Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc. REXR recently provided its operating activity update. From the beginning of the fourth quarter through Nov. 14, 2024, the company secured approximately 657,000 square feet of new and renewal leases, with an average lease size of 16,000 square feet. This total encompasses approximately 422,000 square feet of renewal leases and 235,000 square feet of new leases.

When compared to prior rents, comparable rental rates for both new and renewal leases have risen by 80% on a net effective basis and 60% on a cash basis. The average annual rent steps were 3.9% for leases executed since the beginning of the fourth quarter through Nov. 14, 2024.

From the beginning of 2024 through Oct. 31, 2024, the average occupancy for Same Property Portfolio was pinned at 96.8%, while the ending occupancy rate was recorded at 95.9%.

Q3 2024 Activity

In the third quarter of 2024, Rexford experienced decent leasing activity. The company executed 56 new leases encompassing 994,566 square feet and 52 renewal leases totaling 599,259 square feet in the quarter.

As of Sept. 30, 2024, the company's Same Property Portfolio occupancy was 96.7%. Average Same Property Portfolio occupancy for the third quarter was 96.9%. Management expects average Same Property Portfolio occupancy to be between 96.5% and 96.75%.

Wrapping Up

Per a Cushman & Wakefield CWK report, the U.S. industrial real estate market experienced a moderation in demand in the third quarter of 2024. However, as new supply diminishes and demand is expected to recover in the coming year, CWK projects that the vacancy rate will peak at 6.7% by mid-2025, followed by a downward trend.

Going forward, Rexford is poised to grow with a focus on high-quality, irreplaceable portfolio throughout infill Southern California. However, concerns arise with demand remaining somewhat choppy and supply still high.

Over the past six months, shares of this Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company have lost 9.5% against the industry’s growth of 11.2%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Stocks to Consider

ome better-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Iron Mountain IRM and Welltower WELL, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Iron Mountain’s 2024 FFO per share is pegged at $4.49, indicating an increase of 9% from the year-ago reported figure.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Welltower’s 2024 FFO per share is pinned at $4.26, suggesting year-over-year growth of 17%.

Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO), a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc. (REXR) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Welltower Inc. (WELL) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research