REIT Downgrades Cast Gloomy Note As September Begins

September has generally been described as a difficult month for the stock market. This trend dates back almost 100 years and is sometimes attributed to investors making changes to their portfolios by taking profits as summer ends.

This year, the post-Labor Day holiday week began in dour fashion for several real estate investment trusts (REITs) as a slew of analyst downgrades hit the wires shortly before the opening bell on Sept. 5.

Take a look at five downgrades that negatively impacted the…