Paying Dividends: Steven Cress' 3 REITs For Inflationary, Heated Times

Market Context - The market is experiencing significant volatility due to geopolitical events, particularly US and Israeli airstrikes, and rising inflation numbers [10][12][20] - Recent economic data indicates that inflation remains high, with core CPI at 2.5% and PPI at 2.9% year-over-year, contributing to market pressure [13][21] - The market has seen a rotation into defensive sectors, with energy up 27.5% and basic materials up 17.4% year-to-date [15][16] Investment Strategy - In light of current market conditions, the focus is on dividend stocks as a hedge against inflation and geopolitical uncertainty [14][20] - The average dividend yield of the recommended stocks is approximately 5.64% [15] - A barbell approach is suggested, combining dividend-paying stocks with those that have strong fundamentals to mitigate risk [41][42] Stock Recommendations - Three REITs are highlighted for their strong performance and dividend yields: 1. Getty (GTY): Market cap of $1.96 billion, ranked 1 out of 24 in retail REITs, with 27 consecutive years of dividend payments and a forward yield of 5.86% [62][63][65] 2. W.P. Carey (WPC): Market cap of $16 billion, ranked 2 out of 12 in diversified REITs, focusing on mission-critical assets with strong profitability and momentum [67][69] 3. Alpine Income Property Trust (PINE): Market cap of $320 million, ranked 1 out of 170 in diversified REITs, with a 5.3% dividend increase since Q4 [71][73] Performance Metrics - The REIT strong buys have outperformed the XLRE ETF, with a return of 191% since January 2017 compared to the ETF's 84% [60][61] - The quant strong buys have shown a significant performance increase, with a 117% return over two years following a 15% market pullback [52] Market Sentiment - Current market sentiment is characterized by fear and uncertainty, leading to a sell-off in high-performing stocks, which presents buying opportunities for those with strong fundamentals [29][30][55] - Historical data suggests that markets tend to recover positively after military events, with a median return of about 11% over 12 months [46][48]