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Homebuilder Confidence Jumps in October: 3 Funds With Upside
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Easing inflation and the Federal Reserve’s recent rate cut have raised hopes among U.S. homebuilders that the housing market will benefit significantly in the near term. This saw homebuilder confidence jump in October. Mortgage rates are still somewhat high, but homebuilders are hopeful that further rate cuts will aid the industry and draw more buyers.
Given this positive sentiment, investing in homebuilding funds like DWS RREEF Real Estate Securities Fund– Class A (RRRAX - Free Report) , Fidelity Series Real Estate Income (FSREX - Free Report) and MFS Global Real Estate Fund Class I (MGLIX - Free Report) could be a smart move.
Homebuilder Confidence Climbs
According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), confidence among builders of newly constructed single-family homes rose to 43 in October, up from 41 in September, marking the second consecutive month of jump in builder confidence.
All three HMI indices posted gains in October. The index measuring current sales conditions rose by two points to 47. Sales expectations for the next six months increased 4 points to 57. The prospective buyer traffic index also increased by 2 points to reach 29.
This increased optimism stems from an improving market outlook. Although prices remain high, they have eased in recent months, and builders believe that this trend will help stimulate demand for new homes in the near term.
High Mortgage Rates Still a Challenge
In September, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 50 basis points, the first reduction since March 2020, leading to a stock market rally. However, mortgage rates are still above 6%. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate hit 6.44% last week, up from 6.32% in the previous week.
While current mortgage rates are lower than the 23-year high of 7.79% seen in October 2023, they need to decline further to boost demand. NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz noted that despite the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates, many prospective buyers are waiting for interest rates to decline further before making a move.
Market participants are now expecting at least two more 25 basis point interest rate cuts in November and December, which is expected to significantly bolster the homebuilding market. These rate cuts are likely to provide significant support to the homebuilding industry by bringing down mortgage rates, potentially encouraging more buyers to flock to the housing market.
3 Best Choices
As a result, we've chosen three such funds from the real estate sector that are worth buying. Moreover, these funds have given impressive 3-year and 5-year annualized returns, boast a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), offer a minimum initial investment within $5,000 and carry a low expense ratio.
The question here is why should investors consider mutual funds? Reduced transaction costs and diversification of portfolios without the several commission charges that are associated with stock purchases are the primary reasons why one should be parking their money in mutual funds (read more: Mutual Funds: Advantages, Disadvantages, and How They Make Investors Money).
DWS RREEF Real Estate Securities Fund– Class A fund seeks long-term capital appreciation and current income. RRRAX invests the majority of its net assets in equity securities of real estate investment trusts and real estate companies.
DWS RREEF Real Estate Securities Fund - Class A fund has a 5-year and 10-year annualized return of 4.5% and 5.8, respectively. RRRAX sports a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 and an annual expense ratio is 1%.
To see how this fund performed compared to its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.
Fidelity Series Real Estate Income fund invests primarily in preferred and common stocks of real estate investment trusts, debt securities of real estate entities and commercial and other mortgage-backed securities, with a focus on lower-quality debt securities.
FSREX has a 5-year and 10-year annualized return of 4.6% and 5.8%, respectively. Fidelity Series Real Estate Incomefund sports a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 and an annual expense ratio is 0.01%.
To see how this fund performed compared to its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.
MFS Global Real Estate Fund Class I fund primarily invests the majority of its net assets in real estate-related investments in both the United States and abroad. MGLIX generally invests the majority of the fund's assets in equity securities. MFS Global Real Estate Fund Class I may invest any amount of its assets in real estate-related investments.
MFS Global Real Estate Fund Class I has a 5-year and 10-year annualized return of 3.7% and 6.4%, respectively. MGLIX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 and an annual expense ratio of 0.94%.
To see how this fund performed compared to its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.
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Homebuilder Confidence Jumps in October: 3 Funds With Upside
Easing inflation and the Federal Reserve’s recent rate cut have raised hopes among U.S. homebuilders that the housing market will benefit significantly in the near term. This saw homebuilder confidence jump in October. Mortgage rates are still somewhat high, but homebuilders are hopeful that further rate cuts will aid the industry and draw more buyers.
Given this positive sentiment, investing in homebuilding funds like DWS RREEF Real Estate Securities Fund – Class A (RRRAX - Free Report) , Fidelity Series Real Estate Income (FSREX - Free Report) and MFS Global Real Estate Fund Class I (MGLIX - Free Report) could be a smart move.
Homebuilder Confidence Climbs
According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), confidence among builders of newly constructed single-family homes rose to 43 in October, up from 41 in September, marking the second consecutive month of jump in builder confidence.
All three HMI indices posted gains in October. The index measuring current sales conditions rose by two points to 47. Sales expectations for the next six months increased 4 points to 57. The prospective buyer traffic index also increased by 2 points to reach 29.
This increased optimism stems from an improving market outlook. Although prices remain high, they have eased in recent months, and builders believe that this trend will help stimulate demand for new homes in the near term.
High Mortgage Rates Still a Challenge
In September, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 50 basis points, the first reduction since March 2020, leading to a stock market rally. However, mortgage rates are still above 6%. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate hit 6.44% last week, up from 6.32% in the previous week.
While current mortgage rates are lower than the 23-year high of 7.79% seen in October 2023, they need to decline further to boost demand. NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz noted that despite the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates, many prospective buyers are waiting for interest rates to decline further before making a move.
Market participants are now expecting at least two more 25 basis point interest rate cuts in November and December, which is expected to significantly bolster the homebuilding market. These rate cuts are likely to provide significant support to the homebuilding industry by bringing down mortgage rates, potentially encouraging more buyers to flock to the housing market.
3 Best Choices
As a result, we've chosen three such funds from the real estate sector that are worth buying. Moreover, these funds have given impressive 3-year and 5-year annualized returns, boast a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), offer a minimum initial investment within $5,000 and carry a low expense ratio.
The question here is why should investors consider mutual funds? Reduced transaction costs and diversification of portfolios without the several commission charges that are associated with stock purchases are the primary reasons why one should be parking their money in mutual funds (read more: Mutual Funds: Advantages, Disadvantages, and How They Make Investors Money).
DWS RREEF Real Estate Securities Fund– Class A fund seeks long-term capital appreciation and current income. RRRAX invests the majority of its net assets in equity securities of real estate investment trusts and real estate companies.
DWS RREEF Real Estate Securities Fund - Class A fund has a 5-year and 10-year annualized return of 4.5% and 5.8, respectively. RRRAX sports a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 and an annual expense ratio is 1%.
To see how this fund performed compared to its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.
Fidelity Series Real Estate Income fund invests primarily in preferred and common stocks of real estate investment trusts, debt securities of real estate entities and commercial and other mortgage-backed securities, with a focus on lower-quality debt securities.
FSREX has a 5-year and 10-year annualized return of 4.6% and 5.8%, respectively. Fidelity Series Real Estate Incomefund sports a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 and an annual expense ratio is 0.01%.
To see how this fund performed compared to its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.
MFS Global Real Estate Fund Class I fund primarily invests the majority of its net assets in real estate-related investments in both the United States and abroad. MGLIX generally invests the majority of the fund's assets in equity securities. MFS Global Real Estate Fund Class I may invest any amount of its assets in real estate-related investments.
MFS Global Real Estate Fund Class I has a 5-year and 10-year annualized return of 3.7% and 6.4%, respectively. MGLIX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 and an annual expense ratio of 0.94%.
To see how this fund performed compared to its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.
Want key mutual fund info delivered straight to your inbox?
Zacks’ free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing mutual funds, each week. Get it free >>