Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hi, Pat. What is your recommendation on SmartCentres REIT (TSX:SRU.UN) given Walmart Canada is a major tenant? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: SmartCentres REIT, $32.31, symbol SRU.UN on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 141.9 million; Market cap: $5.4 billion; www.smartcentres.com), has ownership interests in 152 mostly Walmart-anchored shopping centres with total leasable area of 34.0 million square feet across Canada. It also owns one office and four mixed-use properties. Seven projects are now in development. The REIT continues to intensify and diversify its properties by adding residential and other uses to the existing sites. That should help diversify its revenue outside the bricks-and-mortar retail segment, which continues to grapple with competition from online shopping. SmartCentres raised its monthly distribution by 2.8% with the November 2019 payment, to $0.15417 from $0.15. The units now yield a high 5.7%. We’ll say more about SmartCentres REIT in an upcoming Advice for Inner Circle Members email. Meanwhile, SmartCentres REIT is okay to hold. hold…