Gain with mall reopenings

Article Excerpt

RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $22 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Units outstanding: 317.8 million; Market cap: $7.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 6.0; Distribution yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.riocan.com) continues to rebound as its shopping malls re-open. In the three months ended June 30, 2021, revenue rose 10.3%, to $297.7 million from $269.9 million a year earlier. The trust collected 94.9% of its rents in the quarter. That’s because “strong” tenants, such as grocery and drug stores, supplied 61% of its revenue. RioCan got a further 18% of its rents from “stable” tenants with a good ability to keep paying their rents. “Potentially vulnerable” tenants such as cinemas, gyms and sit-in restaurants, accounted for the remaining 21%. RioCan’s cash flow per unit in the quarter also improved 14.3%, to $0.40 from $0.35. The REIT’s cash flow will likely total $1.54 a unit in 2021. The stock trades at a reasonable 14.3 times…