Investment Rating - The report indicates a modest net change in the fiscal balance due to the reconciliation package, with an estimated $275 billion addition to the deficit next year, suggesting a cautious investment outlook [3][4]. Core Insights - The reconciliation bill, titled the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," is expected to create a fiscal expansion of roughly $4 trillion relative to current law, but the net impact on corporate earnings is estimated to be about 5% for S&P 500 in 2026, diminishing in subsequent years [3][4]. - The corporate provisions in the bill will primarily shift the timing of tax payments rather than permanently lower tax rates, impacting cash flows more than GAAP net income [4][9]. - The potential changes to business expensing will significantly affect capex-intensive companies and those with high interest expenses, particularly in the small-cap sector [9][32]. Summary by Sections Fiscal Policy Impact - The reconciliation package is expected to have a modest direct impact on S&P 500 earnings and cash flows, with a collective effect of approximately 5% on earnings in 2026 [4][5]. - The bill's provisions, including capex and R&D expensing, interest deductibility, and foreign income treatment, will contribute to GDP growth, further lifting S&P 500 earnings by about 1% [4][31]. Market Reactions - Few sectors have shown a strong correlation with fiscal policy expectations, although renewable energy stocks have reacted to legislative developments [2][20]. - The report highlights that stocks with elevated interest expenses and low effective tax rates may face scrutiny as Congress negotiates the legislative package [30][43]. Sector-Specific Insights - The legislation's impact on interest deductibility will have a larger effect on small-cap stocks compared to large-cap stocks, with 34% of Russell 2000 companies having interest expenses exceeding 30% of EBIT [9][14]. - Consumer-facing stocks may benefit from the fiscal package, with expected boosts to consumer spending adding about 0.3 percentage points to GDP growth in 2026 [31][32]. Valuation Considerations - The reconciliation bill could influence equity valuations if it leads to upward pressure on interest rates, with historical data indicating stocks typically react poorly to rapid increases in yields [34][42]. - A potential increase in the 10-year Treasury yield toward 5% could catalyze additional equity volatility, impacting investor sentiment [34][38].

REIT Performance Overview - The REIT sector experienced a significant decline in April 2025, with an average total return of -6.45%, underperforming the broader market indices such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (-3.1%), S&P 500 (-0.7%), and NASDAQ (+0.9%) [1] - Year-to-date, the average total return for REITs stands at -9.10%, which is worse than the -7.65% return for the same period in 2024 [12] Performance by Market Capitalization - Microcap REITs underperformed larger peers for the sixth consecutive month, with returns of -8.87% [3] - Large-cap REITs (-2.93%) outperformed mid-caps (-5.45%) and small caps (-8.69%) in April, with large-cap REITs outperforming small caps by 1081 basis points in the first four months of 2025 [3] Property Type Performance - Only 11.11% of REIT property types averaged a positive total return in April, with a 20.17% spread between the best (Data Centers +7.28%) and worst-performing property types (Timber -12.90%) [5][6] - Year-to-date, Office REITs (-24.06%) and Hotel REITs (-22.90%) significantly underperformed, while Health Care (+7.23%), Infrastructure (+6.88%), and Casinos (+6.00%) were the only property types with positive returns [7] Price/FFO Multiples - The average P/FFO for the REIT sector decreased from 13.9x to 13.4x in April, with 83.3% of property types experiencing multiple contraction [8] - Data Centers (26.9x), Multifamily (24.6x), and Infrastructure (18.7x) currently trade at the highest average multiples among REIT property types, while Hotels (5.9x) and Offices (8.2x) have the lowest [9] Individual REIT Performance - Digital Realty Trust (DLR) achieved a strong gain of +12.04% in April, despite a year-to-date return of -8.72% [11] - Wheeler REIT (WHLR) was the worst-performing REIT in April, with a staggering decline of -63.61% for the month and -98.29% year-to-date [11] Dividend Yield Insights - The high dividend yields of the REIT sector are a primary reason for investment, with many REITs trading below their NAV, resulting in attractive yields [15]