Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (NASDAQ: KBWY)

Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (NASDAQ:KBWY), Trade Ideas

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iShares FTSE NAREIT Retail Capped Index Fund

It&#39;s no wonder why so many real estate investment trusts (REITs) have terrible market performance in 2022. After all, the Federal Reserve&#39;s ongoing rate hikes will continue to hurt the real estate sector.

3 REIT Focused ETFs Paying Consistent Dividends, Poised To Benefit From Fed Pivot

Large Cap

Long Ideas

Mid Cap

Offerings

APLE

iShares FTSE NAREIT Mortgage PLUS Capped Index Fund

Over a 10-year period, equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) tend to have a higher annualized return than mortgage REITs, which have an average return of 8.2%.

These 2 REITs Have Soaring Yields: Mortgage REITs Versus Equity REITs

Short Ideas

Commodities

FENY

iShares Dow Jones US Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Index Fund

Go-go days for the exchange trade funds industry don&#39;t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. With equities racing higher, investors continue pouring cash into ETFs at a record pace.

3 Of 2020&#39;s Worst ETFs: So Much Wasted Energy

It&#39;s no wonder why so many real estate investment trusts (REITs) have terrible market performance in 2022. After all, the Federal Reserve&#39;s ongoing rate hikes will continue to hurt <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/real-estate">the real estate sector</a>.
Currently, exchange traded funds (ETFs) are down further than the S&amp;P 500 &mdash; which is down roughly 17% year-to-date&nbsp;&mdash; it may be wise to stash these three <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/22/11/29790534/these-3-mortgage-reits-have-yields-of-over-13-and-are-trading-for-far-less-than-theyre-worth">funds in your watchlist</a>.
Once the Fed decides to make a pivot, it will eventually be less expensive to borrow money for loans (REITs outperformed the S&amp;P 500 from 1972 to 2019 with annual returns of 13.3% compared to 12.1%, respectively). Until then, these three REIT ETFs are offering steady dividends and will help diversify your portfolio:
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/real-estate/reit/22/11/29809568/the-major-reits-is-a-bottom-now-in-store-or-is-this-another-relief-rally">The Major REITS: Is A Bottom Now In Store Or Is This Another Relief Rally?</a>
<h3>Invesco</h3>
Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/kbwy#NASDAQ">KBWY</a>) offers a dividend yield of 6.78% or $1.40 per share annually, making monthly payments, with an inconsistent track record of increasing its dividends. The fund invests at least 90% of its total assets in the securities of small- and mid-cap equity REITs that have competitive dividend yields and are in the KBW Nasdaq Premium Yield Equity REIT Index.
Invesco&#39;s top three holdings include:
<ul>
<li>Global Net Lease (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gnl#NYSE">GNL</a>) making up 6.63% of the fund</li>
<li>Office Properties IT (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/opi#NASDAQ">OPI</a>) totaling 6.29% of the portfolio, and</li>
<li>Necessity Retail REIT (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rtl#NASDAQ">RTL</a>) totaling 5.97% of the portfolio.</li>
</ul>
<h3>iShares</h3>
iShares Trust iShares Global REIT ETF (ARCA: REET) offers a dividend yield of 3.88% or 89 cents per share annually, using quarterly payments, with an inconsistent track record of increasing its dividends. The fund tracks the investment results of an index composed of global real estate equities in developed and emerging markets.
iShares&#39; top three holdings include:
<ul>
<li>Prologis (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pld#NYSE">PLD</a>) totaling 7.73% of the fund</li>
<li>Equinix (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/eqix#NASDAQ">EQIX</a>) accounting for 4.31% of the ETF</li>
<li>Public Storage (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/psa#NYSE">PSA</a>) which accounts for 3.36% of the portfolio.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Vanguard</h3>
Vanguard Real Estate ETF (ARCA: VNQ) offers a dividend yield of 3.65% or $3.12 per share annually, through quarterly payments, with an infrequent track record of increasing its dividends. Vanguard Real Estate ETF seeks to provide high income and moderate long-term capital growth by investing in stocks issued by commercial REITs, primarily in companies that purchase office buildings, hotels, and other real property. Vanguard tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index.
Vanguard&#39;s top three REIT holdings include:
<ul>
<li>Prologis (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pld#NYSE">PLD</a>) making up 7.26% of the ETF</li>
<li>American Tower (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amt#NYSE">AMT</a>) accounting for 6.71% of the fund, and</li>
<li>Crown Castle (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cci#NYSE">CCI</a>) which accounts <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/22/10/29273931/why-paul-tudor-jones-trades-these-2-equity-reits">for 4.1% of the portfolio</a>.</li>
</ul>
To read about the latest developments in the industry, check out <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/real-estate">Benzinga&#39;s real estate home page </a>

