A Yield to Caution:

Article Excerpt

AMERICAN HOTEL INCOME PROPERTIES REIT $9.11 (Toronto symbol HOT. UN; Units outstanding: 78.0 million; Market cap: $712.8 million; Dividend yield: 9.0%; www.ahipreit.com) owns 115 hotels, comprising over 11,700 rooms in 33 U.S. states. American Hotel operates 48 hotels providing accomodation for railroad workers. The REIT believes this is a profitable niche market, as contracts with large railways keep occupancy rates high relative to the overall hospitality industry. The REIT’s remaining hotels operate under a variety of licensed names, including Hilton, Holiday Inn, Wyndham and Marriott. In the first three quarters of this year, American Hotel’s revenue jumped 71.5%, to $221.5 million from $129.2 million. That was mostly due to acquisitions. Cash flow rose 60.5%, to $39.0 million from $24.3 million. However, with more shares outstanding due to those acquisitions, cash flow per share fell 10.8%, to $0.58 from $0.65. The REIT pays a monthly distribution of $0.054 U.S. per unit for a very high 9.0% yield. However, American Hotel’s aggressive growth-by-acquisition strategy adds a lot…