S&P Dow Jones Launches Equal Weight REIT Index

""S&P Dow Jones Indices"":http://www.djindexes.com/, the largest provider of financial market indices in the world, announced the launch of the ""Dow Jones U.S. Select Equal Weight Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Index"":http://www.djindexes.com/realestate/index.cfm.

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The new index is designed to measure the performance of publicly traded REITs and REIT-like securities, serving as a proxy for direct real estate investment.

To be listed on the index, a company must be both an equity owner and operator of commercial or residential real estate. At least 75 percent of the company's total revenue must be derived from the ownership and operation of real estate assets.

""The launch of this Index is indicative of the investment community's growing interest in REITs,"" said Michael Orzano, associate director of global equity indices at S&P Dow Jones Indices. ""Equal-weighting is a logical product extension as market participants' attitudes towards REITs mature and they begin to seek more nuanced products in the asset class.""