iShares Residential and Multisector Real Estate ETF

REZ

Market cap $844M

According to the Census Bureau, new home sales were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 622,000 in April. This represents a 6.2% decline from March's rate of 663,000 and an 11.3% drop from the previous year.

The REIT sector roared back into positive territory after a very brutal March. REITs averaged a remarkable 8.9% April gain and now have a +6.31% year-to-date total return. Small-cap REITs (+11.35%) soared in April as large caps (+9.05%) and mid caps (+8.13%) also saw strong gains. Micro caps (+4.49%) were also in the black but badly lagged. 91.33% of REIT securities had a positive total return in April.

Surging oil prices and hotter inflation reports reignited rate-hike concerns, sending Treasury yields to one-year highs as the Iran conflict remained stalemated despite the highly anticipated Trump-Xi summit.

The iShares Residential and Multisector Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:REZ) targets income investors seeking exposure to apartments, healthcare facilities, and self-storage properties in a single ticker.

According to the Census Bureau, new home sales were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 682,000 in March. This represents a 7.4% increase from February's rate of 635,000 and a 3.3% rise from the previous year.

U.S. equity markets advanced for a fifth straight week - their longest winning streak since 2024 - as strong earnings, resilient data, and hopes for lasting Iran peace fueled optimism. Investors looked through another oil-price surge and inflationary pressure, focusing instead on corporate resilience and economic strength despite a complex macro backdrop shaped by geopolitical and policy uncertainty. The Fed held rates steady in an unusually fractured 8-4 vote, while Powell's plan to remain on the Board broke precedent and raised politically charged succession questions.

The dollar's dominance is quietly cracking, which will likely lead to a significant macro shift in the coming years. While I have bet heavily on several real asset sectors, they have all soared materially higher since I started investing in them. I detail two of the best opportunities remaining in the real asset space to benefit from the coming macro shift.

New home sales unexpectedly sank to their lowest level since 2022 in January. According to the Census Bureau, new home sales were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 587,000 in January.

After a solid January performance, the REIT sector recovery gained steam in February with a stronger +3.70% return. Large cap REITs (+5.80%) led the REIT sector in February with strong gains from mid caps (+5.26%) and small caps (+4.94%). Micro caps (-6.12%) badly underperformed again in February. 71.71% of REIT securities had a positive total return in February.

Our first ETF under the microscope is the iShares Residential and Multisector Real Estate ETF (NYSEMKT:REZ).