Over a 10-year period, equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) tend to have a higher annualized return than mortgage REITs, which have an average return of 8.2%. Meanwhile, mortgage real estate investment trusts tend to have a higher five-year average dividend yield of 10.8%, which is much <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/22/10/29386435/looking-for-double-digit-returns-3-mortgage-reits-you-can-buy-for-less-than-theyre-worth">higher than equity REITs</a>.
<img alt="" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u1108081/screen_shot_2022-10-31_at_2.38.42_pm.png" style="height:378px; width:539px" />
The main difference between an equity REIT and a mortgage REIT is that equity REITs own the real estate and earn income through rents, while mortgage REITs lend money to real estate owners and collect the interest on those loans.
The Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/kbwy#NASDAQ">KBWY</a>) which is constructed using a dividend yield-weighted methodology that seeks to reflect the performance of approximately 24 to 40 small- and mid-cap equity REITs in the United States, is down nearly 20% year-to-date. While its mortgage REIT ETF counterpart, iShares Trust iShares Mortgage Real Estate ETF (BATS: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rem#BATS">REM</a>) is down over 31% year-to-date, and has 50 holdings diversified evenly across small, mid, and large-cap equities, also allocating a little less than half of its assets to the financial services sector.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/22/10/29467044/these-2-mortgage-reits-have-yields-above-10-and-have-gone-unnoticed-trading-at-a-steep-d">These 2 Mortgage REITs Have Yields Above 10% And Have Gone Unnoticed Trading At A Steep Discount</a>
See how this mortgage REIT stacks up against an equity REIT.
Dynex Capital Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dx#NYSE">DX</a>) is offering a dividend yield of 12.99% or $1.56 per share annually, conducting monthly payments, with an infrequent track record of increasing its dividend payments. Dynex Capital is a mortgage real estate investment trust and primarily invests in residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities.
In the third quarter, Dynex Capital saw its book value decrease by $2.56 per share to $14.23 per share as of Sept. 30, 2022. Although realized gains on interest rate hedges included in GAAP results were $149.6 million for the third quarter and $486&nbsp;million year-to-date.
&ldquo;While we experienced a decline in book value during the quarter related to this volatility and spread widening, our liquidity remains solid. We are prepared and well-positioned to benefit when the markets find equilibrium,&rdquo; stated Byron L. Boston, CEO of Dynex Capital.
Apple Hospitality REIT Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aple#NYSE">APLE</a>) is offering a dividend yield of 5.62% or 96 cents per share annually, through monthly payments, with a track record of increasing its dividends once in the past year. Apple Hospitality is a real estate investment trust that invests in income-producing real estate, primarily in the lodging sector&nbsp;in the United States. Apple Hospitality owns one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of upscale, rooms-focused hotels with a portfolio consisting of 220 hotels with approximately 29,000 guest rooms located in 87 markets throughout 37 states.
Justin Knight, CEO of Apple Hospitality in the second quarter press release mentioned, &ldquo;We remain confident in the resiliency of travel, the merits of our underlying strategy and our ability to continue to drive strong total returns for our shareholders over time.&rdquo; The firm increased its monthly cash dividend to $0.08 per share for November 2022.
Apple Hospitality&rsquo;s hotels include 96 hotels under the banner name Marriott International Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mar#NASDAQ">MAR</a>), 119 branded hotels under Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/hlt#NYSE">HLT</a>), four Hyatt branded hotels <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/22/10/29416648/hilton-worldwide-issues-q4-outlook-lifts-fy22-earnings-guidance-above-expectations">and one independent hotel</a>.
Now Check Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/real-estate-investment">Benzinga&#39;s Complete Guiden To Real Estate Investing&nbsp;</a>

