Dream Office sells a downtown Toronto building

Article Excerpt

Dream Office’s high-quality boutique office buildings (unique buildings with smaller floorspace) should outperform older buildings during this period of weaker office fundamentals. Recent initiatives, like the sale of 438 University Ave., have strengthened the REITs balance sheet and liquidity, and they also support its high distribution. DREAM OFFICE REIT, $17.58, is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol D.UN; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.dream.ca/office; Units o/s: 16.3 million; Market cap: $333.2 million; Dividend yield: 5.7%) currently has sold its 438 University Ave. office tower in the heart of downtown Toronto for $105.6 million. Dream will continue to manage the property. To facilitate the transaction, the REIT has secured agreements to relocate tenants occupying 17,000 square feet of the building to vacant space in Dream’s other downtown Toronto properties. Moving several existing tenants to other Dream properties is expected to increase operating income in those buildings above $1 million annually. It also decreases vacant space in those buildings. Dream Office remains a buy. buy…