What is a REIT and how do they work?A. Let’s start with the basics:
REITs stands for 'Real Estate Investment Trusts'.
These are essentially property companies that are listed on the stock market which you'll find pretty much most of them on TradingView.
So how do they work?
Step 1: An individual decides to invest in a REIT company.
Step 2: The money is then collected into a large pool (like all trusts).
Step 3: The pooled money is then invested into the property that the company either owns, operates or finances.
Step 4: Over time the company starts to make revenue and profit.
Step 5: The profits are then accounted and collected.
Step 6: The profits are then distributed in parts to the initial investors who
helped finance the company through a REIT.
Sounds great in theory…
But in reality, there is always a catch…
And that catch is timing.
The Big five SA Reits have lost over R100bn in value since 2018.
The BIG five REITs are:
1. Growthpoint
2. Redefine
3. Resilient
4. Vukile and
5. Hyprop.
Of course, this could be seen as an opportunity but there are several other factors we need to consider before deciding the best time to trade this type of asset.
A trick will be to overlay the five companies on a chart. See how they move and operate in conjunction to each other.
And then we can decide which are buys or sells.
Apples with apples.
Reit
Japan REITs: Hidden Gem to Diversify Your PortfolioJapan has long lost its charm to the international trading community. It has been a boring place to trade in for the past two decades, pretty much. In a mature market like Japan, you can't expect explosive growth like you can find in China.
However, this market offers a great source of diversification and income potential, if you know where you are looking.
The answer lies in Japan REITs. Properties in Japan, be it commercial, industrial, retail, hospitality, or residential, are coveted by mom-and-pop as well as institutional investors from the country and across the APAC region for their stable and (slowly) growing rental income.
The chart shows the largest REIT ETF listed in Japan (blue line) versus JPY and SP500 trendlines. You can clearly see the low correlation between JREIT and SPX.
In times of volatility in the US, and for those with international brokerage capabilities, why not consider this diversifier across the Ocean?
Disclaimers:
GMAS is long a few select names within the captioned ETF.
Investment carries risk.
Investment in foreign dividend stocks is subject to withholding tax. You may be able to claim better withholding tax rate based on your country's double taxation treaty status.