WASHINGTON, D.C. — A little more than 1 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment insurance benefits during the week ending Aug. 22, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday morning. The most recent figure is what economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected for the week. The total was a decrease of 98,000 claims from the previous week. It was the second consecutive week claims totaled more than 1 million after the week ending Aug. 8 snapped a 20-week streak of at least 1 million claims since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The four-week moving average also decreased for the week, falling by 107,250 claims to just under 1.1 million. Continuing claims fell by 223,000 to 14.5 million for the week ending Aug. 15. (Data for continuing claims is delayed by one week.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has extended Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s coronavirus-related policies for their single-family properties through Sept. 30, 2020. The policies include the temporary policy allowing the purchase of qualified loans in forbearance, allowing alternative methods for documenting income and verifying employment and expanding the use of power of attorney and remote online notarizations. The new policies for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) overseen by the FHFA, were previously set to expire Aug. 31. Washington, D.C.-based Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) issued a statement supporting the FHFA’s decision. “MBA and its members appreciate FHFA and the GSEs extending these important features,” said Bob Broeksmit, CEO and president of MBA. “Both the origination flexibilities and the program to purchase loans in forbearance are providing important stability to the mortgage market during the pandemic. [The] announcement will enable lenders to continue to make low-rate mortgage financing readily available to consumers and avoid the inevitable credit tightening that would have resulted from their expiration.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new national report compiled by Trepp shows that nearly one in four (23.4 percent) of commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) in the hotel sector are 30 or more days delinquent, the highest percentage on record. By comparison, 1.3 percent of hotel CMBS loans were 30 or more days delinquent at the end of 2019. Nearly 4,000 hotel industry leaders signed a letter to the U.S. Congress imploring it to pass the Helping Open Properties Endeavor (HOPE) Act. The bill would provide assistance to small businesses, including hotel owners needing help to meet their debt-service obligations. “With record low travel demand, thousands of hotels can’t afford to pay their commercial mortgages and are facing foreclosure with the harsh reality of having to close their doors permanently,” says Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). “Tens of thousands of hotel employees will lose their jobs and small business industries that depend on these hotels to drive local tourism and economic activity will likely face a similar fate.” According to STR, occupancy levels across the country reached 50.2 percent during the week ending Aug. 15. It was the first time since mid-March that occupancy …
CHICAGO — Navy Pier, a mixed-use destination on Chicago’s lakefront, will start a temporary pier-wide closure on Tuesday, Sept. 8, in an effort to limit the financial burden and impact of the continued coronavirus pandemic on the organization. The closure will stop all operations, including those of Navy Pier’s more than 70 small businesses. Access to the pier’s outdoor space, including Polk Bros Park and North and South Docks, will also be limited or prohibited during the closure. “While this was a very difficult decision for the organization, it was a necessary one to proactively ensure the long-term success of one of Chicago’s most treasured and important civic institutions and the communities it serves,” says Marilynn Gardner, president and CEO of Navy Pier. Per state and city orders, Navy Pier originally closed to the public from March 16 to June 10 and then began a phased reopening with appropriate safety and security measures. Through the reopening, Navy Pier was able to resume partial operations and welcome guests to the pier. However, the destination experienced less than 20 percent of its typical summer attendance. To date, the Centennial Wheel, Chicago Children’s Museum, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and additional Pier Park attractions have …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 1.1 million Americans filed first-time unemployment claims in the week ending Aug. 15, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday morning. The weekly total was more than the 923,000 claims economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected. The most recent figure is an increase of 135,000 claims from the previous week, which was the first time since the coronavirus outbreak that claims totaled fewer than 1 million. The four-week moving average decreased by 79,000 to just under 1.2 million claims. Continuing claims, for which data is a week behind, totaled more than 14.8 million for the week ending Aug. 8, a decrease of 636,000 from the previous week.
Construction has been one of the lucky few segments of the economy that has continued humming along during the pandemic. Student housing projects are still going on as planned, as construction has mostly fallen into the “essential” category of business during the shutdown. While builders report there have been few supply-chain issues, there were some initial slowdowns related to delivery. “The only significant supply side issue we have had was on a project that we have under construction serving UMass Amherst,” says Brent Little, president of Fountain Residential Partners. The project, North 116 Flats, is under construction for delivery for fall of this year. “When the outbreak hit fever pitch, we had all of our cabinets and countertops for the project on a ship coming from China in the middle of the ocean. We were very puckered up until those six containers hit the port in Connecticut, and we received pictures of them on the dock. We are now installing those cabinets in the fourth building of five buildings, so that issue has been mitigated. We were worried about some other items, such as laminate flooring, that were coming from overseas as well, but it has all arrived. If it …
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Lowe’s Home Improvement posted a 30 percent increase in same store sales during its second quarter, which ended July 31. The total sales reached $27.3 billion, compared with $21 billion in the second quarter of 2019. Lowe’s also invested $460 million during the quarter to support frontline hourly associates. In 2020, the company thus far has invested $560 million in COVID-19-related financial support for its associates and community pandemic relief, with a focus on minority and rural small businesses and healthcare workers. Mooresville-based Lowe’s is an essential retailer, meaning it has remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As of July 31, Lowe’s operates 1,968 home improvement and hardware stores in the United States and Canada.
CHICAGO — Optima Signature, a luxury office tower in Chicago, is now offering its on-site office suites as e-learning spaces for residents and non-residents alike. Designed by David Hovey Sr. and completed in 2017, Optima Signature is a 490-unit Class A residential tower located at 220 E. Illinois St. Located on the 57-story building’s second and seventh floors, the study suites are furnished with five to seven workstations, a mini-fridge, built-in cabinetry and window treatments, Wi-Fi access, professional cleaning and a curated selected of building amenities, including outdoor lounge areas. The suites are available for rent, ranging from $1,800 to $2,400 per month.
BENTONVILLE, ARK. — Walmart’s e-commerce sales jumped 97 percent in the second quarter, which ended July 31. The Bentonville-based retailer increased its e-commerce capabilities, including increasing same-day delivery and curbside pick-up options as well as hiring at least 200,000 people during the pandemic. Walmart includes a grocery section, deeming the retailer essential and allowing it to remain open through the crisis. Additionally, the U.S. government passed the CARES Act, which included stimulus checks for millions of Americans. As a result of increased spending, Walmart’s same-store sales increased 9.3 percent in the second quarter. Total revenues rose 5.6 percent to $137.74 billion from $130.38 billion a year earlier. The company incurred $1.5 billion of COVID-related costs during the second quarter, including benefit payments and inventory purchases. Sales at Sam’s Club locations were up 8.8 percent in the second the quarter. E-commerce sales increased 39 percent.
ATLANTA — The Home Depot released its second-quarter results, which revealed the home improvement retailer saw a 23.4 percent increase in sales on a year-over-year basis. Sales totaled $38.1 billion in the second quarter, which ended Aug. 3. Because of the coronavirus outbreak and The Home Depot’s status as an essential retailer, meaning the stores have remained open through the pandemic, the company invested approximately $480 million in benefits for its associates, including weekly bonuses for hourly associates in stores and distribution centers.