Bargain-hunters look to U.S. real estate stocks as S&P nears records

As the S&P 500 approaches fresh highs, some investors hope to pick up bargains in the battered U.S. real estate sector, where values of some major stocks have been cut in half this year.Coronavirus-fueled lockdowns and a major shift toward working from home have weighed on residential and retail U.S. real estate investment trusts.The sector has slid 7% this year compared with a 3% gain on the S&P 500.