7 for the development of hyper-scale data centers in

In the U.S.: The advance estimate of Q3 GDP was 3.5% q/q SAAR versus Q2’s 4.2% q/q reading. Consumer spending provided a big boost, jumping 4.0%, and private inventories were also a positive contributor, up to 2.1%. In earnings, 240 companies in the S&P 500 Index have reported, 72.2% beat, 5.6% were in-line, and 22.2% missed estimates. REIT Focus: Albert Ratner, co-Chairman emeritus and former CEO of Forest City Realty Trust, Inc. (FCE/A), is urging shareholders to vote against the Brookfield Property Partners sale up for vote on Nov. 15th. Via an open letter to Forest City shareholders, Mr. Ratner publically announced his intention to vote all of the Forest City shares he controls against the sale and stated that

In the U.S.: The economic ties between the US and Saudi Arabia were strained this week following the disappearance and apparent death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where it is suspected he was murdered and dismembered during an interrogation by members of the Saudi government. In earnings, 85 companies in the S&P 500 Index have reported, 87.1% beat, and 12.9% missed estimates. REIT Focus: The Parking REIT filed with the SEC to raise up to $100M in an IPO. The Las Vegas, NV-based company, which is focused on domestic parking facilities, plans to list on the Nasdaq under the symbol PARK. The company has not yet selected underwriters and

In the U.S.: A lot of speculation on what the main driver was that led to the sharp selloff this week. JP Morgan’s strategist Marko Kolanovic stated that the selloff was largely technical, driven by systematic strategies and that the majority of systematic selling has been completed but cautioned that further volatility could trigger more outflows. REIT Focus: Marriott International, Inc. (MAR) announced plans to expand its portfolio in the UAE to more than 80 Hotels by 2023. Marriott anticipates 11 new openings, the addition of 2,600 rooms, and the debut of two new brands by year-end. In China: The PBoC announced a 100bps cut to the reserve requirement ratio effective October 15. The move was aimed at spurring on