Core Viewpoint - Zillow Group Inc is facing challenges due to Google's new home for-sale ads, which could impact its lead-generation business and stock performance [2][3][5] Group 1: Company Overview - Zillow Group Inc (NASDAQ:ZG) operates in the online real estate marketplace, providing a platform for buying, selling, and renting homes [1] - The current stock price of Zillow is $66.67, reflecting a decrease of $5.71 or approximately -7.89% [4][5] - The company's market capitalization is around $16.14 billion [4][5] Group 2: Market Dynamics - RBC Capital has set a price target of $95 for Zillow, indicating a potential upside of 43.14% from its current trading price [1][5] - Zillow's shares fell by 8.5% following reports of Google's new mobile real estate advertising format [2][5] - Google's new ad unit allows users to view live MLS listings directly in search results, which could divert traffic from Zillow and impact its Premier Agent program [3]

Group 1 - A key Google partner is beginning to show home listing details directly in search results, raising questions among industry experts and analysts about the potential impact on traffic [1]

Core Insights - Zillow Group Inc is a significant player in the online real estate market, primarily generating revenue through its Premier Agent program, which connects real estate agents with potential clients [1] - The company faces increasing competition from other real estate platforms and now from Google, which is testing a new mobile real estate ad format [1][3] Company Performance - On December 15, 2025, Piper Sandler upgraded Zillow's rating to "Overweight" with a stock price of $66.18, indicating potential for stock outperformance despite a cautious recommendation to "hold" due to competition concerns [2] - Zillow's shares recently fell by 8.5% following reports of Google's new ad format, which could impact Zillow's lead-generation business and reduce traffic to its platform [3][6] Market Position and Competition - Google's new ad unit poses a direct challenge to Zillow's market position by offering similar features, which could attract users away from Zillow [4][6] - The stock price of Zillow is currently at $66.03, reflecting a decrease of 8.77%, amid investor concerns regarding Google's entry into real estate advertising [4][5] Trading Activity - Zillow's stock has shown significant volatility, with a trading range of $63.15 to $67.08, and a market capitalization of approximately $15.98 billion [5] - The trading volume reached 1,655,895 shares on the NASDAQ exchange, indicating active trading amid the competitive landscape [5]

Core Viewpoint - Shares of Zillow Group Inc and CoStar Group Inc are declining significantly due to Alphabet testing home for-sale ads at the top of Google search results, which could impact their market visibility and competitiveness [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - Zillow Group Inc (ZG) shares are down 7.3%, trading at $67.11, marking its largest single-day percentage drop since February and hitting its lowest level since April [2] - CoStar Group Inc (CSGP) shares are down 6.5%, trading at $63.80, on track for its worst day since October, with a quarter-to-date deficit of 25.4% [3] Group 2: Technical Indicators - ZG is testing a support level at $64, which previously contained bear gaps in October and November, but is now below its 20-day moving average [2] - CSGP has hit a nearly four-year low of $62 and has faced pressure from the descending 20-day moving average since August [3] Group 3: Options Activity - Both companies are experiencing unusual options activity, with ZG's volume at 11 times its intraday average and CSGP's at 19 times [4] - The most popular options for ZG are the February 65 call, while for CSGP, it is the January 16, 2026 70-strike call, with new positions being opened in both contracts [4]

Group 1 - Proactive provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2] - The news team covers medium and small-cap markets, as well as blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [3] - Proactive has bureaus and studios in key finance and investing hubs including London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, and Perth [2][3] Group 2 - The company is focused on sectors such as biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging digital and EV technologies [3] - Proactive adopts technology to enhance workflows and improve content production [4] - All content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, ensuring adherence to best practices in content production and search engine optimization [5]

Core Viewpoint - Shares of online real estate listing companies fell sharply due to Google's testing of a new ad format that displays homes-for-sale listings directly in search results, posing a threat to property portals' traffic and leads [1][3]. Group 1: Market Reaction - Zillow Group experienced a significant decline, with shares down 10.8%, marking its steepest fall since March 2024 and the lowest close since late May 2025 [1]. - Other real estate platforms also faced sharp sell-offs, with CoStar Group down about 7.8% and Rocket Companies down 4.7%, both heading for their lowest closes in years [2]. Group 2: Google’s New Feature - Google is testing a feature that displays home listings directly in search results, which could disrupt the traditional model of directing users to third-party portals [3]. - The feature includes property detail pages, options to request tours, and links to contact agents, which are central to the business model of real estate portals [4]. Group 3: Functionality of the Feature - The new ad format shows a carousel of property photos, prices, and details such as bedrooms and square footage at the top of search results for specific queries [5]. - Clicking on a listing leads to a detailed page with options to request a tour or contact a local agent, who typically responds within a few hours [6]. Group 4: Analyst Perspectives - Analysts view the test as a negative development for Zillow, as it could impact its Premier Agent program, which connects homebuyers with agents [8]. - Despite the potential long-term risks from Google's move, analysts like Robert Mollins maintain a buy rating on Zillow, suggesting that the test is unlikely to affect its market share or revenue growth in the near term [9]. - Goldman Sachs also maintains a Neutral rating on Zillow, emphasizing that most of its traffic comes from its own websites and apps rather than Google search [10].

