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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): July 15, 2020

 

 

 

ASHFORD HOSPITALITY TRUST, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Maryland   001-31775   86-1062192

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(Commission file number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification

Number)

 

14185 Dallas Parkway, Suite 1100    
Dallas, Texas   75254

(Address of principal executive

offices)

  (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (972)490-9600

 

N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

   

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company    ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   Trading Symbol(s)   Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock   AHT   New York Stock Exchange
Preferred Stock, Series D   AHT-PD   New York Stock Exchange
Preferred Stock, Series F   AHT-PF   New York Stock Exchange
Preferred Stock, Series G   AHT-PG   New York Stock Exchange
Preferred Stock, Series H   AHT-PH   New York Stock Exchange
Preferred Stock, Series I   AHT-PI   New York Stock Exchange

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

On July 15, 2020, Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) completed a one-for-ten (the “Split Ratio”) reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Reverse Stock Split”), effective after the close of business on July 15, 2020.

 

In connection with the Reverse Stock Split, on July 15, 2020, Ashford OP General Partner LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, executed Amendment No. 7 to the Seventh Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership (the “Partnership Agreement Amendment”) of Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership, the Company’s operating partnership (“Ashford Trust OP”), for the purpose of changing and reclassifying the issued and outstanding Partnership Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement Amendment) consistent with the Split Ratio (the “Reverse Unit Split”), effective after the close of business on July 15, 2020. As a result of the Reverse Unit Split, the number of outstanding Partnership Units of Ashford Trust OP was reduced to approximately 2.1 million units.

 

The summary of the Partnership Agreement Amendment contained in this Item 1.01 does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Partnership Agreement Amendment, which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 3.03 Material Modifications to Rights of Security Holders.

 

The disclosure set forth under Items 5.02 and 8.01 below is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers; Compensatory Arrangements Of Certain Officers.

 

(e) On July 13, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) approved an amendment (the “Plan Amendment”) to the 2011 Stock Incentive Plan of Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc., as amended (the “Plan”), effective July 15, 2020. The Plan Amendment ratably adjusted the aggregate number of shares of common stock issuable under the Plan to reflect the Reverse Stock Split. Equity and equity-based awards outstanding under the Plan have also been ratably adjusted to reflect the Reverse Stock Split.

 

The description of the Plan Amendment contained in this Item 5.02 is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Plan Amendment, which is filed as Exhibit 10.2 hereto and is incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 5.03 Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

 

The disclosure set forth under Item 8.01 below is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 8.01 Other Events.

 

As previously announced, the Company completed a one-for-ten Reverse Stock Split of the outstanding shares of its common stock, effective after the close of business on July 15, 2020. As a result of the Reverse Stock Split, there are 10,475,199 shares of common stock of the Company issued and outstanding.

 

On July 15, 2020, the Company issued a press release announcing the completion of the Reverse Stock Split. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

 

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits

 

The following exhibits are filed herewith:

 

10.1   Amendment No. 7 to the Seventh Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership, dated July 15, 2020.
10.2   Amendment No. 4 to the 2011 Incentive Stock Plan of Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc., dated July 15, 2020.
99.1   Press release dated July 15, 2020.
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document contained in Exhibit 101).

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

  ASHFORD HOSPITALITY TRUST, INC.
Date: July 15, 2020 By: /s/ Robert G. Haiman
    Robert G. Haiman
    Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary

 

 

 

Co-Registrant Preferred Label Common Stock
Co-Registrant Preferred Label Preferred Stock, Series D
Co-Registrant Preferred Label Preferred Stock, Series F
Co-Registrant Preferred Label Preferred Stock, Series G
Co-Registrant Preferred Label Preferred Stock, Series H

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

AMENDMENT NO. 7
TO

SEVENTH AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF
ASHFORD HOSPITALITY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

 

July 15, 2020

 

This Amendment No. 7 to the Seventh Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership (this “Amendment”) is made as of July 15, 2020, by Ashford OP General Partner LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as general partner (the “General Partner”) of Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Partnership”), pursuant to the authority granted in Section 11.1(b) of Seventh Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership, dated April 14, 2016, as amended by Amendment No. l thereto dated as of July 13, 2016, Amendment No. 2 thereto dated October 18, 2016, Amendment No. 3 thereto dated as of August 25, 2017, Amendment No. 4 thereto dated as of November 17, 2017, Amendment No. 5 thereto dated as of December 13, 2017 and Amendment No. 6 thereto dated as of February 26, 2019 (the “Partnership Agreement”), for the purpose of changing and reclassifying Partnership Units. Capitalized terms used and not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Partnership Agreement.

