Timber REITs: PCH Dividend and Harvest Reductions Demonstrate Prudent Asset Management

| no comments in Timber REITs, Timberlands

Years ago, I held shares in Crown Pacific Partners, a timberland-owning firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon.  During market declines in the late 1990s, the firm subsidized its shareholder distributions through borrowing and cash generated from non-organic business activities.  In other more…

Do Timber REITs Lead or Ride the Coattails of Investor Interest in Real Estate Markets?

| no comments in Timber REITs, Timberlands

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on the rush of investors buying into publicly-traded real estate investment trusts (“Real-estate investors target neighborhood that is looking up,” Wall Street Journal, 11/15/11).  According to Citigroup Global Markets, investors, year-to-date, invested 18% more…

What Can Marching Bands Teach Us About Tracking Wood Demand and Timber Markets?

| no comments in Forest Finance & Economics, Forisk, Timber REITs, Wood Bioenergy, Wood Demand & Procurement

When tracking wood demand and timber markets, we look not only to the past and to the future for guidance, but also to the side – peripherally – to gauge performance across markets and sectors.  Heather Clark, our Customer Relations more…

How Creditworthy are the Public Timber REITs? A Rating Agency Update

| no comments in Timber REITs

Last week, Fitch Ratings raised its outlook on Weyerhaeuser (WY) from “negative” to “stable” and affirmed its rating at “BB+”.  Fitch justified the action primarily on WY’s Pulp business and core Timberland operations, though the rating agency recognized that the more…