Ashford Hospitality Trust Acquires Sheraton Hotel in Northern Philadelphia for $16.7 Million.DALLAS -- Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : AHT AHT Animal Health Trust (Suffolk, England) AHT American Hairless Terrier (dog breed) AHT After Hours Trading AHT Animal Health Technician AHT Anchor Handling Tug ): Transaction Highlights: --Acquired at less than 6.5x trailing twelve month EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) A metric used to show a company's profitability, but not its cash flow. EBITDA became popular in the 1980s to show the potential profitability of leveraged buyouts, but has become multiple --Expect to invest additional $5.7 million in full renovation of the property --Closed and committed direct hotel assets increase to 23 properties totaling 3,469 rooms --Capital committed or invested since IPO (Initial Public Offering) The first time a company offers shares of stock to the public. While not a computer term per se, many founders, employees and insiders of computer companies have found this acronym more exciting than any tech term they ever heard. reaches $410 million Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE: AHT) today announced it has completed the acquisition of the 187-room Sheraton Bucks County and an adjacent 56,000-square-foot office building in suburban Philadelphia for $16.7 million in cash. The purchase price including the office building equates to a trailing twelve month EBITDA multiple of 7.6x and an EBITDA yield of 13.2%. Following the planned sale of the office building, the returns are expected to improve to a trailing twelve month EBITDA multiple below 6.5x and an EBITDA yield of 15.5%. The trailing twelve month net operating income Operating Income The profit realized from a business' own operations. Notes: This would not include income from things such as investments in other firms. Also referred to as operating profit or recurring profit. capitalization rate Capitalization Rate According to the Appraisal Institute, it is a method used to convert an estimate of a single year's income expectancy into an indication of value in one direct step, by dividing the income estimate by an appropriate rate. is 11% including the office building and 13% after the planned sale of the office building. The property has annual revenues of approximately $9,000,000. Conveniently located near I-95, Route 1 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the state of Pennsylvania, USA. The turnpike system encompasses 532 miles (855 km) in three distinct sections. , the Sheraton Bucks County is adjacent to the Sesame Street Sesame Street is an American educational children's television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. Place Theme Park, the Oxford Valley Mall The Oxford Valley Mall is a two-story Simon Properties shopping mall located next to the popular amusement park Sesame Place in Langhorne, Middletown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Its department stores are Sears, Boscov's, J.C. Penney, and Macy's. , and the Frankford Bucks Hospital. It is the premier full service hotel in the market featuring 12,000 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant, a lobby bar and a health club. Remington Lodging & Hospitality, L.P. will manage the property. Ashford is currently negotiating for the sale of the office building. Ashford will begin investing approximately $5.7 million in the hotel in the third quarter of 2004 to significantly upgrade the hotel. Full guest room and bath renovation, common area upgrades throughout the hotel, a complete restaurant renovation, meeting room updates and an exercise facility upgrade are planned in this major renovation. Monty J. Bennett, President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Ashford Hospitality Trust, stated, "The Sheraton Bucks County is an attractive investment with a substantial initial return, strong brand and great location. This asset benefits from diverse demand generators, including a popular drive to a destination theme park, regional mall, hospital and surrounding business parks. We look forward to enhancing this full-service asset through a complete renovation and returning the hotel to a higher level of operating performance." Ashford Hospitality Trust is a self-administered real estate investment trust focused exclusively on investing in the hospitality industry across all segments and at all levels of the capital structure, including direct hotel investments, first mortgages, mezzanine loans and sale-leaseback transactions. Additional information can be found on the Company's web site at www.ahtreit.com. Certain statements and assumptions in this press release contain or are based upon "forward-looking" information and are being made pursuant to the safe harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. When we use the words "will likely result," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "expect," "believe," "intend," "planned" or similar expressions, we intend to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the sale of the office building, the expected completion of the renovation, the impact of the transaction on our business and future financial condition, our business and investment strategy, our understanding of our competition and current market trends and opportunities and projected capital expenditures. Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are outside Ashford's control. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, without limitation: general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of our common stock; changes in our business or investment strategy; availability, terms and deployment of capital; availability of qualified personnel; changes in our industry and the market in which we operate, interest rates or the general economy; and the degree and nature of our competition. These and other risk factors are more fully discussed in Ashford's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. EBITDA is defined as Net Income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA yield is defined as one (1) divided by the EBITDA multiple. A capitalization rate is determined by dividing the property's annual net operating income by the purchase price. Net operating income is the property's funds from operations Funds From Operations (FFO) Used by real estate and other investment trusts to define the cash flow from trust operations; earnings with depreciation and amortization added back. minus a capital expense reserve of 4% of gross revenues. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We are not obligated ob·li·gate tr.v. ob·li·gat·ed, ob·li·gat·ing, ob·li·gates 1. To bind, compel, or constrain by a social, legal, or moral tie. See Synonyms at force. 2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; oblige. to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, changes in expectations or otherwise. |
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