 

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (the “Corporation”) and a duly authorized committee thereof adopted resolutions on June 16, 2020 and June 16, 2020 (i) changing and reclassifying each of the shares of Common Stock (par value $0.01 per share) of the Corporation, which is issued and outstanding at the close of business on the effective date of this amendment, into one-tenth of a share of Common Stock (par value $0.01 per share) and (ii) transferring from the common stock account to the additional paid-in capital account $0.01 with respect to each share which will no longer remain outstanding after this change and reclassification, such change, reclassification and combination to be made as a 1-for-10 (the “Split Ratio”) reverse stock split, and that no fractional shares of Common Stock will be or remain issued to any stockholder who, after giving effect to such reverse stock split, would otherwise have owned any fraction of a share of Common Stock and, if such reverse stock split would result in a fractional number of shares of Common Stock, such fractional share shall be rounded down to the nearest full share and the Company shall pay the holder otherwise entitled to such fraction a sum in cash in an amount equal to the relevant percentage of the amount received per share upon the sale in one or more open market transactions of the aggregate of all such fractional shares (the “Reverse Stock Split”);

 

WHEREAS, Section 11.1(b) of the Partnership Agreement permits the General Partner to amend the Partnership Agreement without the approval of any other Partner if such amendment is to amend and restate Exhibit A thereto;

 

WHEREAS, the General Partner has determined that, in connection with the Reverse Stock Split, it is necessary and desirable to amend the Partnership Agreement to change and reclassify the issued and outstanding Partnership Units consistent with the Split Ratio (the “Reverse Unit Split”); and

 

 

 

 

WHEREAS, the General Partner desires to so amend the Partnership Agreement as of the date first set forth above.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the General Partner hereby amends the Partnership Agreement as follows:

 

1.          The Partnership Agreement is hereby amended to replace Exhibit A thereto with a revised Exhibit A to reflect the Reverse Unit Split.

 

2.          Except as modified herein, all terms and conditions of the Partnership Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, which terms and conditions the General Partner hereby ratifies and confirms.

 

3.          This Amendment shall be construed and enforced in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflicts of law.

 

4.          If any provision of this Amendment is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected thereby.

 

(The remainder of this page intentionally left blank.)

 

2

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Amendment as of the date first set forth above.

 

  GENERAL PARTNER:
   
  Ashford OP General Partner LLC,
  a Delaware limited liability company, as General Partner of Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership
   
  By: /s/ Robert G. Haiman
  Name:  Robert G. Haiman
  Title: Executive Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary

 

Amendment No. 7 to Seventh Amended and Restated LP Agreement of Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership

 

 

 

Ashford Hospitality Trust

Exhibit A

As of June 30, 2020 - Post-split

 

    % of Total Shares +  
  Shares/Units Units Treasury stock
       
Total Common Shares 10,475,200 83.60% 1,707,914
       
Total Common Units 1,651,799 13.18%  
       
Total LTIPs 272,959 2.18%  
       
Total Performance LTIPs 129,656 1.03%  
       
Total Units (All Types) 2,054,413 16.40%  
       
Total Shares + Units 12,529,613 100.00%  

 

Preferred Series   Shares    
Series D   2,389,393    
Series F   4,800,000    
Series G   6,200,000    
Series H   3,800,000    
Series I   5,400,000    
         
Total Preferred   22,589,393    

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

AMENDMENT NO. 4

to the

2011 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

of

ASHFORD HOSPITALITY TRUST, INC.

July 15, 2020

 

This Amendment No. 4 (this “Amendment”) to the 2011 Stock Incentive Plan of Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) is hereby adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), effective as of the date first referenced above.

