RioCan looks to the U.S.

Article Excerpt

RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $18.05 (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Units outstanding: 234.4 million; Market cap: $4.2 billion; SI Rating: Average) has announced its first expansion into the U.S. The trust has formed a joint venture with Cedar Shopping Centers (New York symbol CDR), which owns shopping centres in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic U.S. The joint venture will hold seven of Cedar’s malls in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. RioCan will own 80% of this new company. It will also receive common shares and warrants in Cedar that would give it a 15% stake. In return, RioCan will pay Cedar $181 million U.S. This figure includes $75 million of mortgages related to the seven shopping centres that will belong to the joint venture. RioCan will assume these mortgages as part of the deal, which will close in stages, and should be completed during the first quarter of 2010. The new joint venture will help RioCan make further purchases in the U.S., which will help diversify the…