If you’re interested in earning monthly income, whether it’s to help pay your bills or to help you beat the market, then real estate investment trusts should interest you.
REITs own or finance income-producing properties and pay out close to 100% of their taxable income to shareholders, which result in very high yields. The safety of these yields are also very easy to confirm; all an investor needs to do is make sure that the company’s funds from operations per share meets or exceeds its distributions per share.
With all of this being said, let’s take a look at three REITs with high and safe yields of 4-7% that you could buy today.
1. Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust
Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX:CRR.UN) is one of the largest owners and operators of commercial real estate in Canada with 261 retail, mixed-use, and office properties across the country that total approximately 17.7 million square feet. It pays a monthly distribution of $0.07417 per share, or $0.89 per share annually, which gives its stock a yield of about 6.7% at today’s levels.
Investors must also note that Crombie has maintained its current annual distribution rate since 2009. However, I think its increased amount of funds from operations, including 3.2% year-over-year growth to an adjusted $0.96 per share in fiscal 2015, and its reduced payout ratio, including 92.8% in fiscal 2015 compared with 96.4% in fiscal 2014, could allow for a slight distribution increase in 2016.
2. Boardwalk REIT
Boardwalk REIT (TSX:BEI.UN) is one of Canada’s largest residential landlords with more than 200 communities totaling over 32,000 units and approximately 28 million net rentable square feet. It pays a monthly distribution of $0.1875 per share, or $2.25 per share annually, which gives its stock a yield of about 4.6% at today’s levels.
Investors must also note that Boardwalk has raised its annual distribution for four consecutive years, and the 10.3% hike it announced on February 18 has it on pace for 2016 to mark the fifth consecutive year with an increase.
3. Chartwell Retirement Residences
Chartwell Retirement Residences (TSX:CSH.UN) is the largest owner and operator of senior housing communities in Canada with 131 fully owned communities, 47 partially owned communities, and seven managed communities. It pays a monthly distribution of $0.046818 per share, or $0.561816 per share annually, which gives its stock a yield of about 4.4% at today’s levels.
Investors must also note that Chartwell raised its annual distribution by 1.9% in 2015, and the 2% hike it announced on February 25 has it on pace for 2016 to mark the second consecutive year with an increase.
Should you add a REIT to your portfolio today?
Crombie, Boardwalk, and Chartwell Retirement Residences are three of the best investment options in the real estate investment trust industry today. Foolish investors should take a closer look at each and strongly consider beginning to scale in to long-term positions in one of them.