 

WHEREAS, the 2011 Stock Incentive Plan of Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (the “Original Plan”) was authorized and approved by the stockholders of the Company and adopted for and on behalf of the Company by the Board in May 2011;

 

WHEREAS, the Original Plan was amended by that certain Amendment No. 1, Amendment No. 2, and Amendment No. 3 to the Original Plan (as so amended, the “Plan”);

 

WHEREAS, as of the date first set forth above, the Company has effectuated a 1-for-10 reverse stock split (the “Reverse Split”) of the shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”);

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Article 1.2 of the Plan, in the event that the outstanding shares of Common Stock are changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of securities of the Company by reason of, inter alia, a recapitalization, stock split, combination of shares, or the like, the aggregate number of securities available under the Plan shall be ratably adjusted; and

 

WHEREAS, the Board wishes to amend the Plan to ratably adjust the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder to reflect the Reverse Split.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,

 

1. Article 1.2 of the Plan is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

 

 

 

 

The aggregate number of shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) that may be issued under the Plan shall not exceed 1,725,000 shares of outstanding Common Stock. In the event that the outstanding shares of Common Stock are changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares or other securities of the Company by reason of a merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, stock dividend, combination of shares or the like, the aggregate number and class of securities available under the Plan shall be ratably adjusted by the Committee (as defined below) or the Board, whose determination shall be final and binding upon the Company and all other interested persons. In the event the number of shares to be delivered upon the exercise or payment of any Award granted under the Plan is reduced for any reason whatsoever or in the event any Award granted under the Plan can no longer under any circumstances be exercised or paid, the number of shares no longer subject to such Award shall thereupon be released from such Award and shall thereafter be available under the Plan for the grant of additional Awards. Shares issued pursuant to the Plan (i) may be treasury shares, authorized but unissued shares or, if applicable, shares acquired in the open market and (ii) shall be fully paid and nonassessable.

 

2. Except as modified herein, all terms and conditions of the Plan shall remain in full force and effect.

 

3. This Amendment shall be construed and enforced in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to conflicts of law.

 

4. If any provision of this Amendment is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected thereby.

 

-2-

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

  NEWS RELEASE

 

Contact: Deric Eubanks     Jordan Jennings Joseph Calabrese
  Chief Financial Officer    Investor Relations    Financial Relations Board  
  (972) 490-9600    (972) 778-9487 (212) 827-3772

 

ASHFORD TRUST COMPLETES REVERSE STOCK SPLIT

 

DALLAS, July 15, 2020 -- Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE: AHT) (“Ashford Trust” or the “Company”) announced today that it completed a reverse split of the Company’s common stock at a ratio of 1-for-10.

 

After the close of business on July 15, 2020, the effective date of the reverse stock split, each share of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock and equivalents were converted into 1/10th of a share of the Company’s common stock. As a result of the reverse split, the number of outstanding shares of common stock was reduced from approximately 104.8 million shares to approximately 10.5 million shares. The reverse stock split will affect all stockholders uniformly and will not affect any stockholder’s ownership percentage of shares of the Company’s common stock, except for minor changes resulting from the payment of cash for fractional shares.

 

As of market open on July 16, 2020, the Company’s common stock will commence trading on a split-adjusted basis on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”). The common stock will continue to trade on the NYSE under the symbol “AHT” but will trade under a new CUSIP number. The purpose of the reverse stock split was to raise the per share trading price of the Company’s common stock to regain compliance with the minimum $1.00 continued listing requirement for the listing of its common stock on the NYSE.

 

 

 

 

Ashford Trust’s stockholders should contact their broker or Ashford Trust’s transfer agent, Computershare, at (800) 546-5141, for any necessary assistance relating to the reverse stock split.

 

On July 15, 2020, the Company also completed a reverse split of the partnership units of Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership, the Company’s operating partnership (“Ashford Trust OP”), at a ratio of 1-for-10. As a result of such reverse split, the number of outstanding partnership units of Ashford Trust OP was reduced from approximately 20.5 million units to approximately 2.1 million units.

 

* * * * *

 

Ashford Hospitality Trust is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investing predominantly in upper upscale, full-service hotels.

 

Ashford has created an Ashford App for the hospitality REIT investor community. The Ashford App is available for free download at Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store by searching “Ashford.”

 

Certain statements and assumptions in this press release contain or are based upon “forward-looking” information and are being made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others, statements about the Company’s strategy and future plans. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. When we use the words “will likely result,” “may,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” or similar expressions, we intend to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are outside Ashford Trust’s control.

 

These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, without limitation: the impact of the novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) on our business; our ability to meet the NYSE continued listing standards; our ability to repay, refinance or restructure our debt and the debt of certain of our subsidiaries; general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of our common stock and preferred stock; changes in our business or investment strategy; availability, terms and deployment of capital; availability of qualified personnel; changes in our industry and the market in which we operate, interest rates or the general economy; and the degree and nature of our competition. These and other risk factors are more fully discussed in Ashford Trust’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We will not publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, changes in expectations or otherwise except to the extent required by law.