Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. produced a positive total return (dividend plus stock appreciation) to investors last year, according to the KeyBanc Capital Markets Leaderboard.
The report shows that Urstadt Biddle gave its investors the third highest total return among all of the public REITs in all property-type sectors.
UBP's total return to investors for the year was 9.01%, comprising a dividend return of 6.1% and price appreciation return of 2.91%.
"Although it was a difficult year for REITs and the financial markets overall, our solid financials and conservative operating and acquisitions strategies have positioned us not only to weather downturns but to take advantage of them," said Charles Urstadt, chief executive officer, "Urstadt Biddle Properties is one of the oldest publicly listed REITs, dating to 1969, and one of the reasons for that longevity is our understanding of market cycles. We have paid a dividend every quarter since our inception and have raised the dividend each year for the last 15 years.
Urstadt says UBP anticipates that opportunities to make real estate acquisitions will emerge late this year or in 2010, and the Company will be an active participant.