RioCan is still our favourite REIT

Article Excerpt

RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $22 (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Units outstanding: 252.3 million; Market cap: $5.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 6.3; Dividend yield: 6.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.riocan.com) operates 289 retail properties in Canada, mainly outdoor shopping malls. It also owns 28 malls in the U.S. through a joint venture it formed in 2009 with Cedar Shopping Centers Inc. (New York symbol CDR). RioCan owns 80% of this joint venture, and 14% of Cedar. The contribution from the new U.S. malls was the main reason why RioCan’s earnings rose 37.7%, to $39.2 million, in the three months ended September 30, 2010. A year earlier, the trust earned $28.4 million. Earnings per unit rose 33.3%, to $0.16 from $0.12, on more units outstanding. Cash flow per unit rose 20.0%, to $0.36 from $0.30. Revenue rose 14.6%, to $216.6 million from $189.0 million. RioCan pays monthly distributions of $0.115 a unit. The annual rate of $1.38 yields 6.3%. The trust paid out 95.4% of its…