Comparison Analysis of GQRE and RWX Real Estate ETFs
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2 days ago
0mins
Should l Buy AMT?
Source: Fool
- Cost and Yield Comparison: The FlexShares Global Quality Real Estate Index Fund (GQRE) charges a lower expense ratio of 0.45% compared to the State Street SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF (RWX) at 0.59%, while offering a higher dividend yield of 4.5%, appealing to income-focused investors.
- Portfolio Construction Differences: GQRE allocates 96% of its assets to real estate companies with 174 positions, whereas RWX diversifies across 121 securities, primarily in Japan and the UK, highlighting distinct geographic diversification strategies.
- Historical Performance Analysis: Over the past year, RWX has achieved a return of 19.0%, significantly outperforming GQRE's 12.9%, indicating stronger performance in the international real estate market, which may attract investors seeking global investment opportunities.
- Long-Term Investment Potential: Despite RWX's recent strong performance, GQRE has outperformed RWX since March 2021, demonstrating stability in the U.S. real estate market and the advantages of high-quality REITs, making it suitable for long-term investors.
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Analyst Views on AMT
Wall Street analysts forecast AMT stock price to rise
11 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 182.760
Low
185.00
Averages
211.45
High
254.00
Current: 182.760
Low
185.00
Averages
211.45
High
254.00
About AMT
American Tower Corporation is a global real estate investment trust (REIT) and an independent owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate with a portfolio of nearly 150,000 communications sites and a highly interconnected footprint of United States data center facilities. The Company's segments include U.S. & Canada property, Africa & APAC property, Europe property, Latin America property, Data Centers and Services. The Company’s primary business is leasing space on multitenant communications sites to wireless service providers, radio and television broadcast companies, wireless data providers, government agencies and municipalities and tenants in a number of other industries. The Company’s Data Centers segment relates to data center facilities and related assets that it owns and operates in the United States. Its Services segment offers tower-related services in the United States, including AZP, structural and mount analyses, and construction management.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Telecom Infrastructure Investment: American Tower owns over 150,000 communication sites, generating $2.73 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter, a 7.5% year-over-year increase, and plans to expand its data centers, highlighting its strategic importance in 5G and cloud computing.
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- High-Quality Dividend ETF: The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF tracks high-quality dividend stocks with an annual expense ratio of just 0.06% and offers a yield of 3.3%, providing investors with a low-risk dividend investment option.
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- Cost and Yield Comparison: The FlexShares Global Quality Real Estate Index Fund (GQRE) charges a lower expense ratio of 0.45% compared to the State Street SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF (RWX) at 0.59%, while offering a higher dividend yield of 4.5%, appealing to income-focused investors.
- Portfolio Construction Differences: GQRE allocates 96% of its assets to real estate companies with 174 positions, whereas RWX diversifies across 121 securities, primarily in Japan and the UK, highlighting distinct geographic diversification strategies.
- Historical Performance Analysis: Over the past year, RWX has achieved a return of 19.0%, significantly outperforming GQRE's 12.9%, indicating stronger performance in the international real estate market, which may attract investors seeking global investment opportunities.
- Long-Term Investment Potential: Despite RWX's recent strong performance, GQRE has outperformed RWX since March 2021, demonstrating stability in the U.S. real estate market and the advantages of high-quality REITs, making it suitable for long-term investors.
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- Cost and Yield Comparison: The iShares Global REIT ETF (REET) has an annual expense ratio of 0.14%, significantly lower than FlexShares Global Quality Real Estate Index Fund (GQRE) at 0.45%, making REET more appealing for cost-conscious long-term investors, while GQRE's 4.5% dividend yield attracts income-seeking investors.
- Asset Size and Liquidity: REET boasts $4.6 billion in assets under management and holds 325 global real estate stocks, offering greater liquidity and diversification, whereas GQRE has only $357 million in assets and 174 holdings, resulting in lower liquidity despite its focus on real estate companies.
- Risk and Return Analysis: Over the past five years, REET experienced a maximum drawdown of 32.06%, compared to GQRE's 35.07%, indicating that while both ETFs have delivered nearly identical returns over ten years, GQRE exhibits slightly higher volatility, reflecting a disadvantage in risk management.
- Investment Timing and Market Outlook: With interest rates stabilizing and the Federal Reserve signaling potential rate cuts, 2026 could be an opportune time to invest in these ETFs, where REET's diversification and scale offer liquidity advantages, while GQRE may appeal to those prioritizing higher dividends.
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- Cost and Yield Comparison: GQRE charges over three times the fees of REET but offers a dividend yield that is one percentage point higher, making it more appealing for income-seeking investors, although long-term cost-conscious investors may be wary of the higher expenses.
- Asset Management Scale: REET boasts significantly larger assets under management compared to GQRE, with billions versus $357 million, providing REET with advantages in liquidity and market influence, making it suitable for investors focused on liquidity.
- Holdings and Risk Assessment: GQRE holds only 174 securities while REET has 325; despite both funds delivering nearly identical returns over the past decade, GQRE's five-year maximum drawdown of 35% is slightly higher than REET's 32%, indicating greater volatility in GQRE.
- Market Outlook and Investment Strategy: With interest rates stabilizing and the Federal Reserve signaling rate cuts, 2026 could be a favorable time to invest in these real estate ETFs, requiring investors to choose based on their income needs and risk tolerance.
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- Cost and Yield Differences: HAUZ's expense ratio stands at 0.10%, significantly lower than GQRE's 0.45%, and while GQRE offers a slightly higher yield by 0.1 percentage points, HAUZ's lower costs make it more attractive for long-term investors.
- Return and Risk Comparison: Over the past five years, a $1,000 investment in GQRE grew to over $1,200, while HAUZ only reached $1,039; despite GQRE's higher expenses, its focus on U.S. real estate may provide greater stability.
- Portfolio Composition: HAUZ holds 413 securities with 96% in real estate, reflecting its diversification in international markets, whereas GQRE focuses entirely on U.S. real estate with 174 securities, indicating a preference for large U.S.-listed REITs.
- Market Outlook and Strategy: With potential interest rate declines from the Federal Reserve, HAUZ's portfolio of international securities may be undervalued following market downturns, and although GQRE offers higher yields, HAUZ's cost advantage may lead to better performance in the coming years.
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