Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What is your opinion of Canadian Apartment Properties REIT?

Article Excerpt

Canadian Apartment Properties REIT, $17.25, symbol CAR.UN on Toronto (Units outstanding: 68.8 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion; www.capreit.net), is a real-estate investment trust that owns multi-unit residential properties, including apartment buildings and townhouses. The trust’s properties are located in major cities across Canada. In all, CAP REIT owns 27,228 residential suites. The trust also owns two land-lease communities that consist of 1,316 sites. One is Wilmot Creek, in Newcastle, Ontario. The other is Grand Cover, in Grand Bend, Ontario. Homeowners in these communities have bought single-storey land-lease homes from CAP REIT. The trust retains ownership of the land and leases it to the homeowners. This cuts the customer’s purchase price. Monthly lease payments give CAP REIT steady income. In the three months ended September 30, 2010, CAP REIT’s revenue rose 4.9%, to $84.7 million from $80.7 million a year earlier. Cash flow per unit rose 5.6%, to $0.38 from $0.36. Lower operating costs and higher average rents pushed up the…