Strength of REITs shows market offers no easy money

Given the headlines that have been streaming across every media outlet, most people wouldn't guess that real estate investment trusts (REITs) were relatively strong performers for the first quarter of 2008.

But that's exactly what happened. According (subscription required) to the Wall Street Journal, "a Dow Jones index of U.S. equity REITs posted a 1.4% gain in total return for quarter, out pacing the 9.4% decline in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index."

Self-storage REITs were up 20% for the quarter. Huh? Who would have thought that self-storage would get hot!

The point is that it is impossible to beat the market based on following the news. Everyone knew real estate was going to be lousy -- and it was. But markets are a discounting mechanism, and the stocks had already been sold off to reflect the predicted weakness.

What will REITs do in the second quarter? I couldn't tell you. But for what it's worth, Ben Stein thinks they're a buy, telling investors in a speech that "I'm buying all [the REIT units] I can get my little paws on. These are God's gift to retirees."