A Yield to Caution: Automotive Properties REIT

Article Excerpt

AUTOMOTIVE PROPERTIES REIT $11 (Toronto symbol APR.UN; Units outstanding: 49.2 million; Market cap: $541.2 million; Dividend yield: 7.3%; www.automotivereit.ca) is a real estate investment trust that owns 79 commercial properties across cities in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, B.C. and Quebec—plus the state of Ohio. The REIT’s properties offer 3.0 million square feet of space for a wide variety of car dealerships. Automotive Properties pays monthly distributions of $0.067 a unit; the annual rate of $0.804 yields a high 7.3%. The Dilawri Group exclusively occupies 36 of the REIT’s dealerships and is the REIT’s largest tenant; it accounts for about 52% of Auto Properties’ rental income. As well, Dilawri owns 31.2% of the REIT. Since it first sold units to the public in July 2015, Automotive Properties has purchased 53 new sites. These property acquisitions included dealerships for luxury car brands such as Jaguar, Aston Martin, BMW, Porsche and Mercedes. The REIT’s units trade at a low 10.8 times forecast 2025 cash flow of $1.02 a unit. However, its…