"I love it when a plan comes together." That was one of the catchphrases of that classic TV show The A-Team. And it's a sentiment likely shared by Ashford Hospitality Trust
Fourth-quarter RevPAR (revenue per available room) was up 8.9%, reflecting the hotel owner's pricing power, and hotel operating profit increased a hefty 14.9% over the year-ago quarter. I'd say it's a sign of things to come. You'll see that management is following through on its plan to improve operating margins and control expenses at the property level if you take a look at the same-property hotel operating profit during the fourth quarter: That profit improved by 279 basis points (100 basis points equal one percentage point). And as renovations continue at some of Ashford Hospitality's recently purchased properties, look for RevPAR to continually improve. You can find further evidence of this trend because occupancy at the company's 30 hotels that are not under renovation improved by 285 basis points.
Most importantly for shareholders, Ashford Hospitality has bumped up its dividend for the fifth consecutive quarter. The company is now tossing out 16 pennies per share of stock, which equates to a 6.3% yield. As the dividend continues to increase and now breaks into stock screens with dividends of 5% or greater, it may raise interest in the underlying stock. This latest news puts Ashford Hospitality solidly into the dividend game, along with other strong REITs like Strategic Hotel Capital
Certainly with this kind of yield, income investors are going to have a very close look -- and they should. Management looks to be executing well, and the hotel business is nowhere near the top of its cycle.
For related REITness:
- Learn more about Ashford Hospitality Trust's business model.
- See how American Financial Realty is adding prime real estate to its portfolio.
- Beware of some REIT's attractive yields.
Fool contributor Lawrence Meyers did his own research for this article. But don't trust him. He's just another anonymous voice in cyberspace, so do your own homework.