Taubman Centers, Inc. issued the following announcement on Oct. 29.
Taubman Centers, Inc. (NYSE: TCO) today reported financial results for the third quarter of 2019.
| September 30, 2019 | September 30, 2018 | September 30, 2019 | September 30, 2019 | |
| Three Months Ended | Three Months Ended | Nine Months Ended | Nine Months Ended | |
| Net income attributable to common shareowners, diluted (in thousands) | $216,873 | $21,007 | $239,223 | $54,950 |
| Net income attributable to common shareowners (EPS) per diluted common share | $3.48(1) | $0.34 | $3.84(1) | $0.90 |
| Funds from Operations (FFO) per diluted common share | $0.88 | $1.05 | $2.59 | $2.85 |
| Growth rate | (16.2)% | (9.1)% | ||
| Adjusted Funds from Operations (Adjusted FFO) per diluted common share | $0.86(2) | $1.01(3) | $2.74(2) | $2.92(3) |
| Growth rate | (14.9)% | (6.2)% |
| (1) | EPS for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2019 were higher primarily due to the sale of 50 percent of our interest in Starfield Hanam and a litigation settlement related to The Mall of San Juan, resulting in the recognition of gains totaling approximately $3.30 per diluted common share. | |
| (2) | Adjusted FFO for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2019 excludes restructuring charges, a promote fee (net of tax) related to Starfield Hanam, and costs associated with shareholder activism. Adjusted FFO for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2019 also excludes costs incurred related to the Blackstone transactions prior to closing and the fluctuation in the fair value of equity securities. | |
| (3) | Adjusted FFO for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2018 excludes costs associated with shareholder activism and the fluctuation in the fair value of equity securities. |
Year-over-year, this quarter’s results were lower due to higher interest expense, lower lease cancellation income and a gain on a land sale in 2018. In addition, the company’s results were impacted by the Forever 21 bankruptcy filing by about three cents. Taken together, these items affected third quarter FFO and Adjusted FFO per share by about 12 cents.
Operating Statistics
Total portfolio NOI growth at our beneficial interest, excluding lease cancellation income, was up 0.7 percent for the quarter, bringing year-to-date growth to 3.6 percent.
Comparable center NOI, excluding lease cancellation income and using constant currency exchange rates, was down 0.9 percent in the quarter, bringing year-to-date growth to 1.1 percent. Comparable center NOI, excluding lease cancellation income, was down 1.5 percent in the quarter, bringing year-to-date growth to 0.3 percent. “Foreign currency exchange rates and Forever 21’s bankruptcy reduced NOI this quarter as compared to last year,” said Simon J. Leopold, executive vice president, chief financial officer. “Putting aside these two items, our third quarter NOI was essentially flat to last year,” said Mr. Leopold.
Tenant sales per square foot in U.S. comparable centers were up 12.3 percent in the quarter, bringing 12-month trailing U.S. sales per square foot to $964, an increase of 13.7 percent over the 12-months ended September 30, 2018. Year-to-date, U.S. sales per square foot were up 15 percent.
Including Asia, comparable tenant sales per square foot increased 11.2 percent from the third quarter of 2018. This brings the company’s 12-month trailing sales per square foot to $868, up 12 percent over the 12-months ended September 30, 2018. Year-to-date, tenant sales per square foot were up 12.9 percent.
“While Tesla continues to positively impact our growth, sales for the quarter were otherwise solid,” said Mr. Taubman.
Average rent per square foot for the quarter was $56.03, up 2.3 percent, bringing year-to-date growth to 1.7 percent. Average rent per square foot in U.S. comparable centers was up 0.9 percent in both the third quarter and year-to-date.
Trailing 12-month releasing spread per square foot for the period ended September 30, 2019 was negative 1 percent. The spread was impacted by a small number of deals that have an average lease term of less than two years. Without these leases, the spread was 3.3 percent.
Ending occupancy in comparable centers was 93.4 percent on September 30, 2019, up 0.1 percent from September 30, 2018.
Leased space in comparable centers was 95.9 percent on September 30, 2019, up 0.1 percent from September 30, 2018.
“In a year when the retail landscape continues to evolve, we have maintained healthy occupancy levels, while growing rent and portfolio NOI,” said Mr. Taubman.
Financing Activity
In October, the company amended and extended its primary revolving line of credit and one of its two unsecured term loans. The revolving line of credit, which had a maturity date of February 2021, has been extended to February 2024, with two six-month extension options. It has a maximum capacity of $1.1 billion. The term loan, which had a maturity date of February 2022, has been extended to February 2025, with a principal balance of $275 million.
