44 REITs cut dividend payments amidst pandemic; another 22 suspend payments
June 3, 2021 | Chris Hudgins and Ronamil Portes | S&P Global Market Intelligence
While many real estate investment trusts cut dividend payments amidst the pandemic in an effort to help preserve liquidity, several property sectors continued to prosper, raising distribution payments along the way.
An S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis of U.S. REIT dividend payments showed 44 REITs slashed their regular dividend payments since 2019 year-end, while an additional 22 suspended payments entirely. Alternatively, 35 REITs, or 20.6% of those analyzed, maintained dividend amounts throughout the pandemic, while an additional 69, or 40.6%,
were able to increase dividends since 2019.
The analysis excluded REITs that recently came to the public market, as well as those that had already suspended common stock dividend payments prior to 2019 year-end.
