H&R REIT shifts its focus

Article Excerpt

H&R REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $9.42 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol HR.UN; Cyclical-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Units outstanding: 262.0 million; Market cap: $2.5 billion; Distribution yield: 6.4%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.hr-reit.com) owns 377 residential, industrial, office and some retail properties in Canada and the U.S. The trust’s overall occupancy rate is a solid 95.9%. H&R last increased your monthly distribution by 11.1% with the January 2023 payment. The annual rate of $0.60 a unit yields an attractive 6.4%. Due to recent asset sales, in January 2024, it also paid a special distribution of $0.62 a unit ($0.52 in units plus $0.10 in cash). H&R now focuses on Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and cities in the U.S. Sunbelt. It also plans sell its retail and office properties so it can focus on its more promising residential and industrial holdings. H&R REIT is a buy. buy…