With GICs (Guaranteed Investment Certificates) offering the lowest rates in a few years, many Canadian investors may be ready to move on already. While you can’t really raise the bar on your yield without raising the profile, I think that there are far better alternatives out there for the many Canadians who’ve only begun to shy away from GICs and other risk-free assets.
Indeed, there’s really nothing quite like an investment that offers guaranteed returns over a specified timeframe. But in an era where inflation is pretty much close to the risk-free rate, you’ll get the only guarantee, which might be that you won’t be able to rake in a “real” return or a return adjusted after inflation.
And if recent rate cuts from the Bank of Canada translate into an inflation rate that moves above the 3% mark again, perhaps those 2.6%-yielding GICs with a one-year term aren’t even guaranteed to help you keep up with the pace of inflation moving forward.
Yes, guarantees are nice to have, especially if you’re a conservative investor, but when it comes to “real” returns, there aren’t all that many guarantees to begin with now that the days of 5% GIC rates are all but gone.
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GIC renewal coming up? You might not be happy with how much the rates have fallen
As many GICs with 4-5% rates begin to mature, many Canadians are bound to face a dilemma when it comes time for renewal (many banks have auto-renewals in place). My guess is that Canadians will be ready to move on to other asset classes, especially given how well the so-called “risky” trade has performed lately, with equities surging while GICs have become less appealing.
In any case, let’s look at two higher-yielding stocks that make sense to buy and hold for the long haul if you’re not ready to settle for GICs and their sub-3% rates on terms between a year or two. Sure, you’ll need to take some risk, but in real terms, I think the risk/reward trade-off is more favourable. So, if you’re ready to move on from GICs, consider the following stock.
SmartCentres REIT
The real estate investment trust (REIT) market looks like a great place to score yields, especially as rates fall further. SmartCentres REIT (TSX: SRU.UN) is one of the more intriguing names that investors might wish to consider averaging into over the next year, as the retail REIT continues to go after projects to further diversify its property portfolio. Year to date, the shares have appreciated just shy of 9%, and while there are compelling mixed-use (think residential and retail) projects in the mix, I’m not so sure if the market has appreciated Smart’s path forward. At its core, it’s still a retail REIT focused on strip malls.
However, over the longer term, I think more respect should be given to the REIT as it expands its footprint and looks to become so much more than a retail-anchored strip mall REIT. Either way, SmartCentres REIT looks like a cheap REIT with a strong narrative and a still solid 6.96% yield.
While the REIT could be about as choppy as the TSX Index (0.92 beta), I think investors turning away from GICs may wish to check out opportunities to be had in the real estate scene. Of course, it’s not hard to imagine many investors turning towards alternative cash flow-generative investments as they seek yields elsewhere. SmartCentres REIT might not be risk-free, but its steady income stream, high occupancy rates, and impressive retention make the name worth getting behind for those seeking yields near 7%.
