HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Whitestone REIT (NYSE-Amex: WSR), a real estate investment trust
that acquires, owns and operates Community Centered PropertiesTM,
announced it has been added to the Russell 3000® Index and
Russell 2000® Index when Russell Investments reconstituted
its comprehensive set of U.S. and global equity indexes on June 24, 2011.
Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional
investors for both index funds and as benchmarks for passive and active
investment strategies. The Company will hold its membership until
Russell reconstitutes its indexes in June 2012.
“We are pleased to be added to the Russell 2000, which reflects our
continued positive momentum and efforts to increase shareholder value,”
said James C. Mastandrea, Whitestone’s Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer. “We expect our inclusion will raise our profile and generate
greater interest in our stock at an institutional investor level.”
The Russell 3000 also serves as the U.S. component to the Russell Global
Index, which Russell launched in 2007.
The annual reconstitution of the Russell 3000 captures the 3,000 largest
U.S. stocks as of the end of May, ranking them by total market
capitalization. The largest 1,000 companies in this ranking comprise the
Russell 1000 and the next 2,000 companies become the Russell 2000.
About Russell:
Russell Investments provides strategic advice, world-class
implementation, state-of-the-art performance benchmarks and a range of
institutional-quality investment products. Russell has about $161
billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2011, and serves
individual, institutional and advisor clients in more than 35 countries.
Founded in 1936, Russell is a subsidiary of The Northwestern Mutual Life
Insurance Company.
About Whitestone REIT
Whitestone REIT is a fully integrated real estate company that owns,
operates and re-develops Community Centered PropertiesTM,
which are visibly located properties in established or developing
culturally diverse neighborhoods. Whitestone focuses on value-creation
in its Centers, as it markets, leases and manages its Centers to match
tenants with the shared needs of surrounding neighborhoods. Operations
are structured for providing cost-effective service to local
service-oriented smaller space tenants (less than 3,000 square feet).
Whitestone has a diversified tenant base concentrated on service
offerings such as medical, education, and casual dining. The largest of
its over 800 tenants comprises less than 2% of its rental revenues.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas and founded in 1998, the Company is
internally managed with a portfolio of commercial properties in Texas,
Arizona, and Illinois. For additional information about the Company,
please visit www.whitestonereit.com.
The investor section of the Company's website has links to SEC filings,
news releases, financial reports and investor newsletters.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements included herein that state the Company's or management's
intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future
are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which by their nature, involve
known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results,
performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed
or implied by these statements. Reference is made to the Company's
regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for
information or factors that may impact the Company's performance.
Source: Whitestone REIT
Contact:
Whitestone REIT
Anne Gregory, 713.435.2219
Vice
President Marketing & Investor Relations
agregory@whitestonereit.com