RioCan’s new strategy is paying off

Article Excerpt

RioCan’s plan to narrow its focus to major urban areas and to diversify into residential properties helped it weather the COVID-19 lockdowns. The trust’s recent distribution increase is another sign its strategy is working. RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $25 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Units outstanding: 317.8 million; Market cap: $7.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 6.8; Distribution yield: 4.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.riocan.com) owns all or part of 207 shopping centres and other properties across Canada, as well as 13 projects under development. Its overall occupancy rate is a high 96.8%. RioCan announced a new strategy in October 2017 to boost investor value. The biggest part of that plan was for it to concentrate on six major urban markets: Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. As a result, the REIT sold most of its suburban malls and other properties in smaller cities. The trust also continues to diversify beyond retail properties—residential units now represent 82.8%…