REITS Surprise Analysts in 2005

According to an article published in the Dec. 11 edition of the New York Times, Wall Street pundits expected 2005 to be a bad year for real estate investment trusts (REITs), as interest rates were rising and economic growth was uncertain. But while the REIT market did falter in the first quarter, the prolonged decline anticipated by analysts never occurred. REITS managed to recover their losses and managed to finish the year on a high note, surpassing most categories of stocks and bonds. Among the top REIT sectors were self-storage, up 29.7 percent; regional malls, up 17.2 percent; residential, up 14.3 percent; and specialty, up 12.8 percent.