Interested In H&R Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX:HRUN)’s Upcoming $0.12 Dividend? You Have 3 Days Left

Investors who want to cash in on H&R Real Estate Investment Trust's (TSX:HR.UN) upcoming dividend of CA$0.12 per share have only 3 days left to buy the shares before its ex-dividend date, 12 December 2017, in time for dividends payable on the 29 December 2017. Investors looking for higher income-generating stocks to add to their portfolio should keep reading, as I take a deeper dive into HR.UN's latest financial data to analyse its dividend attributes. View our latest analysis for H&R Real Estate Investment Trust

5 questions to ask before buying a dividend stock

When assessing a stock as a potential addition to my dividend Portfolio, I look at these five areas:

• Is its annual yield among the top 25% of dividend-paying companies?
• Does it consistently pay out dividends without missing a payment of significantly cutting payout?
• Has the amount of dividend per share grown over the past?
• Is is able to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings?
• Will it be able to continue to payout at the current rate in the future?

How does H&R Real Estate Investment Trust fare?

The company currently pays out 82.13% of its earnings as a dividend, which means that the dividend is covered by earnings. Furthermore, analysts have not forecasted a dividends per share for the future, which makes it hard to determine the yield shareholders should expect, and whether the current payout is sustainable, moving forward. If there's one type of stock you want to be reliable, it's dividend stocks and their stable income-generating ability. The reality is that it is too early to consider H&R Real Estate Investment Trust as a dividend investment. It has only been consistently paying dividends for 9 years, however, standard practice for reliable payers is to look for a 10-year minimum track record. Relative to peers, HR.UN has a yield of 6.52%, which is high for equity real estate investment trusts (reits) stocks.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Whilst there are few things you may like about H&R Real Estate Investment Trust from a dividend stock perspective, the truth is that overall it probably is not the best choice for a dividend investor. It may be valuable exploring other dividend stocks as alternatives to HR.UN or even look at high-growth stocks to supplement your steady income stocks. I encourage you to continue your research by checking out my interactive free list of dividend rockstars as well as high-growth stocks to potentially add to your holdings.

Are you a potential investor? If you are building an income portfolio, then H&R Real Estate Investment Trust is a complicated choice since it has some positive aspects as well as negative ones. But if you are not exclusively a dividend investor, HR.UN could still be an interesting investment opportunity. As with all investments, you should always research extensively before deciding whether or not a stock is an appropriate investment for you. I always recommend analysing the company's fundamentals and underlying business before making an investment decision. Dig deeping in our latest free fundmental analysis to explore other aspects of HR.UN.

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Simply Wall St analyst Simply Wall St and Simply Wall St have no position in any of the companies mentioned. This article is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.