These top REITs are poised for a rebound

Article Excerpt

The market plunge at the start of the COVID-19 crisis lowered prices for most REITs. That’s because the pandemic forced many businesses to temporarily close. However, the waning pandemic should see the economy increasingly normalize in the next several months. That will let these two REITs maintain their current distributions, or even raise them. CHOICE PROPERTIES REIT, $14.76, is a buy. Canada’s biggest REIT (Toronto symbol CHP.UN; Units outstanding: 723.4 million; Market cap: $10.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 5.0%; www.choicereit.ca) creates value for investors through its 709 properties, with a total of 65.8 million square feet of retail, industrial and office space. The trust’s occupancy rate is a high 97.1%. George Weston Ltd. (Toronto symbol WN) owns 61.7% of outstanding units. Choice continues to perform well despite COVID-19. That’s because essential retailers such as supermarkets and drugstores contribute over 80% of Choice’s rents. That includes Loblaw (Toronto symbol L), which accounts for 55% of its rental revenue. As a result, revenue rose by 1.2%…