Equity Residential fourth-quarter FFO rises

NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Equity Residential (EQR.N: Quote, Profile, Research), one of the largest U.S. apartment owners, reported on Tuesday that quarterly funds from operations rose on higher net operating income, property sales and lower preferred share pay outs.

The real estate investment trust said fourth-quarter FFO available to common shareholders rose to $193.8 million, or 67 cents a share, from $154.5 million, or 49 cents per share in the year-earlier quarter. (Reporting by Ilaina Jonas; Editing by Andre Grenon)