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Topic: Dividend Stocks

This REIT continues to diversify its holdings to reduce risk

The 250 shopping centers and similar properties owned by this Real Estate Investment Trust already help deliver a high 5.8% distribution. Still, the company is taking steps to reduce its dependence and risk on that market by adding as many as 5,000 residential units over the next five years.

Those new units will come from 17 projects now under development.


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RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $25 (Toronto symbol REI.UN; www.riocan.com) owns all or part of 250 shopping centres and other properties across Canada. They include 17 projects now under development.

The trust continues to add residential and office units to cut its exposure to retail stores.

Dividend Stocks: Leases for the first rental development are signed

As part of that plan, RioCan expected to have leased the units of its first rental development for midtown Toronto, eCentral, before the end of 2018. Those 466 apartments make up 20% the 2,300 rental units now in development as part of the REIT’s new RioCan Living portfolio.

The trust launched RioCan Living in March 2018 to take advantage of the shortage of new apartment buildings in large Canadian cities. The goal is to expand RioCan Living to 5,000 rental units within the next five years.

Online shopping continues to hurt demand for retail space at the trust’s malls. RioCan Living is meant to reduce the resulting risk for the trust’s malls.

As well, the REIT is still focused on six major urban markets: Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. As part of that strategy, it will sell around 100 properties. When it completes the plan in 2020, those six cities will account for 90% of its rental revenue.

So far, the trust has sold $1.3 billion of its less-important properties, or 63% of its $2.0 billion target.

Due to property sales, RioCan’s revenue in the third quarter of 2018 quarter fell 2.7%, to $278.9 million from $286.7 million a year earlier. As well, its cash flow decreased by 2.4%, to $147.3 million from $151.0 million. However, cash flow per unit rose 2.5%, to $0.47 from $0.46, on fewer units outstanding.

RioCan’s total debt was $6.45 billion on September 30, 2018. That’s a high 85% of its market cap. However, the trust staggers the maturities of these mortgages and debentures so that it only has to pay back a manageable portion each year. It also held cash of $134.0 million.

The REIT recently raised its monthly distribution by 2.1%. Investors now receive $0.12 a unit instead of $0.1175. The new annual rate of $1.44 yields a high 5.8%. In the latest quarter, RioCan paid out 78.0% of its cash flow. That’s below its target payout ratio of 80.0%.

The units trade at 13.7 times the likely 2018 cash flow of $1.95 a unit. That’s a reasonable multiple in light of the trust’s high-quality properties and tenants.

RioCan is also in a strong position to profit from the legalization of recreational marijuana. It has already signed leases for retail stores in Alberta. Moreover, marijuana retailers can expect to pay premium rental rates per square foot.

Recommendation in The Successful Investor: RioCan is a buy.

Comments

  • Stephen G 

    You guys continue to produce great research, therefore good ideas…..I like your take on the dividend stocks which have been very good to me over the years. Slow and patient wins the race.

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