On March 19, 2014, Michael Acton, CFA (Managing Director, AEW Research) provided the TMANE membership audience with a lively presentation titled “Transition into Expansion: Turning Points Shaping the Near-, Mid-, and Long-Term Outlook”. As Director of Research for AEW Capital Management, Mike has responsibility for directing the activities of AEW Research.

Some highlights of his very informative economic update:

• U.S. economy is close to the point where employment will move from “recovery” to “expansion”
• U.S. monetary policy at the beginning of a prolonged period of normalization –interest rates and property yields are likely to rise over the next 3-5 years
• Housing market is starting to be additive to economic growth
• Rapid deployment of technology in the energy sector radically changing long held assumptions about political, economic and social order
• Global aging beginning to be felt in many parts of the world; U.S. is less impacted than most but still a big change
• Large installed technology base giving rise to rapid innovation in vast parts of daily life – but not everyone is sharing in the benefits
• U.S. is on the cusp of true “majority minority” status – further challenge to existing political, social and economic relationships