BETHESDA, Md., June 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: HST), the nation's largest lodging real estate investment trust (the "Company"), today announced that its Board of Directors has temporarily suspended the Company’s regular quarterly dividend, commencing with the second quarter dividend that would have been paid in July 2020.
The Company previously paid a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share on its common stock on April 15, 2020 to stockholders of record as of March 31, 2020. The company estimates that the suspension of the dividend will preserve approximately $140 million in cash during the second quarter.
James F. Risoleo, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “The Board’s decision to suspend the quarterly dividend is consistent with the other measures the Company has implemented to preserve liquidity and maintain balance sheet flexibility, including reducing capital expenditures by $100 to $125 million and corporate expenses by 10% to 15%. The Board will continue to monitor the Company’s financial performance and operating environment to determine the appropriate time to reinstate a regular quarterly dividend.”
About Host Hotels & Resorts
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and is the largest lodging real estate investment trust and one of the largest owners of luxury and upper-upscale hotels. The Company currently owns 75 properties in the United States and five properties internationally totaling approximately 46,700 rooms. The Company also holds non-controlling interests in six domestic and one international joint ventures. Guided by a disciplined approach to capital allocation and aggressive asset management, the Company partners with premium brands such as Marriott®, Ritz-Carlton®, Westin®, Sheraton®, W®, St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Hyatt®, Fairmont®, Hilton®, Swissôtel®, ibis® and Novotel®, as well as independent brands. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.hosthotels.com.
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Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. These forward-looking statements include forecast results and are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “will,” “continue” and other similar terms and phrases. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks include, but are not limited to: changes in national and local economic and business conditions and other factors such as natural disasters, pandemics and weather that will affect occupancy rates at our hotels and the demand for hotel products and services; the impact of geopolitical developments outside the U.S. on lodging demand; volatility in global financial and credit markets; operating risks associated with the hotel business; risks and limitations in our operating flexibility associated with the level of our indebtedness and our ability to meet covenants in our debt agreements; risks associated with our relationships with property managers and joint venture partners; our ability to maintain our properties in a first-class manner, including meeting capital expenditure requirements; the effects of hotel renovations on our hotel occupancy and financial results; our ability to compete effectively in areas such as access, location, quality of accommodations and room rate structures; risks associated with our ability to complete acquisitions and dispositions and develop new properties and the risks that acquisitions and new developments may not perform in accordance with our expectations; our ability to continue to satisfy complex rules in order for us to remain a REIT for federal income tax purposes; risks associated with our ability to effectuate our dividend policy, including factors such as operating results and the economic outlook influencing our board’s decision whether to pay further dividends at levels previously disclosed or to use available cash to make special dividends; and other risks and uncertainties associated with our business described in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. All information in this release is as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company’s expectations.
Tejal Engman
Vice President
240.744.5116
