FTSE shares have a solid reputation for helping investors generate significant income. With so many industry titans making the London Stock Exchange their home, dividend yields have always been generally higher in the UK compared to Europe or the US.
Even after the recent market rally, the FTSE 100 still offers a generous yield of 3.6% compared to the S&P 500’s 1.35% or the Euro Stoxx 50’s 2.9%. Digging a bit deeper reveals even better FTSE income opportunities for prudent investors to capitalise on. That’s because there are still plenty of dividend shares trading at discounted valuations, pushing yields even higher, especially in sectors like real estate.
A rare chance
Severe stock market corrections and crashes are memorable. But despite popular belief, these events are actually pretty rare.
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Excluding the Covid crash in 2020, which reversed in a few months, it’s been over a decade since investors experienced a sharp downturn like 2022. And just like every correction before it, the overall stock market has bounced back aggressively. In fact, since October 2023, the FTSE 250 is up by just shy of 25%.
However, as previously mentioned, not every stock has been enjoying this rally. Some busineseses are still in recovery mode, awaiting promised interest cuts from the Bank of England.
Now that inflation is almost back on track, an interest rate cut seems to be just around the corner. And current forecasts suggest they could fall to 3.5% by the end of next year, versus 5.25% today.
What does this all mean? For real estate investment trusts (REITs) like Warehouse REIT (LSE:WHR), a slide in interest rates will improve margins, reduce balance sheet pressure, and even spark new growth. So when looking at its current share price, it begs the question of whether a buying opportunity that we may not see again for another decade has emerged.
Real estate investments in 2024
Directly investing in real estate comes with a lot of headaches. Apart from requiring a lot of initial capital to buy property, landlords need to find tenants, collect rent, and perform maintenance.
That’s where REITs have the upper hand. These companies are traded just like any other FTSE share. And they represent a portfolio of rent-generating properties managed by a team of professionals. In the case of Warehouse REIT, the firm specialises in smaller urban warehouses, often used for last-mile delivery of online orders.
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With a lot of debt on its books, the firm felt the pressure of aggressive rate hikes. And it was even forced to sell some of its locations in unfavourable market conditions to shore up the balance sheet. With that in mind, it’s not too surprising the stock price took a significant hit.
However, a total of £165m has been raised from disposals. This has already been put to work, reducing the interest burden. And based on its latest results, rental income’s back on the rise as demand for well-positioned warehouses ramps up while supply remains constrained.
That’s why I think a buying opportunity may have emerged for this enterprise. There are still financial pressures on its bottom line that may compromise dividends if economic conditions suddenly worsen. But assuming that interest rate cuts materialise in the near future, Warehouse’s downward slide may soon be over, I feel.
