Agency REIT is a 'bond-like equity' that can balance out a portfolio
Mark Hines, managing director at Left Brain Investment Research, says that AGNC Investment Corp. -- a residential agency real estate investment trust with a yield north of 8 percent -- is the kind of bond-like stock that investors can use to bridge the gap between high-flying stocks and low-yielding bonds. He notes that investors get the security of investments backed by agencies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but with the leverage that AGNC uses to goose returns, making for an investment that should safely deliver steady returns.