Real estate fundamentals continue to look encouraging across most property types, according to participants on a panel at REITWorld 2015: NAREIT’s Annual Convention for All Things REIT.
REITs Advance in October on Encouraging Earnings
REITs posted gains in October, supported by positive third quarter earnings reports and the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged, according to market watchers.
The total returns of the FTSE/NAREIT All REIT Index rose 6.1 percent in October, while the S&P 500 Index gained 8.4 percent. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was up 0.1 percent for the month. Through the end of October, REIT total returns for 2015 were up 1.3 percent, while the S&P 500 Index was up 2.7 percent.
REIT Returns Up in March on Encouraging Fundamentals
REIT returns climbed in March and outpaced the broader market as investors remained encouraged by the outlook for fundamentals in the sector, according to analysts.
The FTSE NAREIT All REITs Index had a total return of 1.2 percent in March, while the S&P 500 Index slipped 1.6 percent. The 10-year Treasury note dropped 0.1 percent in the month.
For the year, the FTSE NAREIT All REITs Index is up 4.1 percent, whereas the S&P 500 is up 1.0 percent.
Fundamentally Speaking: Encouraging Signs in Apartment, Office Sectors
In the latest edition of Fundamentally Speaking, Calvin Schnure, NAREIT’s vice president of research and industry information, discussed some encouraging trends in the office and apartment sectors during the first quarter of 2014.
Schnure noted that the apartment sector witnessed another decline in vacancy rates in the first quarter, reaching a new low for the cycle. The office sector also saw some improvement in vacancy rates, although rates are still several percentage points above what would be considered “normal” in a healthy market, he said.
