These high-yield distributions are steady

Article Excerpt

CHOICE PROPERTIES REIT $14 (Toronto symbol CHP.UN; Cyclical-Growth Payer Portfolio; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Units o/s: 668.2 million; Market cap: $9.4 billion; Dividend yield: 5.3%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.choicereit.ca) acquired Canadian REIT (old symbol REF.UN) on May 7, 2018. The merger created Canada’s biggest real estate investment trust: 753 properties, including 22 under development, for a total of 66.8 million square feet of retail, industrial and office space. Supermarket operator Loblaw (Toronto symbol L) formed Choice Properties in 2013 to hold its real estate properties. On November 1, 2018, Loblaw transferred its 61.6% stake in Choice Properties to its parent company George Weston Ltd. (Toronto symbol WN). Under the terms of the deal, Loblaw shareholders received 0.135 of a Weston common share for each L share they held. As a result, Weston now owns 65.4% of the REIT. As well, Loblaw shareholders hold 16.8% of Weston’s shares. Choice Properties pays monthly distributions of $0.061667 a unit. The annual rate of $0.74…