PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: IRT) (“IRT” or the “Company”) announced today that the Company received an investment grade rating from Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”). Fitch has assigned a Long-Term Issuer Default Rating of ‘BBB’ to IRT with a stable outlook. In addition, Fitch has assigned a rating of ‘BBB’ to the company's subsidiary, Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP and its senior unsecured debt, which includes credit facilities and unsecured term loans.
“We’re proud to have achieved an investment grade credit rating, a significant milestone for IRT,” said Scott Schaeffer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IRT. “This reflects our efforts to fundamentally reset our leverage profile through profitable growth and the successful execution of our Portfolio Optimization and Deleveraging Strategy. An investment grade credit rating will help us further improve our cost of capital and give IRT access to additional capital sources, to implement our business plan and invest in our portfolio. We are well positioned to deliver sustainable earnings growth and create long-term value for our shareholders.”
Fitch stated that IRT’s BBB rating reflects the Company’s solid balance sheet, stable property performance and anticipated execution of its Portfolio Optimization and Deleveraging Strategy.
About Independence Realty Trust, Inc.
Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: IRT) is a real estate investment trust that owns and operates multifamily communities, across non-gateway U.S. markets including Atlanta, GA, Dallas, TX, Denver, CO, Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Raleigh-Durham, NC, Oklahoma City, OK, Nashville, TN, Houston, TX, and Tampa, FL. IRT’s investment strategy is focused on gaining scale near major employment centers within key amenity rich submarkets that offer good school districts and high-quality retail. IRT aims to provide stockholders with attractive risk-adjusted returns through diligent portfolio management, strong operational performance, and a consistent return on capital through distributions and capital appreciation. More information may be found on the Company’s website www.irtliving.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain 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. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, increased financial flexibility, growth opportunities and related benefits that we expect to realize through our Portfolio Optimization and Deleveraging Strategy and value add program. All statements in this release that address financial and operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur or be achieved in the future are forward-looking statements. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and includes this statement for purposes of complying with the safe harbor provisions.
Our forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve estimates, projections, forecasts, strategies and assumptions, including as to matters that are not within our control, and are subject to risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to changes in market demand for rental apartment homes and pricing pressures, including from competitors, that could lead to declines in occupancy and rent levels, uncertainty and volatility in capital and credit markets, including changes that reduce availability, and increase costs, of capital, unexpected changes in our intention or ability to repay certain debt prior to maturity, increased costs on account of inflation, increased competition in the labor market, failure to realize cost savings, efficiencies and other benefits that we expect to result from our Portfolio Optimization and Deleveraging Strategy, inability to sell certain assets, including those assets designated as held for sale, within the time frames or at the pricing levels expected, failure to achieve expected benefits from the redeployment of proceeds from asset sales, delays in completing, and cost overruns incurred in connection with, our value add initiatives and failure to achieve rent increases and occupancy levels on account of the value add initiatives, unexpected impairments or impairments in excess of our estimates, increased regulations generally and specifically on the rental housing market, including legislation that may regulate rents and fees or delay or limit our ability to evict non-paying residents, risks endemic to real estate and the real estate industry generally, the impact of potential outbreaks of infectious diseases and measures intended to prevent the spread or address the effects thereof, the effects of natural and other disasters, unknown or unexpected liabilities, including the cost of legal proceedings, costs and disruptions as the result of a cybersecurity incident or other technology disruption, unexpected capital needs, inability to obtain appropriate insurance coverages at reasonable rates, or at all, or losses from catastrophes in excess of our insurance coverages, and share price fluctuations. Please refer to the documents filed by us with the SEC, including specifically the “Risk Factors” sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and our other filings with the SEC, which identify additional factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are based upon the beliefs and expectations of our management at the time of this release and our actual results, including our ability to execute on our Portfolio Optimization and Deleveraging Strategy and other strategies, may differ materially from the expectations, intentions, beliefs, plans or predictions of the future expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required by law.
