As Russia’s reckless war crimes intensify, the world watches with the awe and exasperation you’d expect from civilized societies. In the last few months, we’ve stood strong as our economies were impacted by the intense sanctions meant to mitigate the mayhem levied by Russia. We’ve seen gas price increases, inflation, and other ancillary economic effects as the war in Ukraine rages on.

Yesterday, at the G20 intergovernmental economic forum, fearless financial leaders from around the globe walked out to protest the presence of Russia.

From CNN:

Finance ministers from multiple nations walked out of a closed-door G20 session in Washington on Wednesday when the Russian delegate began his prepared remarks, a show of protest against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen participated in the walkout, as did European and other Western officials who were participating in the meeting.

Canada’s finance minister Chrystia Freeland wrote on Twitter, “The world’s democracies will not stand idly by in the face of continued Russian aggression and war crimes.” She tweeted a photo of officials who left [the] meeting, including Yellen, US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde.

So it appears that even after the investment bans, oil sanctions, enterprise pauses, and vodka boycotts, our last piece of ammo is a good old-fashioned protest. Of course, it wasn’t enough to eject the global aggressor from the G20 gallery.

Sadly, eliminating Moscow would require support from all members of the summit, which is kind of unlikely since, well, China. However, it is nice to see the good intentions of our global economic elite on full display.

Did it have any impact on Wall Street? Well, the Dow closed about 250 points higher and the S&P dipped 0.062%, so not really. At the end of the day, I suppose it was more of a photo-op than anything else, but I guess it’s good to know we remain on the right side of history.

More Non-REIT News to Know About

Apollo Global Jumps on the Twitter Train

After Elon put up his $43 billion pitch, it appears the world’s largest speech platform is in play. Apollo Global Management Inc., an American global alternative investment management firm, seems to be considering placing a bid for Twitter, as reported by those close to the company.

Apollo currently enjoys a fabled status as one of the globe’s most feared takeover firms, having already purchased organizations like Yahoo!, ADT Security, Redbox, and more.

With about $500 billion in its portfolio and a penchant for purchasing a wide array of companies, taking aim at Twitter is nothing shocking for this next-level investment firm.

It usually invests across a company’s capital structure, providing preferred equity or debt, in addition to seizing straightforward buyouts.

In terms of Twitter, there’s no telling what’s to come. But a strategic acquisition by such an accredited company could put more heat on Elon’s endeavor.

The World According to REITs

In chapter 11 of my book, The Intelligent REIT Investor Guide, I go into what it takes to be a blue-hip pick in the REIT world. Proven management, good corporate governance, and strong balance sheets are some of the main considerations when looking for a healthy bottom line in the blue-hip realm. Below, I went ahead and assessed a couple of this year’s REITs that meet these criteria.

Digital Realty Trust (DLR)

Digital Realty Trust is a REIT that obtains, grows, and manages data centers. With a global presence in 50 metro areas to support over 178,000 cross-connects, this massive trust is making waves in the REIT world.

The company’s bookings hit an all-time peak of $156 million in Q4 2021, giving it a super promising 2022. Bookings from these types of properties seldom exceeded $50 million—until 2017, which underscores the wide shift from on-premises servers to data centers in recent years. Data from top research firm Gartner indicates global spending on data center systems will increase more than 11% in 2022 to $226 billion, which should continue advancing companies like Digital Realty.

Does this, make them a blue chip for 2022? Well, I definitely wouldn’t bet against it.

Stag Industrial (STAG)

Stag Industrial is a REIT focused on the acquisition and operation of industrial properties throughout the United States. This is a perfect investment to expose your portfolio to this growing segment. It obtains and rents industrial properties but focuses on e-commerce-related properties, which make up about 40% of its portfolio.

Its top brass believes e-commerce penetration could grow to 30% by the end of the decade, which could mean a need for increased warehouse space and distribution centers, much like the properties Stag Industrial acquires.

STAG grew its FFO, the cash profits that REITs report, by 19% year-over-year in 2021. Industry reports also indicated that industrial space finished the year with huge demand.

Think about how much you buy online—from clothes to books, even groceries. With more and more warehouse space needed to house these products, STAG looks like an investment worth checking out.