New York, Feb 15, 2026, 13:43 EST — The market has closed.
- Real estate ETFs ended Friday up, with Treasury yields slipping following softer U.S. inflation numbers.
- U.S. markets take a pause Monday for Washington’s Birthday. Cash trading picks up again Tuesday.
- Coming up: Fed minutes hit Feb. 18, followed by U.S. GDP and PCE figures on Feb. 20.
U.S. real estate stocks are picking up momentum this week, bolstered by Friday’s drop in rates. REIT-focused ETFs rallied as the latest inflation numbers came in soft: The Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) finished 1.46% higher at $43.50, and the Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) closed up 1.43% at $94.59.
Timing is in play here. REITs—those real estate investment trusts financing or owning properties that throw off cash—usually move like bond proxies; they’re heavy on debt, and most of their income gets paid out as dividends. With U.S. stock markets shut Monday for Washington’s Birthday and trading resuming Tuesday, the window narrows for investors trying to position ahead of any key rate moves. (New York Stock Exchange)
Treasury yields dropped Friday after January’s U.S. Consumer Price Index posted a 2.4% annual increase, coming in just under the 2.5% pace economists had penciled in, according to Reuters. The benchmark 10-year yield lost 5.6 basis points to end at 4.048%. (A basis point equals 0.01 percentage point.) “It is a bit of good news as we head into the long holiday weekend,” said Tim Holland, chief investment officer at Orion. (Reuters)
It wasn’t a clear-cut picture. January’s CPI bumped up 0.2%, coming in shy of the 0.3% forecast. Core CPI, which strips out food and energy, landed right at a 0.3% increase. “Price pressures remain a little too hot for comfort,” said James McCann, senior economist at Edward Jones. Still, he noted, the “direction of travel” appears to be heading lower. (Reuters)
Stocks barely budged Friday, but defensives caught a bid, leading investors to pile into sectors like real estate. The S&P 500 real estate sector jumped 1.48%, putting it near the top of the leaderboard. (Reuters)
REIT benchmarks closed higher, too. Nareit’s numbers, pulling from the FTSE Nareit U.S. Real Estate Index, put “All REITs” up 1.34% Friday. “All Equity REITs” gained 1.36%, while mortgage REITs managed a 0.38% rise. (REIT.com)
Heavyweight yield plays joined the move higher. Simon Property Group finished the session up 2.81% at $196.83. Realty Income added 1.36%, ending at $65.66.
But this isn’t a one-way bet. Should fresh inflation or growth numbers bump yields higher, REITs could fall behind fast—higher rates feed into pricier funding and put the squeeze on property values, particularly in spots where leasing momentum is already shaky.
Wednesday, Feb. 18, brings the Fed minutes at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, covering the Jan. 27–28 meeting. Traders are set to comb through for any signs officials edged toward cutting, and what’s next on their policy agenda. (Federal Reserve)
Friday has more data on tap: the Commerce Department’s BEA plans to release its advance fourth-quarter GDP estimate along with the Personal Income and Outlays report, which includes the PCE price index—the Fed’s key inflation gauge—on Feb. 20 at 8:30 a.m. EST. According to Kiplinger, Barclays analyst Pooja Sriram is looking for both headline and core PCE to post a 0.4% month-over-month increase. (Bureau of Economic Analysis)
