Is now a good time to invest in a REIT?
With rate cuts on the horizon, many publicly traded REITs have rebounded, and the industry as a whole seems well-poised for a recovery in the coming year. Ultimately, the decision on whether or not to buy REITs will depend on the specific circ*mstances and risk tolerance of each investor.
With rate cuts on the horizon, many publicly traded REITs have rebounded, and the industry as a whole seems well-poised for a recovery in the coming year. Ultimately, the decision on whether or not to buy REITs will depend on the specific circ*mstances and risk tolerance of each investor.
In case inflation is brought under control, there is a good chance for bond yields to move lower in 2024, making quality real estate investment trusts (REITs) the top investment choices right now. Here are two high-yield REITs you can consider buying to benefit from outsized gains over time.
REITs' average return
Return a minimum of 90% of taxable income in the form of shareholder dividends each year. This is a big draw for investor interest in REITs. Invest at least 75% of total assets in real estate or cash.
REIT Stock Performance and the Interest Rate Environment
Over longer periods, there has generally been a positive association between periods of rising rates and REIT returns. This is because rising rates generally reflect improvement in the underlying fundamentals.
Nine Reasons Not to Invest in REITs
But, REITs are not risk free. They may have highly variable returns, are sensitive to changes in interest rates, have income tax implications, may not be liquid, and fees can impact total returns.
- With the Federal Reserve at, or near, the end of its tightening cycle, REITs are well-situated for outsized performance in 2024. - The gap between REIT implied and private appraisal-based cap rates will likely close or converge in 2024.
Investing in REITs can add some diversification to your portfolio and give you access to passive income, liquidity and excellent long-term returns. However, taxes can be more expensive with REITs compared to other investment options, and there are still risks involved with the real estate market.
| Stock | 2024 performance through Feb. 29 |
|---|---|
| Ocular Therapeutix Inc. (ticker: OCUL) | 125.5% |
| Immunome Inc. (IMNM) | 126.2% |
| Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC) | 135.2% |
| Nature Wood Group Ltd. (NWGL) | 140.9% |
REITs historically offer investors: Competitive Long-Term Performance: REITs have provided long-term total returns similar to those of other stocks.
What I wish I knew before investing in REITs?
A lot of REIT investors focus too way much on the dividend yield. They think that a high dividend yield implies that a REIT is cheap and a good investment opportunity. In reality, it is often the opposite, and the dividend does not say much, if anything, about the valuation of a REIT.
Risks of investing in REITs include higher dividend taxes, sensitivity to interest rates, and exposure to specific property trends.
According to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit), non-traded REITs typically require a minimum investment of $1,000 to $2,500.
But since REITs are invested in property, there's more protection against the horror show of having shares crash to $0. By law, 75% of a REITs asset must be invested in real estate. The market value of the property owned by the REIT offers a bit of protection, as long as the value of the property doesn't go to zero.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) have been hammered since 2022 with interest rate increases. At the last Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) meeting, the Federal Reserve promised another hike in 2023 and spooked the markets by stating that higher rates may have to continue for a longer time.
He says: “Our analysis shows REITs perform very well historically in periods of high inflation. I could easily see global REIT returns in the low double-digits over the next 12 months – and if the economic situation turns out to be more positive it could be considerably more than that.”
REITs historically perform well during and after recessions | Pensions & Investments.
Any increase in the short-term interest rate eats into the profit—so if it doubled in our example above, there'd be no profit left. And if it goes up even higher, the REIT loses money. All of that makes mortgage REITs extremely volatile, and their dividends are also extremely unpredictable.
According to consensus forecasts from FactSet, the number will dip in 2023, drop further in 2024 and return to growth in 2025 and beyond before hitting $633mn for the 2027 calendar year.
For Group REITs, the consequences of leaving early apply when the principal company of the group gives notice for the group as a whole to leave the regime within ten years of joining or where an exiting company has been a member of the Group REIT for less than ten years.
What is the lifespan of a REIT?
There is no set lifetime for the trust in most cases. Investors who buy publicly traded shares in a REIT can usually buy as much or little as they like and dispose of the shares when they want or need to. However, if an investor buys a non-traded or private REIT, the investment should be considered illiquid.
Factors Influencing Individual REITs
The point here is that some of the performance of these REITs will be tied to the performance of the stock market and business sectors to which they are linked. This means that the performance of these REITs go beyond the performance of the overall stock market or the economy.
Since most non-traded REITs are illiquid, there are often restrictions to redeeming and selling shares. While a REIT is still open to public investors, investors may be able to sell their shares back to the REIT. However, this sale usually comes at a discount; leaving only about 70% to 95% of the original value.
To qualify as a REIT, a company must have the bulk of its assets and income connected to real estate investment and must distribute at least 90 percent of its taxable income to shareholders annually in the form of dividends.
Data source: Nareit and YCharts (2024). REITs have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past 20-, 25-, and 50-year periods. Stocks have delivered higher returns in recent years, with the S&P 500 beating REITs over the previous one-, five- and 10-year periods.
