Prologis Industrial REIT Sees Good Signs

Prologis is the world's largest industrial real estate investment trust.CEO Hamid Moghadam cites FedEx,UPS,Amazon and Wal-Mart as being among the warehouse firm's largest customers.We think economic growth and the lack of construction is gonna give us pricing power,Mr.Moghadam said.Ecommerce is probably the biggest renter and housing the least,and those in the middle are also growing.
Housing affects our smaller buildings.Under 100,000 square feet,we have about 10% vacancy.That's finally happening this year.
Overseas,we're seeing really good demand on domestic consumption.Japan is doing well because it's changing from an export to a domestic import economy.Spain,Italy and the UK are going strong.France is the weakest.President Hollande's policies have frightened people,and there's a lot of flight capital.
If occupancies drop to the 90s or below as in 2009,I get worried.We're a conservative bunch and we'd like to see it higher,Mr.Moghadam admitted.
UBS is to increase its Asia corporate advisory head count by 10% on the region's growth forecast.
Germany's industrial output was up in February on economic recovery.
Alcoa's earnings topped estimates on growing demand for aircraft.
Prologis(PLD),UBS AG(UBS),Alcoa Inc(AA)

Co-CEO:Logistics Business Strong

We've built a multi-billion dollar business in Japan,said Hamid Moghadam,Co-CEO and Chairman of Colorado-based industrial real estate firm Prologis.There is a need for modern large logistics buildings.As the market leader,we continue to be very optimistic about our prospects in Japan.We're promoting our high seismic standards of newer facilities that we build securely.There is increased demand from reconstruction.Even incomplete facilities are 70% leased.China is in the very early innings of building infrastrcture for logistics.I can see our business prospering in China for the next 20-30 years.The market is pretty remarkable.Recovery is probably most advanced in the U.S.There's 10% more people today than at the beginning of the financial crisis.We're growing rents in certain European markets.Latin America is simply on fire,and we cannot keep up with the demands of our customers,Mr.Moghadam observed.Prologis(PLD)