LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / December 26, 2017 / Active-Investors has a free review on Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (NASDAQ: WHLR) following the Company's announcement that it will begin trading ex-dividend on December 27, 2017. In order to capture the dividend payout, investors must purchase the stock a day prior to the ex-dividend date that is by latest at the end of the trading session on December 26, 2017. Active-Investors has initiated due-diligence on this dividend stock. Register with us for more free research including the one on WHLR:

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Dividend Declared

On December 14, 2017, Wheeler REIT announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a $0.34 per share cash dividend for shareholders of record of the Company's common stock on December 28, 2017, to be paid on or about January 15, 2018.

Wheeler REIT's indicated dividend represents a yield of 12.78%, which is substantially above the average dividend yield of 3.79% for the financial sector.

Dividend Insights

Wheeler REIT has a dividend payout ratio of 90.7%, which denotes that the Company distributes approximately $0.91for every $1.00 earned. The dividend payout ratio reflects how much amount a company is returning to shareholders versus how much money it is keeping on hand to reinvest in growth, to pay off debt, and/or to add to its cash reserves.

According to analysts' estimates, Wheeler REIT is forecasted to report negative earnings of $2.11 for the next year compared to the Company's annualized dividend of $1.36. One of the primary reasons for the difference between earnings and annualized dividend is that Wheeler REIT is a Real Estate Investment Trust which is structured by law to distribute at least 90% of earnings. Moreover, since REITs generate income from owning portfolios of investment real estate, they are likely to have higher depreciation charges.

Since depreciation is a non-cash charge, it does not directly impact the ability of dividend the companies can distribute. For this reason, Fund from Operations (FFO) is calculated by adding depreciation and amortization to earnings and subtracting any gains on sales which then provides a better picture of any company's profitability and capacity to pay and to sustain dividends. For instance, Wheeler REIT reported net loss attributable to common stock shareholders of $4.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017, or $0.52 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $2.8 million, or $0.32 per basic and diluted share, for the year-ago same period. On the other hand, the Company posted FFO available to Common Stock shareholders and holders of OP Units of $3.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017, or $0.35 per share of Common Stock and OP Unit, compared to $2.2 million, or $0.24 per share of Common Stock and OP Unit, for the prior year's same period. Wheeler REIT's adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) was $4.0 million, or $0.43 per share, for the reported quarter compared to AFFO of $2.7 million, or $0.29 per share of Common Stock and OP Unit, for the year-earlier corresponding quarter. The FFO indicates that the Company should be able to comfortably cover its dividend payout.

As of September 30, 2017, Wheeler REIT's cash and cash equivalents were $5.7 million at September 30, 2017, compared to $4.9 million at December 31, 2016. The Company's total debt was $312.8 million at September 30, 2017, compared to $315.0 million at December 31, 2016. Wheeler REIT's weighted-average interest rate and term of its debt was 4.5% and 4.8 years, respectively, at September 30, 2017, compared to 4.3% and 5.55 years, respectively, at December 31, 2016. The Company's strong financial position indicates its ability to absorb any fluctuations in earnings and cash flow and to sustain the dividend distribution for a long period.

About Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc.

Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Wheeler REIT is a fully-integrated, self-managed commercial real estate investment company focused on acquiring and managing income-producing retail properties with a primary focus on grocery-anchored centers. Wheeler's portfolio contains well-located, potentially dominant retail properties in secondary and tertiary markets that generate attractive, risk-adjusted returns, with emphasis on grocery-anchored retail centers.

Stock Performance Snapshot

December 22, 2017 - At Friday's closing bell, Wheeler REIT's stock rose 3.94%, ending the trading session at $11.08.

Volume traded for the day: 114.78 thousand shares, which was above the 3-month average volume of 85.21 thousand shares.

Stock performance in the last month ? up 9.81%; and previous six-month period ? up 6.03%

After last Friday's close, Wheeler REIT's market cap was at $96.32 million.

The stock has a dividend yield of 12.27%.

The stock is part of the Financial sector, categorized under the REIT - Retail industry.

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