Closed-End Funds Corner Property Market

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Seven of the 10 best-performing closed-end funds in the second quarter targeted the real estate market. After four consecutive months of rising home sales, investors are betting the worst is over.

Pending home sales, a leading economic indicator, rose 0.1% in May from April and 4.6% from a year earlier. Foreclosures drove prices down to dirt-cheap levels in some parts of the country, while low mortgage rates stoked buying. The National Association of Realtors' Housing Affordability Composite Index, which compares the median home price to median incomes, climbed to a record at the beginning of the second quarter.

Best-Performing Closed-End Funds in the Second Quarter Fund (Ticker) Rating Totl Rtrn 2nd Qtr Totl Rtrn 1 Mo Millennium India Acquisition Co Inc (SMCG) U 124.14% 5.98% Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund Inc (RQI) E 105.67% 4.13% Cohen & Steers Worldwide Realty Income Fund Inc (RWF) E 102.62% 13.44% Cohen & Steers REIT and Preferred Income Fund Inc (RNP) D- 99.17% 1.60% LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc (RIT) D- 97.47% 15.39% Cohen & Steers Premium Income Realty Fund Inc (RPF) E 93.43% 1.01% Cohen & Steers Advantage Income Realty Fund Inc (RLF) E 87.77% -0.89% Templeton Russia and East European Fund (TRF) C 86.07% -20.08% India Fund Inc/The (IFN) C+ 83.76% 5.89% Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund (JRS) E+ 81.48% 11.94% Source: TheStreet.com Ratings & Bloomberg

The Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund(RQI Quote), the top-performing fund that targets property, doubled its value by investing in U.S. real estate investment trusts, or REITs. Among the fund's holdings, Macerich(MAC Quote) nearly tripled its value as U-Store-It Trust(YSI Quote) and Host Hotels & Resorts(HST Quote) climbed more than 100%.

Shares of the Cohen & Steers Worldwide Realty Income Fund(RWF Quote) also doubled. Nearly half of this fund's holdings are outside the U.S., with 7.2% in the U.K., 6.5% in Australia, 6.3% in Japan and 6.1% in Hong Kong. The fund benefited from gains of 100% or more in Keppel Land of Singapore and ProLogis European Properties of Luxembourg.

The emerging markets, especially Brazil, Russia, India and China, are expected to lead the world in economic growth during the next decade. Two funds that invest in India and one designed to track Russian companies made our list.

President Barack Obama's efforts to renew ties with Russia are boosting the outlook for direct investment in Russian companies by U.S. businesses. The Templeton Russia and East European Fund(TRF Quote) gained 86% in the second quarter, despite a 20% drop in June. The fund's biggest contributors included CTC Media(CTCM Quote), which rose 159%; Mechel(MTL Quote), up 104%; and Vimpel-Communications(VIP Quote), up 80%.