Core Insights - Mortgage rates are not responding to the Federal Reserve's recent interest rate cut, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 6.13% and the 15-year fixed rate at 5.53% [1][18]. Current Mortgage Rates - The current national average mortgage rates include: - 30-year fixed: 6.13% - 20-year fixed: 6.08% - 15-year fixed: 5.53% - 5/1 ARM: 6.24% - 7/1 ARM: 6.31% - 30-year VA: 5.60% - 15-year VA: 5.14% - 5/1 VA: 5.36% [5][6]. Refinance Rates - Today's mortgage refinance rates are generally higher than purchase rates, with national averages rounded to the nearest hundredth [3]. Market Conditions - The current housing market is considered relatively favorable for buyers compared to previous years, as home prices are not experiencing the same spikes seen during the COVID-19 pandemic [16]. - Economists do not anticipate significant drops in mortgage interest rates before the end of the year, although minor fluctuations may occur [19]. Mortgage Rate Trends - Overall, mortgage rates have gradually decreased, with the 30-year fixed rate currently lower than it was one year ago [20].

Core Insights - Zillow has transitioned from being primarily an advertising marketplace to focusing on becoming a housing super app that facilitates transactions for buyers, renters, and sellers [2][3]. Group 1: Business Strategy - The company has been executing its business strategy for over five years, aiming to help more users transact through its platform [3]. - Zillow's brand is well-known for shopping and dreaming about homes, but it is now shifting towards enabling actual transactions [2]. Group 2: Market Position - Zillow has established a large audience and brand recognition, which it aims to leverage for building a sustainable and profitable business [1].

Mortgage Rates Overview - Mortgage rates have increased slightly, with the average 30-year fixed rate rising by seven basis points to 6.14% and the 15-year fixed rate remaining steady at 5.53% [1] Current Mortgage Rates - The current national average mortgage rates are as follows: - 30-year fixed: 6.14% - 20-year fixed: 6.03% - 15-year fixed: 5.53% - 5/1 ARM: 6.19% - 7/1 ARM: 6.30% - 30-year VA: 5.56% - 15-year VA: 5.16% - 5/1 VA: 5.45% [4] Mortgage Refinance Rates - Today's national average mortgage refinance rates are generally higher than purchase rates, although this is not always the case [3] Market Trends - Mortgage rates are expected to remain within a tight range into early 2026, with the Federal Reserve anticipated to cut short-term interest rates [17] - There has been a general downward trend in mortgage rates over the past couple of months, currently about half a point lower than one year ago [18]

Core Viewpoint - Zillow Group Inc. has removed climate risk scores from its home listings, which has raised concerns among observers about the implications of this decision on property risk awareness and market pricing [1][5]. Climate Risk Assessment - Homeowners and buyers require knowledge of their properties' vulnerabilities to extreme weather events like wildfires and flooding, as traditional federal and state maps are often outdated [2]. - A study by the Climate Financial Risk Forum found significant discrepancies in climate risk ratings for the same properties from different companies, indicating a lack of standardization in risk modeling [3]. - Risk modeling is still an emerging field, and it may take time for consistent norms to be established [4]. Market Implications - The removal of Zillow's climate risk scores could lead to mispricing of real estate assets, as oversimplified or inaccurate climate impact projections may distort market values [5]. - The California Regional Multiple Listing Service expressed concerns over properties being rated with high flooding probabilities despite historical data showing no flooding [6]. Industry Trends - The demand for climate risk information is increasing as climate disasters become more frequent, prompting companies like Moody's, S&P Global, and CoreLogic to develop or acquire climate-risk products [7]. - First Street, the company behind the scores Zillow used, acknowledges the complexity and uncertainty inherent in climate risk models, especially when localized to specific properties [8]. Risk Model Limitations - First Street's risk scores focus on estimating a structure's exposure to hazards over a 30-year period, rather than predicting potential damage, highlighting the need for clarity in what these scores represent [12]. - The relationship between physical hazards and the built environment is crucial in understanding actual risk, as various structural factors can influence vulnerability [10][9]. Recommendations for Improvement - There is a call for public models to provide a benchmark for evaluating private risk assessments, as seen in Florida's public hurricane catastrophe model [13]. - Standardizing climate-risk data approaches could enhance market trust and ensure accurate home pricing, although the specifics of model output disclosure remain unclear [14].