These high yields still look sustainable

Article Excerpt

H&R REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $23 (Toronto symbol HR.UN; Cyclical-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Units o/s: 285.7 million; Market cap: $6.6 billion; Divd. yield: 6.0%; Divd. Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.hr-reit.com) owns 35 office buildings, and 319 retail, 90 industrial and 22 residential properties. It also has seven projects in development. H&R last raised its monthly distribution by 2.2% in December 2016. The $1.38 annual rate yields a high 6.0%; the resulting payout equals roughly 79% of cash flow. In the three months ended December 31, 2018, the REIT’s overall revenue decreased 0.2% to $297.4 million from $298.0 million a year earlier. Cash flow per share fell 3.3%, to $0.433 per unit from $0.448. In 2018, H&R completed the sale of its 50% interest in Calgary’s F1RST Tower for $53.5 million. The REIT later sold its 63 U.S. retail properties for $633 million U.S. H&R also sold non-core industrial and retail assets during the year for $72.1 million. Those proceeds helped the REIT’s U.S.-based Landtower Residential…