Topic: How To Invest

Dividend Advisor Hotline – Friday, March 21, 2025

Article Excerpt

RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, $17.22, Toronto symbol REI.UN, is a top pick for 2025. The REIT owns all or part of 186 shopping centres and other properties across Canada, including eight under development. Its occupancy rate is a high 97.8%. RioCan cut its monthly distribution by 33.3% to $0.96 a unit (on an annual basis) in February 2021 as retailers shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the restrictions eased, the trust resumed annual distribution increases. Under that policy, RioCan increased your monthly distribution by 4.3% with the March 7, 2025, payment. Investors now receive $0.0965 a unit from $0.0925. The new annual rate of $1.158 yields a solid 6.7%. The Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), which operates 96 department stores in seven provinces, has filed for creditor protection as it restructures its debt. As a result, it will close 90 of its stores. Through a joint venture, RioCan owns 22% of 10 Hudson’s Bay stores. It also has a direct 50% stake in…