JACKSON, Miss., Dec. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EastGroup Properties (NYSE: EGP) (the "Company", "EastGroup") announced today that its Board of Directors approved a 22.2% increase in its quarterly dividend, raising it to $1.10 per share from $0.90 per share.  The dividend is payable on January 15, 2022 to shareholders of record of Common Stock on December 31, 2021.  This dividend is the 168^th consecutive quarterly distribution to EastGroup's shareholders and represents an annualized dividend rate of $4.40 per share.  EastGroup has increased or maintained its dividend for 29 consecutive years.  The Company has increased it 26 years over that period, including increases in each of the last 10 years.

Commenting on the Company's second consecutive quarterly increase, Marshall Loeb, CEO, stated, "The dynamic growth of our Company and the corresponding increase in earnings, as well as exhausting a prior tax accounting change benefit, pushed us to increase the dividend payout.  We anticipate that the rate of our dividend increase will normalize in 2022."

EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE: EGP), an S&P MidCap 400 company, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's goal is to maximize shareholder value by being a leading provider in its markets of functional, flexible and quality business distribution space for location sensitive customers (primarily in the 15,000 to 70,000 square foot range). The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. EastGroup's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes approximately 51 million square feet. 

EastGroup Properties, Inc. press releases are available at www.eastgroup.net.

Forward-Looking Information

The statements and certain other information contained herein, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "seek," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "targets," "intends," "should," "estimates," "could," "continue," "assume," "projects" or "plans" and variations of such words or similar expressions or the negative of such words, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbors created thereby. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views about its plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to the Company and on assumptions it has made. Although the Company believes that its plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company can give no assurance that such plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, these forward-looking statements should be considered as subject to the many risks and uncertainties that exist in the Company's operations and business environment. Such risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These uncertainties include, but are not limited to: international, national, regional and local economic conditions; the duration and extent of the impact of the coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic, including as a result of any COVID-19 variants or as affected by the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, and any related lockdowns or other orders on our business operations or the business operations of our tenants (including their ability to timely make rent payments) and the economy generally; disruption in supply and delivery chains; the general level of interest rates and ability to raise equity capital on attractive terms; financing risks, including the risks that our cash flows from operations may be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest, and we may be unable to refinance our existing debt upon maturity or obtain new financing on attractive terms or at all; our ability to retain our credit agency ratings; our ability to comply with applicable financial covenants; the competitive environment in which the Company operates; fluctuations of occupancy or rental rates; potential defaults (including bankruptcies or insolvency) on or non-renewal of leases by tenants, or our ability to lease space at current or anticipated rents, particularly in light of the significant uncertainty as to when and the conditions under which current or potential tenants will be able to operate physical locations in the future; potential changes in the law or governmental regulations and interpretations of those laws and regulations, including changes in real estate laws or REIT or corporate income tax laws, and potential increases in real property tax rates; our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT; acquisition and development risks, including failure of such acquisitions and development projects to perform in accordance with projections; natural disasters such as fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes; pandemics, epidemics or other public health emergencies, such as the outbreak of COVID-19; the terms of governmental regulations that affect us and interpretations of those regulations, including the costs of compliance with those regulations, changes in real estate and zoning laws and increases in real property tax rates; credit risk in the event of non-performance by the counterparties to our interest rate swaps; lack of or insufficient amounts of insurance; litigation, including costs associated with prosecuting or defending claims and any adverse outcomes; our ability to retain key personnel; the consequences of future terrorist attacks or civil unrest; and environmental liabilities, including costs, fines or penalties that may be incurred due to necessary remediation of contamination of properties presently owned or previously owned by us. All forward-looking statements should be read in light of the risks identified in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors within the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company assumes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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SOURCE EastGroup Properties