Go-go days for the exchange trade funds industry don&#39;t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. With equities racing higher, investors continue pouring cash into ETFs at a record pace.
&ldquo;Assets invested in ETFs and ETPs listed globally reached new records of US$7.62 trillion&nbsp;and net inflows reached a new record of US$670.57 billion&nbsp;at the end of November,&rdquo;<a href="https://etfgi.com/news/press-releases/2020/12/etfgi-reports-assets-invested-etfs-and-etps-listed-globally-reached-new"> according to report published Monday</a> by ETFGI, a London-based ETF research firm.
With just a few trading days left in 2020, the S&amp;P 500 is higher by 13.3% year-to-date. All things considered, that&#39;s pretty good work against the coronavirus backdrop.
Still, nearly 120 U.S.-listed ETFs are lower by at least 30% this year. Even when stripping out <a href="https://etfgi.com/news/press-releases/2020/12/etfgi-reports-assets-invested-etfs-and-etps-listed-globally-reached-new">leveraged ETFs,</a> there are still plenty of ETFs turning in depressing performances this year. Hint:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/20/11/18438871/bearish-energy-etf-could-growl-this-month?viewDesktop=1"> many hail from the energy sector</a>.
To be precise, 119 ETFs, including leveraged fare, are lower by 30% or more in 2020. Of that group, 37 are energy funds of varying types.
In an effort to mix things up a bit, we&#39;ll highlight two here while including a non-energy dud.
Fidelity MSCI Energy Index ETF (FENY)
At least the Fidelity MSCI Energy Index ETF (NYSEARCA: FENY) has the lowest annual fee (0.084%) among its peers. Otherwise, this fund is a clunker, as seen in its&nbsp;year-to-date loss of 34%. And no, we&#39;re not picking on FENY. Its SPDR and Vanguard rivals are also in the dubious down-30%-this-year club.
The big headwind for FENY and its brethren is massive Exxon Mobil (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xom#NYSE">XOM</a>). The Fidelity ETF allocates <a href="https://screener.fidelity.com/ftgw/etf/goto/snapshot/snapshot.jhtml?symbols=FENY&amp;type=sq-NavBar">over 20% of its weight </a>to the downtrodden former Dow stock, making the fund vulnerable should Exxon ultimately decide to pare its dividend to conserve cash.
Speaking of dividends, FENY yields over 10%, but that may be more cause for concern than invitation to get involved.
iShares U.S. Oil &amp; Gas Exploration &amp; Production ETF (IEO)
The iShares U.S. Oil &amp; Gas Exploration &amp; Production ETF (NYSEARCA: IEO) sits right around the 30% year-to-date loss line, a less poor&nbsp;showing relative to funds like FENY because the iShares ETF has larger exposure to refiners than its traditional rivals.
For the brave, the 2021 case of IEO likely boils down to two factors.
First, there&#39;s rebounding oil demand at the hands of pent-up travel demand &mdash;&nbsp;but don&#39;t bet on demand for jet fuel being the driver. Second, ConocoPhillips (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cop#NYSE">COP</a>) needs to get in a groove because it accounts for 15.1% of IEO&#39;s roster.
Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (KBWY)
In another lesson in why eye-popping dividend yields are usually warning signs, the Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/kbwy#NASDAQ">KBWY</a>) is down 33% this year, bringing its yield to 10.85%.
KBWY tracks the KBW Nasdaq Premium Yield Equity REIT Index and invests &ldquo;90% of its total assets in the securities of small- and mid-cap equity REITs that have competitive dividend yields and are publicly-traded in the US,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.invesco.com/us/financial-products/etfs/product-detail?productId=ETF-KBWY">according to Invesco.</a>
Buoyed by recent momentum for small caps, KBWY is higher by almost 12% over the last month, but it needs a lot to go right to improve in 2021. Smaller stocks, REITs and the value factor are need to push higher to give KBWY some credibility as a 2021 idea.

