1 Canadian REIT I’d Buy if Rate Cuts Return

Rate cuts can change the story for Canadian REITs quickly. When borrowing costs fall, refinancing becomes less painful, property values can recover, and monthly distributions start looking more attractive again. When that happens, real estate investment trusts (REITs) struggle. Investors could earn decent income from safer fixed-income options, while landlords dealt with higher debt costs. If that pressure starts to ease, apartment REITs could stand out.

CAR

That’s why Canadian Apartment Properties REIT (TSX:CAR.UN) looks like one of the better REITs to watch. CAPREIT stock is Canada’s largest publicly traded provider of rental housing. It owns apartment suites and townhomes across Canada, with some exposure to the Netherlands. As of March 31, 2026, CAPREIT owned about 45,400 apartment suites and townhomes, excluding roughly 200 suites classified as held for sale. Its portfolio had a fair value of about $14.5 billion, excluding another $100 million of assets held for sale.

Recent news also shows management trying to sharpen the business. In the first quarter of 2026, CAPREIT stock sold properties in Charlottetown and the Netherlands for gross proceeds of $101.4 million. It also agreed to buy the remaining units of European Residential REIT it didn’t already own, with the transaction closing on May 1, 2026, for $98.7 million. That gives CAPREIT more control over its European exposure.

Into earnings

The latest earnings showed a steadier operating business than the headline numbers suggested. In the first quarter of 2026, operating revenue came in at $247.9 million, down from $253.3 million a year earlier. Total net operating income (NOI) slipped to $155 million from $158 million, largely because of dispositions. That doesn’t sound thrilling, but the same-property numbers looked better.

Same-property NOI rose to $146.3 million from $143.6 million. Funds from operations (FFO) per unit increased 1.7% to $0.595 from $0.585. That’s the number I’d focus on. CAPREIT stock managed to grow FFO per unit even as total revenue slipped. Its FFO payout ratio also improved slightly to 65.1%, giving the distribution a reasonable cushion.

Numbers don’t lie

Valuation makes the stock even more interesting. CAPREIT stock reported diluted NAV per unit of $54.79 as of March 31, 2026. Yet the units recently traded around $33! That suggests investors can buy the trust at a steep discount to stated asset value. If rate cuts return and investors regain confidence in REITs, that discount could narrow.

The trust has also been buying back its own units. In the first quarter, it purchased and cancelled about 800,000 trust units at a weighted average price of $36.78, for a total cost of $29 million. The outlook now depends on three things: rental demand, financing costs, and capital allocation. CAPREIT’s Canadian same-property occupancy stood at 97.1% at the end of the first quarter. Same-property occupied average monthly rent rose 2.9% year over year to $1,726 from $1,677. Canadian same-property NOI rose 2%, and the Canadian same-property NOI margin expanded to 62.2%. Those numbers show the core apartment business still has some internal growth.

Foolish takeaway

There are risks, of course. CAPREIT stock reported a headline net loss of $182.5 million in the first quarter, mostly because of fair value losses on investment properties. Leverage also needs watching. Rate cuts may also arrive more slowly than investors hope. Property values could stay under pressure, and rent growth may cool further.

Still, CAPREIT stock has the right ingredients for a rate-cut recovery. It owns essential housing, keeps occupancy high, pays a covered distribution, buys back units below NAV, and trades at a large discount to stated asset value. If rate cuts return, CAPREIT stock looks like one Canadian REIT worth buying before investors warm back up to the sector.

The post 1 Canadian REIT I’d Buy if Rate Cuts Return appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

Should you invest $1,000 in Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust right now?

Before you buy stock in Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust, consider this:

The Motley Fool Canada team has identified what they believe are the top 10 TSX stocks for 2026… and Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could potentially produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider MercadoLibre, which we first recommended on January 8, 2014 … if you invested $1,000 in the “eBay of Latin America” at the time of our recommendation, you’d have over $18,000!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor Canada’s total average return is 94%* – a market-crushing outperformance compared to 85%* for the S&P/TSX Composite Index. Don’t miss out on our top 10 stocks, available when you join our mailing list!

Get the 10 stocks instantly #start_btn6 { background: #0e6d04 none repeat scroll 0 0; color: #fff; font-size: 1.2em; font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif; font-weight: 600; height: auto; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 30px 0; max-width: 350px; text-align: center; width: auto; box-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5), 0 1px 0 #fff inset, 0 0 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border-radius: 5px; } #start_btn6 a { color: #fff; display: block; padding: 20px; padding-right:1em; padding-left:1em; } #start_btn6 a:hover { background: #FFE300 none repeat scroll 0 0; color: #000; } @media (max-width: 480px) { div#start_btn6 { font-size:1.1em; max-width: 320px;} } margin_bottom_5 { margin-bottom:5px; } margin_top_10 { margin-top:10px; }

* Returns as of April 20th, 2026

More reading

• An Ideal TFSA Stock With a Steady 4.7% Yield
• Some of the Smartest Canadian Investors Are Piling Into This TSX Stock
• 2 Canadian Stocks That Could Benefit Every Time the Bank of Canada Cuts Rates
• 2 Undervalued Bank Stocks and REITs Worth Buying in 2026
• These 3 Canadian Stocks Could Benefit if Rates Fall Again

Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.