Business Context and Reporting Period
Company: Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc.
Filing Type: Form 8-K (Current Report)
Date of Report: December 16, 2013
Subject: Regulation FD Disclosure regarding the declaration of dividends for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2013, and the approval of the 2014 dividend policy.
Key Financial Metrics
This filing does not contain revenue, profit, cash flow, margin, debt, or liquidity metrics. It focuses exclusively on dividend declarations.
- Common Stock Dividend (Q4 2013): $0.12 per diluted share.
- Series A Preferred Stock (8.55%): $0.5344 per diluted share.
- Series D Preferred Stock (8.45%): $0.5281 per diluted share.
- Series E Preferred Stock (9.00%): $0.5625 per diluted share.
- Payment Date: January 15, 2014.
- Record Date: December 31, 2013.
Material Changes and Outlook
2014 Dividend Policy: The Board approved a policy expecting to pay a quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share on common stock in 2014. However, the Board will continue to review the policy on a quarter-to-quarter basis.
Management Commentary: The adoption of this policy does not commit the Board of Directors to declare future dividends or determine the specific amount thereof.
Risks and Contingencies: The filing does not disclose new material risks or contingencies beyond the standard disclaimer regarding future dividend declarations.
Investor Verification Checklist
- Verify the record date of December 31, 2013, to confirm eligibility for the declared dividends.
- Confirm the payment date of January 15, 2014, for cash flow planning.
- Review the attached press release (Exhibit 99.1) for any additional context on the 2014 dividend policy review process.
- Note that the $0.12 quarterly common dividend for 2014 is an expectation, not a guaranteed commitment.