Business Context and Reporting Period
Company: Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc.
Filing Type: Form 8-K (Current Report)
Date of Report: December 15, 2011
Event: Regulation FD Disclosure regarding the declaration of quarterly dividends and approval of the 2012 dividend policy.
Key Financial Metrics
This filing does not report revenue, profit, cash flow, margins, debt, or liquidity metrics. It focuses exclusively on dividend declarations for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2011.
- Common Stock Dividend: $0.10 per diluted share.
- 8.55% Series A Preferred Stock Dividend: $0.5344 per diluted share.
- 8.45% Series D Preferred Stock Dividend: $0.5281 per diluted share.
- 9.00% Series E Preferred Stock Dividend: $0.5625 per diluted share.
- Payment Date: January 16, 2012.
- Record Date: December 31, 2011.
Material Changes and Outlook
Dividend Policy Update: The Board approved a new dividend policy for 2012, expecting to pay a quarterly cash dividend of $0.11 per share on common stock. This represents an increase from the $0.10 per share declared for the fourth quarter of 2011.
Management Commentary: The filing incorporates a press release (Exhibit 99.1) detailing these declarations but does not provide additional narrative commentary on operational performance or market conditions within the text provided.
Investor Verification Checklist
- Verify the record date of December 31, 2011, to confirm eligibility for the declared dividends.
- Confirm the payment date of January 16, 2012, for cash flow planning.
- Review the full text of the attached press release (Exhibit 99.1) for any additional context regarding the 2012 dividend policy rationale.
- Check subsequent filings for confirmation of the $0.11 quarterly dividend rate for 2012.