Investor FAQs
Who or what is Altus Group Limited?
How can I purchase shares in Altus Group?
Are Altus Group's shares eligible for all types of investment accounts?
What types of investors are most interested in Altus Group?
Are my returns guaranteed?
Isn’t investing in a consulting services firm too risky?
How does Altus Group determine dividends to shareholders?
When are dividends paid?
Does Altus Group offer a DRP (Distribution Reinvestment Plan)?
What is the tax treatment of dividends?
Are these shares available to U.S. investors?
When did Altus Group go public?
When does Altus Group release its quarterly financial results?
Who are Altus Group's transfer agent and registrar?
Who are Altus Group's auditors?
Who are the Trustees of Altus Group?
Who or what is the Altus Group Limited?
Altus Group leads the global real estate industry in delivering data and information about an organization’s assets, generating a wealth of knowledge and insight. With a staff of over 1,700, Altus has a network of over 70 offices in 14 countries worldwide, including Canada, UK, Australia, Asia and the United States. We operate five interrelated Business Units, bringing years of expertise together into one comprehensive platform: Research, Valuation and Advisory; Cost Consulting and Project Management; Realty Tax Consulting; Geomatics; and ARGUS Software. Altus' clients include banks, financial institutions, governments, pension funds, asset and fund managers, developers and landlords and companies engaged in the oil and gas industry.
How can I purchase shares in Altus Group?
Altus Group's shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AIF.
Are Altus Group's shares eligible for all types of investment accounts?
Investors are strongly advised to consult their financial advisor or planner to determine eligibility and tax considerations in their country of residence for their investment portfolio. Altus Group is a mutual fund trust. In Canada, the shares are eligible under the usual Canadian statutes for RRSPs, RRIFs, RESPs and DPSPs and non-registered accounts. Shareholders receive a portion of the fees generated by Altus Group's consulting and advisory services.
What types of investors are most interested in Altus Group?
Altus shareholders include retail and institutional investors.
Are my returns guaranteed?
As an equity investment, neither potential returns nor your original investment are guaranteed. An investment in the shares is subject to a number of risks. For more information on these please refer to our publicly filed documents on SEDAR at sedar.com.
Isn’t investing in a consulting services firm too risky?
No, there are many examples of successful, publicly traded consultancy service firms. We have an established client base and several practice areas coupled with strong, experienced management. Altus Group has established an employee-owned investment partnership to hold a retained interest, to bring new people into the partnership and reward management by aligning management's objectives with those of the shareholders.
The nature and diversity of the services Altus provides means that its business generates recurring revenues, diversified by geography, property type, service and client type. It is therefore well suited to a business trust structure. Altus Group also has significant business strengths that are difficult for competitors to replicate, including:
- An extensive service offering;
- Global capability through geographic reach;
- Industry-, market- and asset-specific knowledge;
- Truly independent advice; and,
- A critical mass of experienced professionals and demonstrated ability to attract and retain professional talent.
How does Altus Group determine dividends to shareholders?
Our Board of Directors determines the level of dividends based on the recent performance of the underlying business, including its financial position.
Distributable cash does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP, but is a measure generally used by Canadian open-ended income funds as an indicator of financial performance. Altus Group defines distributable cash as earnings before interest, depreciation, amortization, income taxes, and after interest paid, capital expenditures, income taxes paid and contributions to any reserves that the Trustees of Altus Group deem to be reasonable and necessary for the operation of Altus Group.
Altus Group's method of calculating distributable cash may differ from similar computations as reported by other similar entities and, accordingly, may not be comparable to distributable cash as reported by such entities. Altus Group believes that its distributable cash is a useful supplemental measure that may assist investors in assessing the return on their investment in units.
Altus Group's stated objective is to set a distribution level that is achievable over the long term and will grow in step with the growth of Altus Group. Thus, Altus is taking the next logical step in its development – creating a broader service offering, and a more capable corporate structure with which to continue our strong growth and deliver reliable cash flows for shareholders.
When are dividends paid?
Altus Group's policy is to make dividends on a quarterly basis to shareholders of record as of the last business day of each quarter with dividends being paid on the 15th day following the end of each quarter.
Does Altus Group offer a DRP (Distribution Reinvestment Plan)?
Not currently. Investors interested in purchasing additional shares at the current market price can do so through their financial advisor or planner.
What is the tax treatment of cash dividends?
Information regarding the tax treatment of dividends is posted on this website annually in late February for the prior year.
Are these shares available to U.S. investors?
The shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration or applicable exemption from the registration requirements of that Act.
When did Altus Group go public?
On May 19, 2005, Altus Group went public as an income trust on the Toronto Stock Exchange. On December 8, 2010, Altus Group announced that, at a duly constituted special meeting of unitholders and special voting unitholders unitholders and special voting unitholders overwhelmingly approved the proposed conversion into a corporation to be named Altus Group Limited. The conversion became effective on January 1, 2011, following receipt of a final order from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the satisfaction or waiver of all other conditions to the conversion.
When does Altus Group release its quarterly financial results?
Altus Group is obligated under securities laws to release its quarterly financial results within 45 days of each quarter end (calendar quarters) and within 90 days of year end, supported by quarterly conference calls that are open to all shareholders. Altus Group must also hold an annual meeting within six months of year end (December 31).
Who are Altus Group’s transfer agent and registrar?
CIBC Mellon Trust, P.O. Box 7010 Adelaide Street Postal Station, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2W9
Who are Altus Group’s auditors?
RSM Richter LLP Chartered Accountants, Toronto, Ontario
Who are the Directors of Altus Group?
Harvey Naglie, Eric Slavens, Stuart Smith, A.B. (Sandy) McArthur, Trevor Eyton, David Jenkins, Michael Barker, Daniel Lachance and Gary Yeoman are the Directors of Altus Group. Directors are elected by the shareholders of Altus Group at the annual meeting of shareholders and holders of Special Voting Shares to hold office until the next annual meeting.
Messrs. Naglie, Slavens, Smith, McArthur and Eyton are considered by Altus Group to be "independent" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 52-110 - Audit Committees. Altus Group intends at all times to have a majority of Directors who are independent. The Audit Committee and the Compensation, Nominating and Governance Committee are composed of the five independent Directors.
The Directors meet several times each year to evaluate management initiatives and performance. For a list of the Directors, please refer to:
http://www.altusgrouplimited.com/Board_Of_Trustees.aspx
For more information, please contact:
Altus Group Limited
33 Yonge Street, Suite 500
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5E 1G4
Phone: (416) 641-9500
Toll-free Phone: 1 (877) 953-9948
Fax: (416) 641-9501
E-mail: sayla.nordin@altusgroup.com