The revolving line of credit and term loan bear interest at a range based on the company’s total leverage ratio. As of today, the leverage ratio results in a rate of LIBOR plus 1.375 percent, with an annual facility fee of 0.225 percent for the revolver and a rate of LIBOR plus 1.55 percent for the term loan.
“We have successfully extended the maturities of our line of credit and term loan, at slightly lower borrowing rates, which is indicative of the quality of our assets,” said Mr. Leopold.
In October, the company also exercised the final one-year extension option for the $150 million loan for The Mall at Green Hills (Nashville, Tenn.), extending the maturity date to December 1, 2020. Beginning December 1, 2019, the loan will bear interest at LIBOR plus 1.45 percent.
Starfield Hanam
In September, the company completed the sale of 50 percent of Taubman Asia’s interest in Starfield Hanam (Hanam, South Korea) to real estate funds managed by The Blackstone Group Inc. (Blackstone) for $300 million. The company now has a 17.15 percent ownership interest in the center. See Taubman Completes Sale of Interest in Starfield Haman to Blackstone -September 19, 2019. The company received net proceeds of about $240 million, following the allocation of property-level debt and transaction costs, which were used to pay down debt. During the quarter, the company recognized a gain on disposition of $139 million and a gain on remeasurement of $145 million.
In September, Blackstone also purchased the 14.7 percent interest in Starfield Hanam that was owned by the company’s institutional joint venture partner. Taubman recognized a $4 million promote fee (net of tax), as a result of the sale. This nonrecurring item has been excluded from Adjusted FFO.
Litigation Resolved at The Mall of San Juan
The ongoing litigation with Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), regarding the former Saks Fifth Avenue location at The Mall of San Juan (San Juan, Puerto Rico) has been resolved. Accordingly, HBC agreed to pay the company $26 million as a partial reimbursement of their previously received anchor allowance, in exchange for the termination of their obligations under their agreements. Taubman now has full control of the location.
The allowance reimbursement and value of the former Saks Fifth Avenue building and improvements exceeded the write-off of the book value of the anchor allowance and legal costs incurred in the third quarter, resulting in a $10.1 million net gain, which was included in non-operating income.
2019 Guidance
Taubman is updating certain key guidance measures for 2019.
EPS is now expected to be in the range of $4.00 to $4.15 per diluted share, revised from the previous range of $0.60 to $0.80 per diluted share, primarily due to gains recognized related to the Starfield Hanam transaction.
FFO is now expected to be in the range of $3.49 to $3.59 per diluted common share, revised from the previous range of $3.47 to $3.57 per diluted share.
Adjusted FFO guidance, which excludes $0.15 per diluted common share of year-to-date adjustments, remains unchanged and is expected to be in the range of $3.64 to $3.74 per diluted common share.
Comparable center NOI growth is now expected to be flat to 1 percent for the year, reduced from the previous guidance of about 2 percent. Lower NOI growth is expected primarily due to unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates (which have negatively impacted growth by 0.8 percent year-to-date) and elevated tenant bankruptcies, including Forever 21.
The company’s share of consolidated and unconsolidated interest expense is now expected to be $205 to $210 million, down from the previous range of $215 to $221 million. The company expects lower interest expense as a result of lower rates and a lower balance on its line of credit due to the paydown from the Starfield Hanam transaction proceeds.
The company’s share of lease cancellation income is now expected to be approximately $10 million, compared to our previous guidance of approximately $12 million.
All other key guidance measures remain unchanged. This guidance does not include the impact of the remaining Blackstone transactions. We anticipate these transactions will close around year-end 2019. The guidance also does not include an assumption for future costs associated with shareholder activism.
Supplemental Investor Information Available
Taubman provides supplemental investor information along with its earnings announcements, available online at www.taubman.com under “Investors.” This includes the following:
- Earnings Press Release
- Company Overview
- Operational Statistics
- Summary of Key Guidance Measures
- Income Statements
- Changes in Funds from Operations and Earnings Per Common Share
- Balance Sheets
- Debt Summary
- Capital Spending and Certain Balance Sheet Information
- Owned Centers
- New Development, Acquisition and Partial Disposition of Interest
- Components of Rental Revenues
- Components of Other Income, Other Operating Expense, and Nonoperating Income, Net
- Earnings Reconciliations
- Glossary
Taubman will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday October 30, 2019 to discuss these results, business conditions and the outlook for the remainder of 2019. The conference call will be simulcast at www.taubman.com. An online replay will follow shortly after the call and continue for approximately 90 days.
Original source can be found here.
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