Prologis Property Sale, Whitestone REIT Dividend & More REIT News From August 26

Analyst Upgrades/Downgrades:
BMO Capital made two calls on August 26, 2014 in the mall REIT space, upgrading Macerich MAC from Market Perform to Outperform; and downgrading REIT industry giant Simon Properties Group SPG from Market Perform to Outperform.

Related Link: Entire Wireless Tower REIT Sector Hits 52-Week Highs

• Global industrial real estate giant Prologis PLD recently reported a related party $448 million USD sale of five Class-A properties from its wholly owned Japanese portfolio to Nippon Prologis REIT. NPR is externally managed by a wholly owned subsidiary of Prologis.
• After the bell on Monday, August 25, 2014 small-cap shopping center real estate trust Whitestone REIT WSR declared a $0.285 quarterly dividend to be paid to common shareholders, which are payable monthly in three installments of $0.095 per common share and OP unit. Whitestone is currently the second highest yielding REIT in the shopping center sector with the current dividend yielding ~7.56 percent.

Notable Real Estate News:

• On August 26, 2014, Ocwen Financial related entity Altisource Portfolio Solutions ASPS completed a previously announced restructuring which gives it more flexibility with regard to future stock buy-backs. The Ocwen entities have been under investigation by the New York Department of Financial Services regarding related party transactions.