Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What is your opinion of Partners REIT? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Partners Real Estate Investment Trust, $7.82, symbol PAR.UN on Toronto (Units outstanding: 25.7 million; Market cap: $200.8 million; www.partnersreit.com), owns 35 retail properties in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. In all, these shopping centres contain 2.4 million square feet of leasable space. Partners’ properties include malls and shopping centres that are mostly located in smaller cities, such as London, Ontario, and Selkirk, Manitoba. Its largest tenants include Canadian Tire, Shoppers Drug Mart, Wal-Mart, Sears, Rona, Metro and the Quebec government. The trust completed its purchase of NorRock Realty Finance Corporation in early 2012. NorRock holds a portfolio of mortgage loans and investments connected to Canadian commercial real estate. After it closed the deal, Partners consolidated its units on a 1-for-4 basis. In 2012, Partners paid $175.1 million for 12 retail and mixed-use properties in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. In all, these buildings contain 721,189 square feet of leasable area. These purchases helped push up the trust’s revenue by 78.1% in…