Topic: How To Invest

The Successful Investor Hotline – Friday, March 14, 2025

Article Excerpt

RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, $18.52, Toronto symbol REI.UN, is a buy. 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%. The Hudson’s Bay Company, which operates 96 department stores in seven provinces, has filed for creditor protection as it restructures its debt. As a result, it will probably close or sell some of its stores and attempt to re-negotiate many of its leases. Through a joint venture, RioCan co-owns seven Hudson’s Bay stores. Even if these stores close, that will have little impact on the REIT’s revenue and cash flow. Moreover, RioCan has a strong history of finding replacement tenants for bankrupt stores, usually at higher rental rates. The trust expects its cash flow per unit will rise about 6% in 2025 to between $1.89 and $1.92 per unit. The units trade at an attractive 9.7 times the midpoint of that range. Moreover, with the March 7,…