Stock exchange-listed U.S. REITs continue to offer strong yields for dividend-seeking investors, outpacing the broader equity market. At the end of April, the dividend yield of the FTSE NAREIT All REITs Index was 4.28 percent, the dividend yield of the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REITs Index was 3.86 percent, and the yield of the FTSE NAREIT Mortgage REITs Index was 11.61 percent. In comparison, the dividend yield of the S&P 500 was 2.18 percent.
Five Equity REIT property sectors provided dividend yields that beat the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REITs Index. The Specialty REIT Sector yielded 6.04 percent; Lodging/Resorts yielded 5.68 percent; the Health Care Sector yielded 5.61 percent; the Diversified Sector yielded 4.73 percent; and Free Standing Retail REITs yielded 4.41 percent. Among Mortgage REITs, Home Financing REITs beat the index’s performance with their 12.47 percent dividend yield.