Checked into a hotel REIT lately?

. . . Adding to the Miami Condo Boom - Cousins Properties (NYSE: CUZ ) and joint venture partner The Related Group of Florida have begun construction at 50 Biscayne - a 529 unit luxury residential condominium development in Miami, Florida. Located on a full-block facing Biscayne Boulevard between Flagler and First Street in Miami's central business district, the 54-story tower will be one of the tallest structures in Miami when completed in December, 2006. Cousins Properties has been public since 1962.Hotel REITS on the upswing

Checked into a hotel REIT lately?
A number of factors are spurring growth in hotel REITS. Business travel and conferences are enjoying a recovery. Domestic tourism, which had been suffering since 9/11, is also recovering nicely and should continue to rise as unfavorable exchange rates dampen international travel. According to Business Week, hotel REITs have reported an increase in revenue per available room between 7% and 12% in each of the past few quarters.

The big money has taken note of the hotel recovery and has stepped up M&A activity in the sector. Private equity group Blackstone has just agreed to buy hotel owner and franchiser Wyndham International (AMEX:WBR ) for $1.44 billion in cash. Notable deals in the past year include: Hyatt Hotels' purchase of AmeriSuites, CNL Hospitality Properties' acquisition of KSL Recreation Corp., and Blackstone's takeover of Extended Stay America, Prime Hospitality and Boca Resorts. Last year, 10 deals worth about $12 billion took place. Pricewaterhouse Cooper analyst Bjorn Hanson said he expects up to 11 deals in 2005.

Some major hotel REITs include:
Equity Inns (NYSE:ENN )
Hospitality Property Trusts (NYSE: HPT)
Host Marriott (NYSE: HMT )
LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO )
Starwood Lodging (NYSE: HOT )


. . . Mystical Partnership - Hersha Hospitality Trust (AMEX: HT) has entered into a joint venture with Waterford Hospitality Group, LLC. The newly formed company, to be named Mystic Partners, LLC, will own a portfolio consisting of nine Marriott and Hilton-branded hotels with 1,707 rooms in Connecticut and Rhode Island and an aggregate value of approximately $250 million. Under the terms of the transaction, HT is acquiring a 66.7 percent preferred equity interest in the seven stabilized properties in the portfolio and a 50 percent preferred equity interest in the two newly developed properties in the portfolio.

Hersha Hospitality Trust owns mid-scale and upscale hotels in the eastern United States with strong, national franchise affiliations. The company focuses on acquisition and joint venture opportunities of high quality assets in high barrier to entry markets.


. . . GMH Communities Trust (NYSE: GCT) has acquired Campus Edge Apartments, a Class A, purpose- built student housing property serving students attending the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. The 180 unit/720 bed property was acquired for a purchase price of approximately $23.1 million. The property is in excess of 95% pre-leased for the 2005 Fall semester. The acquisition complements the company's strong portfolio in the student housing market.


. . . Upgrade - Highwoods Properties (NYSE: HIW), one of the largest owners and operators of suburban office properties in the Southeast, has been upgraded to market perform from underperform by Wachovia Securities. Wachovia said the upgrade reflected greater operational confidence, continued balance sheet improvement and greater transactional value in light of peer valuations and sector M&A activity. Recently the company announced it would sell its Charlotte portfolio and its Sabal Park assets in Tampa, Florida, for $228 million.

. . . Thornburg Mortgage (NYSE: TMA ) announced a second quarter dividend of $0.50 per share. The single-family residential mortgage lender is focused principally on the jumbo segment of the adjustable rate mortgage market. The company seeks to deliver attractive dividend income and steady growth by acquiring high-quality mortgage-backed securities and growing its share of the mortgage loan origination business. Recently the company raised $123.2 million in an equity offering. The proceeds will be primarily used to fund adjustable-rate loans originated by the company and to purchase additional adjustable-rate mortgage securities.

From: InvestingIN Real Estate

Real Estate Investor - Checked into a hotel REIT lately?

