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Topic: How To Invest

REITs: RioCan aims to expand its shopping mall empire with new developments

RioCan REIT property: Empress Walk

Canada’s real estate investment trusts (REITs) were the only category of trusts exempted from the federal government’s income trust tax. This has helped them remain popular with investors seeking both income and capital gains. Today we examine the expansion plans of the largest of those trusts, a specialist in shopping malls.

RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $25 (Toronto symbol REI.UN; www.riocan.com) is the largest of Canada’s REITs. It specializes in big-box-style outdoor malls, and owns 314 retail properties, 10 of which are under development. Most are in suburban areas, where land is generally cheaper than in towns and cities.

RioCan also owns 38 malls in the U.S. through a joint venture with Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc. (New York symbol CDR). The trust owns 80% of this joint venture, as well as 14.3% of Cedar. RioCan often leaves room at its malls for expanding existing stores, and building new ones. This makes it easy to add more tenants.

The trust is also expanding into other types of developments. For example, it recently teamed up with KingSett Capital to buy the Sheppard Centre in northern Toronto. This property includes offices, retail stores and residential units.

How Successful Investors Get RICH

Learn everything you need to know in 'The Canadian Guide on How to Invest in Stocks Successfully' for FREE from The Successful Investor.

How to Invest In Stocks Guide: Find 10 factors that make your investments safer and stronger.

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REITs: RioCan continues to maintain high occupancy rate

The trust pays monthly distributions of $0.115 a unit, for a 5.5% annual yield. These payouts accounted for 106% of RioCan’s 2010 cash flow. However, 17.2% of RioCan’s investors take part in its distribution reinvestment plan, so it pays them in units, rather than cash. On this basis, cash payouts were a somewhat more reasonable 88% of its cash flow.

This REIT’s units trade at 16.3 times the $1.53 a unit that RioCan will likely earn in 2011, and 14.7 times its forecast cash flow of $1.70 a unit. These multiples are high, but so far they have been justified by RioCan’s high-quality properties and 97.5% occupancy rate. As well, national and multinational chains, like Wal-Mart, account for 86.0% of its rental revenue.

In the latest edition of The Successful Investor, we take a closer look at the costs and potential risks of RioCan’s venture into mixed-used properties. We conclude with our clear buy-sell-hold advice on the largest of Canada’s REITs.

You can get our latest risk-cutting strategies and clear, plain-English analysis of income –producing investments such as REITs and dividend-paying Canadian stocks in The Successful Investor. What’s more, you can get one month free when you subscribe today. Click here to learn how.

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