Top REITs for income and growth

Article Excerpt

RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $25.57 (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Units outstanding: 264.0 million; Market cap: $6.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 5.4%; www.riocan.com) is Canada’s largest REIT. It has interests in 305 shopping malls in Canada, including 10 under development. These properties contain over 73 million square feet of leasable area. RioCan’s occupancy rate is 97.5%. RioCan also owns an 80% interest in 35 malls in the U.S. through joint ventures. As well, it owns 14% of Cedar Shopping Centers, a U.S. REIT that owns malls anchored by supermarkets and drug stores, mainly in the northeastern U.S. In the three months ended June 30, 2011, revenue rose 12.3%, to $228 million from $203 million a year earlier. Cash flow per unit rose 5.9%, to $0.36 from $0.34. RioCan’s units yield 5.4%. RioCan continues to see lots of growth opportunities in Canada and the U.S. So far this year, the trust has bought interests in 18 properties (12 in Canada and 6 in…