Global Real Estate & Economy Brief — 2025-12-31

🌍 At a Glance

• US Fed Funds Rate: 3.88 (as of 2025-11-01)
• US 30Y Mortgage: 6.18 (as of 2025-12-24)
• ECB Policy Rate: 2.0 [FRED:ECBDFR] as of 2025-12-30
• BoE Bank Rate: 3.75 (as of 2025-12-18)

🇺🇸 United States

• Our Favorite Kitchen Renovations of 2025 — Explore striking kitchen renovations showcased in On Location for 2025.
• The New Stealth Recliners — Stealth recliners have been redesigned to blend seamlessly into modern living rooms.
• $3.25 Million Homes in California — Discover $3.25 million homes in California, featuring diverse architectural styles and locations.

🇪🇺 Europe

• Alaa Abd el-Fattah ‘will not be stripped of British citizenship’ over past tweets — The UK government will not revoke Alaa Abd el-Fattah's citizenship due to his past social media posts not meeting legal criteria.
• Channel tunnel power outage disrupts thousands of journeys — A power outage in the Channel tunnel has caused significant travel disruptions, leading to lengthy delays for thousands of passengers.
• ‘Absolutely frightening’: surge in ketamine cases hits UK urology wards — UK urology wards are overwhelmed by a surge in ketamine-related admissions, particularly among young adults and teenagers.

🌏 Asia

• Octopus Energy to spin off $8.65bn tech arm Kraken — Octopus Energy sells a $1bn stake in Kraken, facilitating its upcoming $8.65bn tech arm demerger.
• Oldest Post Office scandal victim made OBE — Betty Brown, a victim of the Post Office scandal, receives an OBE, honoring all affected individuals.
• Beyoncé declared a billionaire by Forbes — Forbes declares Beyoncé a billionaire, joining a prestigious list of wealthy entertainers.

🎯 GPT Strategy

🇺🇸 United States

• **Positioning Idea:** Invest in home improvement and renovation-focused ETFs to capitalize on rising demand for kitchen upgrades.
• **Risk Note:** Economic downturns may reduce discretionary spending on renovations.
• **Positioning Idea:** Consider residential REITs specializing in high-end properties to benefit from luxury home demand in California.

🇪🇺 Europe

• **Positioning Idea:** Consider investing in healthcare REITs focused on mental health facilities to capitalize on rising demand for treatment services.
• **Risk Note:** Regulatory changes could impact reimbursement rates.
• **Positioning Idea:** Explore infrastructure ETFs that focus on transportation and utilities, as travel disruptions may lead to increased investment in resilience.

🌏 Asia

• **Positioning Idea:** Consider investing in renewable energy ETFs to capitalize on the growth of tech-driven energy solutions post-Octopus Energy's demerger.
• **Risk Note:** Market volatility in the energy sector may impact returns.
• **Positioning Idea:** Explore REITs focused on social infrastructure, as public recognition of social justice issues may drive demand for community-focused developments.

Not financial advice. Educational insights only.