Loblaw increases REIT stake

Article Excerpt

LOBLAW COMPANIES $58.33 (Toronto symbol L; Shares outstanding: 413.5 million; Market cap: $24.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.7%; www.loblaw.ca) has sold 16 more properties to Choice Properties REIT (Toronto symbol CHP.UN). These assets consist of 15 retail stores and one warehouse with over 1.3 million total square feet. The sale price was $211.9 million. Loblaw transferred the bulk of its real estate holdings to Choice in September 2013. Choice now owns 472 properties, and Loblaw accounts for roughly 93% of its earnings. Choice Properties paid for about half of the latest purchase price in units. That increased Loblaw’s interest in the REIT to 83.0% from 82.2%. Loblaw is a buy. buy…