3 Of 2020's Worst-Performing ETFs: So Much Wasted Energy

This year has been a perfect storm for real estate investment trusts (REITs) and the corresponding exchange-traded funds. Not only has the Federal Reserve passed on raising interest rates to this point in the year, but real estate will become the eleventh GICS sector at the end of August, providing another boost to REIT ETFs.
Investors are taking note of those themes, as real estate ETFs have been among this year&#39;s prolific asset gatherers at the sector level.
&ldquo;Demand for US real estate securities accelerated in May, as exchanged traded funds focused on the investment segment gathered $1.31 billion of new money, up from $510.4 million in April. The popularity of REIT ETFs persisted last month even as health care and information technology ETF had net client withdrawals,&rdquo; said <a href="http://trymsatoday.com/">S&amp;P Capital IQ</a> in a note out Wednesday.
<h3>A Dream-Home REIT?</h3>
The Vanguard REIT Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vnq#NYSE">VNQ</a>) remains a popular destination for real estate investors. 
<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/16/05/8027517/more-help-coming-for-reit-etfs">More Help Coming For REIT ETFs</a></bzrelatedlink>
VNQ remains the largest of these ETF, at $31.39 billion, aided by $486 million of monthly inflows. Relative to the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/spy#NYSE">SPY</a>)'s 8.6 percent year-to-date gain through June 18 was stronger. VNQ pulled in $2.56 billion of new money in the first five months of the year,&rdquo; said S&amp;P Capital IQ. 
<h3>Interest Rates And REITs/REIT ETFs</h3>
REITs and the corresponding ETFs are sensitive to interest rates, and with the Federal Reserve now eyeing a July rate hike, these funds could be pinched in the near term. However, investors may be able to overlook one small rate hike when they know massive buying of REIT ETFs&#39; components is coming in August, because active managers are massively under-allocated to real estate stocks.
&ldquo;According to S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence research, real estate securities are underweighted in many actively managed mutual funds ahead of the pending GICS sector elevation of REIT,&rdquo; said S&amp;P Capital IQ. &ldquo;However, passively managed securities providing exposure to the segment logged $3.5 billion of net inflows in the first five months, with assets totaling $47.82 billion at the end of May.&rdquo;
The PowerShares KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT Portfolio (PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kbwy#NYSE">KBWY</a>)), which was highlighted here last week, is another real estate benefiting from low interest rates and <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/16/06/8106455/this-high-yield-reit-etf-is-on-fire">investors&#39; thirst for yield</a>.
KBWY &ldquo;rose 16 percent year-to-date as of June 18; KBWY pulled in an additional $11.6 million in new assets. KBWY tracks an index that consists of small- and mid-cap REITs and is weighted based on the constituents&#39; dividend yield,&rdquo; said S&amp;P Capital IQ.

