Business
December CRE deal volume sinks further, office is a bright spot
The Moody’s Corp. headquarters in New York, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. Moody’s Corporation is a credit rating, research, and risk analysis firm.
Jeenah Moon | Bloomberg | Getty Images
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Commercial real estate deal volume fell in December for the second straight month, but the full-year numbers reveal some progress, potentially setting up much-needed momentum for this year.
Total deal dollar volume dropped 20% in December year over year, according to monthly data provided by Moody’s as a media exclusive to CNBC’s Property Play. It tracks the top 50 commercial real estate property sales across the U.S., in the core segments of multifamily, office, industrial, retail and hotel.
For all of 2025, deal volume was 17% higher compared with 2024, a healthy expansion but lower than the 24% annual growth seen the year before and still 30% below the 2019 pre-pandemic benchmark.
“The US commercial real estate (CRE) market in 2025 was defined by a steady, albeit decelerating, climb toward stabilization,” said Kevin Fagan, head of CRE capital market research at Moody’s. “The recovery proved resilient in the face of significant economic slowing, policy uncertainty, a massive loan maturity wall, and persistently high interest rates compared to three years ago.”
Leading the landscape were the multifamily and office sectors. The recovery in office has been swelling, as return-to-office orders and a boom in AI employment counter the pandemic-driven narrative that office is over.
Total office deal volume was up 21% in 2025 compared with the year before. Investors, however, continue to favor Class A or trophy assets, as the rest of the market struggles.
Multifamily, which has been seeing declining fundamentals, such as occupancy and rent, still led 2025 dealmaking, up 24% in deal volume from 2024. It benefited from higher mortgage rates in the single-family for-sale market, which kept more renters from becoming buyers.
Retail also saw a healthy gain of 19%. Fundamentals in the sector, especially grocery-anchored and necessity-based centers, were strong, fending off continued pressure from e-commerce.
“Retail has officially re-entered the conversation as a durable, investment grade asset class, with investors more focused on the usual underwriting nuances than potential functional obsolescence and a ‘retail apocalypse,’” said Fagan.
Last year also saw something of a comeback for much beleaguered bigger dollar CRE deals. The volume of sales over $100 million was 23% higher than in 2024, Moody’s found. These deals are reflective of institutional players, corporate owner-occupiers and some REITs. That segment is still, however, the furthest from recovery, at just half of 2019 levels.
The smallest-scale deals, those below $5 million, are now actually moving ahead of their 2019 pace by 4%. They tend to be favored by private capital and individual investors who have been more active and liquid through this rate cycle. Deals priced between $5 million and $15 million are just 12% below 2019 volume.
The middle-sized deals, those between $15 million and $100 million are still struggling, as they are most vulnerable to difficulties in financing.
Another leading trend in 2025 was the alternative play – sectors outside of the core five, like health care-related properties, data centers and student housing. The largest sale of 2025 was a 296-property medical office portfolio, bought by Remedy Medical Properties from Welltower. It was also the largest-ever sale in the sector.
The seemingly desperate need for data was also standout in 2025’s top 50 deals. Amazon and Google, in particular, were active. The ninth-largest sale of the year was a $615 million land deal in northern Virginia. SDC Capital Partners purchased 97 acres of entitled data center land in Leesburg from Chuck Kuhn’s JK Land Holdings, a record-setting deal exceeding $6.3 million per acre.
Data also drove a surge in corporate owner-occupiers, particularly tech giants like Apple and Amazon. In fact, Apple went on something of a shopping spree, according to Fagan, deploying over $1.1 billion in California’s Santa Clara County alone, including several office buildings and an office and R&D campus.
“By purchasing these assets, Apple is securing its long-term operational footprint while capitalizing on a 20-30% pricing reset in the Silicon Valley office market compared to 2022 peaks,” said Fagan, adding Microsoft made similar moves last year.
The gains of 2025 bode cautiously well for commercial real estate, which is seeing something of a portfolio rebalancing. While institutional investors definitely came back to the sector, some major public REITs sold large, multi-tenant portfolios to private equity firms. The latter are now proving to be big players, looking to deploy significant capital that was sitting on the sidelines in the recent higher-rate environment.
“Market participants are largely optimistic, anticipating tailwinds from a more dovish Federal Reserve under an incoming chair and fiscal lifts from potential tax cuts,” Fagan said. “However, with interest rates unlikely to drop precipitously, 2026 is expected to see a moderate acceleration of current momentum rather than a return to the era of ultra-cheap capital.”
