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27 January 2025
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The real estate industry, traditionally characterised by its cautious adoption of new technologies, is now at a pivotal juncture. The emergence of AI promises to fundamentally change the way we live, work, and play.
Charter Hall has rising margins, decreasing capital requirements, proven earnings growth, and business quality. 2024 earnings guidance is conservative, yet the company trades at a large discount to the ASX 200.
Work-from-home and higher interest rates have whacked the office property sector, both here and abroad. Yet Australia is well-placed to adapt given its resilient demand drivers, quality of stock and sensible gearing levels.
Many Australian listed property trusts (A-REITs) have sold off due to higher interest rates and WFH, but in the sectors of retail, office and industrial, where do recent movements in stock prices now represent value?
Most people are returning to their offices, often three days a week with flexibility. The trend to premium offices supports health and lifestyles, while office designs focus more on collaboration and social spaces.
The pandemic profoundly impacted the way we use real estate but in a post-pandemic environment, tenant preferences and behaviours are now providing more certainty to the outlook of our major real estate sectors.
Employees value WFH flexibility but they also enjoy and benefit from the office environment. Businesses will need to adapt but tenants say office work remains essential for productivity, culture, risk and driving innovation.
As people stayed home during the pandemic, a bearish view swept over most property sectors, but many have thrived and prices have recovered rapidly. The best opportunities are in long leases with quality tenants.
Many listed property stocks were hard hit by COVID, especially in retail, but foot traffic outside Victoria has held up relatively well. Some sectors are now good value for the recovery and less working from home.
Although most office workers are currently WFH, an energy and a buzz comes from working in the same physical space. Other benefits include team building, relationships, talent mentoring and creative collaboration.
Even when the virus is finally contained, the business landscape will look very different. A critical issue is the ability of consumers to find product substitutes. Many people like what they find.
The property market is far from homogeneous, and investors should consider different impacts on residential, office and retail sectors. Is Myer a bellwether for retail changes?
The housing market was subdued in 2024, and pessimism abounds as we start the new year. 2025 is likely to be a tale of two halves, with interest rate cuts fuelling a resurgence in buyer demand in the second half of the year.
This examines the performance of key asset classes and sub-sectors in 2024 and over longer timeframes, and the lessons that can be drawn for constructing an investment portfolio for the next decade.
The renowned investor has penned his first investor letter for 2025 and it’s a ripper. He runs through what bubbles are, which ones he’s experienced, and whether today’s markets qualify as the third major bubble of this century.
2024 was a banner year for equities, with a run-up in US tech stocks broadening into a global market rally, and the big question now is whether the good times can continue? History suggests optimism is warranted.
Key lessons include expensive stocks can always get more expensive, Bitcoin is our tulip mania, follow the smart money, the young are coming with pitchforks on housing, and the importance of staying invested.
Check out the most-read Firstlinks articles from 2024. From '16 ASX stocks to buy and hold forever', to 'The best strategy to build income for life', and 'Where baby boomer wealth will end up', there's something for all.