Group 1: Economic Overview - The U.S. GDP for Q2 2025 shows an annualized growth rate of 3.0%, exceeding Bloomberg's consensus of 2.6% and Atlanta Fed's GDPNow estimate of 2.9% [1] - The seasonally adjusted GDP amount for Q2 is $5.9 trillion, with a year-on-year growth of 2% and a quarter-on-quarter annualized growth of 3% [1] - The GDP growth rate is positioned as the 5th highest in the last 14 quarters, indicating a relatively strong performance [1] Group 2: GDP Composition - Personal consumption accounts for approximately 68% of GDP, private investment around 18%, government spending about 17%, and net exports at -3% [2] - Retail sales in June reached $720 billion, with a month-on-month increase of 0.6% and a cumulative total of $4.2 trillion for the first half of the year, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 4.3% [2] - Core retail sales, which make up about three-quarters of total sales, amounted to $533 billion in June, with a year-on-year increase of 4.1% [2] Group 3: Trade and Investment Dynamics - The reduction in trade deficit contributed significantly to GDP growth, with Q2 trade deficit shrinking from $3,906 billion in Q1 to $1,921 billion in Q2, a decrease of 51% [4] - Q2 exports totaled $846.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6%, while imports decreased by 2% [4] - Private investment saw a significant decline, with a year-on-year rate of -15.6% in Q2, contributing negatively to GDP [6] Group 4: Labor Market Insights - July saw only 70,000 new non-farm jobs added, significantly below expectations, with previous months' figures revised downwards [5] - The unemployment rate, while low at 4.2%, is showing signs of a potential increase, indicating underlying labor market weaknesses [5] - The labor market's performance is critical as it reflects the overall economic health and consumer spending capacity [5] Group 5: Economic Challenges - The implementation of "reciprocal tariffs" is expected to negatively impact personal consumption, private investment, and net exports in the short term [3] - The overall economic growth appears to be uneven, with concerns about the sustainability of the current growth trajectory [4] - The real estate market is cooling, with new home sales down 4% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, indicating potential challenges in the housing sector [6]

Core Viewpoint - The U.S. housing market remains constrained due to affordability issues, despite a slight increase in existing home sales in May 2023, reflecting the ongoing challenges faced by buyers [1][3]. Group 1: Sales Data - In May 2023, existing home sales totaled an annualized 4.03 million units, exceeding expectations of 3.95 million units and slightly up from the previous month's 4 million units [1]. - Month-over-month, existing home sales increased by 0.8%, contrary to the expected decline of 1.3% [1]. - Year-over-year, existing home sales decreased by 4% [1]. - May 2023 marked only the second increase in existing home sales this year, yet it represented the weakest May performance since 2009 [1]. Group 2: Inventory and Prices - Housing inventory rose by 6.2% in May, reaching 1.54 million units, the highest level in five years [1]. - The median sales price in May increased by 1.3% year-over-year to $422,800, setting a record for the same period [2]. - Over the past five years, home prices have cumulatively risen by 51% [2]. - Despite an increase in inventory, home prices have not declined significantly, indicating a resilient market overall [2]. Group 3: Market Dynamics - High mortgage rates, currently near 7%, are identified as a primary factor contributing to low sales volumes, with expectations of rates remaining above 6% for at least the next year [1][3]. - The luxury market, defined as homes priced at $1 million or more, is experiencing sales performance that is not superior to lower-priced homes [4]. - In May, 60% of homes sold within a month of listing, consistent with April's figures, while 28% sold above the listing price, down from 30% in May of the previous year [4]. - The South region saw a 1.7% increase in existing home sales, with an annualized sales volume of 1.84 million units, while the West region experienced a 5.4% decline [4]. Group 4: Buyer Composition - Individual investors or buyers of second homes accounted for 17% of sales in May, up from 15% in April, while cash transactions made up 27% of total sales [4]. - First-time homebuyers represented 30% of the sales volume, indicating their ongoing efforts to enter the market [4]. - Existing home sales constitute approximately 90% of the U.S. real estate market sales volume, with data reflecting decisions made in the preceding months [4].