

Surging oil prices and hotter inflation reports reignited rate-hike concerns, sending Treasury yields to one-year highs as the Iran conflict remained stalemated despite the highly anticipated Trump-Xi summit.

U.S. equity markets advanced for a fifth straight week - their longest winning streak since 2024 - as strong earnings, resilient data, and hopes for lasting Iran peace fueled optimism. Investors looked through another oil-price surge and inflationary pressure, focusing instead on corporate resilience and economic strength despite a complex macro backdrop shaped by geopolitical and policy uncertainty. The Fed held rates steady in an unusually fractured 8-4 vote, while Powell's plan to remain on the Board broke precedent and raised politically charged succession questions.

A surprising solid REIT earnings season wrapped up this week. Of the 100 equity REITs that provide full-year FFO guidance, 62% raised their outlook - above the historical 55% average. Disinflation was a surprisingly common thread across second-quarter results, with the majority of the upside revisions being driven by improved expense expectations - the highest quantity of expense reductions ever. Healthcare REITs were notable upside standouts as senior housing fundamentals remained stellar, while skilled nursing REITs received some good news on the policy front via healthy CMS Medicare rate increases.

Rate cuts have finally arrived, but why hasn't it benefitted REITs? What's needed to lift the REITs market. Why REITs are still struggling.

U.S. equity and bond markets staged a late-week rebound, erasing early-week declines prompted by disappointing Eurozone inflation data, after the crucial PCE inflation gauge posted its smallest increase of 2024. Posting a second week of modest declines following four-straight weekly gains, the S&P 500 finished lower by 0.4% on the week, but still notched its best month since February. Real estate equities also rebounded following steep declines in the prior week as a handful of REITs provided positive business updates ahead of the annual REITweek industry conference.

U.S. equity markets declined this week while benchmark interest rates jumped to the highest level since November after stronger-than-expected employment data showed robust hiring trends in early 2024. Stagflation has crept back into the economic discussion over the past several weeks amid a resurgence in oil prices alongside economic data showing stubbornly lukewarm inflationary trends. Following two straight weeks of gains which had lifted the benchmark to record-highs, the S&P 500 declined by 0.9% this week. Real estate equities were among the laggards this week.

U.S. equity markets climbed to their highs of the year as investors took positions ahead of a critical slate of inflation data and an anticipated "pause" in the Fed's rate hike cycle.

Wall Street experts differ in their outlooks for America's housing market. Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel, real estate tycoon Jeff Greene, and others have warned that home prices will drop, while others like "Shark Tank" star Barbara Corcoran are more optimistic.