Real Estate ETFs Keep Rocking

Long gone are the days when investors options for income were limited to high dividend stocks and bonds and the corresponding exchange-traded funds. While the ETF industry has recently been criticized, perhaps rightfully so, for bringing too many new products to market, issuers have also introduced some unique and viable ways of generating income.
<h3>Yet Another New Name</h3>
The PowerShares DWA Tactical Multi-Asset Income Portfolio (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/dwin#NASDAQ">DWIN</a>) is an example of a new, income-oriented ETF that merits consideration.
DWIN follows the Dorsey Wright Multi-Asset Income Index. That index &ldquo;invests its assets in the shares of other, underlying exchange-traded funds eligible for inclusion in the Index, rather than in securities of individual companies. The Index is designed to select investments from a universe of income strategies with the criteria for inclusion based on a combination of relative strength and current yield,&rdquo;<a href="https://www.invesco.com/portal/site/us/financial-professional/etfs/product-detail?productId=DWIN&amp;title=powershares-dwa-tactical-multi-asset-income-portfolio"> according to PowerShares</a>.
<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/16/06/8132889/amid-asset-surge-fallen-angel-bond-etf-trims-fees">Amid Asset Surge, Fallen Angel Bond ETF Trims Fees</a></bzrelatedlink>
In plain English, DWIN&#39;s selection universe is quasi-limited to the PowerShares ETFs with income strategies. That really is not all that limiting because PowerShares, the fourth-largest U.S. ETF sponsor in terms of assets, has one of the largest lineups in terms of total number of products. That includes an expansive group of fixed income funds, including hot emerging markets and<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/16/06/8128053/fed-indulges-this-preferred-etf"> preferred stock ETFs.</a>
DWIN came to market in March, and in just over three months on the market, the ETF has already shuffled constituents. The ETF is now home the Alerian MLP (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/amlp#NYSE">AMLP</a>), the largest MLP ETF and not a PowerShares fund. The PowerShares KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT Portfolio (PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kbwy#NYSE">KBWY</a>)) is another new addition to DWIN&#39;s lineup. 
When DWIN first came to market, it held a Build America bonds ETF and a common stock ETF, which means those are the funds that have subsequently departed DWIN. 
<h3>Approach To Income</h3>
There is something to DWIN&#39;s approach to income because figuring out what income-generating asset class will lead at the start of a given year is not easy. As PowerShares data indicate, since 2007, only two income asset classes have been annual leaders on multiple occasions: MLPs and preferred stocks.
DWIN has another nifty feature. Should markets go completely haywire, the ETF can allocate up to 80 percent of its lineup to conservative U.S. Treasurys.
While the ETF has not yet crossed the much ballyhooed $100 million in assets under management mark, data suggest investors are warming to the fund. In just over three months on the market, DWIN has nearly $73 million in assets with $25.4 million of that total arriving over the past month.

New ETFs

AMLP

DWIN

Yield Hunt Benefits This New ETF

Perhaps the biggest reason investors embrace real estate investment trusts (REITs) is for the above-average yields. These days, finding income-generating assets with yields that beat the 1.6 percent on 10-year Treasurys is not difficult.
Even some traditional REIT exchange-traded funds yield north of 4 percent. Investors can do even better than by emphasizing high-yield corners of the REIT universe, which can be accomplished with the PowerShares KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT Portfolio (PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kbwy#NYSE">KBWY</a>)).
<h3>It's All In The Numbers</h3>
Two numbers standout regarding KBWY. The first is 12 percent, that being the ETF&#39;s year-to-date gain, which is nearly double that of the largest REIT ETF. The second is 5.57 percent, which is the ETF&#39;s 12-month distribution rate, meaning KBWY&#39;s yields 135 basis points more than <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/16/01/6153985/reit-etfs-still-offering-consistent-dividend-growth">the largest REIT ETF</a>.
<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/16/05/8027517/more-help-coming-for-reit-etfs">More Help Coming For REIT ETFs</a></bzrelatedlink>
With above-average yields being one of the primary reasons income investors turn to REITs, it is notable that the asset class is participating in the recent dividend growth seen throughout the broader financial services sector. Real estate stocks will be classified as financial services names until late August when real estate separates into the <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/15/11/5970447/hey-at-least-reit-etfs-deliver-dividend-growth">eleventh S&amp;P 500 sector</a>.
KBWY tracks the KBW Nasdaq Premium Yield Equity REIT Index, which &ldquo;is calculated using a dividend yield weighted methodology that seeks to reflect the performance of approximately 24 to 40 small- and mid-cap equity REITs in the United States,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.invesco.com/portal/site/us/financial-professional/etfs/product-detail?productId=KBWY&amp;ticker=KBWY&amp;title=powershares-kbw-premium-yield-equity-reit-portfolio">according to PowerShares</a>.
With its emphasis on high-yield smaller stocks (KBWY&#39;s holdings have an average market cap of $2.1 billion) and the REIT universe&#39;s own frothy valuations, it is not surprising that KBWY appears expensive as highlighted by the ETF&#39;s price-to-earnings ratio of over 51. REITs are seen as richly valued relative to the S&amp;P 500, trading at an earnings multiple that is more than double that of the benchmark U.S. index and nearly triple that of the broader financial services sector.
Over the past five years, KBWY has outperformed the widely followed Dow Jones U.S. REIT Index by 113 basis points.

