Try to guess the best inflation hedge of this century.Thinking of stocks? Bonds? Gold? Nope. You should be thinking of real estate, specifically real estate investment trusts (REITs). REITs, as a class, have produced positive real returns in 14 of the past 16 years, earning an average 11.7 percent annually. Gold, the oft-touted inflation slayer, scored positive after-inflation returns in just 11 of the last 16 years. Bullion’s average real return? Just 7 percent (see Chart 1).
Source: The Long and Short of REITs
