Two high-yield trusts with growth ahead

Article Excerpt

DUNDEE REIT $32.85 (Toronto symbol D.UN; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (416-365-3535; www.dundeereit.com; Shares outstanding: 38.9 million; Market cap: $2.0 billion; Dividend yield: 6.7%) owns and manages 14.7 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space. The trust has a high 96.1% occupancy rate. In the three months ended March 31, 2011, Dundee’s revenue rose 57.4%, to $91.0 million from $57.8 million a year earlier. That’s mainly because the trust bought about $475 million of new properties in the quarter, mostly in Ontario. Dundee’s cash flow rose 72.9% in the quarter, to $28.8 million from $16.6 million. Cash flow per unit rose just 1.9%, to $0.55 from $0.54, on more units outstanding. (The trust issued units to pay for the acquired properties.) The trust pays a monthly distribution of $0.183, for a 6.7% annual yield. Because it’s a REIT, Dundee is exempt from Ottawa’s tax on income-trust distributions, which came into effect on January 1, 2011. Dundee’s growth-by-acquisition strategy adds risk. However, its purchases are…