Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
1. US consumer confidence rises in February
Consumer confidence in the United States economy rose slightly in February, the Associated Press reports. According to The Conference Board, the consumer confidence index increased to 91.2 from a revised 89 the month before.
"A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market rose four points to 72, remaining well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead. It’s the 13th consecutive month that reading has come in under 80," the AP reports.
The U.S. economy is stagnated in a “low hire, low fire” phase, economists said.
2. Australia's core inflation hits 16-month high
Consumer prices in Australia rose at an unexpected rate in January, Reuters reports, and core inflation increased to the highest its been in 16 months. All signs point to another bump in interest rates.
The monthly consumer price index rose 0.4% in January in Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which outpaced the expected increase of 0.3%.
"With little chance of a rate hike in March, the next live [Reserve Bank of Australia] meeting will be in May, when the RBA will be able to take the temperature of the economy with the benefit of seeing the March quarter inflation figures," said Stephen Smith, partner at Deloitte Access Economics.
3. Noble CEO on extended-stay returns
Noble Investment Group founder and CEO Mit Shah said in a video interview he sees a lot of opportunity in the extended-stay segment. The company has recently made several investments in the space, including the January purchase of a portfolio of 14 WoodSpring Suites hotels.
Shah noted the cost-control benefits as well as consistent demand of the segment, CoStar News' Sean McCracken reports.
"Your housekeeping costs go down. Your role in terms of the customers get much more stickier and much more durable, and that allows you to drive a very high margin, even though your ultimate rate on those 30-plus nights might go down, the profitability actually increases and expands," Shah said.
4. Two hotel REITs point to positives in full-year earnings
Two hospitality real estate investment trusts reported their 2025 fourth-quarter and full-year earnings results on Tuesday, the CoStar News Hotels team reports.
For Apple Hospitality REIT, President and CEO Justin Knight credited leisure travel and group business for bringing strength to the company's portfolio during a challenging year for hotels and travel. Apple REIT reported comparable hotel revenue per available room of $118 for the full year, down 1.6% compared to 2024.
Meanwhile, for Xenia Hotels and Resorts, it was the company's food-and-beverage revenue that showed strength in 2025. Chairman and CEO Marcel Verbaas said Xenia saw food-and-beverage revenue was up 13.4% year over year for the full year across its 30 hotels and total revenue per available room was up 8%.
5. Sage Hospitality names new CEO
Sage Hospitality Group appointed Daniel del Olmo as president and CEO, according to a news release. He replaces the company's co-CEO founders, Zack Neumeyer and Walter Isenberg, who served in that position since Sage's founding in 1984.
Del Olmo has been on an executive leadership track since he joined the company in 2020. Isenberg will become executive chairman of the board, and Neumeyer, who previously served as chairman of the board, will become chairman emeritus and vice chairman of the board.
“This transition reflects years of disciplined planning and leadership development,” Neumeyer said. “Daniel has earned the trust of the board, our partners and our teams."