Retail REITs top list for 2004

REITs returned 30.4% in 2004, according to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Washington. The top performer was retail REITs, with the 34 companies in the sector returning an average 40.2%. Apartment REITs returned an average 34.7%, and industrial REITs, 34.1%. For the five years ended Dec. 31, REIT stocks produced a compound return of 22.5%, based on the NAREIT Composite index.