Federal Realty Announces Largest Common Dividend Increase in the Company's 43-Year History

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jun 06, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT) announced today that its Board of Trustees declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.555 per share on its common shares, resulting in an indicated annual rate of $2.22, an increase of $0.20 per share annually. The dividend will be payable on July 15, 2005, to common shareholders of record as of June 23, 2005. The dividend increase represents the largest dividend increase in Federal Realty's 43-year history, and the largest percentage increase in the common dividend since 1988.

"Today's significant dividend increase announcement reflects the confidence shared by management and the Board of Trustees that Federal Realty's strong operating performance and future growth prospects are sustainable," commented Donald Wood, Federal Realty's President and Chief Executive Officer. "In addition to today's increase to our regular common dividend, we are evaluating the potential for special dividends relating to the condominium sales at Santana Row."

Federal Realty has previously announced the potential sale of up to 219 residential condominiums in buildings three, four and six at Santana Row, the Trust's mixed-use community in San Jose, California.

Federal Realty's Board of Trustees also declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.53125 per share on the Trust's Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares (NYSE:FRTprB). Dividends on the Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares will be payable on July 29, 2005 to shareholders of record on July 15, 2005.

About Federal Realty

Federal Realty Investment Trust is an equity real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management, development, and redevelopment of high quality retail assets. Federal Realty's portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) contains approximately 17.4 million square feet located primarily in strategic metropolitan markets in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and California. In addition, the Trust has an ownership interest in approximately 0.5 million square feet of retail space through its joint venture with Clarion Lion Properties Fund in which the Trust has a 30% interest. Our operating portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) was 95.1% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of March 31, 2005, with no single tenant accounting for more than 2.3% of rental revenue. Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and, through 2004, has increased its dividend rate for 37 consecutive years, the longest consecutive record in the REIT industry. Shares of Federal Realty are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT.

Safe Harbor Language

Certain matters discussed within this press release may be deemed to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Although Federal Realty believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. These factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors described in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 7, 2005, and include the following:

-- risks that our tenants will not pay rent or that we may be unable to renew leases or re-let space at favorable rents as leases expire;

-- risks that we may not be able to proceed with or obtain necessary approvals for any redevelopment or renovation project, and that any redevelopment or renovation project that we do pursue may not perform as anticipated;

-- risks that the number of properties we acquire for our own account, and therefore the amount of capital we invest in acquisitions, may be impacted by our real estate partnership;

-- risks normally associated with the real estate industry, including risks that occupancy levels at our properties and the amount of rent that we receive from our properties may be lower than expected, that new acquisitions may fail to perform as expected, that competition for acquisitions could result in increased prices for acquisitions, that we may have environmental risks at our properties, and, because real estate is illiquid, that we may not be able to sell properties when appropriate;

-- risks that our growth will be limited if we cannot obtain additional capital;

-- risks of financing, such as our ability to consummate additional financings or obtain replacement financing on terms which are acceptable to us, our ability to meet existing financial covenants and the limitations imposed on our operations by those covenants, and the possibility of increases in interest rates that would result in increased interest expense; and

-- risks related to our status as a real estate investment trust, commonly referred to as a REIT, for federal income tax purposes, such as the existence of complex tax regulations relating to our status as a REIT, the effect of future changes in REIT requirements as a result of new legislation, and the adverse consequences of the failure to qualify as a REIT.

Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements that we make, including those in this press release. Except as required by law, we make no promise to update any of the forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. You should review the risks contained in our annual report on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and the risks contained in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 7, 2005.

SOURCE: Federal Realty Investment Trust

Federal Realty Investment Trust
Andrew Blocher, 301-998-8166
ablocher@federalrealty.com
or
Suzanne O'Neill, 301-998-8358
soneill@federalrealty.com