Urban focus will pay off for these REITs

Article Excerpt

These two REITs hold some of the best properties in Canada’s biggest cities. Those assets should let them keep raising your distributions. ALLIED PROPERTIES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $21 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol AP.UN; Cyclical-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Units outstanding: 139.8 million; Market cap: $2.9 billion; Distribution yield: 8.6%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.alliedreit.com) owns 199 office buildings and 13 properties under development, mainly in major Canadian cities. With the January 2023 payment, Allied raised your monthly distribution by 2.9%. The new annual rate of $1.80 a unit yields a high 8.6%. Allied’s revenue in the quarter ended June 30, 2023, rose 4.1%, to $136.1 million from $130.8 million a year earlier. However, due to higher interest expenses, its cash flow decreased by 3.3%, to $82.2 million from $85.1 million a year earlier. With more shares outstanding, cash flow per unit decreased by 3.0%, to $0.588 from $0.606. The REIT has now completed the sale of its three datacentres in downtown Toronto…