Topic: How To Invest

Pat: I would like your comments with respect to Government Properties Income Trust. I bought it for the yield and expected reliable cash flow from having government as its prime tenant. Now I am wondering and would like your opinion.

Article Excerpt

Government Properties Income Trust, $23.64, symbol GOV on New York (Units outstanding: 47.1 million; Market cap: $1.1 billion; www.govreit.com), is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that gets about two-thirds of its revenue by leasing office space to the U.S. federal government. State governments rent another 20% of its offices, and the United Nations leases 5%. Most of the REIT’s properties are in California, Maryland, New York, Georgia, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. In the three months ended June 30, 2012, Government Properties’ revenue rose 19.4%, to $50.3 million from $42.1 million a year earlier. Cash flow rose 15.8%, to $24.4 million from $21.0 million. Cash flow per unit was unchanged from $0.52 because the REIT issued more units to pay for recent acquisitions. These acquisitions included: two office properties located in Everett, Washington leased to the State of Washington and occupied by the Department of Social and Health Services for $20.4 million; and an office property in Albany, New York leased to…