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CleanSpark (CLSK) Stock Surges 5.4% to $10.35 on AI Pivot Momentum, Despite Q1 2026 Loss Widening
CleanSpark Inc.’s stock rallied 5.4% to close at $10.35 on February 24, 2026, rebounding from recent pressure as investors focused on the company’s strategic shift toward high-performance computing (HPC) and AI infrastructure, even after reporting a wider-than-expected net loss in fiscal first-quarter 2026 results released earlier in February.

As of February 24, 2026, CleanSpark (NASDAQ: CLSK) traded in a session range of $9.59 to $10.60 with volume exceeding 25.9 million shares, reflecting heightened activity amid the recovery. Pre-market trading on February 25 pushed shares higher to around $10.56-$10.63, suggesting continued interest. The shares have shown volatility year-to-date in 2026 but remain elevated from 2025 lows, with a 52-week range spanning lower levels to recent peaks near $23 in prior periods. Market capitalization hovers around $2.5 billion to $3 billion, depending on intraday moves.
The February 24 gain came despite a challenging Q1 fiscal 2026 earnings report on February 5, 2026 (for the quarter ended December 31, 2025). CleanSpark posted revenue of $181.2 million, up 11.6% year-over-year but missing analyst estimates of around $194 million. The company reported a net loss of $378.7 million—significantly wider than prior periods—and an EPS of -$1.35, far below consensus forecasts of $0.09 to $0.26. Gross margins contracted to 47% from 57% year-over-year, reflecting higher operational costs during the transition.
Management attributed the miss to reduced Bitcoin mining contributions amid price volatility and investments in HPC infrastructure. However, executives emphasized progress in securing AI data center leases, with the first expected soon. The pivot positions CleanSpark to capitalize on surging demand for compute power, leveraging its sustainable energy model and existing facilities.
Analysts maintain a cautiously optimistic view. Consensus among 12-14 firms rates CLSK a Moderate Buy to Strong Buy, with average 12-month price targets around $19.19 to $20.60—implying 85-100% upside from the February 24 close. Sanford C. Bernstein raised its target to $24 from $20 in late 2025, maintaining an Outperform rating. Other updates include Chardan Capital lowering to $16 from $30 in early February 2026 while keeping a Buy, and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reducing to $14 from $18 but staying Outperform. Wall Street Zen shifted to Sell in November 2025, citing execution risks.
The company continues expanding its fleet, with operational updates highlighting increased hashrate and energy efficiency. January 2026 metrics showed progress toward targets, though Bitcoin exposure remains a volatility driver. CleanSpark’s focus on low-cost, sustainable power differentiates it in the competitive mining and HPC landscape.
Upcoming catalysts include the next earnings report for fiscal Q2 2026, estimated around May 7, 2026. Analysts project an EPS of around -$0.25 to -$0.38 and revenue near $164 million. Investors will scrutinize HPC lease announcements, margin trends, cost controls, and guidance revisions amid the AI infrastructure boom.
CleanSpark navigates a transitional phase, balancing legacy Bitcoin mining with emerging HPC opportunities. While Q1 results highlighted profitability challenges during the shift, the AI pivot and analyst upside targets support optimism for recovery. With shares rebounding and trading at levels offering substantial potential if execution improves, CleanSpark remains a high-beta play in the digital asset and compute sector.
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Greer signals tariffs may rise to 15% or higher for some countries
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to outline President Donald Trump’s new global tariff strategy and warn trading partners that enforcement is coming.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer signaled tariffs could rise for some countries early Wednesday, telling FOX Business they may increase to 15% or higher as President Trump continues his push for economic leverage.
“Even right now, we have the 10% tariff, it’ll go up to 15 for some, and then it may go higher for others,” Greer said on “Mornings with Maria.”
“I think it will be in line with the types of tariffs we’ve been seeing. We want to have continuity in this program,” he added.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES ‘FINAL’ 25% TARIFF ON COUNTRIES DOING BUSINESS WITH IRAN REGIME

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaks during an Economic Club of New York luncheon in New York on Sept. 30, 2025. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The comments come as U.S. trading partners, including the European Union, have sought clarity on how the administration plans to implement its revised tariff strategy following a recent Supreme Court setback.
Greer said the administration is preparing to launch a series of investigations under existing trade authorities in the coming days and weeks, including Section 301 probes targeting what he described as unfair trading practices.
HOW SHOULD BUSINESSES APPROACH TARIFF REFUNDS?

Then-President-elect Donald Trump smiles during Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest on Dec. 22, 2024 in Phoenix, Ariz. The president has vowed to work around the Supreme Court’s recent tariff ruling to continue implementing his global economic strategy. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
“These include things like people who use forced labor in their supply chains,” Greer explained, adding that the U.S. would also examine countries accused of building industrial excess capacity and flooding American markets.
