Saul Centers, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter 2023 Earnings
- Total revenue and net income increased for the 2023 Quarter and Period compared to 2022.
- Same property revenue and operating income grew for both the quarter and year.
- FFO increased due to higher termination fees and base rent.
- Commercial portfolio leasing percentage improved year over year.
- Strong focus on properties in the metropolitan Washington, DC/Baltimore area.
- None.
Insights
Analyzing Saul Centers, Inc.'s operating results reveals a positive trajectory in financial performance, with total revenue and net income for both the quarter and the year showing an uptick. The increase in net income is attributable to higher termination fees and base rent, signaling robust demand for the company's properties. However, it is crucial to note the rise in interest expense and general and administrative expenses, which could indicate growing operational costs that may impact future margins.
The reported occupancy rates, particularly the year-over-year increase in the commercial portfolio's leased percentage, suggest a strong leasing momentum. This is a critical metric as it directly affects revenue stability and potential growth. The residential portfolio's high occupancy rate further underscores the company's market strength in its operational regions.
From a financial perspective, the increase in Funds From Operations (FFO) is noteworthy. FFO is a key measure for REITs as it provides a clearer picture of operational performance by excluding depreciation and other non-cash charges. An increase in FFO, especially when it outpaces net income growth, is often viewed favorably by investors as it may indicate improved cash flow generation and the potential for increased dividends.
The reported gains in same property revenue and operating income reflect positively on Saul Centers' asset management strategies, suggesting effective cost control and the ability to enhance property value. The differentiation between Shopping Center and Mixed-Use properties' performance highlights the nuanced dynamics within the portfolio. A more significant increase in Shopping Center income could indicate sector-specific tailwinds or successful lease negotiations.
Understanding the geographic concentration of Saul Centers' portfolio, mainly in the Washington, DC/Baltimore area, provides context for the company's performance. This region's economic health, including employment rates and consumer spending, can significantly influence the company's results. Thus, the positive results may reflect not only company-specific factors but also broader regional economic stability.
When assessing Saul Centers' performance, it is essential to consider the REIT industry standards and norms. The company's focus on both Shopping Center and Mixed-Use properties is a strategic choice that may provide diversification benefits. The increase in same property operating income for these types is a sign of operational efficiency and can be a differentiator among peers. Additionally, the consistent increase in FFO is particularly relevant for REIT investors, as it often correlates with the ability to sustain or increase dividend payouts, a key attraction for REIT investments.
Lastly, the non-GAAP measures such as same property revenue and FFO are standard in the REIT industry for assessing operational performance. However, investors should also consider GAAP measures and understand the adjustments made to arrive at these non-GAAP figures, ensuring a comprehensive view of the company's financial health.
Same property revenue increased
For the 2023 Quarter, Funds From Operations ("FFO") available to common stockholders and noncontrolling interests (after deducting preferred stock dividends and extinguishment of issuance costs upon redemption of preferred shares) increased to
As of December 31, 2023,
For the year ended December 31, 2023 ("2023 Period"), total revenue increased to
Same property revenue increased
For the 2023 Period, FFO available to common stockholders and noncontrolling interests (after deducting preferred stock dividends and extinguishment of issuance costs upon redemption of preferred shares) increased
Saul Centers is a self-managed, self-administered equity REIT headquartered in
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain matters discussed within this press release may be deemed to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although the Company 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 29, 2024, and include the following: (i) general adverse economic and local real estate conditions, (ii) the inability of major tenants to continue paying their rent obligations due to bankruptcy, insolvency or a general downturn in their business, (iii) financing risks, such as the inability to obtain equity, debt or other sources of financing or refinancing on favorable terms to the Company, (iv) the Company's ability to raise capital by selling its assets, (v) changes in governmental laws and regulations and management's ability to estimate the impact of such changes, (vi) the level and volatility of interest rates and management's ability to estimate the impact thereof, (vii) the availability of suitable acquisition, disposition, development and redevelopment opportunities, and risks related to acquisitions not performing in accordance with our expectations, (viii) increases in operating costs, (ix) changes in the dividend policy for the Company's common and preferred stock and the Company's ability to pay dividends at current levels, (x) the reduction in the Company's income in the event of multiple lease terminations by tenants or a failure by multiple tenants to occupy their premises in a shopping center, (xi) impairment charges, (xii) unanticipated changes in the Company's intention or ability to prepay certain debt prior to maturity and (xiii) an epidemic or pandemic (such as the outbreak and worldwide spread of COVID-19), and the measures that international, federal, state and local governments, agencies, law enforcement and/or health authorities implement to address it, which may (as with COVID-19) precipitate or exacerbate one or more of the above-mentioned and/or other risks, and significantly disrupt or prevent us from operating our business in the ordinary course for an extended period. 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 may be 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 carefully review the risks and risk factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2024.
