Why are REIT stocks falling?
Higher interest rates pose a problem for Realty Income
Rising interest rates hurt not only the value of REITs' property holdings but also the cost of debt to finance those properties or even refinance already-owned assets.
In fact, REIT total returns bounced back with impressive performance in the last quarter of 2023. Based on historical experience, the convergence of the wide valuation gap between public and private real estate will likely ensure continued REIT outperformance into 2024.
Real estate investment trusts, or REITs, are a great way to invest in the real estate sector while diversifying your options. Real estate investments can be an excellent way to earn returns, generate cash flow, hedge against inflation and diversify an investment portfolio.
Real estate stocks have been a bust so far in 2024. The rate-sensitive sector has underperformed the broader stock market this month as investors worry the Federal Reserve won't bring down the cost of borrowing as quickly as markets hope.
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.
But despite that, most REITs have kept growing their dividend. Most of them hiked in 2022, 2023, and will hike again in 2024. This is the ultimate proof that REITs are doing better than what the market appears to believe.
The value of a REIT is based on the real estate market, so if interest rates increase and the demand for properties goes down as a result, it could lead to lower property values, negatively impacting the value of your investment.
With healthy property fundamentals and a favorable interest rate environment, REIT fund managers expect the sector to deliver double digit returns this year.
Risks of investing in REITs include higher dividend taxes, sensitivity to interest rates, and exposure to specific property trends.
Is Warren Buffett buying REITs?
He and Charlie Munger, vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, actively dismissed it for many years. However, Buffett has recently invested in REITs as part of his passive income strategy.
Key Points. REITs have outperformed stocks on 20-to-50-year horizons. Most REITs are less volatile than the S&P 500, with some only half as volatile as the market at large.
| # | Name | M. Cap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prologis 1PLD | $95.73 B |
| 2 | American Tower 2AMT | $79.99 B |
| 3 | Equinix 3EQIX | $70.98 B |
| 4 | Welltower 4WELL | $53.97 B |
The problem with REIT investments is the lack of control over the investment, the risk of poor management, and the market volatility affecting returns.
Because REITs use debt to purchase investments, rising interest rates could mean these companies would have to pay more interest on future loans. This could in turn reduce their return on investment. Because of this, REITs could potentially lose value when interest rates rise.
Summary. REITs have access to capital and are acquiring assets, making it a good time to invest. REITs historically rebound when interest rates pivot and have the potential for rent growth.
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.
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.
REITs should generally be considered long-term investments
This is especially true if you're planning to invest in non-traded REITs since you won't be able to easily access your money until the REIT lists its shares on a public exchange or liquidates its assets. In many cases, this can take around 10 years to occur.
Due in part to their attractive current yields, REITs have tended to deliver annualized total returns to investors of 10 to 12 percent over time.
Is REITs good for long term?
They historically offer competitive long-term performance, with consistent returns compared to stocks and bonds. REITs provide attractive income through dividends, liquidity, transparency, and diversification, enhancing risk-adjusted returns.
1. Federal Realty: The king. Federal Realty has increased its dividend annually for 54 consecutive years, which it claims (and there's no reason to doubt it) is the longest streak of any publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT).
Key Takeaways. REITs allow individual investors to make money on real estate without having to own or manage physical properties. Direct real estate offers more tax breaks than REIT investments, and gives investors more control over decision making.
“I recommend REITs within a managed portfolio,” Devine said, noting that most investors should limit their REIT exposure to between 2 percent and 5 percent of their overall portfolio. Here again, a financial professional can help you determine what percentage of your portfolio you should allocate toward REITs, if any.
The majority of REIT dividends are taxed as ordinary income up to the maximum rate of 37% (returning to 39.6% in 2026), plus a separate 3.8% surtax on investment income.
