Institutional investors, including pension funds, are acquiring U.S. timberland at a rate of one million acres per year, according to Bank of America, viewing it as a strategic long-term investment. However, some financial advisors caution that timber is a very low-return investment in the short term, with current supply exceeding demand leading to flat prices. The National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries' Timberland Property Index posted a total return of 0.95% in Q2 2026. While pine pulpwood and sawtimber prices in South Carolina fell by approximately 33% and 6% respectively from Q3 2025 to Q3 2026, hardwood sawtimber prices rose about 40% in the same period.