iREIT Daily

In This Economy, a Creative Portfolio Is Key

Brad Thomas

467 postsApril 15, 2022

JPMorgan, one of the world’s largest financial institutions and a bellwether within the bubble of equity markets announced a 42% dip in first-quarter profits as economic uncertainties escalate from soaring inflation and Russia’s Ukraine invasion.

This news comes as a huge disappointment to many investors, especially since the bank reported record earnings after the Fed-backed liquidity injections of 2021. Ah, to be back in the comfort of a COVID economy.

Unfortunately, this year we’re seeing investment banking revenues decline amid a surge of volatility in equity markets. JP Morgan also spent the tail end of 2021 funneling $902 million in reserves to cover potential loan losses in the event pandemic-pummeled customers can’t cover their debt.

The bank’s Chief Executive, Jamie Dimon, now warns of economic uncertainties on the heels of our recent geopolitical troubles.

From Reuters:

“Inflation and Ukraine are powerful forces that threaten the economy,” Dimon said on a call with media, underscoring a change in his bullish outlook for the U.S. economy.
“The Fed needs to try to manage this economy and try to get to a soft landing, if possible. There is almost no chance you won’t have volatile markets, that can be good or bad. But I think people should be prepared for that,” he said.
Pressed on whether the U.S. could face a recession, Dimon said: “I am not predicting a recession. Is it possible? Absolutely.”

There you have it. One of the world’s biggest banks could merely be the first domino in a line of fiscal destruction destined to put our post-pandemic economy in peril. JPMorgan is the first to report on earnings this quarter and we have yet run the numbers on Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, etc.

So what does this mean to your bank book? Well, it could be the wake-up call we all need to get creative and begin diversifying our assets – and I’m not talking about splitting your portfolio between ETFs and the top movers in today’s tech stocks. Sure, the classic ways of the Wall Street crowd were once the standard in securing a little asset appreciation, but that could soon be a thing of the past.

Commodities markets, cryptocurrency, and yes REITs could be the recession-proofing your portfolio needs to make it through the volatility of the next few years. In other words, when it comes to the sanctity of your economic security, it’s time to start thinking outside of the box.

Other Non-REIT News to Know About

Jobless Claims Rise but Labor Market Remains Squeezed.

The U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday that initial jobless benefit claims rose 18,000 to 185,000 last week. In the weeks prior to this, claims had matched a 54-year low.

In a new poll by The Wall Street Journal, economists had estimated new claims would rise to 172,000 while U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, a labor-market expert in her own right, commented that by many accounts, the U.S. labor market is as tight right now as it’s been in her lifetime.

So where does this leave us? Well, it seems too soon to be certain but we’re obviously still reeling from the ramifications of covid stimulus and the residual effects of The Great Resignation, and with the labor market tight as a drum, wage demands will continue to rise and inflation will follow suit.

The World According to REITs

Speaking of getting creative in the face of inflation, here are three REITs that experts at Yahoo! Finance have picked to help ebb the effects of inflation and give you a little more return outside of equity markets.

CubeSmart (NYSE: CUBE) Self-Storage properties usually have monthly leases, allowing management to react swiftly to cost increases and market flux. When it comes to these mass storage solution REITs, CubeSmart puts up some pretty impressive numbers in terms of both occupancy growth and inflation resilience.

While the consumer price index climbed a staggering 7% in 2021, CubeSmart’s full-year 2021 same property net operating income shot up 17.2% on rental rate and occupancy gains. The company’s core fund from operations also climbed 23% for the year to $2.12 per share.

VICI Properties (NYSE: VICI): Vici Properties is a REIT specializing in casino properties, based in New York City. This gaming trust has become a great bet of its own since hitting the market in late 2017. The company recently bought the world-famous Venetian Las Vegas and is now vying to acquire MGM.

1st Streit Office: This one is a bit of a sleeper. This public, non-traded REIT offered through the Streitwise platform has a share price tied directly to its net asset value (NAV).

Since its shares aren’t traded on the Wall Street exchanges, a market selloff has basically no effect on the value, insulating it from market downturns and the effects of high inflation.

And for all those wondering, I am long VICI.

Happy Friday!

Happy Investing

Brad Thomas

467 posts

View all my Posts

Brad Thomas is Senior Research Analyst at iREIT and CEO of Wide Moat Research LLC. With over 30 years of real estate experience, he is also long-time Editor of Forbes Real Estate Investor, a monthly subscription-based newsletter that dives deep into the vast world of profitable properties, and since 2021, he has served as an adjunct professor at New York University.

