RioCan cuts its risk

Article Excerpt

RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, $14.06, is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Units o/s: 317.7 million; Market cap: $4.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Divd. yield: 10.2%; www.riocan.com) offers you a stake in 221 shopping centres and other properties across Canada. They include 15 projects under development. In all, RioCan controls 38.6 million square feet of rentable space. Its overall occupancy rate is a high 96.4%. RioCan has sold 50% of two mixed-use residential projects in Toronto and Ottawa in separate transactions. In all, it will get $32.6 million. Taking on partners—a prudent move in these uncertain times—will help RioCan offset the construction costs for these new developments. The cash will also help it keep paying distributions to investors. The units yield a very high 10.2%. RioCan REIT is a buy. buy…