Topic: How To Invest

Q: Can you please give me your opinion of Slate Grocery REIT? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

A: Slate Grocery REIT, $13.50, symbol SGR.UN on Toronto (Units outstanding: 46.9 million; Market cap: $657.7 million; www.slategroceryreit.com) owns grocery-anchored real estate in major metropolitan markets in the U.S. The REIT’s holdings are across 20 states and comprise 9.6 million square feet of leasable area. Slate’s top five tenants are Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Ahold Delhaize and Southeastern Grocers. These five tenants account for 27% of its annual rental revenue. Slate’s overall occupancy is 92.3%. Starting with the January 2020 payment, the REIT raised its monthly distribution by 1.0%. As a result, investors now receive $0.0720 a unit instead of $0.0713. The annual rate of $0.86 yields a very high 8.3%. In the five years between 2016 and 2020, the REIT’s rental revenue increased by 30.0%, from $97.0 million in 2016 to $126.1 million in 2020. (All figures except share price and market cap are in U.S. dollars.) In the real estate business, REITs may report non-cash depreciation charges on the value of a building…