Under the process, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative would issue a Federal Register notice, open a public comment period, and hold hearings, giving countries an opportunity to address those concerns before additional tariffs are imposed, he noted.
“We think that the deals that we’ve made with these folks actually tend to address, at least in part, some of the practices I’m talking about,” he said.
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Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy discuss Republicans’ midterm agenda after President Donald Trump’s ‘record-long’ State of the Union speech on ‘Mornings with Maria.’
“With Indonesia, for example, we will run an investigation. We’ll look at industrial excess capacity. We’ll look at what they’re doing in fishing and that kind of thing, and we’ll run that investigation, and then we’ll bump it up against what they’ve agreed to do and what we think the problem is. Then, we make a determination on what kind of tariff should apply,” he said.
“We expect to have continuity in what we’re doing,” he said.
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Netflix (NFLX) Stock Hits Record High Near $1,050 as Subscriber Growth Accelerates
Netflix Inc.’s stock reached a new all-time high in late February 2026, closing at $1,048.72 on February 24 after gaining 1.82%, as the streaming giant posted blockbuster fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results that showcased accelerating paid subscriber additions, explosive growth in its advertising-supported tier, and sustained profitability improvements.

AFP
As of February 24, 2026, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) traded in a session range of $1,030.15 to $1,055.40 with volume of approximately 4.2 million shares. The shares have surged more than 65% year-to-date in 2026 following a strong 2025 close, pushing market capitalization above $450 billion for the first time. The 52-week range spans $610.20 to $1,055.40, reflecting investor confidence in Netflix’s transition to a mature, high-margin business.
The rally followed Netflix’s fourth-quarter earnings report released January 21, 2026, which delivered multiple records. The company added 18.9 million paid net subscribers in Q4—the largest quarterly gain in its history—bringing total paid memberships to 301.6 million, up 16% year-over-year. Full-year 2025 net additions reached a record 51.4 million, surpassing prior guidance and marking the strongest growth since the streaming wars began.
Revenue climbed 15.7% year-over-year to $10.25 billion in Q4, beating analyst expectations of $10.13 billion. Full-year revenue hit $39.00 billion, up 15%. Operating margin expanded to 29% in Q4 from 22% the prior year, with operating income reaching $2.97 billion. Net income rose to $2.48 billion, or $5.73 per diluted share, compared with $1.48 billion and $3.33 per share in Q4 2024.
The advertising tier drove outsized gains, with ad-supported memberships growing more than 65% sequentially in Q4 and representing a significant portion of new sign-ups in launch markets. Netflix reported that ad revenue more than doubled year-over-year in Q4, with average revenue per user in the ad tier approaching levels seen in the standard plan in some regions. Management guided for continued rapid ad-tier expansion in 2026, with plans to roll out the tier in additional countries and enhance targeting through improved data and partnerships.
CEO Ted Sarandos and co-CEO Greg Peters emphasized the success of password-sharing restrictions, now implemented in nearly every market, which contributed to both subscriber adds and revenue growth. The company also highlighted strong content performance, with hits like “Squid Game” Season 2, “Stranger Things” final season, and live events—including NFL games and WWE Raw—driving engagement. Live programming, including the upcoming Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match rescheduled to early 2026, is expected to further boost viewership.
Netflix provided optimistic 2026 guidance, projecting revenue growth of 14-15% and operating margin expansion to 29-30%. The company anticipates another year of significant paid net subscriber additions, though at a moderated pace compared with 2025’s record. Free cash flow is forecast to exceed $8 billion in 2026, up from $6.9 billion in 2025, supporting continued content investment and potential share repurchases or dividends.
Wall Street responded enthusiastically. Consensus among 35-40 analysts rates NFLX a Moderate Buy to Buy, with average 12-month price targets around $1,100 to $1,150—implying 5-10% upside from current levels. High targets reach $1,300 from firms like Wedbush and Morgan Stanley, citing the advertising business’s long runway and global market penetration potential. Some analysts noted Netflix’s valuation at roughly 35 times forward earnings appears reasonable given margin expansion and cash flow strength.
Challenges include intensifying competition from Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and emerging players, as well as content cost pressures and potential saturation in mature markets. International growth remains a focus, with Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East and Africa showing robust additions. Password-sharing crackdowns continue to yield benefits but face occasional pushback.
The next major update arrives with first-quarter 2026 earnings, expected in late April. Investors will watch subscriber trends, ad-tier penetration, content slate performance, and any refinements to full-year guidance.
