ZACKSยท2025-05-27 14:41Core Insights - Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (AHT) has agreed to sell the Hilton Houston NASA Clear Lake for $27 million as part of its strategic plan to deleverage and optimize its portfolio [1][2] - The sale is expected to yield a capitalization rate of 3.2% on net operating income (NOI) or 23.6X Hotel EBITDA after capital expenditure adjustments [2] - The transaction will help deleverage the Morgan Stanley 17 Pool loan and result in significant capital expenditure savings [3] Company Overview - AHT is focused on addressing its strategic financing challenges and creating shareholder value through repositioning efforts [4] - The company's assets are well-positioned to benefit from favorable market conditions while pursuing financial and operational objectives [5] - AHT is expected to grow in the near term by executing its GRO AHT initiative aimed at driving outsized EBITDA growth [5] Market Performance - Over the past three months, AHT shares have declined by 21.8%, which is greater than the industry average decline of 5.4% [6] - The hotel industry is experiencing softening fundamentals amid macroeconomic uncertainty and elevated interest rates, which poses concerns for AHT [5] Comparative Analysis - Other REITs such as VICI Properties and W.P. Carey are currently better-ranked, with VICI's 2025 FFO per share estimate raised to $2.34 and W.P. Carey's current-year FFO per share estimate increased by 1% to $4.88 [7]