REITs advance 0.8% in August, led by hotels, malls

In August, U.S.-based equity REITs had a total return of 0.8 percent, according to the FTSE Nareit Equity REITs Index. The strongest performances were among some of the hardest-hit property types.

The best performance in August was recorded by lodging and resort REITs, which had a total return of nearly 11.6 percent. Hotel REITs are down nearly 47.7 percent in the first eight months of 2020. But some small signs of improvement in hotel demand can be seen, particularly in the extended-stay segment.

Retail REITs also recorded strong performance in August, led by regional mall REITs, which rose 7.4 percent. Still, regional mall REITs have lost more than half of their value in 2020; the segment is down nearly 51.2 percent year-to-date. The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly challenging for