Dividend stock investors know the power of real estate investment trusts, or REITs. This designation is a specific class of publicly traded stock that must deliver 90% of its taxable income back to shareholders — meaning a mandate for big dividends as a result. These REITs can be true real estate investments in the housing sector but also can just be big businesses that own a lot of land, like timber companies or even companies like Public Storage (NYSE:PSA).
I watch more than 5,000 publicly traded companies with my Portfolio Grader tool, ranking companies by a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. This week, I’ve got seven REITs to buy.
Here they are, in alphabetical order. Each one of these stocks gets an “A” or “B” according to my research, meaning it is a “strong buy” or “buy.”
American Campus Communities, Inc. (NYSE:ACC) is an REIT that is self-managed and self-administered. Year-to-date, ACC stock has jumped 21% compared to a mostly flat broader market.
Digital Realty Trust Inc. (NYSE:DLR) is involved with the acquisition, development, redevelopment and management of technology-related real estate. In the last 11 months, DLR stock is up nearly 24%.
Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) is an REIT that works with apartment properties in the United States. A modest gain of 5% year-to-date has ensured that EQR has outpaced the broader markets.
Extra Space Storage Inc. (NYSE:EXR) owns, operates, manages, acquires, develops and redevelops self-storage facilities. EXR stock is one of the biggest winners on this list with a 36% return since the start of 2011.
Public Storage is another REIT that deals with professionally managed self storage facilities. Since the start of 2011, PSA stock has climbed 30%.
Simon Property Group Inc. (NYSE:SPG) is a real estate company based in Indianapolis. SPG stock has gained 23% year-to-date compared to a slight loss for the Dow Jones in the same time.
Taubman Centers, Inc. (NYSE:TCO) operates as a self-administered and self-managed REIT. Like the other REITs on this list, TCO stock has climbed 21% year-to-date.
Get more analysis of these picks and other publicly traded stocks with Louis Navellier’s Portfolio Grader tool, a 100% free stock-rating tool that measures both quantitative buying pressure and eight fundamental factors.
