Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hi, Pat: Could I have your sage advice on NorthWest HealthCare Properties REIT? Thanks so much.

Article Excerpt

A: NorthWest HealthCare Properties REIT, $8.10, symbol NWH.UN on Toronto (Units outstanding: 52.5 million; Market cap: $420.2 million; www.nwhp.ca), owns 123 properties, with a focus on medical office buildings and clinics (70% of its portfolio) and hospitals (30%). The real estate investment trust is Canada’s largest non-government owner and operator of medical office buildings. In all, NorthWest’s properties contain 8.0 million square feet of leasable area. Its Canadian holdings are concentrated in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City and Halifax. It also owns buildings in Brazil, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. NorthWest has a 95.8% occupancy rate. The REIT first sold units to the public for $10 each and began trading on Toronto on March 25, 2010. In the three months ended September 30, 2015, NorthWest’s revenue jumped to $63.3 million from $11.8 million a year earlier. That’s because it recently merged with its international affiliate in an all-stock transaction. Cash flow jumped 67.4%,…