High-yield REITs with gains ahead

Article Excerpt

RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $25.78 (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Units outstanding: 325.6 million; Market cap: $8.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 5.5%; www.riocan.com) is Canada’s largest real estate investment trust. In the three months ending December 31, 2016, RioCan’s revenue rose only slightly, to $291.6 million from $291.1 million a year earlier. That’s because the REIT sold its U.S. portfolio in May 2016. However, the sale was offset by the new properties RioCan bought in 2016 for $595 million. Cash flow—excluding the U.S. properties—increased 17.9% in the latest quarter, to $132.0 million from $112.0 million a year earlier. Due to more units outstanding, cash flow per unit fell 9.1%, to $0.40 from $0.44. To counter the negative impact that online shopping has had on mall traffic, RioCan continues to redevelop some of its retail properties to include office and residential space. The trust has also begun to seek out mall tenants that sell experiences instead of goods. That includes cinemas and fitness…