M NEXUS INSIGHT
// education

Do REITs outperform the stock market?

By Rachel Hickman

Do REITs outperform the stock market?

Historically, REITs have outperformed stocks (SPY) over long time periods ranging from 20 to 40 years. Over shorter time periods, there are times when they outperform, but lately, they have trailed behind, mostly due to the pandemic, which negatively affected the market sentiment of REITs.

Are REITs more profitable than stocks?

Income. Both REITs and stocks can provide a steady stream of income for investors, but REITs focus more on that aspect than stocks do. However, some stocks do not pay dividends, while REITs have strict guidelines on dividends. At least 90 percent of a REIT’s taxable income must be distributed in dividends.

What is the average return on REIT?

Based on these descriptions, the difference in average annualized total returns since 1994 shouldn’t be too much of a surprise: Shopping centers: 6.9% Malls: 7.8%…REIT returns by subsector.

REIT SubsectorTotal Return 1994-2020Annualized Total Return (Average Return)
Retail REIT854%8.3%
Residential REIT1,740%11.2%

Do REITs have high returns?

REITs are total return investments. They typically provide high dividends plus the potential for moderate, long-term capital appreciation. Long-term total returns of REIT stocks tend to be similar to those of value stocks and more than the returns of lower risk bonds.

Do REITs beat S&P?

Real estate stocks offer a natural hedge against inflation due to their ability to raise rents. Data from the National Association of REITs shows that this asset class outperforms the S&P 500 Index 80% of the time during periods of high and rising inflation.

Why you should avoid REITs?

However, some REITs pay much higher dividends than the sector’s average. While those bigger payouts might be tempting, they can be a warning sign that a REIT’s dividend isn’t sustainable. These are sometimes called yield traps. So investors should avoid buying a REIT solely for its yield.

Why REITs are bad investments?

The biggest pitfall with REITs is they don’t offer much capital appreciation. That’s because REITs must pay 90% of their taxable income back to investors which significantly reduces their ability to invest back into properties to raise their value or to purchase new holdings.

What are the disadvantages of REITs?

Disadvantages of REITs

  • Weak Growth. Publicly traded REITs must pay out 90% of their profits immediately to investors in the form of dividends.
  • No Control Over Returns or Performance. Direct real estate investors have a great deal of control over their returns.
  • Yield Taxed as Regular Income.
  • Potential for High Risk and Fees.