. . . Adding to the Miami Condo Boom - Cousins Properties (NYSE: CUZ ) and joint venture partner The Related Group of Florida have begun construction at 50 Biscayne - a 529 unit luxury residential condominium development in Miami, Florida. Located on a full-block facing Biscayne Boulevard between Flagler and First Street in Miami's central business district, the 54-story tower will be one of the tallest structures in Miami when completed in December, 2006. Cousins Properties has been public since 1962.Hotel REITS on the upswing

Checked into a hotel REIT lately?
A number of factors are spurring growth in hotel REITS. Business travel and conferences are enjoying a recovery. Domestic tourism, which had been suffering since 9/11, is also recovering nicely and should continue to rise as unfavorable exchange rates dampen international travel. According to Business Week, hotel REITs have reported an increase in revenue per available room between 7% and 12% in each of the past few quarters.

The big money has taken note of the hotel recovery and has stepped up M&A activity in the sector. Private equity group Blackstone has just agreed to buy hotel owner and franchiser Wyndham International (AMEX:WBR ) for $1.44 billion in cash. Notable deals in the past year include: Hyatt Hotels' purchase of AmeriSuites, CNL Hospitality Properties' acquisition of KSL Recreation Corp., and Blackstone's takeover of Extended Stay America, Prime Hospitality and Boca Resorts. Last year, 10 deals worth about $12 billion took place. Pricewaterhouse Cooper analyst Bjorn Hanson said he expects up to 11 deals in 2005.

Some major hotel REITs include:
Equity Inns (NYSE:ENN )
Hospitality Property Trusts (NYSE: HPT)
<strong>Host Marriott (NYSE: HMT )
LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO )
Starwood Lodging (NYSE: HOT )


. . . Mystical Partnership - Hersha Hospitality Trust (AMEX: HT) has entered into a joint venture with Waterford Hospitality Group, LLC. The newly formed company, to be named Mystic Partners, LLC, will own a portfolio consisting of nine Marriott and Hilton-branded hotels with 1,707 rooms in Connecticut and Rhode Island and an aggregate value of approximately $250 million. Under the terms of the transaction, HT is acquiring a 66.7 percent preferred equity interest in the seven stabilized properties in the portfolio and a 50 percent preferred equity interest in the two newly developed properties in the portfolio.

Hersha Hospitality Trust owns mid-scale and upscale hotels in the eastern United States with strong, national franchise affiliations. The company focuses on acquisition and joint venture opportunities of high quality assets in high barrier to entry markets.


. . . GMH Communities Trust (NYSE: GCT) has acquired Campus Edge Apartments, a Class A, purpose- built student housing property serving students attending the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. The 180 unit/720 bed property was acquired for a purchase price of approximately $23.1 million. The property is in excess of 95% pre-leased for the 2005 Fall semester. The acquisition complements the company's strong portfolio in the student housing market.


. . . Upgrade - Highwoods Properties (NYSE: HIW), one of the largest owners and operators of suburban office properties in the Southeast, has been upgraded to market perform from underperform by Wachovia Securities. Wachovia said the upgrade reflected greater operational confidence, continued balance sheet improvement and greater transactional value in light of peer valuations and sector M&A activity. Recently the company announced it would sell its Charlotte portfolio and its Sabal Park assets in Tampa, Florida, for $228 million.

. . . Thornburg Mortgage (NYSE: TMA ) announced a second quarter dividend of $0.50 per share. The single-family residential mortgage lender is focused principally on the jumbo segment of the adjustable rate mortgage market. The company seeks to deliver attractive dividend income and steady growth by acquiring high-quality mortgage-backed securities and growing its share of the mortgage loan origination business. Recently the company raised $123.2 million in an equity offering. The proceeds will be primarily used to fund adjustable-rate loans originated by the company and to purchase additional adjustable-rate mortgage securities.

Smallcap and Microcap Stock News - Tidlands Oil & Gas...Sew Cal Logo...Intelli-Check...

