These REITs have focused growth plans

Article Excerpt

The market plunge at the start of the COVID-19 crisis lowered the unit price of most REITs. That’s because the pandemic forced many businesses—and REIT tenants—to temporarily close. However, the pandemic has waned, and rental markets are recovering. That will let these two REITs maintain, or even raise, their current high distributions. CHOICE PROPERTIES REIT, $14.72, is a buy. Canada’s biggest REIT (Toronto symbol CHP.UN; Units o/s: 327.8 million; Market cap: $10.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Yield: 5.0%; www.choicereit.ca) owns 701 retail, industrial, office space and residential properties with 64.0 million square feet of gross leasable area. George Weston Ltd. (Toronto symbol WN) owns 61.7% of the trust. In 2022, the REIT spent $204.3 million buying new properties. It also sold $876.5 million in properties. Due to that net decline in properties held, Choice’s revenue fell 2.1% in the quarter ended December 31, 2022, to $334.7 million from $341.9 million a year earlier. It finished the quarter with an occupancy rate of 97.8%. Cash flow fell…