RioCan goes beyond retail for growth

Article Excerpt

RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $25 (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Cyclical-Growth Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Units outstanding: 326.9 million; Market cap: $8.2 billion; Dividend yield: 5.6%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.riocan.com) started up in 1993 and now is Canada’s largest real estate investment trust. It owns all or part of 300 shopping centres. That includes 15 now under development. The trust last raised its monthly distribution with the February 2013 payment by 2.2%, to $0.1175 a unit from $0.115. The annual rate of $1.41 yields a high 5.6%. Jump in payout ratio not as big as it seems In the past 12 months, RioCan paid out 83.9% of its cash flow as distributions, up from 71.2% a year earlier. However, cash flow in that year-earlier period benefitted from a settlement with Target Corp., which closed all of its Canadian stores in 2015 (including 26 locations owned by RioCan). Factoring out that $88 million payment, the yearearlier payout ratio was 82.6%. The payout rate…