. . . Propane Purchase - Tidelands Oil & Gas Corporation (OTC:TIDE), signed a Letter of Intent for the purchase of CHDR, Inc. headquartered in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The acquisition of CHDR will enable Tidelands to purchase vast quantities of propane at discounted wholesale values. CHDR, Inc. owns a propane marine bulk terminal and numerous plants servicing the entire territory of Puerto Rico, and provides propane distribution to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tidelands Oil & Gas focuses its business on international pipeline crossings, gas processing plants and gas storage facilities.


. . . Surf's Up - Sew Cal Logo (OTCBB: SEWC), a Southern California-based company that produces film wardrobe, sportswear and related corporate identification has acquired the assets of Action Shirts for cash and stock. The company, also known as "Hangtime," has been a Huntington Beach icon since 1978. Joe Pearson, owner of Action, is well-known in the surfing world and will help expand and create original "California Life Style designs for Sew Cal's clients. The "California Lifestyle" continues to be a highly desired image in many parts of the US and around the world.


. . . Just checking - Intelli-Check (AMEX:IDN) announced that a significant retail customer has licensed its identification-document verification technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Intelli-Check is precluded from disclosing the retailer's name and the specific details. Intelli-Check expects to report record bookings for the quarter ended June 30, 2005. Intelli-Check develops technology that assures the authenticity of driver licenses, state issued non-driver and military identification cards used as proof of identity. Its patented ID-CHECK technology instantly reads, analyzes, and verifies the encoded data in magnetic stripes and barcodes on government-issue IDs from approximately 60 jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada to determine if the content and format is valid.


. . . XM Satellite support - Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (OTC:LRLSQ), announced that it has been awarded a contract by XM Satellite Radio to build XM-5, a high-power, digital audio radio service (DARS) satellite that will serve as a ground spare in the XM Satellite Radio fleet, ensuring XM subscribers across North America with continued high- quality, digital- music, entertainment and data services. XM is America's number one satellite radio service with more than 4 million subscribers.

. . . Biomarker Collaboration - Compugen (Nasdaq:CGEN) announced a collaboration agreement with Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company. Under the agreement, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics and Compugen will jointly develop diagnostic products based on biomarkers discovered by Compugen. Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics will have worldwide rights for commercialization, with Compugen receiving development milestones and royalties. The collaboration combines Compugen's unique discovery capability and existing candidate portfolio with Ortho-Clinical Diagnostic's global development and commercialization strengths.

. . . Warts Begone with Dr. Scholl - OraSure Technologies (NASDAQ:OSUR) announced an exclusive agreement with SSL International plc under which OraSure will manufacture and supply, and SSL will distribute, the company's cryosurgical wart removal product in the over-the-counter footcare market in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The product will be manufactured and sold under SSL International's Scholl and Dr. Scholl trademarks.


. . . Safer with eSafe - Aladdin Knowledge Systems (Nasdaq: ALDN) announced the availability of Aladdin eSafe 5, addressing the latest spyware/adware threats with multi-layered comprehensive content protection. According to the company, Aladdin eSafe 5 is the only gateway-based security solution that inspects all Web content. Aladdin eSafe 5 automatically blocks malicious code, scripts, exploits and more, significantly reducing the chance of gaining threats through Web browsing -- a common weakness in today's corporate networks.

. . . Handheld digital TV - Microtune, Inc. (Nasdaq:TUNE - News) has introduced a new family of tuners targeted for mobile handhelds, including cell phones, PDAs and other multimedia convergence devices. When integrated into portable handheld devices, the MT2260 tuner, permits users to watch multi-channel broadcast TV with full-motion digital pictures and CD-quality sound. In developing tuners for mobile devices, the company is building on its work on tuner technology for the digital TV market. In 1999, Microtune invented the single-chip TV tuner.

. . . Mobile Goes Global - Sona Mobile (PERF.OB), a provider of enterprise wireless solutions, announced that it has globally expanded the reach of its services through distribution partnerships with WIN Financial, a UK wireless data provider and EFO Group, China's premier provider of investor software. According to the agreement, both WIN and EFO Group will be granted permission to market and sell Sona Mobile's Mobile Markets enterprise wireless financial product to organizations within their region and under their own brand. Sona Mobile will service and maintain accounts from its offices in New York, London and Toronto.

From: The Smallcap Recap Report