What a difference one word maks

Hal Morris, writing on his Grumpy Editor blog, notes that a Wall Street Journal article about companies suspending dividend payments omitted the word “several” when referring to REITs that had drop paying dividends.

He notes that only three of about 200 REITs have stopped their dividends. The article implied that all of them were doing so.

Morris writes, “The WSJ piece also refers to “a recent report from RBC Capital Markets says more dividend cuts among REITs are likely because of the strains now involved in raising capital.��?

“(Indeed.  But nearly every company, large and small in every category, currently has some difficulties in raising capital.)

“Just 10 days earlier, notes Grumpy Editor, the managing director of the same company — RBC Capital Markets — was quoted on realestateportfolio.com saying:  ‘Few, if any, REITs have trouble paying their dividends at this point.'”

Read more here.