Saul Centers, Inc. Consolidated Balance Sheets (In thousands) | |||
December 31, | |||
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) | 2023 | 2022 | |
Assets | |||
Real estate investments | |||
Land | $ 511,529 | $ 511,529 | |
Buildings and equipment | 1,595,023 | 1,574,381 | |
Construction in progress | 514,553 | 322,226 | |
2,621,105 | 2,408,136 | ||
Accumulated depreciation | (729,470) | (688,475) | |
Total real estate investments, net | 1,891,635 | 1,719,661 | |
Cash and cash equivalents | 8,407 | 13,279 | |
Accounts receivable and accrued income, net | 56,032 | 56,323 | |
Deferred leasing costs, net | 23,728 | 22,388 | |
Other assets | 14,335 | 21,651 | |
Total assets | $ 1,994,137 | $ 1,833,302 | |
Liabilities | |||
Mortgage notes payable, net | $ 935,451 | $ 961,577 | |
Revolving credit facility payable, net | 274,715 | 161,941 | |
Term loan facility payable, net | 99,530 | 99,382 | |
Construction loans payable, net | 77,305 | — | |
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities | 57,022 | 42,978 | |
Deferred income | 22,748 | 23,169 | |
Dividends and distributions payable | 22,937 | 22,453 | |
Total liabilities | 1,489,708 | 1,311,500 | |
Equity | |||
Preferred stock, 1,000,000 shares authorized: | |||
Series D Cumulative Redeemable, 30,000 shares issued and outstanding | 75,000 | 75,000 | |
Series E Cumulative Redeemable, 44,000 shares issued and outstanding | 110,000 | 110,000 | |
Common stock, | 241 | 240 | |
Additional paid-in capital | 449,959 | 446,301 | |
Partnership units in escrow | — | 39,650 | |
Distributions in excess of accumulated earnings | (288,825) | (273,559) | |
Accumulated other comprehensive income | 2,014 | 2,852 | |
Total Saul Centers, Inc. equity | 348,389 | 400,484 | |
Noncontrolling interests | 156,040 | 121,318 | |
Total equity | 504,429 | 521,802 | |
Total liabilities and equity | $ 1,994,137 | $ 1,833,302 | |
Saul Centers, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Operations (In thousands, except per share amounts) | |||||||
Three Months Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
(unaudited) | |||||||
Revenue | |||||||
Rental revenue | $ 62,859 | $ 61,072 | $ 249,057 | $ 240,837 | |||
Other | 3,824 | 1,264 | 8,150 | 5,023 | |||
Total revenue | 66,683 | 62,336 | 257,207 | 245,860 | |||
Expenses | |||||||
Property operating expenses | 9,987 | 9,760 | 37,489 | 35,934 | |||
Real estate taxes | 7,061 | 6,937 | 29,650 | 28,588 | |||
Interest expense, net and amortization of deferred debt costs | 12,635 | 11,775 | 49,153 | 43,937 | |||
Depreciation and amortization of deferred leasing costs | 12,203 | 12,069 | 48,430 | 48,969 | |||
General and administrative | 7,334 | 6,404 | 23,459 | 22,392 | |||
Loss on early extinguishment of debt | — | — | — | 648 | |||
Total expenses | 49,220 | 46,945 | 188,181 | 180,468 | |||
Net Income | 17,463 | 15,391 | 69,026 | 65,392 | |||
Noncontrolling interests | |||||||
Income attributable to noncontrolling interests | (4,257) | (3,528) | (16,337) | (15,198) | |||
Net income attributable to Saul Centers, Inc. | 13,206 | 11,863 | 52,689 | 50,194 | |||
Preferred stock dividends | (2,799) | (2,799) | (11,194) | (11,194) | |||
Net income available to common stockholders | $ 10,407 | $ 9,064 | $ 41,495 | $ 39,000 | |||
Per share net income available to common stockholders | |||||||
Basic and diluted | $ 0.43 | $ 0.38 | $ 1.73 | $ 1.63 | |||
Weighted Average Common Stock: | |||||||
Common stock | 24,077 | 24,011 | 24,051 | 23,964 | |||
Effect of dilutive options | 2 | — | 2 | 8 | |||
Diluted weighted average common stock | 24,079 | 24,011 | 24,053 | 23,972 | |||
Reconciliation of net income to FFO available to common stockholders and noncontrolling interests (1) | |||||||
Three Months Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
(In thousands, except per share amounts) | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||
Net income | $ 17,463 | $ 15,391 | $ 69,026 | $ 65,392 | |||
Add: | |||||||
Real estate depreciation and amortization | 12,203 | 12,069 | 48,430 | 48,969 | |||
FFO | 29,666 | 27,460 | 117,456 | 114,361 | |||
Subtract: | |||||||
Preferred stock dividends | (2,799) | (2,799) | (11,194) | (11,194) | |||
