Closing Glance: REITs rise even as new home sales decline

Meanwhile, the Labor Department's report that claims for unemployment benefits declined by 33,000 last week to 342,000 came as a surprise after economists predicted claims would rise by 3,000.

Separately, Vornado Realty Trust was downgraded by Merrill Lynch to "Neutral" from "Buy."

Here's how some REITs performed:

Host Hotels & Resorts added 29 cents to $17.05.

Vornado Realty Trust gained $1.74 to $95.03.

Boston Properties Inc. rose $2.01 to $103.06.

Kimco Realty Corp. climbed $1.64, or 4.1 percent, to $41.37.