This stock offers limited prospects

Article Excerpt

You should remain wary of stocks that attract broker/media attention because of high-profile products or services, and their business models. Here’s a closer look at one stock with risks that prospective investors should take into consideration: AUTOMOTIVE PROPERTIES REIT, $11.99, (Toronto symbol APR.UT; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (automotivepropertiesreit.ca; Units o/s: 49.1 million; Market cap: $588.2 million; Dividend yield: 6.7%) is a real estate investment trust that owns 77 commercial properties across cities in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, B.C. and Quebec. The properties offer 2.9 million square feet of space for car dealerships. Its tenants sell a wide variety of vehicles. The REIT yields 6.6%. The Dilawri Group occupies 37 of the REIT’s 77 properties for use as automotive dealerships or, in one case, an automotive repair facility. Dilawri is the largest tenant, accounting for 54% of the company’s rental income. It also owns 31.4% of the REIT. The units trade at just 12.5 times the forecast 2024 cash flow of $0.96 a unit. However, the trust’s exposure…