Two high-quality REITs for dependable income

Article Excerpt

When investing in retail-focused REITs, investors should pay close attention to the quality of their properties as well as their tenants—both directly affect their distributions. Here are two REITs to count on for steady monthly payments. RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $18 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Cyclical-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Units outstanding: 300.5 million; Market cap: $5.4 billion; Distribution yield: 6.2%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.riocan.com) owns all or part of 188 shopping centres and other properties across Canada, including nine under development. Its occupancy rate is 97.1%. With the March 2024 payment, RioCan raised your monthly distribution by 2.8%, to $0.0925 a unit from $0.09. The annual rate of $1.11 yields a high 6.2%. In the past 12 months, the trust paid out 60.5% of its cash flow as distributions, which is within its target payout range of 55% to 65%. The REIT continues to benefit from its 2017 strategy to focus on six major urban markets—Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary,…