New projects enhance their appeal and cash flow

Article Excerpt

These two retail-focused REITs continue to benefit as shoppers return to their mall and other retail properties. Longer term, both REITs should also gain as they build more mixed-use properties with residential units. CHOICE PROPERTIES REIT $14 is a buy. Canada’s biggest REIT (Toronto symbol CHP.UN; Cyclical-Growth Payer Portfolio; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Units outstanding: 723.5 million; Market cap: $10.1 billion; Distribution yield: 5.3%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.choicereit.ca) owns 701 retail, industrial, office space and residential properties with 64.0 million square feet of gross leasable area. George Weston Ltd. (Toronto symbol WN) owns 61.7% of the trust. Choice pays a monthly $0.061667-per-unit distribution. The annual rate of $0.74 yields a high 5.3%. In the latest quarter, those payments totalled 102.7% of cash flow. During the quarter ended September 30, 2022, the REIT spent $19.9 million buying new properties. It also sold $39.2 million in properties. Due to that net decline in properties held, Choice’s revenue fell 2.2% in the third quarter of 2022 to $309.1 million…