NEW YORK, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cohen & Steers' flagship real estate fund--one of the longest-tenured open-end mutual funds of its kind--is celebrating its 25(th) year since inception. Launched in 1991, Cohen & Steers Realty Shares (symbol CSRSX) had $6.0 billion in assets (as of June 30, 2016).

"When Marty Cohen and I started the Fund, REITs were relatively unknown to most investors," said Robert Steers, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Cohen & Steers. "It took courage for financial advisors and consultants at the time to see the opportunity in listed real estate and recommend Cohen & Steers Realty Shares to their clients. As we look back, we are delighted to see how that trust has paid off for our investors."

Over its 25-year history, the Fund has delivered a 12.4% annualized return and has earned a 4-star overall Morningstar rating,((1)) backed by the industry's largest dedicated REIT investment team.

Mr. Steers continued, "The Fund's track record is a testament to the performance of U.S. real estate securities and to the value of investing with a specialist REIT manager who has the experience and resources to help investors navigate inefficient markets."

Thomas Bohjalian, Executive Vice President and Head of U.S. Real Estate added, "We believe that an allocation to REITs is a critical component of building better portfolios. REITs have historically provided strong returns that are often differentiated from the broad equity market, potentially helping to enhance a portfolio's risk-adjusted returns over time. With many investors looking to add diversification and income alternatives, we believe REITs are likely to play an increasingly important role in investor portfolios."

The Fund's investment objective is to achieve total return through investments in real estate securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and other equity securities of any market capitalization issued by real estate companies, including real estate investment trusts (REITs) and similar REIT-like entities.



                                   COHEN & STEERS REALTY SHARES AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS NET OF FEES, AS OF 6/30/16.

                                                                          FTSE NAREIT Equity
                                         Fund                              REIT Index(a)                                   S&P 500 Index(b)
                                         ----                               ------------                                   ---------------

               QTD                               5.70%                                               6.96%                                   2.46%
               ---                                ----                                                 ----                                     ----

             1 Year                             21.31%                                              24.04%                                   3.99%
             ------                              -----                                                -----                                     ----

             3 Year                             13.40%                                              13.57%                                  11.65%
             ------                              -----                                                -----                                    -----

             5 Year                             11.38%                                              12.60%                                  12.09%
             ------                              -----                                                -----                                    -----

             10 Year                             7.33%                                               7.45%                                   7.42%
             -------                              ----                                                 ----                                     ----

              Since
            Inception
             (7/2/91)                           12.37%                                              11.74%                                   9.33%
            ---------                            -----                                                -----                                     ----


    Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Current performance
     may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The investment return and the principal value of an investment will
     fluctuate and shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. An investor cannot invest directly
     in an index and index performance does not reflect the deduction of any fees, expenses or taxes. Since inception for FTSE
     NAREIT Equity REIT Index is calculated from nearest month-end. Periods greater than 12 months are annualized. Returns are
     historical and include change in share price and reinvestment of all distributions. Month-end performance information can
     be obtained by visiting our website at cohenandsteers.com.

    Expense Ratio: 0.96% as disclosed in the May 1, 2016 prospectus.

    (a) The FTSE NAREIT Equity REIT Index contains all tax-qualified REITs except timber and infrastructure REITs with more
     than 50% of total assets in qualifying real estate assets other than mortgages secured by real property that also meet
     minimum size and liquidity criteria.

    (b) The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged index of 500 large-capitalization stocks that is frequently used as a general measure
     of U.S. stock market performance.

Please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of any Cohen & Steers fund carefully before investing. A summary prospectus and prospectus containing this and other information may be obtained by visiting cohenandsteers.com or by calling 800 330 7348. Please read the summary prospectus and prospectus carefully before investing.

(1) Morningstar Category: US Real Estate Category Ratings are as of 6/30/2016 and are subject to change. The category consist of 301 funds, for each fund with at least a three-year history, Morningstar calculates its ratings based on a risk-adjusted return measure that accounts for variation in a fund's monthly performance (including the effects of sales charges, loads, and redemption fees), placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of funds in each category receive five stars, the next 22.5% receive four stars, the next 35% receive three stars, the next 22.5% receive two stars and the bottom 10% receive one star. Overall Morningstar rating is a weighted-average based on the 3-Year, 5-Year, and 10-Year Morningstar rating. The Fund has a 3-Year Four Star Morningstar Rating, a 5-Year Three Star Morningstar Rating and a Ten-Year Four Star Morningstar Rating.

Risks of Investing in Real Estate Securities. The Fund is subject to special risk considerations similar to those associated with the direct ownership of real estate due to its policy of concentration in the securities of real estate companies. Real estate valuations may be subject to factors such as changing general and local economic, financial, competitive and environmental conditions. The Fund is classified as a "non-diversified" fund under the federal securities laws because it can invest in fewer individual companies than a diversified fund. However, the Fund must meet certain diversification requirements under the U.S. tax laws.

Cohen & Steers open-end funds are distributed by Cohen & Steers Securities, LLC.

More information is available at cohenandsteers.com.

Symbol: (NYSE: CNS)

About Cohen & Steers. Cohen & Steers is a global investment manager specializing in liquid real assets, including real estate securities, listed infrastructure, commodities and natural resource equities, as well as preferred securities and other income solutions. Founded in 1986, the firm is headquartered in New York City, with offices in London, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seattle.

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SOURCE Cohen & Steers