The tried-and-true 60-40 portfolio lost 17% last year, its worst performance since at least 1937. Even with a 14% gain in the S&P 500 helping the strategy recover in 2023, stocks and bonds have moved in tandem, more over the past three years than any time since 1997.
Flight Delays
During the first nine months of 2023, more than 22% of flights to or from U.S. airports were delayed, according to data from FlightAware. That’s up from roughly 17% during the same period in 2019.
CHH WH
Choice Hotels made public a $7.8 billion offer for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, saying Wyndham had disengaged in private discussions over a deal to combine two of the largest owners of budget hotels. Choice said it is offering to buy Wyndham for $90.00 a share, including $49.50 a share in cash, while the rest would come from stock. The offer marks a 30% premium over Wyndham’s closing stock price of $69.10 on Monday.
Home Sales
The highest mortgage rates in 23 years are dragging down home sales to their lowest levels since the subprime crisis period. Sales of previously owned homes in 2023 are expected to dwindle to around 4.1 million, which would mark the smallest number of sales since 2008.
Relocations
IRS migration data found that California lost more than $340 million in 2021 IRS tax revenue due to residents moving. New York experienced the second-biggest drop losing just under $300 million from its yearly tax base.
Hospitality Tech
The hospitality technology industry is growing rapidly through guest-facing tech. This industry has the potential to become a $6-billion category, highlighting the significance of apps from mobile check-in and keyless room entry to personalized recommendations based on guest data.
Q3 Earnings
Industry estimates indicate that members of the S&P 500 will report earnings per share were 1.3% higher than a year earlier—a nice improvement from the second quarter’s decline of 2.8%.
ADU
The latest amenity for homeowners is an add-on known as Accessory Dwelling Units. They can be free-standing miniature homes as small as a studio apartment and tucked away in a backyard or they can reside above a garage or in a basement and extend to more than 2,000 square feet.
Senior Consumers
Americans age 65 and up accounted for 22% of spending last year, the highest share since records began in 1972 and up from 15% in 2010.
Luxury Retail
Luxury retailers have leased 650,000 square feet of new space in the U.S. over the past 12 months, up from roughly 250,000 square feet the prior year.