Did Rent Get Paid? Previewing REIT Earnings Season
"Did the rent get paid? How about the mortgage?" Earnings season kicks off this week with more than 175 REITs and 100 housing-related companies reporting earnings over the next month.
Buckle up. On what will surely be the most newsworthy earnings season in a decade, REIT earnings should provide pivotal information on rent collection and future dividend plans.
While some REITs have provided mid-quarter updates and preliminary earnings results, this is the first update we'll hear from the majority of companies since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Residential REITs are expected to report relatively limited issues with rent collection. The same can't necessarily be said about other commercial real estate sectors, particularly retail REITs.
Most REITs entered the COVID-19 crisis on solid footing, but some of the more highly levered small-cap REITs may have been caught swimming naked. We'll find out soon.
