TOLEDO, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 8, 2013-- Health Care REIT, Inc. (NYSE:HCN) announced today that it intends to offer, subject to market and other conditions, 18,000,000 shares of its common stock. Health Care REIT intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,700,000 shares of its common stock.

The company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to repay advances under HCN’s unsecured lines of credit, to repay other outstanding indebtedness and for general corporate purposes, including investing in health care real estate and seniors housing properties.

UBS Investment Bank, Deutsche Bank Securities, and Wells Fargo Securities will act as joint book-running managers for the offering.

The shares of common stock are being offered pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement that Health Care REIT previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Electronic copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus are available from the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov.

A copy of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus related to the offering may be obtained by contacting:

• UBS Securities LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 299 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10171, telephone: 1-888-827-7275
• Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Attention: Prospectus Group, 60 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005-2836, by calling 1-800-503-4611, or by emailing prospectus.cpdg@db.com
• Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 375 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10152, telephone: 1-800-326-5897

This press release is not an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

About Health Care REIT, Inc. Health Care REIT, Inc., an S&P 500 company with headquarters in Toledo, Ohio, is a real estate investment trust that invests across the full spectrum of seniors housing and health care real estate. The company also provides an extensive array of property management and development services. As of March 31, 2013, the company’s broadly diversified portfolio consisted of 1,133 properties in 46 states, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Forward-Looking Statements. This document may contain “forward-looking” statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When the company uses words such as “may,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate” or similar expressions, it is making forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. The company’s expected results may not be achieved, and actual results may differ materially from expectations. This may be a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, those factors discussed in the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus and in the company's reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Completion of the proposed offering is subject to various factors, including, but not limited to, the status of the economy and the status of capital markets. The company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements.

Source: Health Care REIT, Inc.

Health Care REIT, Inc.
Scott Estes, 419-247-2800
Jay Morgan, 419-247-2800