REITs. It seems investors either love 'em or hate 'em. The past few years have been a tough haul for real estate investment trusts, aka REITs - they've underperformed the S&P 500 since about mid-2016 - but there are still pockets of opportunity for astute, selective investors. That said, interest rates are on the rise and the 10-year Treasury yield is closing in on 3% (neither are typically great signs for REITs), the retail sector is struggling mightily, and even some bonds are offering higher yields with more safety. If all that gloom and doom makes REITs sound like an "avoid" for you, hold up, and keep reading.
Several of our REIT-focused Marketplace authors have figured out where to find opportunities despite less-than-favorable conditions. We asked them to join the Roundtable to share their views on proposed Fed rate hike action, explain the factors that are influencing their investing strategies right now, break down whether "sector" matters when evaluating REITs (i.e., eREIT vs. mREIT), and serve up their current best ideas in the space.
