Two retail REITs with rising distributions

Article Excerpt

These two retail-focused REITs recently raised their distributions. That follows the continuing resurgence in foot traffic at malls following COVID-19 lockdowns. Both these REITs also benefit from recent acquisitions, which will boost their cash flow and distributions. CHOICE PROPERTIES REIT $14 is a buy. Canada’s biggest REIT (Toronto symbol CHP.UN; Cyclical-Growth Payer Portfolio; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Units outstanding: 723.7 million; Market cap: $10.1 billion; Distribution yield: 5.5%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.choicereit.ca) owns 705 properties, with 67.2 million square feet of retail, industrial, mixed-use and residential space. Investors also benefit from its high 97.6% occupancy rate. Note—George Weston Ltd. (Toronto symbol WN) owns 61.7% of the trust. With the April 2025 payment, Choice will raise your monthly distribution by 1.3%, to $0.064 a unit from $0.063333. The new annual rate of $0.77 yields a high 5.5%. The REIT spent $79.2 million on acquisitions in the fourth quarter of 2024. It also disposed of three non-core retail properties for $20.6 million. As a result, Choice’s revenue in…