Buy Dundee, hold off on PRT

Article Excerpt

DUNDEE REIT $24.77 (Toronto symbol D.UN; SI Rating: Speculative) (416-365-3535; www.dundeereit.com; Shares outstanding: 35.5 million; Market cap: $879.7 million; Dividend yield: 8.9%) owns and manages 6.7 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space, including 48 office buildings and 34 industrial properties. Dundee reported revenue of $61 million in the three months ended March 31, 2010. That’s up 26.7% from $48.1 million a year earlier. The best way to measure a real estate investment trust’s operating performance is by looking at its cash flow, and Dundee’s cash flow rose 35.4% in the latest quarter, to $16.6 million from $12.3 million. However, cash flow per unit fell 8.4%, to $0.54 from $0.59, on more units outstanding. The trust’s occupancy rate was 97% in the latest quarter, up from 95.4% at the end of 2009. Higher occupancy and acquisitions were the main reasons for the higher revenue and cash flow. Dundee pays a monthly distribution of $0.183, for an 8.9% annual yield. Because it’s…