| I don't know how this is all going to play out. However, it is not difficult to imagine a scenario that results in a domino effect of cascading economic calamities. For the past eighteen months, the federal government has done everything in its power to stimulate the economy. And for the most part, those programs have worked as intended. But once that money runs out, the ability of many families to pay their bills and avoid foreclosure will fall squarely on the shoulders of the jobs market. And right now, it is not clear if the jobs market is as strong as it needs to be to prevent a wave of defaults and foreclosures over the remainder of this year. That concern is apparent in the drop in consumer confidence last month. Last week, The Conference Board announced that its Consumer Confidence Index fell from 125.1 in July to 113.8 in August. That is its lowest reading since February, just before the rollout of several COVID-19 vaccines allowed the economy to rapidly reopen. Since then, it has increased every month until now. House of Cards Do the folks surveyed by The Conference Board know something that the rest of us do not? Perhaps they know that without the federal assistance they have been receiving, they would be in serious financial trouble. If true, that creates a trading opportunity for investors looking for a way to play a slowdown in the jobs market. Demand for housing of all types tends to rise and fall with the directional trend in employment. For that reason, I believe that REITs (real estate investment trusts) that own multifamily housing properties are most at risk if the jobs market weakens. One such REIT is the iShares Residential and Multisector Real Estate ETF (NYSE: REZ). This fund owns shares of 42 REITs so it is broadly representative of the entire sector. To be clear, I like REZ. In fact, I hold it in the Personal Finance Fund Portfolio as an inflation hedge. Over the past twelve months, REZ has returned nearly 50% in dividends and share price appreciation. I'm not going to sell REZ out of my fund portfolio even though I believe it may take a hit this fall. I believe REITs such as REZ are one of the best ways to generate high income in retirement. But I might buy a put option on it to protect my position in it. A put option increases in value when the price of the underlying security goes down). If you don't already own REZ, you may want to consider buying a put option on it as a speculative bet that the multifamily housing market will soon take a hit. With so much conflicting jobs data out there, Wall Street may be caught off guard if it turns out the economy isn't as strong as it thinks it is. [promo segue] |
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