The Market Commentary blog on reit.com presents analysis of the macro- and micro-economic fundamentals impacting the REIT and commercial real estate industry. The Nareit economics team offers their commentary on the state of the market, the outlook for commercial real estate and breaking macroeconomic news. The opinions set forth here are solely those of its author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Nareit or its membership.
In the Wake of Stock Market Turmoil: Returns, Volatility, Correlation, Beta, Diversification Benefits, and Forward Expectations for REITs
December 2018 was bitter for investors. Total returns in the broad REIT market were -7.73 percent—but that was good news compared with large-cap stocks (-9.03 percent according to the S&P 500), small-cap stocks (-11.88 percent for the Russell 2000) and especially small-cap value stocks (-12.09 percent).
The Government Shutdown, Financial Markets and REITs
The government appears to be settling in for an extended partial shutdown, at least as of January 2. If the shutdown persists beyond the next few days, however, the closure of several key agencies that produce statistics on the U.S. economy could begin to have an impact on financial markets, including REITs.
New Green Real Estate Index Provide Sustainability Benchmark
Investors with an interest in ESG and sustainability have a new tool, the FTSE EPRA Nareit Green Real Estate Index Series that allows investors to integrate ESG considerations in their portfolios of listed real estate.
REIT Leverage Declines to an All-Time Low
REIT leverage ratios declined on both a book-value and market-value basis in the third quarter, as prudent balance sheet management reduced the sector’s exposure to interest rates.
Inflation and the Fed, Interest Rates and REITs
Two of the oldest rules on Wall Street are “Buy low, sell high,” and “Don’t fight the Fed.” While it can be difficult if not impossible to pick the highs and lows in the stock market, it is not that hard to read the Fed’s signals about future policy.
REITs Report Solid Earnings Growth Through Q3 2018
Funds from operations of all listed equity REITs was 11.1 percent higher than one year earlier, according to the Nareit T-Tracker®.
Strong Commercial Real Estate Fundamentals Continue into Q3
Economic momentum continued into the third quarter causing commercial real estate markets to tighten.
Amazon’s New Headquarters, and REITs
REITs have a strong presence in the office, apartment and hotel markets in both surrounding areas of Amazon’s new headquarters and will be important players in the next phase of development of these cities.
Sears Bankruptcy and REITs: End of an Era, but There’s a New Chapter Ahead
When discussing the outlook for retail, it’s important to keep in mind the distinction between the impact on retail stores and what it means for the owners of retail properties, including REITs.
REITs Hit the ATM in the Second Quarter
REITs have relied increasingly on a low-cost, flexible way of raising equity capital as they have expanded their issuance through At-the-market (ATM) programs.
Tracking Property Prices and REIT Total Return Beyond the Core Sectors
New indices introduced by Green Street allow us for the first time to compare property price performance to total returns for property types outside of the traditional core REIT sectors.
Rising Homeownership, Apartment Demand, Single Family Home Rentals and REITs
The recovery in housing markets has generated concerns among investors in apartment properties that a rebound in homeownership could undermine the demand for apartments. Nothing could be further from the truth!