Lower payout is more sustainable

Article Excerpt

DREAM OFFICE REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $18 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol D.UN; Cyclical-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio; Manufacturing sector; Units outstanding: 19.4 million; Market cap: $349.2 million; Dividend yield: 5.6%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.dream.ca) owns 28 office properties, including two under development. The downtown Toronto market supplies 75% of rental revenue and accounts for 82% of the portfolio’s value. The REIT consolidated its units on a 1-for-2 basis in February 2024. However, to conserve cash for debt repayments, Dream did not adjust the monthly distribution of $0.08333, effectively cutting the payment by 50%. The $1.00 annual rate nonetheless yields 5.6%. In the first quarter of 2024, distributions accounted for 45% of the REIT’s cash flow. Dream Office REIT is still a buy. buy. …