06/07/2016 | by Sarah Borchersen-Keto

The winners of NAREIT’s 2016 Investor CARE Awards, which honor excellence in communications and reporting to shareholders, were announced on June 7 in New York at REITWeek 2016: NAREIT’s Investor Forum.

In the large cap Equity REIT category, the Gold Award went to Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE). Acadia Realty Trust (NYSE: AKR) received the Silver Award, while the Bronze Award went to UDR, Inc. (NYSE: UDR).

In the small cap Equity REIT category, Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (NYSE: PREIT) was awarded Gold, while American Assets Trust (NYSE: AAT) received the Silver Award and Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT) took the Bronze.

The Gold Award for Mortgage REITs went to Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD).

The awards recognize those companies that interact most effectively with their investors online, in writing and orally, as well as those companies that provide their investors with the most comprehensive, clearly articulated and useful information in the most efficient manner.

This is the 16th year that NAREIT has given out the awards. The criteria used to choose winners consist of a company’s online presence, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and investor relations practices.

The NAREIT CARE Awards are judged by an independent panel of REIT securities analysts and portfolio managers. This year’s judges included:

  • The team from EII Capital Management;
  • Lazard Asset Management Vice President Gautam Garg and Managing Director Jay Leupp;
  • Chilton Capital's REIT Team;
  • RBC Capital Markets and the RBC REIT team;
  • The Prudential Real Estate Securities Team; and
  • REIT analysts Nathan Isbee and Jennifer Hummert at Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Inc.