FFO available to common stockholders and noncontrolling interests | $ 26,867 | $ 24,661 | $ 106,262 | $ 103,167 | |||
Weighted average shares and units: | |||||||
Basic | 33,876 | 33,309 | 33,474 | 33,256 | |||
Diluted (2) | 34,115 | 34,017 | 34,066 | 33,972 | |||
Basic FFO per share available to common stockholders and noncontrolling interests | $ 0.79 | $ 0.74 | $ 3.17 | $ 3.10 | |||
Diluted FFO per share available to common stockholders and noncontrolling interests. | $ 0.79 | $ 0.72 | $ 3.12 | $ 3.04 | |||
(1) | The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("Nareit") developed FFO as a relative non-GAAP financial measure of performance of an equity REIT in order to recognize that income-producing real estate historically has not depreciated on the basis determined under GAAP. FFO is defined by Nareit as net income, computed in accordance with GAAP, plus real estate depreciation and amortization, and excluding impairment charges on depreciable real estate assets and gains or losses from property dispositions. FFO does not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP and is not necessarily indicative of cash available to fund cash needs, which is disclosed in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the applicable periods. There are no material legal or functional restrictions on the use of FFO. FFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income, its most directly comparable GAAP measure, as an indicator of the Company's operating performance, or as an alternative to cash flows as a measure of liquidity. Management considers FFO a meaningful supplemental measure of operating performance because it primarily excludes the assumption that the value of the real estate assets diminishes predictably over time (i.e. depreciation), which is contrary to what the Company believes occurs with its assets, and because industry analysts have accepted it as a performance measure. FFO may not be comparable to similarly titled measures employed by other REITs. |
(2) | Beginning March 5, 2021, fully diluted shares and units includes 1.4 million limited partnership units were held in escrow that related to the contribution of Twinbrook Quarter by 1592 Rockville Pike. Half of the units held in escrow were released on October 18, 2021. The remaining units held in escrow were released on October 18, 2023. |
Reconciliation of total revenue to same property revenue (3) | ||||||||
(in thousands) | Three Months Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
Total revenue | $ 66,683 | $ 62,336 | $ 257,207 | $ 245,860 | ||||
Less: Acquisitions, dispositions and development properties | — | — | — | — | ||||
Total same property revenue | $ 66,683 | $ 62,336 | $ 257,207 | $ 245,860 | ||||
Shopping Centers | $ 47,136 | $ 43,440 | $ 179,350 | $ 172,055 | ||||
Mixed-Use properties | 19,547 | 18,896 | 77,857 | 73,805 | ||||
Total same property revenue | $ 66,683 | $ 62,336 | $ 257,207 | $ 245,860 | ||||
Total Shopping Center revenue | $ 47,136 | $ 43,440 | $ 179,350 | $ 172,055 | ||||
Less: Shopping Center acquisitions, dispositions and development properties | — | — | — | — | ||||
Total same Shopping Center revenue | $ 47,136 | $ 43,440 | $ 179,350 | $ 172,055 | ||||
Total Mixed-Use property revenue | $ 19,547 | $ 18,896 | $ 77,857 | $ 73,805 | ||||
Less: Mixed-Use acquisitions, dispositions and development properties | — | — | — | — | ||||
Total same Mixed-Use revenue | $ 19,547 | $ 18,896 | $ 77,857 | $ 73,805 | ||||
(3) Same property revenue is a non-GAAP financial measure of performance that improves the comparability of reporting periods by excluding the results of properties that were not in operation for the entirety of the comparable reporting periods. Same property revenue adjusts property revenue by subtracting the revenue of properties not in operation for the entirety of the comparable reporting periods. Same property revenue is a measure of the operating performance of the Company's properties but does not measure the Company's performance as a whole. Same property revenue should not be considered as an alternative to total revenue, its most directly comparable GAAP measure, as an indicator of the Company's operating performance. Management