These office REITs have sustainable payouts

Article Excerpt

Demand for office space continues to recover from COVID-19 lockdowns, and the resulting shift to remote work. That rebound should let these two REITs maintain their current payouts. ALLIED PROPERTIES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $16 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol AP.UN; Cyclical-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Units outstanding: 128.0 million; Market cap: $2.0 billion; Distribution yield: 11.3%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.alliedreit.com) owns 186 office buildings, including eight properties under development. The overall occupancy rate is 85.9%. Allied last raised your monthly distribution with the January 2023 payment by 2.9%. The current annual rate of $1.80 a unit yields a very high 11.3%. Payments accounted for 88.5% of its cash flow in the latest quarter. Revenue in the quarter ended March 31, 2025, rose 4.9%, to $150.6 million from $143.6 million a year earlier. However, higher costs and interest expenses, cut cash flow by 12.4%, to $71.1 million, or $0.509 per unit, from $81.1 million, or $0.581. In 2025, Allied intends to sell non-core…