CBRE Global Real Estate Income Fund

IGR

Market cap $713M

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IGR Declares Monthly Distributions for January, February and March 2026 and Announces a Webinar with Portfolio Management.

abrdn Global Premier Property (AWP) and CBRE Global Real Estate Income Fund (IGR) offer extremely high distribution yields. Both funds have done poorly relative to VNQ. We tell you why income chasers could still benefit with a switch.

CBRE Global Real Estate Income Fund remains a Hold, challenged by high leverage and unsustainable distributions in a persistent high-rate environment. IGR trades at a 3.12% discount to NAV, reflecting internal weakness and ongoing NAV decline despite a headline 16.5% yield. The fund's high leverage (32.03% of assets) and reliance on net realized gains amplify risk, especially if rate cuts are slower than anticipated.

Lower interest rates create a favorable environment for REITs, enhancing valuations, reducing borrowing costs, and supporting high-yield distributions for income investors. Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund (RQI) and peers like RLTY, RNP, RFI, and IGR offer diversified exposure to top REITs with yields up to 15%. Welltower (WELL) and Equinix (EQIX) stand out among REIT holdings, with WELL benefiting from senior housing demand and EQIX positioned for data center growth.

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CBRE Global Real Estate Income Fund (NYSE: IGR) Declares Monthly Distributions for Q4 2025 and Announces a Webinar with Portfolio Management.

CBRE Global Real Estate Income Fund remains a Buy for income investors, offering a nearly 14% yield and global real estate exposure. Lower interest rates globally are expected to benefit IGR's holdings, supporting both income generation and potential capital appreciation. IGR has outperformed peers year-to-date, maintains a steady monthly distribution, and holds top REITs, despite trading at a 4.5% NAV premium.

Three years of persistent rate-driven pressure on the residential and commercial real estate market appears to finally be abating - and not a moment too soon. REITs were hit by a "triple whammy" of rate-related headwinds: higher borrowing costs directly squeezed profitability, eroded the relative appeal of REIT dividends, and made it near-impossible to grow accretively. Since the Fed's initial rate hike in March 2022, REITs have lagged the S&P 500 by a whopping 55 percentage points, nearly 3x the magnitude of underperformance seen in the GFC.

U.S. equity markets notched another series of record highs this week, surging into the weekend after surprisingly dovish commentary from Federal Reserve Chair Powell, who hinted at imminent rate cuts. Powell used his final Jackson Hole speech as Fed Chair to deliver a clear policy pivot, an unexpected reversal after months of insistence that tariff-related inflation warranted a hawkish framework. Markets were equally relieved by the policy-focused nature of Powell's speech amid speculation that the address may be used instead as a potential defiant sermon on central bank independence.

I analyze Barron's top 100 sustainable companies, focusing on dividend payers and using the dogcatcher yield-based strategy to identify value opportunities. Seven out of 83 dividend-paying sustainable stocks currently meet the ideal of annual dividends from a $1K investment exceeding their share price, signaling potential buys. Analyst targets project 20.21% to 45.71% net gains for the top ten ESG dividend stocks by August 2026, with average risk below the market.

REITs remain attractive long-term, but CEFs are not the same as buying REITs. IGR has a high expense structure and has delivered sub-par long term returns. The fund entices yield-chasers with an unsustainable payout far exceeding actual returns, forcing destructive asset sales to maintain distributions.