Netflix has evolved from a DVD-by-mail pioneer into the dominant global streaming service, with a differentiated strategy blending originals, licensed content, live events, gaming, and advertising. Record subscriber gains, margin expansion, and a maturing ad business position it for continued outperformance in 2026, even as the streaming landscape grows more competitive. With shares at fresh highs, Netflix remains a bellwether for digital media and a core holding for growth-oriented investors.
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The Bank of Thailand unexpectedly lowers its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.00%
The Bank of Thailand’s Monetary Policy Committee unexpectedly lowered its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.00% during its first review of 2026.
The decision comes as a surprise to analysts who had widely anticipated no change in the rate. The move aims to support economic growth amid global uncertainties and sluggish domestic demand.
Key Points
- The Monetary Policy Committee voted 4 to 2 to reduce the one-day repurchase rate to 1.00%.
- The move caught the market by surprise, as only six of 27 economists surveyed by Reuters had predicted a rate cut.
- This reduction marks the sixth rate cut since October 2024, bringing the total reduction over that period to 150 basis points.
- The central bank cited the need to mitigate risks from a strong baht and global trade uncertainties, particularly regarding US trade policy.
- Despite the rate cut, the Bank of Thailand raised its 2026 GDP growth projection to 1.9%, up from a previous estimate of 1.5%, following a stronger-than-expected economic performance in the fourth quarter of the prior year.
The Bank of Thailand’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unexpectedly voted 4 to 2 to cut the one-day repurchase rate by 25 basis points to 1.00% during its first review of 2026. This move caught the majority of economists by surprise, as most had predicted no change following stronger-than-expected economic performance in late 2025.
This decision aims to support economic recovery, alleviate the debt burden for SMEs and households, and anchor inflation expectations amid heightened downside risks. While the economy showed stronger-than-expected momentum in late 2025, the committee anticipates that future growth will remain below potential due to structural impediments, necessitating a more accommodative policy stance to counter a strengthening currency and slowing private consumption.
Key Factors
- Economic growth is projected to stay below potential in 2026 and 2027, constrained by intensified competition and structural issues that limit the value added by exports and investment.
- Headline inflation risks have increased on the downside due to falling energy prices and weak demand-side pressures, with a return to the target range now delayed until the second half of 2027.
- The Thai baht has appreciated against the U.S. dollar, leading to concerns regarding exchange rate misalignment and its negative impact on exporter competitiveness.
- Overall credit continues to contract as financial institutions maintain a cautious lending stance, particularly toward SMEs and high-risk borrowers.
- Two dissenting members voted to maintain the rate at 1.25%, arguing that existing policy transmission is still ongoing and that preserving limited monetary policy space is critical.
- The MPC emphasized that monetary policy alone cannot resolve structural growth problems and called for integrated policies to improve national productivity and competitiveness.
Primary Macroeconomic Factors
The decision was driven by the need to buffer the Thai economy against specific external and domestic challenges:
- US Tariff Uncertainty: The central bank cited concerns regarding the unpredictable nature of US trade tariffs and the potential impact they could have on the Thai economy.
- Strengthening Currency: The “strengthening baht” was identified as a key challenge that the rate cut seeks to address, as a strong currency can impact export competitiveness.
- External Risks: The move serves as a proactive measure to protect the economy against broader external risks that may threaten stability.
Economic Stimulation and Support
Beyond immediate risks, the rate cut was part of a broader strategy to support the national economy:
- Sparking Growth: The reduction is intended to “spark” Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, which has seen authorities trying to stimulate momentum through a series of cuts.
- Continued Monetary Support: This was the sixth rate cut since October 2024 (totaling a 150-basis-point reduction), indicating an ongoing effort to provide a supportive monetary environment despite recent improvements in the economy.
Context of the “Unexpected” Decision
The move was considered unexpected by the majority of economists (21 out of 27 polled by Reuters) because several positive indicators suggested no change was necessary:
- Stronger-than-expected GDP growth in the fourth quarter of the previous year.
- An optimistic outlook from the central bank, which raised its 2026 GDP growth projection from 1.5% to 1.9%.
- An improving political outlook within the country.
Although the domestic growth outlook was improving, the MPC focused on defensive measures to counter currency strength and global trade uncertainties, such as US tariffs, to ensure sustained economic stability. While domestic indicators showed signs of recovery, the MPC remained cautious, prioritizing strategies to mitigate risks associated with external pressures. These included addressing potential volatility from fluctuating exchange rates and navigating the challenges posed by shifting global trade policies. By maintaining a balanced approach, the committee aimed to safeguard long-term economic resilience and foster a stable growth environment.
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