Asia-Pacific Reits cautious as rate hike looms

Singapore

REAL estate investment trusts (Reits) in the Asia-Pacific are growing cautious, bracing themselves for the impact of higher interest rates next year, after the US Federal Reserve ended its quantitative easing programme in October.

A Standard & Poor's (S&P) report, which covered mature Reit markets such as Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, said this could trigger tighter monetary policies in the region, which would impact Reits because interest expenses make up a major part of their costs. Reits fund most of their assets with debt.