Royalty trust Definition
A royalty trust is a type of corporation usually involved in mining. It is taxed according to special regulations, whereby its profits are not taxed at the corporate level provided a certain high percentage (e.g. 90%) of profits are distributed to share holders as dividends. The dividends are then taxed as personal income. This system, similar to real estate investment trusts, effectively avoids the double-taxation of corporate dividends.
Royalty trusts typically own oil or natural gas wells, or the mineral rights of wells. Corporate shares generally trade on the public stock markets. They are a powerful investment tool for people who wish to invest directly in oil or natural gas, but who don't have the resources or risk-tolerance to buy their own well. Additionally, since trusts often own numerous wells, they represent a convenient way for the average investor to diversify investments across a number of properties.
Royalty trust often attract investors with their relatively high yields. This makes the shares sensitive to interest rates, as share prices