REITs Gain 2.8 Percent in May, Ahead of Broader Market

REITs had another solid performance in May as the FTSE NAREIT All REITs Index posted a total return of 2.8 percent, ahead of the 2.4 percent return for the S&P 500 Index.

Year-to-date, the FTSE NAREIT All REITs Index has advanced 14.8 percent, while the S&P 500 Index is 5.0 percent higher.

“It’s another positive month, continuing the upward trend of the year,” noted Jeff Langbaum, REIT analyst for Bloomberg Industries.

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Ventas to Purchase ARC Healthcare in $2.6 Billion Deal

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE: VTR) said June 2 it has agreed to purchase American Realty Capital Healthcare Trust, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCT) in a stock and cash transaction valued at $ 2.6 billion.

Under the terms of the agreement, ARC Healthcare shareholders will have the option to receive either 0.1688 Ventas common shares or $ 11.33 in cash for each share of ARC Healthcare stock they own, representing a premium of approximately 14 percent over ARC Healthcare’s closing stock price on May 30.

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REIT-volution: REITs Continue to Adapt to Dynamic Economy

Richard Ziman

When President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Cigar Excise Tax Extension Act of 1960 into law, the bill authorized REITs in the United States. In the beginning, the industry primarily consisted of companies owning mortgages. Yet, over time, the REIT approach to real estate investment has demonstrated the capacity to evolve to fit the changing demands of the economy at large.

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