considers same property revenue a meaningful supplemental measure of operating performance because it is not affected by the cost of the Company's funding, the impact of depreciation and amortization expenses, gains or losses from the acquisition and sale of operating real estate assets, general and administrative expenses or other gains and losses that relate to ownership of the Company's properties. Management believes the exclusion of these items from same property revenue is useful because the resulting measure captures the actual revenue generated and actual expenses incurred by operating the Company's properties. Other REITs may use different methodologies for calculating same property revenue. Accordingly, the Company's same property revenue may not be comparable to those of other REITs. |
Reconciliation of net income to same property operating income (4) | ||||||||
Three Months Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||
(In thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
Net income | $ 17,463 | $ 15,391 | $ 69,026 | $ 65,392 | ||||
Add: Interest expense, net and amortization of deferred debt costs | 12,635 | 11,775 | 49,153 | 43,937 | ||||
Add: Depreciation and amortization of deferred leasing costs | 12,203 | 12,069 | 48,430 | 48,969 | ||||
Add: General and administrative | 7,334 | 6,404 | 23,459 | 22,392 | ||||
Add: Loss on early extinguishment of debt | — | — | — | 648 | ||||
Property operating income | 49,635 | 45,639 | 190,068 | 181,338 | ||||
Less: Acquisitions, dispositions and development properties | — | — | — | — | ||||
Total same property operating income | $ 49,635 | $ 45,639 | $ 190,068 | $ 181,338 | ||||
Shopping Centers | $ 37,319 | $ 33,646 | $ 140,866 | $ 135,160 | ||||
Mixed-Use properties | 12,316 | 11,993 | 49,202 | 46,178 | ||||
Total same property operating income | $ 49,635 | $ 45,639 | $ 190,068 | $ 181,338 | ||||
Shopping Center operating income | $ 37,319 | $ 33,646 | $ 140,866 | $ 135,160 | ||||
Less: Shopping Center acquisitions, dispositions and development properties | — | — | — | — | ||||
Total same Shopping Center operating income | $ 37,319 | $ 33,646 | $ 140,866 | $ 135,160 | ||||
Mixed-Use property operating income | $ 12,316 | $ 11,993 | $ 49,202 | $ 46,178 | ||||
Less: Mixed-Use acquisitions, dispositions and development properties | — | — | — | — | ||||
Total same Mixed-Use property operating income | $ 12,316 | $ 11,993 | $ 49,202 | $ 46,178 | ||||
(4) Same property operating income is a non-GAAP financial measure of performance that improves the comparability of reporting periods by excluding the results of properties that were not in operation for the entirety of the comparable reporting periods. Same property operating income adjusts property operating income by subtracting the results of properties that were not in operation for the entirety of the comparable periods. Same property operating income is a measure of the operating performance of the Company's properties but does not measure the Company's performance as a whole. Same property operating income should not be considered as an alternative to property operating income, its most directly comparable GAAP measure, as an indicator of the Company's operating performance. Management considers same property operating income a meaningful supplemental measure of operating performance because it is not affected by the cost of the Company's funding, the impact of depreciation and amortization expenses, gains or losses from the acquisition and sale of operating real estate assets, general and administrative expenses or other gains and losses that relate to ownership of the Company's properties. Management believes the exclusion of these items from property operating income is useful because the resulting measure captures the actual revenue generated and actual expenses incurred by operating the Company's properties. Other REITs may use different methodologies for calculating same property operating income. Accordingly, same property operating income may not be comparable to those of other REITs. |
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SOURCE Saul Centers, Inc.
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