Author: Tom Silva

Warren Buffett’s loyal followers are wondering what got into the Oracle of Omaha when he told CNBC  that this is “a great time to be in banking”, praised Wells Fargo’s massive earning power, and said that the government doesn’t need to provide capital to or nationalize banks. Although some critics dismissed Buffett’s statements as biased because […]

Even during a steep recession, the demand for the right niche product like student housing remains strong because people know they need education and training to compete effectively in a fast-shrinking job pool.  At a time when universities have seen their endowments and investment revenues decrease because of the state of the equity markets, private-sector […]

It’s been a long, strange ride, but the nation’s financial system is finally starting what is certain to be an extended healing process. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner believes that “the financial system is starting to heal” as he promised to move returned bail-out funds to community banks that need help. Improved lending circumstances are tempering […]

A significant measure of manufacturing activity rose for the fourth straight month in April. This could mean that the sector is starting to stabilize, even though the index has been at contraction level for 15 consecutive months. According to the Tempe, AZ-based Institute for Supply Management (ISM), its manufacturing index climbed to 40.1 in April, […]

One11 West Illinois Street is on the cover of  the Spring issue of Development magazine, published by the National Association of Industrial & Office Properties. The Development article highlights the building’s unique positioning as Class-A-to-own office space that lets businesses own their space in a building with the quality of a premium-priced skyscraper – but […]

The Obama administration has proposed the most comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s financial industry since the Great Depression.  The measures, as outlined by Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, will require regulation of hedge funds for the first time and give government wide-ranging powers to seize and take apart companies that are perceived as threats […]

The Wells Fargo wagon delivered good news to Wall Street when the San Francisco-based bank announced a record first-quarter profit of approximately $3 billion, or 55 percent per common share.  Contrast these numbers with the fourth quarter of 2008, when Wells Fargo reported a $2.6 billion loss. The news sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average […]

The renaming of Sears Tower points up one of the fundamental aspects of marketing – that of brand equity. By virtue of marketing and 25 years of public relations, the name Sears Tower has enormous cachet around the world and has brought the city the kind of exposure that can’t be quantified. While the Sears […]

Just in time for the Oscars!

The economic forecast for 2009 is bleak, although it’s possible that recovery will begin mid-year. This is the opinion of William Strauss and Rick Mattoon, senior economists with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. “We are predicting that 2008 will yield real GDP of 0.2 percent and that 2009 will be 0.7 percent,” Strauss said. […]