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As we move into 2025, Peachtree Group remains optimistic about the U.S. economy. While risks persist—from policy shifts to stretched markets—the underlying fundamentals are strong. This sentiment was echoed by our recent guest speaker, Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody’s Analytics, who shared his insights on the economy’s resilience and the challenges ahead, particularly for commercial real estate.
Economic Highlights and Key Insights
Mark emphasized the exceptional performance of the U.S. economy, with GDP growth expected to range between 2.5% and 3%, driven by increased labor participation and productivity gains. The labor market remains strong, with unemployment hovering around 4%, and households—especially those in the top income tiers—benefit from strong asset values and low debt-service ratios. However, he noted the pressures on lower-income households, who are feeling the strain of inflation and high-interest debt. This contrast contributes to a gap between strong economic data and public sentiment.
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Risks and Projections for 2025
He outlined several key risks that may shape the economic landscape in 2025:
- Tariffs and Immigration Policies: Anticipated increases in tariffs and stricter immigration rules could amplify inflation and disrupt labor markets, especially in industries like construction and agriculture.
- Asset Market Volatility: Stretched valuations and policy-driven fiscal deficits could heighten market instability.
- Interest Rate Outlook: The federal funds rate is projected to decline to 4% by early 2025, with a further reduction to 3% by 2026. Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury yield, a key benchmark for CRE valuations, is expected to remain flat, between 4% and 4.5%.
Commercial Real Estate and Private Credit
Mark highlighted the explosive growth over the past decade on private credit, now standing at eight times its 2010 size. While recognizing the risks of this rapid expansion, he noted that stabilizing economic fundamentals is a significant mitigating factor.
He also addressed the current state of CRE valuations, acknowledging a significant correction since 2022. Asset prices are down 10–20% from their peaks, depending on asset type, but he expressed cautious optimism for future returns as valuations in many segments approach fair value. Challenges remain, however, as muted transaction volumes and uncertainty around intrinsic values make price discovery difficult in a higher interest rate environment. However, he concluded by emphasizing that CRE, having undergone a meaningful correction, is uniquely positioned for potentially stronger returns.
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美国各地的 “严重水下” 住房抵押贷款激增
与之前的经济衰退(例如2009年的经济衰退)相比,房地产市场目前的状况似乎更好。当时,26%的抵押住宅物业为负资产,而现在仅为2.7%左右。尽管依赖债务的行业,例如商业地产,在调整到更高的利率方面面临挑战,但如果房地产市场没有重大挫折,我们不太可能走向重大经济衰退。
房地产行业的稳定可以帮助缓冲经济衰退,因为它直接影响消费者的财富和信心,这反过来又会影响支出——考虑到消费者支出约占美国GDP的70%,这是一个重要因素。这种稳定增加了经济持续增长而不是陷入衰退的可能性。
这篇评论最初出现在 格雷格·弗里德曼的领英页面 2024年5月15日,这是对彭博社亚历山大·坦齐的文章的回应,标题是:“美国各地的住房抵押贷款都在上升。
了解更多关于 Peachtree 集团的信贷部门。
缺少严重的衰退危险信号
在2022年之前,借款人十多年来一直有机会以接近零的利率获得贷款,这一好处推动了商业房地产市场的增长和扩张。今天,我们看到前所未有的贷款量在更高的利率环境中到期,银行减少了商业房地产的敞口。尽管有这些条件,贷款需求继续增长。
从历史上看,利率上升期间贷款需求的激增将是信贷紧缩迫在眉睫的警告信号。然而,最近的数据违背了预期,表明这种模式有所偏离,银行报告称,尽管维持了繁琐的贷款标准,但贷款活动仍有所增加。这种异常现象,加上通货膨胀放缓,挑战了传统的衰退指标。尽管一些分析师谨慎地认为 “这次有所不同”,但经济不确定性仍然存在,这就潜在的市场动态提出了有趣的问题。
尽管不确定性依然存在,但有一点仍然很清楚:商业房地产行业面临着关键时刻。我们正在警惕地应对不断变化的格局,在由前所未有的力量塑造的市场中平衡风险和机遇。
这篇评论最初出现在 格雷格·弗里德曼的领英页面 2024 年 5 月 16 日,回应 Inc 的一本杂志 菲尔·罗森的文章标题为: 缺少严重的经济衰退危险信号。
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