Regions International
Circuit City, International Hedge Fund Among Latest Economy Victims
Nov 4, 2008
By: Tonie Auer, Contributing Correspondent

In spite of the hype surrounding the presidential elections today and what the outcome will mean for the nation – and the world – in respect to business, the news of the continuing credit crisis still dominates business reports. Circuit City Stores Inc. announced that "due in part to its deteriorating liquidity position and the continued weak macroeconomic environment, the company has decided to take certain restructuring actions immediately, including closing 155 domestic segment stores, reducing future store openings and aggressively renegotiating certain leases."

In a letter to its investors, Blue Mountain Capital Management L.L.C. temporarily halted redemptions at its largest hedge fund after clients asked to withdraw money despite its "distinguished" performance, according to a Reuters report. New York and London-based Blue Mountain said in the letter it had come up with a plan to protect all its investors in the $3.1 billion Blue Mountain Credit Alternatives Fund, which is down 2.4 percent year-to-date.

Couple these announcements with the latest manufacturing ISM Report On Business that shows economic activity in the manufacturing sector failed to grow in October for the third consecutive month. Manufacturing contracted in October as the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) registered 38.9 percent, 4.6 percentage points lower than the 43.5 percent reported in September, according to the Report On Business.

The news worldwide isn’t much better, The New York Times said that the Swiss banking giant UBS reported a third-quarter net profit but warned that the outlook for the rest of the year was gloomy as the bank is struggling to recover after the collapse of the U.S. mortgage market. The bank reported net profit of $252 million while operating income fell 38 percent. The Guardian reported that Japan's vehicle sales in October fell 13.1 percent from a year earlier to 233,922 units for the third straight month of decline due to sluggish consumer spending amid worsening economic conditions. The sales figure was the second lowest on record for the month of October since the Japan Automobile Dealers Association started compiling relevant data in 1968. On the bright side, Japan’s minivehicles aren’t included in those numbers. The Japan Mini Vehicles Association said sales of minivehicles in October were up 6.2 percent from a year earlier to 145,444 units, helped by brisk sales of new models including Suzuki Motor Corp.'s fully remodeled Wagon R minicar launched in September, according to the report.

 
Recent International Headlines
While Hotel Investment Activity Languishes in the U.S., Market Remains Viable in Brazil
Plagued by the global recession that has slashed both business and pleasure travel, the hotel market is suffering on an international level and investors have backed away from buying or building in most locations, with a few exceptions--like Brazil. According to a new report by real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, the positive long-term growth forecast for Brazil is popping up on the radar of those who are in the position to invest.
While Hotel Investment Activity Languishes in the U.S., Market Remains Viable in Brazil
Plagued by the global recession that has slashed both business and pleasure travel, the hotel market is suffering on an international level and investors have backed away from buying or building in most locations, with a few exceptions--like Brazil. According to a new report by real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, the positive long-term growth forecast for Brazil is popping up on the radar of those who are in the position to invest.
Tokyo is Priciest Market as Climate Favors Office Tenants Worldwide: CBRE
Tenants have the edge in most of the world’s major office markets, concludes an analysis by CB Richard Ellis Inc. Class A rents are sliding dramatically and vacancy is ticking upwards in nearly every region, according to the study published last week.
Hotel Construction Pipeline Sluggish Throughout EMEA Region
Not surprisingly, the global recession is negatively impacting hotel development throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, according to Lodging Econometrics' Q1 2009 construction pipeline report for the region.