These High-Yielding Mortgage REITs Could Benefit From the Banking Tumult

As small banks batten-down their hatches, many will steer clear of commercial real estate loans. That could create opportunities for mortgage trusts that invest in such loans, including

Starwood Property Trust

(ticker: STWD) and

Blackstone Mortgage Trust

(BXMT).

The real estate investment trusts that hold commercial property loans have had their own challenges, with office and retail vacancies, but the best-managed of these REITs are comfortably covering their dividend payouts. And after 20% to 40% drops in their stocks over the past year, their dividend yields generally exceed 10%.