This High-Yield REIT ETF Is On Fire

Rising interest rates have an affect on all asset classes throughout the market, however the magnitude will vary dramatically.

	Sectors that generally distribute above-average income via dividends will be hurt more during a rising interest rate environment.

	The U.S. real estate investment trust (REIT) sector has long been an area for investors to both gain access to the property market as well as regular income. After a strong start to the year the sector has been struggling and is now greatly lagging the S&amp;P 500.

	The heavily traded iShares Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/iyr#NYSE">IYR</a>) is only up two percent this year and is 13 percent below the 2013 high. The return does not include the quarterly dividend that currently stands at a yield of 3.93 percent.

	REIT ETFs Outperforming

	Not all REIT ETFs are created equal based on where they invest their money and in what types of properties. For example, the PowerShares KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kbwy#NYSE">KBWY</a>) is up 10.7 percent in 2013 and it offers a yield of 5.1 percent. The ETF focuses on approximately 24 to 40 small-cap and mid-cap REITs that are weighted to the holdings with the highest dividend yield. The focus on the smaller REITs combined with higher dividends has been a factor in why KBWY has been able to outperform.

	Another outperformer is the iShares Europe Developed Real Estate ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ifeu#NYSE">IFEU</a>), which is up 10.4 percent this year. The ETF recently hit a multi-year high before pulling back to begin the month of November. The ETF concentrates solely on European companies with the U.K. and France making up 65 percent of the allocation. The current dividend yield is 3.0 percent.

	The PowerShares Active U.S. Real Estate ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/psr#NYSE">PSR</a>)is an actively managed ETF that bases it portfolio on statistical and quantitative metrics. Year-to-date the ETF is up 5.6 percent and it pays a 2.7 percent dividend yield. The portfolio is rebalanced every month to meet the proprietary criteria. The expense ratio is higher than most of its peers at 0.80 percent.

	Investors looking to continue to have exposure to the REIT sector should think outside the box and veer from the typical REIT ETF. Whether it be small-cap stocks or international or an actively traded ETF, it appears the opportunities lie in the niche and often overlooked REIT ETFs.

iShares FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Europe Index Fund

IFEU

iShares Trust Dow Jones US Real Estate Fund Index

Outside the Box REIT ETFs (IYR, KBWY, IFEU, PSR)

CHIX

iShares MSCI Ireland Capped Investable Market Index Fund

EIRL

FLYX

FOIL

ETF Deathwatch for July 2011: The Count Increases to 155

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) have come back from the brink they flirted with during the financial crisis to once again be a preferred destination for income investors. <a href="http://marketbulletin.com/etf.php">ETF</a> issuers have been there to meet renewed investor interest in REITs with the addition of several REIT-specific ETFs in the past year.

One of these rookie REIT ETFs is the PowerShares KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kbwy#NYSE">KBWY</a>), which made its debut in December. As is often the case with new ETFs, some make their debuts to wide acclaim while others fly under the radar. KBWY definitely fits in the latter category, though that isn't a knock.

KBWY will typically hold 24 to 40 small-cap and mid-cap REITs (it held 30 stocks as of Monday), so you're not likely to find some of the large-cap REITs you may already be familiar with in this ETF. 

KBWY is well-balanced as Medical Properties Trust (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mpw#NYSE">MPW</a>) and CommonWealth REIT (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cwh#NYSE">CWH</a>) are the fund's top two holdings, but each get weights of less than 5%. 

There are some positives with KBWY, not the least of which is that it is a monthly dividend payer, which is nice for investors that want a more regular income stream. With a yield of 4.96%, the KBWY compares favorably or is superior on the basis of yield to more popular REIT ETFs.

Any criticism of KBWY would revolve around points that are not uncommon for ETFs that are this new. Liquidity is poor at about 4,700 shares a day and the ETF has only attracted $3.8 million in assets under management, but the yield should be enough to at least get an investor interested.

Given the market's glum performance recently, KBWY now has an ugly chart, so smart investors can probably pick this ETF up at a better price in a week or two and that could prove to be a wise move.