Primaris adds a property

Article Excerpt

PRIMARIS REIT, $13.37, is a buy. The trust (Toronto symbol PMZ.UN; Units outstanding: 96.5 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Yield: 6.3%; www.primarisreit.com) owns 39 enclosed and open air shopping malls in Canada totalling 12.5 million square feet. The occupancy rate is 94.2%. Primaris’s properties include its recently acquired Halifax Shopping Centre, and its Annex, in that city’s west end. The purchase price was $370 million. The shopping centre is the leading shopping centre in its market. In the quarter ended December 31, 2023, Primaris’ revenue rose 14.0%, to $113.8 million from $99.8 million a year earlier. Cash flow per unit climbed 3.9% in the quarter, to $0.402 from $0.387. In January 2023, the trust raised its monthly distribution by 2.4%; the new annual rate of $0.82 yields a high 6.3% for investors. The REIT aims to pay out 45% to 50% of its cash flow as distributions. Primaris REIT is a buy. buy. …