Reading this on a mobile device? Try our optimized mobile version here: http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/kCiMhMrCCqisztHRkY

May 12, 2008 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise The daily source on REITs and real estate investment   Top News  Firms raise $20 billion on world's capital markets Companies around the world raised $20 billion on equity capital markets last week, second this year only to the week after the rescue of Bear Stearns, according to data from Dealogic. The activity indicates growing investor confidence that the worst of the financial crisis may have passed. Emerging market companies in Russia and Eastern Europe were involved in some of the largest deals. ClipSyndicate/Bloomberg (5/12), Financial Times (free content) (5/11)   Capital Markets  CRE likely to weather upcoming financial storm The commercial real estate market will miss the brunt of ongoing pain expected in the U.S. economy over the next few months. That was the consensus of economists speaking at the National Association of Real Estate Editors' 42nd annual real estate journalism conference in Dallas last week. James Gaines, research economist for the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, expects the federal government to be forced to bail out banks and other financial institutions to avoid insolvency due to involvement in commercial debt obligations, mortgage-backed securities and mortgage-backed paper. Commercial Property Executive (5/9) Morgan Stanley sees gold in world's infrastructure needs Morgan Stanley says it has outstripped its target and raised $4 billion for a private-equity fund focusing on infrastructure projects around the world. Its quest for profitable investments during the ongoing financial crisis has seen opportunity in the infrastructure needs of growing economies in the Middle East and Asia. The fund already owns parts of Venice's airport in Italy and the Port of Montreal in Canada. Financial Times (free content) (5/12), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (5/12) Hedge funds scoop up leveraged debt Hedge funds are buying leveraged loans and asset-backed securities, a sign that the credit crunch may be over. The debt may have been languishing on banks' balance sheets since the credit crisis began last summer. Financial News Online (U.K.) (subscription required) (5/12) Market for mortgage-backed securities may have hit bottom Bonds backed by mortgages could present a buying opportunity for investors, Larry Light writes in a Wall Street Journal column. The market shows that bad times are ending for mortgage-backed securities, but his analysis is based on the assumption that a new round of defaults won't send prices tumbling again. "What this means is that mortgage bonds are still cheap, with many selling below face value -- and that investors, now less scared by them, no longer need large yield premiums as an enticement to buy," Light said. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (5/10)   Investment News  Investors find opportunities in secondary markets Secondary office markets are offering opportunities for real estate investors. "The pricing is not as hard, and you're not looking for a lot of debt," said Jack Minter, managing director for Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.'s Dallas office. Deals in the secondary markets can often be financed by smaller banks. Commercial Property Executive (5/9) Centro shares take hit on news of lawsuit Centro Properties Group is being accused of misleading investors in a class action lawsuit filed in Australian Federal Court. The news forced shares of the troubled shopping mall owner to slump. Bloomberg (5/12)   Real Estate Marketplace  MTA, Tishman Speyer in dispute on rail yard development Talks between New York's MTA and Hudson Yards developer Tishman Speyer have "reached an impasse," according to a MTA statement released Thursday. Tishman Speyer won a bidding war to pay over $1 billion, for a 99-year lease, for development rights on either side of 11th Avenue between 30th and 33rd streets. GlobeSt.com (5/9) Column: Housing sector showing signs of a turnaround Mutual funds and real estate investment trusts are methods investors can use to bet on a rebound in the real estate sector, Jeff Cox writes in a CNBC commentary. "I think there are some positive or at least relatively positive signs in the housing market right now," said David Twibell, president of wealth management at Colorado Capital Bank. "Put them all together, you may be seeing some stabilization." CNBC (5/9) The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) RECON Spring Convention - May 18 - 21, 2008 Join the Pitney Bowes MapInfo and Pitney Bowes Group 1 Software professionals at this premiere global retail real estate convention in Las Vegas - booth #S 5110. We will be promoting the latest predictive analytic tools to enable your organization to make mission critical decisions. Schedule a complementary meeting with one of our analytical consultants. Sign up here. Interested in learning more about advertising in NAREIT SmartBrief? Contact Susan W. Kim at (202) 407-7877 or skim@smartbrief.com.     NAREIT News  REITWeek®: NAREIT's Investor Forum, June 4-6 REITWeek®: NAREIT's 2008 Investor Forum® is less than a month away, June 4-6. The event will once again be held at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel. In addition to presentations from more than 130 real estate companies, REITWeek® will feature informative panel discussions including top real estate professionals from around the globe. This year's sessions include detailed looks at the credit markets, the future of the economy and the state of the retail industry, among others. For a complete agenda and registration information, Click Here. Track performance of U.S. and global real estate markets Updated daily, the FTSE NAREIT U.S. Real Estate Index Returns and the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Real Estate Index Returns provide index performance data, industry segment returns and comparisons against other major market benchmarks. Learn more about NAREIT ->   Join NAREIT |  Policy & Politics |  NAREIT Events |  Publications   Policy Watch  Housing bill would help small percentage of homeowners A proposed congressional housing bailout may only help about 325,000 of the 3 million homeowners facing foreclosure. The bill, which has passed the House but faces Republican opposition and a veto threat, would cost less than $2 billion because so few homeowners would be able to take advantage of that program. CNNMoney.com (5/12)   SmartQuote  When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened." --Alexander Graham Bell, American inventor     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Associate Publisher:  Susan W. Kim (202) 407-7877 Download Media Kit   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including: Industry Home Readers' Choice Search Archive Get this RSS Feed Publish your Press Release       Recent Real Estate Investment SmartBrief Issues: Friday, May 09, 2008 Thursday, May 08, 2008 Wednesday, May 07, 2008 Tuesday, May 06, 2008 Monday, May 05, 2008     Lead Editor:  Sean McMahon Contributing Editor:  Dave Copeland | Devlyn Ray     Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005     © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information