Thomas has also been featured on or in Forbes magazine, Kiplinger's, U.S. News and World Report, Money, NPR, Institutional Investor, GlobeStreet, CNN, Newsmax, and Fox. And he was the #1 contributing analyst on Seeking Alpha in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 based on both page views and number of followers.

Thomas is the recently-published author of The Intelligent REIT Investor Guide (2021), co-author of The Intelligent REIT Investor (2016), and he wrote The Trump Factor: Unlocking The Secrets Behind The Trump Empire (2016) - all available on Amazon.

Thomas received a bachelor of science in business/economics from Presbyterian College and is married with five wonderful kids.

Why I Prefer REITs Over Physical Real Estate For Passive Income

REIT Mutual Fund	Symbol
Alpine Realty Income and Growth Fund	AIGYX, AIAGX
American Century Real Estate Fund	REAIX, REACX, AREEX, AREWX, ARYCX, AREDX
Real Estate Securities Fund	MRESX
AR Capital Real Estate Income Fund	ARIAX, ARICX, ARIPX
AssetMark Real Estate Securities Fund	AFREX
Aston/Harrison Street Real Estate Fund	AARIX, ARFCX
Baron Real Estate Fund	BREIX, BREFX
BlackRock Real Estate Securities	BIREX, BAREX, BCREX
Brookfield U.S. Listed Real Estate Fund	BRUAX, BRUCX, BRUIX, BRUYX
CGM Realty Fund	CGMRX
West Loop Realty Fund	REIIX, REIAX, REICX
Cohen & Steers Institutional Realty Shares	CSRIX
Cohen & Steers Realty Income Fund	CSEIX, CSDIX, CSBIX, CSCIX
Cohen & Steers Realty Shares	CSRSX
Columbia Real Estate Equity Fund	CREAX, CREIX, CRRVX, CRERX, CREEX, CRRFX, CREWX, CRECX, CREBX
Compass EMP REC Enhanced Volatility Weighted Fund	CWRAX, CWRIX, CWRTX, CWRCX
Davis Real Estate Fund	RPFRX, DREYX, DRECX, DREBX
Delaware Real Estate Investment Trust Portfolio II	DPRTX, DPRBX
Delaware Real Estate Investment Trust Portfolio	DPREX, DPRSX, DPRRX, DPRCX
DFA Real Estate Securities Portfolio	DFREX
Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund	DAREX, DNREX, DCREX
DWS RREEF Real Estate Securities Fund	RRRRX, RRREX, RRRAX, RRRSX, RRRBX, RRRCX
DWS RREEF Real Estate Securities Income Fund	REFAX, REFCX, REFIX, REFSX
Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund	EAREX, EIREX
EII Realty Securities Fund	EIIRX
Fidelity Advisor Real Estate Fund	FHEIX, FHEAX, FHETX, FHECX, FHEBX
Fidelity Advisor Real Estate Income Fund	FRIRX, FRIQX, FRINX, FRIOX
Fidelity Real Estate Income Fund	FRIFX
Fidelity Real Estate Investment Portfolio	FRESX
Fidelity Spartan Real Estate Index Fund	FSRNX, FRXIX, FSRVX
Fidelity Series Real Estate Equity Fund	FREDX, FREFX
Fidelity Series Real Estate Income Fund	FSREX, FSRWX
Forward Real Estate Long/Short Fund	KSRYX, FRLSX, FFSRX, KSRAX, KSRCX, KSRBX
Forward Real Estate Fund	FPREX, FFREX, KREAX, KRECX
Forward Select Income Fund	KIFYX, FSIMX, FFSLX, KIFAX, KIFBX, KIFCX
Franklin Real Estate Securities Fund	FREEX, FRLAX, FRRSX, FSERX
GMO Real Estate Fund	GMORX
Goldman Sachs Real Estate Securities Fund	GREIX, GRETX, GREAX, GRESX, GRERX, GREBX, GRECX
Great-West Real Estate Fund	MXREX
Heitman REIT Fund	OARTX, OBRTX
ING Real Estate Fund	CRARX, IREWX, IDROX, CLARX, CRWRX, CRCRX, CRBCX
INVESCO Real Estate Fund	REINX, IARFX, IARIX, IARYX, IARAX, IARRX, IARCX, AARBX
Ivy Real Estate Securities Fund	IRSAX, IREIX, IRSYX, IRSRX, IREEX, IRSCX, IRSBX
John Hancock Real Estate Securities Fund	JIREX
Johnson Realty Fund	JRLTX
J.P.Morgan Realty Income Fund	URTLX, JRIRX, URTAX, URTBX, URTCX
J.P. Morgan Security Capital U.S. Core Real Estate Securities Fund	CEEAX, CEERX, CEEFX, CEESX, CEECX
J.P. Morgan U.S. Real Estate Fund	SUSIX
Lazard U.S. Realty Equity Portfolio	LREIX, LREOX
Lazard U.S. Realty Income Portfolio	LRIIX, LRIOX
Manning & Napier Real Estate Series	MNRIX, MNREX
Morgan Stanley Institutional U.S. Real Estate Portfolio	MSUSX, MUSDX, MSULX, MURSX
Natixis AEW Real Estate Fund	NRFAX, NRFYX, NRFBX, NRFCX, NRFNX
Neuberger Berman Real Estate Fund	NBRIX, NBRFX, NREAX, NRERX, NRECX, NRREX
Nuveen Real Estate Securities Fund	FREAX, FARCX, FRSSX, FREBX, FRLCX, FREGX
Oppenheimer Real Estate Fund	OREAX, OREIX, OREYX, ORENX, OREBX, ORECX
PHOCAS Real Estate Fund	PHREX
PIMCO RealEstateRealReturn Strategy Fund	PRRSX, PETPX, PETAX, PETDX, PETCX, PETBX
Pioneer Real Estate Shares	PWREX, PYREX, PCREX, PBREX
Principal Real Estate Securities Fund	PIREX, PIRPX, PREPX, PRETX, PREJX, PRRAX, PRERX, PRENX, PRAEX, PRCEX, PRLEX
ProFunds Real Estate UltraSector ProFund	REPIX
Prudential Select Real Estate Fund	SREAX
Prudential U.S. Real Estate Fund	PJEAX, PJEZX, PJECX, PJEBX
REMS Real Estate Income 50/50 Portfolio	RREIX
REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund	HLRRX, HLPPX
Rydex Real Estate Fund	RYREX, RYHRX, RYCRX
SA Real Estate Securities Fund	SAREX
SEI Institutional Mgd Real Estate Fund	SETAX, SEIRX
Spirit of America Real Estate Income & Growth Fund	SOAAX
SSgA Clarion Real Estate Fund	SSREX
Stratton Real Estate Fund	STMDX
T.Rowe Price Real Estate Fund	TRREX, PAREX
TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund	TIREX, TRRPX, TRRSX, TCREX
Vanguard REIT Index Fund	VGSNX, VGRSX, VGSLX, VGSIX
Virtus Real Estate Securities Fund	PHRAX, PHRIX, PHRCX, PHRBX

