These top REITs deliver income and growth

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RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $23.69 (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Units outstanding: 326.0 million; Market cap: $7.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 6.0%; www.riocan.com) owns all or part of 299 shopping centres and other properties in Canada. That includes 15 properties now under development. In all, the REIT controls 45 million square feet of rentable space. Its overall occupancy rate is a high 96.7%. RioCan’s revenue rose 3.6% in the quarter ended June 30, 2017, to $285.6 million from $275.7 million a year earlier. Thanks mainly to the increased revenue, cash flow in the quarter gained 9.8%, to $0.45 per RioCan unit from $0.41. To cut its exposure to the retail industry, the REIT continues to add new office and residential properties. It has now received zoning approval for 11 million square feet of new space. Of that amount, 5 million is for residential use. The trust has also begun to seek out mall tenants that sell experiences instead of goods. That includes…