In the U.S.: January CPI was 0.6% m/m versus December’s 0.3% m/m reading. The strong CPI reading marked the biggest increase since February 2013, led by stronger energy prices. In earnings, 411 companies in the S&P 500 Index have reported, 74% beat, 1% were in-line, and 25% missed estimates. REIT Focus: Ventas, Inc. (VTR) is said to be in talks to buy part or all of Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. (BKD). Ventas’ interest comes after talks with Blackstone Group L.P. (BX), which previously showed interest in buying Brookdale, are rumored to have cooled. Brookdale shares fell sharply on Friday following the news. In REIT earnings, 62 companies in the Wilshire U.S. REIT Index have reported, 30 beat, 22 were in-line,

In the U.S.: January import prices rose 0.4% versus December’s upwardly revised 0.5% gain. Exports rose 0.1% versus December’s upwardly revised 0.4%. Both import and export prices came in ahead of consensus and further strengthened the possibility of a March rate hike. In earnings, 357 companies in the S&P 500 Index have reported, 75.4% beat, 1.1% were in-line, and 23.5% missed estimates. REIT Focus: Marriott (MAR) will introduce communal hotel rooms at its Element brand that could hold between six and 16 guests. The communal rooms would consist of private bedrooms and bathrooms with a communal kitchen, dining, and lounge areas. The move is considered to be Marriott’s response to the growing popularity of Airbnb and addresses the needs of

In the U.S.: January nonfarm payrolls increased by 227K versus December’s revised 156K increase. Better job gains in retail, construction, and financial activities were the main catalysts to the strong report. President Donald Trump will sign an executive order that will begin dialing back Dodd-Frank and delay the adoption of the DOL’s fiduciary rule. Although the details of this executive order are vague, many of Dodd-Frank regulations would require Congressional action to change. Gary Cohen, the new director of the National Economic Council, is the first hire to assist in President Trump’s plan to “dismantle the Dodd-Frank Act and replace it with new policies to encourage economic growth and job creation.” As expected, the Fed left rates unchanged citing sluggish inflation growth. However, the case

In the U.S.: Q4 GDP grew 1.9% q/q versus Q3’s 3.5% q/q reading. Inventories and exports were the main drags to GDP growth while personal consumption continued to provide a lift to the sluggish economy. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to build a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. The order angered Mexican President Peña Nieto who reiterated that Mexico would not pay for the wall and led Mr. Nieto to cancel a pre-scheduled meeting with Mr. Trump. REIT Focus: A front-page story of the Wall St. Journal revealed the alarming trend of mall landlords choosing to hand over their malls back to the bank instead of trying to restructure the debt on the loans. Mall landlords are struggling