TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian real estate investment trusts may have limited upside after this year's stunning rally, but healthy yields should ensure they make a solid investment through a tentative economic recovery.

Like many other sectors, Canadian REITs tumbled in value during the global financial crisis, though not nearly as hard as their US counterparts.

The drop was from concern that their funds from operations — a key measure that investors use to gauge a trust's ability to make its monthly distribution — were in peril from a slumping economy.

But REITs, focused on holding income-producing real estate assets, have also been winners as global stock markets rallied off the multiyear lows of March. Prices jumped as much-feared payout cuts failed to materialise. Experts said this will likely remain the case.

"There's no real reason for REITs to sell off," said Dennis Mitchell, portfolio manager of the Sentry Select REIT Fund, a nearly exclusive mix of Canadian REITs, with assets under management of C$194 million as of the end of August.

"Investors who are looking to get into the REIT market right now should bank on getting their distribution. There doesn't seem to be a case for a lot of downside, so it's really a question of how much upside they'll realise."

As of Friday, the S&P/TSX REIT index was up about 62 percent from the 2009 low it hit in March, That topped the broader TSX composite index's gain of about 50 percent over the same time frame.