REIT ETF	Symbol
Flex Shares	ASET
Wisdom Tree Global Ex-US	DRW
S&P 500 Equal Weight	EWRE
iShares FTSE Industrial/Office	FNIO
MSCI Real Estate Index	FREL
S&P REIT Index	FRI
First Trust S&P REIT	FRI
iShares Real Estate 50	FTY
Flexshares Global	GQRE
iShares Cohen & Streers	ICF
iShares International Developed RE	IFGL
iShares US RE	IYR
Premium Yield Equity REIT	KBWY
ETRACS Monthly Pay 2x Leverage	MORL
Market Vector Mortgage	MORT
iShares Global REIT	REET
iShares FTSE Mortgage	REM
iShares Residential	REZ
IQ US Real Estate Small Cap	ROOF
iShares FTSE NAREIT Retail	RTL
DOW Jones Global RE	RWO
SPDR Dow Jones	RWR
Schwab US REIT	SCHH
Super Dividend REIT	SRET
ProShares Ultra RE	URE
Vanguard REIT	VNQ
Vanguard Global ex-US	VNQI
iShares International Developed	WPS
Wilshire US REIT	WREI
Pacer Benchmark Data & Infrastructure RE	SRVR
Pacer Benchmark Industrial RE	INDS
Pacer Benchmark Retail RE	RTL
Hoya Capital Housing	HOMZ
NetLease Corporate RE	NETL

REIT Name	Ticker	Annual Increases/yr
Federal Realty	FRT	51
Universal Health Realty	UHT	33
National Retail Properties	NNN	29
Realty Income	O	27
Tanger Outlets	SKT	26
Urstadt Biddle	UBA	25
Essex Property Trust	ESS	25
W.P.Carey	WPC	22
National Health Investors	NHI	17
Equity Lifestyle	ELS	15
Digital Realty	DLR	15

In This Economy, a Creative Portfolio Is Key

Brad Thomas

467 postsApril 15, 2022

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467 postsApril 15, 2022

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