LaSalle Hotel Properties Increases Monthly Dividend by 21 Percent
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LaSalle Hotel Properties Increases Monthly Dividend by 21 Percent
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Category: North America & West Indies / Carribean islands
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2007-04-16
LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE:LHO) today announced an increase in its monthly dividend to $0.17 per common share of beneficial interest for each of the months of April, May and June 2007. This represents a 21 percent increase from the prior monthly dividend of $0.14 per common share and results in a 4.3 percent annualized yield based on the Company's closing share price on April 12, 2007.
"This 21 percent increase reaffirms the Company's commitment to providing a reliable stream of income to our shareholders and our confidence in the ongoing performance of our portfolio," said Hans Weger, Chief Financial Officer of LaSalle Hotel Properties. "The strong performance of our hotels allows us to raise the dividend to an annualized rate of $2.04 per common share while maintaining a dividend coverage ratio of 1.6 times based on the midpoint of our Company's FFO outlook."
The April dividend will be paid on May 15, 2007 to common shareholders of record on April 30, 2007; the May dividend will be paid on June 15, 2007 to common shareholders of record on May 31, 2007; and the June dividend will be paid on July 13, 2007 to common shareholders of record on June 29, 2007.
LaSalle Hotel Properties is a leading multi-operator real estate investment trust, owning 31 upscale and luxury full-service hotels, totaling approximately 8,500 guest rooms in 14 markets in 11 states and the District of Columbia. The Company focuses on owning, redeveloping and repositioning upscale and luxury full-service hotels located in urban, resort and convention markets. LaSalle Hotel Properties seeks to grow through strategic relationships with premier lodging companies, including Westin Hotels and Resorts, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., Hilton Hotels Corporation, Crestline Hotels and Resorts, Inc., Outrigger Lodging Services, Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Benchmark Hospitality, White Lodging Services Corporation, Gemstone Hotels & Resorts, LLC, Thompson Hotels, Sandcastle Resorts & Hotels, Davidson Hotel Company, and the Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, LLC.
This press release, together with other statements and information publicly disseminated by the Company, contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and includes this statement for purposes of complying with these safe harbor provisions. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the Company's future plans, strategies and expectations, are generally identifiable by use of the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "project" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others, statements regarding company FFO outlook, annualized dividend, performance of the hotels and dividend coverage. You should not rely on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control and which could materially affect actual results, performances or achievements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, (i) the Company's dependence on third-party managers of its hotels, including its inability to implement strategic business decisions directly, (ii) risks associated with the hotel industry, including competition, increases in wages, energy costs and other operating costs, actual or threatened terrorist attacks, downturns in general and local economic conditions and cancellation of or delays in the completion of anticipated demand generators, (iii) the availability and terms of financing and capital and the general volatility of securities markets, (iv) risks associated with the real estate industry, including environmental contamination and costs of complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act and similar laws, (v) interest rate increases, (vi) the possible failure of the Company to qualify as a REIT and the risk of changes in laws affecting REITs, (vii) the possibility of uninsured losses, and (viii) the risk factors discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the Company's expectations will be realized. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publicly release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein (or elsewhere) to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
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