New projects will lift these REIT distributions

Article Excerpt

ALLIED PROPERTIES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $43 (Toronto symbol AP.UN; Cyclical-Growth Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Units outstanding: 93.0 million; Market cap: $4.0 billion; Dividend yield: 3.6%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.alliedreit.com) owns 146 office buildings, mainly in major Canadian cities. Together, they comprise over 10.9 million square feet of leasable space. Most of the properties are classified as Class I buildings. That designation refers to 19th- and early-20th-century industrial buildings now used as office space. They often have exposed beams and brick walls, and hardwood floors. With the January 2018 payment, Allied raised its monthly distribution by 2.0%, to $0.13 a unit from $0.1275. The new annual rate of $1.56 yields 3.6%. In June 2018, the REIT sold $299 million of its units to reduce the debt on one of its Toronto properties by $132 million. The proceeds would also let it pay down some of its lines of credit. While acquisitions have been a big part of Allied’s past growth, the REIT will…