American Homes Sets Price for New Offering

Agoura Hills-based American Homes 4 Rent, the country’s largest publicly-traded, single-family home landlord, announced the pricing of a $225 million public offering of preferred stock to be $25 a share. The real estate investment trust said it plans to offer for sale 9 million of its 6.5 percent Series D preferred shares and expects to raise about $225 million in the public offering, excluding underwriting discounts, commissions and expenses, the company said. The offer is expected to close May 24 pending closing conditions. Board Chairman B. Wayne Hughes’ daughter, Tamara Hughes Gustavson, is expected to buy $10 million shares in a private placement, which will bring the expected proceeds to $235 million, the company said. Underwriters have 30 days to buy up to an additional 1.35 million of the Series D shares at the same per-share price to cover over-allotments. American Homes said it has applied to the New York Stock Exchange to list the shares under the symbol AMHPRD. Pending approval, the trading should begin 30 days after the shares’ initial delivery, the company said. American Homes plans to use the proceeds to repay debt, buy more homes and for general purposes. Raymond James; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods; and Wells Fargo Securities are among the joint book-running managers for the offering. BB&T Capital Markets, Janney Montgomery Scott, Oppenheimer & Co. and Wunderlich are serving as the co-managers for the offering. Shares on Tuesday closed down 1.5 percent, or 26 cents, to $17.73 on the New York Stock Exchange.