Tritax Big Box (LSE: BBOX), the FTSE 250-listed real estate investment trust (REIT), is hard to miss today. Not only is it the fastest riser among all of the index’s components at the time of writing, up more than 4.5%, the BBOX share price has touched new all-time-highs.
I think it’s easy to chalk it up as yet another real estate play. Property stocks have gained because of encouraging policies, vaccine development and an amicable end to the Brexit negotiations saga.
But BBOX is another story. Here are four reasons why:
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#1. Logistics play
It’s not so much a real estate play right now as a logistics one. It so happens that Tritax Big Box focuses on warehousing properties. At a time when we have been ordering online, leading to booming sales of e-tailers like Amazon, demand for storage facilities has been rising too.
This was evident in BBOX’s previous update in October, and I think the uptrend will be further reinforced in the next update later this month.
#2. BBOX shows strong performance
I wouldn’t be keen on it if it looked healthy only because of the current scenario. That’s not the case, however. Even earlier, it was a profit-making company, which adds to its credentials.
#3. Long-term prospects look good
Moreover, I think its long-term prospects also look good. The future of shopping is online, as the challenges faced by brick-and-mortar stores make it evident. But lockdowns and the pandemic have accelerated the shift towards online purchases, perhaps even to a greater degree than would have otherwise been anticipated.
This will impact Tritax Big Box and its peers positively. One example is the FTSE 100 REIT, Segro, which finds itself in a similarly fortunate situation. Its share price, like BBOX, is near its highest ever levels.
#4. Reasonably priced
Its price-to-earnings ratio at 18 times isn’t exactly small, but it doesn’t look like a bubble either. In fact, for a stock that is currently seeing highest ever price levels, it appears quite muted.
A word of caution
The only drawback to the stock is in comparison to Segro, which has a slightly lower price-to-earnings ratio. It also has a more international profile. This means that it’s less vulnerable to any economic fluctuations in the UK.
This is something to remember in 2021, the first year after Brexit. The worst of the corona-crisis is yet to hit the economy, but will become clearer over the year as will any Brexit-related challenges.
The takeaway
However, over time, I would think that BBOX will come out as a winner. This, I would imagine, would be particularly evident during high-growth years for the UK economy, when consumers spend more.
I’d buy it and hold it for the next few years.
