Investing in monthly-paying dividend stocks that are part of recession-resistant sectors allows you to create a low-cost passive income stream. So, it’s crucial to identify quality companies that are positioned to maintain these payouts across market cycles.
One such TSX stock is Slate Grocery (TSX:SGR.UN), which owns and operates grocery-anchored real estate in the United States. Slate Grocery owns US$1.3 billion of critical real estate infrastructure across major U.S. metro markets that communities rely upon for their everyday needs.
The REIT’s resilient grocery-anchored portfolio and strong credit tenants provide unitholders with durable cash flows and the potential for capital appreciation over the longer term.
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A strong performance in Q1 of 2025
Slate Grocery REIT delivered impressive results in the first quarter (Q1) with exceptional leasing momentum driving organic growth. The real estate investment trust completed over 220,000 square feet of leasing during the quarter, achieving record-high renewal spreads of 17% above expiring rents and new deals at 22% above comparable in-place rents.
Same-property net operating income increased 4.3% on a trailing 12-month basis, adjusting for completed redevelopments. Portfolio occupancy remained stable at 94.4%, while average in-place rents of US$12.72 per square foot remain below the national market average of US$23.85, providing runway for continued rent increases. This mark-to-market opportunity represents a 47% discount to current market rates, positioning SGR for sustained organic growth.
SGR’s strategic focus on grocery-anchored retail provides defensive characteristics in uncertain economic times. The portfolio comprises 95% grocery-anchored properties across 116 assets in 23 states, with 69% of tenancies being essential, including world-class grocers such as Walmart (#1), Kroger (#2), and Ahold Delhaize (#7).
Management emphasized that grocery-anchored real estate facilitates critical last-mile food distribution, with over 94% of grocery sales fulfilled through physical stores, despite the growth of e-commerce.
The REIT benefits from limited retail supply constraints, with retail experiencing the lowest new construction among major property types, at just 1.6% forecasted supply growth, compared to 8.5% for industrial. High construction costs and tight lending conditions further reinforce barriers to new retail development, creating a favourable environment for rent growth.
SGR maintains a robust financial position with only US$179 million of debt maturing in 2025, representing less than 13% of total debt. The REIT successfully completed US$634 million of refinancings in 2024 and has advanced discussions underway for the remaining 2025 maturities.
With 93.1% fixed-rate debt and a 4.7% weighted average interest rate, SGR is well-positioned to manage refinancing activities. The company trades at a significant 25.5% discount to net asset value despite having the lowest in-place rents and the highest grocery-anchored percentage among peers.
Management expressed confidence in the acquisition pipeline while maintaining disciplined capital allocation focused on grocery-anchored properties in growing Sunbelt markets, where 57% of the portfolio is located.
Is the dividend stock a good buy right now?
Slate Grocery pays shareholders a monthly dividend and offers a yield of 8% in 2025. Over the last five years, TSX dividend stock has returned 135% to shareholders in dividend-adjusted gains.
Despite these outsized returns, analysts forecast that the TSX stock will return 14% to shareholders over the next 12 months, based on consensus price targets. If we adjust for dividends, cumulative returns could be closer to 22%.
