Recovery theme sustains short-term interest in M-REITs

Popular choice: A file picture of shoppers at Sunway Pyramid undergoing temperature checks. Sunway-REIT continues to be a top pick in the segment with its well-diversified income base, encompassing retail malls, offices, hotels and hospitals.

WHILE higher interest rates are a disadvantage to real estate investment trusts (REITs), investors appear to have shrugged off the implication of the recent hike in the overnight policy rate (OPR) on the sector for the time being.

The performance of Malaysian REITs, or M-REITs, has remained fairly resilient despite the surprise increase of 25 basis points (bps) in OPR about a week ago, as the “recovery theme” continues to drive investor interest in the asset class, according to analysts.