The underlying fundamentals for Australia are strong.
All that’s needed is a lift in the general confidence level, for our economy to really take off.
Therefore, the trick is … not to be caught by surprise when it does! [Read more…]
Be Prepared for Strong Growth in Commercial Property During 2012
22 November, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Retailing Isn’t Totally Dead …
It Has Simply Changed
20 October, 2011 by Leave a Comment
In last week’s article, you read a general overview of the Retail sector … and some of the issues currently confronting traders.
Let’s now take a quick look at three of the capital cities. [Read more…]
Commercial Property & The Economy
11 October, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Last week, to the IMF gave the Australian economy a positive report card — with a projected growth of 1.8% for 2011, and 3.3% for the ensuing 12 months.
Clearly there is international concern about the state of affairs within Europe and the US.
However, that belies the positive impact being provided by the rest of the world.
Although China’s growth is slowing, it still remains at a healthy 9% per annum; and India is not too far behind at 7.5% per annum.
When you add to that Latin America at 4%, and parts of Africa at close to 6% … you then start to see the northern Atlantic problems in some perspective. [Read more…]
Why the Slow Economic Recovery?
27 September, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Exactly why have industrial companies around the world been slow to recover? And why did everything look so promising … and then suddenly, seem to grind to a halt?
Perhaps some insight into this dilemma was provided by the IMF’s recent World Economic Outlook.
According to Oliver Blanchard (its chief economist), there are the dual influences of a slowdown in advanced Western economies; and the overall financial uncertainty.
During the GFC, companies allowed their inventories to run down. Then, with a hint of global recovery, those same companies began replacing their depleted inventory levels. [Read more…]
Commercial Property to Benefit as …
The Manufacturing Sector Declines
6 September, 2011 by Leave a Comment
According to BlueScope Steel … business, governments, industry associations and unions need to share responsibility for its recent decision to reduce (by 50%) Port Kembla’s production capacity.
However, this attempt to sheet home blame serves only to deflect attention from the more fundamental (and structural) changes occurring within the manufacturing sector as a whole.
Within his new book “The Next Convergence”, Nobel laureate economist Michael Spence makes some telling forecasts.
In his view … developing economies like China, India and Brazil (which house about 60% of the world’s population) will reach “advanced status” by 2050-60.
And the current problems facing the West — excess debt, over-consumption and poor banking practices — are not merely a cyclical aberration. [Read more…]
Commercial Property Looking Forward
18 August, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Is there a Future for Offices?
The last couple of articles have talked about all the misplaced doom and the gloom.
Plus, you also covered the various reasons why Australia overall is well placed to flourish (and not just survive) the current global distress.
A recent report on the Australian Office scene (by Morgan Stanley property research) would only tend to confirm that view. Their only concern would be the Sydney market, due to its heavy exposure to the financial sector. [Read more…]
Why All The Panic?
16 August, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Are we really heading for GFC Mark II?
Well, not here in Australia anyway! And even overseas, things are vastly different this time around.
In 2008/09, it was private debt causing the problems … because nobody was too sure which banks were overly exposed to the sub-prime mortgage problem. [Read more…]
Let’s Stop The Doom & Gloom! How About Some Good News?
12 August, 2011 by Leave a Comment
For the past few weeks, the world’s media seems to have been dominated by two unfolding dramas:
- The extraordinary and rather amateur performance in Washington, as the US government lurched towards potential default.
- The concerning spike in euro-region yields, against the backdrop of their apparently insoluble sovereign debt issues.
However, as Amy Auster reported in Saturday’s Financial Review, there was also a really positive development last week (certainly for Australia), which seems to have simply “snuck under the radar”. [Read more…]
Foreigners Seem to Love
Our Commercial Property
2 August, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Australia’s dollar may be considered high compared with other countries, but that hasn’t dampened overseas Investors who are clamouring to buy up our Commercial property.
And this only serves to confirm Australia’s “safe-haven status”, being closely aligned with the Asian region. [Read more…]
The Australian Office Scene
29 July, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Last Friday, I attended the annual Commercial & Industrial Economic Forecast Luncheon.
And Dr Frank Gelber (director of BIS Shrapnel) kindly provided is perspective on the Australian economy and the Melbourne Commercial property market — looking forward for the next 5 to 6 years.
Probably the most pleasing aspect was … that his views will were pretty much in line with what I’ve been telling you here, for the past six months or so … [Read more…]
Grasping the Nettle
14 July, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Last week’s article entitled: “OK … What’s Really Going On?” seemed to capture the interest of quite a few readers.
So, tell me … how many people have you spoken with lately, who are fearful about the European and US debt problems?
And have you stopped to find out how few of them realise that the problems confronting those countries may actually be GOOD news for Australia.
Perhaps it is worth explaining how that could possibly be — because there are several things you need to appreciate. [Read more…]
