A narrower focus will pay off for these REITs

Article Excerpt

H&R’s spinoff of Primaris let both REITs better focus on their main businesses and expand their cash flow. That improves the sustainability of their current distributions. H&R REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $9.75 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol HR.UN; Cyclical-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Units outstanding: 261.9 million; Market cap: $2.6 billion; Distribution yield: 6.2%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.hr-reit.com) owns 392 residential, industrial, office and some retail properties in Canada and the U.S. The trust’s overall occupancy rate is a solid 97.0%. H&R increased the monthly distribution by 11.1% with the January 2023 payment. The annual rate of $0.60 a unit yields an attractive 6.2%. It also paid a special distribution of $0.40 a unit ($0.35 in units plus $0.05 in cash). Thanks to the sale of non-core properties in 2023 for $432.9 million, the REIT plans to pay another special distribution of $0.62 a unit ($0.52 in units and $0.10 in cash) in January 2024. In 2022, H&R spun off most of its…