Buy these REITs for growth—and high yields

Article Excerpt

The market plunge at the start of the COVID-19 crisis hurt the unit price of most REITs. That’s because the pandemic forced many businesses—among them REIT tenants—to temporarily close. However, as the pandemic wanes, the economy is recovering. That lets the following two REITs maintain, or even raise, their high distributions. ALLIED PROPERTIES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, $27.84, is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol AP.UN; Units o/s: 128.0 million; Market cap: $3.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Divd. yield: 6.3%; www.alliedreit.com) creates value for investors through its existing 200 office buildings and 13 properties under development, in major Canadian cities. Occupancy is 89.5%. Most of the REIT’s buildings are categorized as Class I buildings, and together they comprise over 14.2 million square feet of leasable area. Class I refers to 19th- and early-20th-century industrial buildings that are now used as office space. In addition to hardwood floors, they often have exposed beams and brick walls. Allied acquired $359.4 million in properties and air rights in…