REIT yields are currently very attractive

Article Excerpt

Higher interest rates in Canada, the U.S. and many other parts of the world have made high-yielding securities, including real estate investment trusts (REITs), much less appealing compared to bonds for income-seeking investors. In fact, over the past two years or so, ETFs focused on U.S. and Canadian REITs have lost around 30% of their value. Going forward, the outlook for industrial, multi-family and retail properties is positive—although a recovery in office properties is unfolding more slowly. All in all, with interest rates in the U.S. and Canada possibly at or close to their peak levels, the prospects for many high-quality REITs are now quite attractive. REITs have lost substantial value Over the past two years—a time when interest rates moved up significantly—REITs, and the ETFs that hold them, suffered significant losses in value. The table below highlights the price changes and total returns for select REIT ETFs since November 2021. These real estate ETFs have all lost about 30% of their unit values, although…