Ah, April. A season when hope springs eternal and the time arrives to plant the seeds for growth to come. But what to plant? Or in this case, buy?
While inflation and war in Europe and the lingering effects of the pandemic roil the market, there are still a lot of good options to consider for stocks that have the potential to shower you with profits this spring and for seasons to come.
Image source: Getty Images.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are a good segment to consider right now for a few reasons. Real estate itself can be inflation-resistant and move in value separately from the rest of the market, adding some diversification to a portfolio. And REITs specifically have to pay out at least 90% of their taxable income to shareholders, adding the buffering effect that dividend stocks often show in down markets.
There are about 225 publicly traded REITs, and they come in different types and sizes. Here for your consideration are three in very different businesses. They share the fact that their stock prices are currently beaten down, but their prospects are good.
This chart shows how much shares of Postal Realty Trust, STORE Capital, and STAG Industrial have fallen this year as of March 31. Let's take a deeper look at these three. 
Postal Realty Trust
Postal Realty Trust (PSTL -0.22%) has an interesting niche with one massive tenant that can be counted on to pay the rent. Only public since May 2019, this company has been in operation since 2004 as a landlord for post offices, and currently owns 1,004 of them and manages another 397. Its properties are in all 50 states and are 99.7% occupied. Postal Realty is growing, too, buying 38 locations so far this year alone as well, and through its expansion as a postal realty consulting firm.
In the fourth-quarter 2021 earnings release, founding Chief Executive Officer Andrew Spodek says his company intends to continue to take advantage of its position as a leading consolidator of these "last-mile, flex, and industrial facilities which deliver durable cash flows." In a rare bipartisan move, Congress also just passed a reform bill that promises to shore up the massive, uber-critical U.S. Postal Service.
Postal Realty's share price is down so far this year, but its fundamentals look good -- and while you wait, you can enjoy the 5.4% yield this $390 million market cap REIT is delivering.
STORE Capital
STORE Capital (STOR) is a well-known player in the REIT business, and its three largest shareholders are Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and Berkshire Hathaway, in that order.
Together, those heavy hitters hold about 32% of this owner, operator, and investor in 2,866 locations leased to 556 clients in 49 states. This portfolio is 99.5% occupied and includes service, retail, and manufacturing businesses, with restaurants, early childhood education, metal fabrication, automotive repair and maintenance facilities, and health clubs leading the list.
CEO Mary Fedewa's March 2 letter to shareholders boasts of her company's proven ability to operate in "a variety of interest rate and inflation environments," including by raising the rent. "In fact, periods of uncertainty and complexity in the capital markets can create opportunities for us as our customers will need our unique financing solutions and partnership more than ever," she wrote.
"STORE is a business for all seasons," Fedewa writes. No time like the present, and if you buy into this $8.1 billion REIT (in current market cap), you can enjoy a yield of about 5.2%.
STAG Industrial
STAG Industrial (STAG -1.29%) owns and operates industrial properties, one of the market's hottest sectors right now given the demand for logistics and warehouse space. STAG currently has a portfolio of 544 buildings in 40 states that is benefiting from the ability to seriously raise the rent, including by more than 16% this year.
The portfolio itself is also growing. STAG bought 74 properties for about $1.3 billion in 2021, and has an acquisition pipeline of $4.1 billion, of which $93 million has already been spent. The combination of e-commerce shipping demand and the growing imperative for "just in case" inventory storage for manufacturers has the company optimistic, for instance by projecting same-store cash growth of 3% to 4% in 2022, the most in its 11-year history.
STAG shareholders get paid monthly, including an April shower of $0.1217 a share, good for a yield of about 3.46% for investors in this industrial REIT that currently has a market cap of about $7.5 billion.
Trailing-12-month growth in funds from operations (FFO), a key measure of a REIT's performance, has increased for all three, but Postal Realty is the standout.
PSTL Funds from Operations (TTM) data by YCharts
REITs for all reasons, all seasons
Each of these three equity REITs have solid portfolios in well-established industries with prospects for growth. After a strong 2021 -- which included notable gains in such key metrics as FFO -- they also each took share-price hits that they haven't shaken off yet, which means now could be a good opportunity to buy and hold through many seasons to come.
