REITs rise 7.6% in October

REITs rose 7.6 percent in October, according to the FTSE Nareit Equity REITs Index, and are up 32.5 percent in the first 10 months of 2021. That’s a pretty big reversal from 2020, when the index declined 8 percent in the year.

Industrial, self-storage and regional mall REITs were the standout performers in October, rising 14.8 percent, 14.3 percent and 12.4 percent, respectively.

And regional mall REITs have turned in the biggest outperformance on a year-to-date basis, rising 76.0 percent this year — though that comes on the heels of a more than 37.1 percent decline in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on mall foot traffic, but top-tier malls have experienced a steady recovery since the start of 2021.

Year-to-date, industrial REITs are up nearly 40.0 percent, and the property type is being supported by