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IN THIS PAPER
Investment appetite. Activity in REITs has been driven by the increasing sophistication and granularity of investors' portfolios, influential regulatory/industry changes, and a stronger understanding of diversification characteristics.
Understanding returns. The "rates up, REITs down" paradigm is holding, with fundamentals continuing to exert little influence on overall valuations.
Active manager performance. While funds are delivering substantial excess returns, considerable dispersion makes manager selection critical.
WHY DOWNLOAD?
Through 2018 and into early 2019, we observe a rise in appetite for REITs among pension funds. To some extent this demand was supported by valuations: this sector was relatively cheap in 2018 and clients that entered have benefited from the subsequent performance surge. Yet there are also underlying long-term factors at play.
It is now increasingly common to find unlisted real estate and REITs side by side in investors' portfolios, with REITs often functioning as a "completion portfolio" given the degree of specificity available. New ESG and Sharia-compliant products are making the sector accessible to relevant buyers, as are regulatory changes in countries such as Germany. We hope that this brief research note proves helpful to investors that are considering the sector.
Important Notices
This commentary is for institutional investors classified as Professional Clients as per FCA handbook rules COBS 3.5R. It does not constitute investment research, a financial promotion or a recommendation of any instrument, strategy or provider. The accuracy of information obtained from third parties has not been independently verified. Opinions not guarantees: the findings and opinions expressed herein are the intellectual property of bfinance and are subject to change; they are not intended to convey any guarantees as to the future performance of the investment products, asset classes, or capital markets discussed. The value of investments can go down as well as up.
