Primaris is inexpensive

Article Excerpt

PRIMARIS REIT, $15.73, is a buy. The trust (Toronto symbol PMZ.UN; Units outstanding: 103.1 million; Market cap: $1.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Yield: 5.5%; www.primarisreit.com) owns 25 enclosed shopping malls, one open-air centre, seven plazas, four office buildings, and one industrial building, with 15.0 million square feet of leasable space. The occupancy rate is 94.5%. In the fourth quarter of 2024, revenue rose 25.8%, to $143.2 million from $113.8 million a year earlier. That jump reflects acquisitions and higher rental rates. Cash flow per unit rose by 14.4%, to $0.46 from $0.402. In February 2025, Primaris announced the closing of two acquisitions totalling $585 million. The new assets should lift its cash flow per unit in 2025 by about 3% to $1.73, and the units trade at an attractive 9.1 times that estimate. With the January 2025 payment, Primaris raised your monthly distribution by 2.4%. The new annual rate of $0.86 yields a high 5.5%. Primaris REIT is a buy. buy…