An Investigation of the Change in Real Estate Investment Trust Betas

The betas on equity real estate investment trusts (EREITs) have undergone a structural shift in the past 20 years. We show that this is the result of the lower variability of EREIT returns and argue that the decrease in the standard deviation of EREIT returns can be attributed to the increasing levels of information about EREITs. We find that the number of analysts following the EREITs industry, as measured by IBES, can significantly explain the drop in the standard deviation for most EREITs. This was also found to be the case for another proxy for the level of information-the trading volume of the EREIT index. Copyright American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association.

Explaining the Variation in REIT Capital Structure: The Role of Asset Liquidation Value

We test the Shleifer-Vishny hypothesis that asset liquidation values influence both firm leverage and the choice of debt maturity. Using panel data on real estate investment trusts, we estimate a simultaneous equation model and find that firms specializing in the most (least) liquid assets use more (less) leverage and longer (shorter) maturities. The evidence also suggests that, for REITs, debt maturity and leverage are substitutes, consistent with the theory and predictions of Barclay, Marx and Smith. Copyright 2008 American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association

Dividend Policies and Dividend Announcement Effects for Real Estate Investment Trusts

Previous research on real estate investment trusts (REITs) assumes that their dividend policies are determined solely by tax regulations. We observe, however, that REITs often pay out more dividends than are required by tax rules. This paper examines the dividend policies of REITs by drawing inferences from agency-cost theory and tests for the determinants of REIT dividend payout ratios. The study also considers whether the stock market responds differently to the dividend announcement effects of equity and mortgage REITs based on asymmetric information. Our results support agency-cost explanations for dividend policy and suggest a differential announcement effect. Copyright American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association.