Healthcare Trust Of America, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter Earnings

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. (NYSE: HTA) ("HTA") announced results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2015.

Fourth Quarter 2015 Highlights

• Normalized FFO: Increased 12.1% to $50.7 million, compared to Q4 2014.
• Normalized FFO Per Share: $0.39 per diluted share, an increase of $0.02 per diluted share, or 5.4%, compared to Q4 2014.
• Normalized FAD: $0.35 per diluted share, or $44.9 million, an increase of $0.03 per diluted share, or 9.4%, compared to Q4 2014.
• Same-Property Cash NOI: Increased $1.9 million, or 3.1%, to $62.5 million, compared to Q4 2014.  Same-Property rental revenue increased $1.4 million, or 2.1%, to $70.3 million, compared to Q4 2014.  The increase was primarily due to in place lease rental escalators for 94% of HTA's leased portfolio that did not have a lease expiration in 2015.
• Investments: During the quarter, HTA completed investments of $26.3 million (91% leased and approximately 118,000 square feet of GLA) located in our key markets of Boston and Charleston.
• Leasing: During the quarter, HTA entered into new and renewal leases on approximately 268,000 square feet of GLA, or 1.7% of its portfolio.  Quarter-to-date, renewal leases included tenant improvements of $1.34 per square foot per year of the lease term and approximately one week of free rent per year of the lease term.  Tenant retention for the Same-Property portfolio was 75% by GLA for the quarter.
• Balance Sheet: At the end of the year, HTA had total leverage, measured by debt to capitalization, of 31.4% and total liquidity of $639.6 million, including $626.5 million of availability on its unsecured revolving credit facility and $13.1 million of cash and cash equivalents.

Full Year 2015 Highlights

• Stockholders Return: Generated annual returns of 4.8%.  The percentage increase exceeded the SNL Healthcare Index by 1,200 basis points and the MSCI US REIT (RMS) Index by 230 basis points.
• Normalized FFO: Increased 10.9% to $195.9 million, compared to 2014.
• Normalized FFO Per Share: $1.53 per diluted share, an increase of $0.07 per diluted share, or 4.8%, compared to 2014.
• Normalized FAD: $1.39 per diluted share, or $178.3 million, an increase of $0.11 per diluted share, or 8.6%, compared to 2014.
• Same-Property Cash NOI: Increased $6.2 million, or 2.9%, to $224.0 million, compared to Q4 2014.  Same-Property rental revenue increased $5.1 million, or 2.1%, to $254.9 million, compared to Q4 2014.  Full year 2015 Same-Property Cash NOI only includes those properties that were acquired through the end of 2013.
• Investments: During the year, HTA completed investments of $280.9 million (89% leased and approximately 805,000 square feet of GLA), an increase in HTA's total investments of approximately 8.4% by purchase price.
• Dispositions: During the year, HTA completed dispositions of six medical office buildings for an aggregate gross sales price of $35.7 million (approximately 192,000 square feet of GLA).
• Leasing: During the year, HTA entered into new and renewal leases on approximately 1.0 million square feet of GLA, or 6.6% of its portfolio.  Year-to-date, renewal leases included tenant improvements of $1.30 per square foot per year of the lease term and approximately one week of free rent per year of the lease term.  Tenant retention for the Same-Property portfolio was 80% by GLA for the year.
• Leased Rate: At the end of the year, the leased rate by GLA was 92.0%.  For the Same-Property portfolio the leased rate was 92.5% by GLA.
• Equity Raise: During the year, HTA raised approximately $45.0 million from the sale of its common stock at an average price of $25.00 per share through its at-the-market ("ATM") offering program.

Subsequent Events

• Investments: After the year-end, HTA acquired investments of $155.8 million. 
• Equity Raise: In January 2016, HTA raised $93.2 million from sales of its common stock at an average price of $27.25 per share through its ATM.

Financial Results

Rental Income
Rental income increased 7.5% to $102.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2015, compared to $94.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2014.

FFO
Funds from Operations ("FFO") was $0.39 per diluted share, or $49.9 million, for the three months ended December 31, 2015, compared to $0.33 per diluted share, or $41.0 million, for the three months ended December 31, 2014.

Normalized FFO
Normalized Funds from Operations ("Normalized FFO") was $0.39 per diluted share, or $50.7 million, for the three months ended December 31, 2015, compared to $0.37 per diluted share, or $45.3 million, for the three months ended December 31, 2014.

Normalized FAD
Normalized Funds Available for Distribution ("Normalized FAD") was $0.35 per diluted share, or $44.9 million, for the three months ended December 31, 2015, compared to $0.32 per diluted share, or $40.0 million, for the three months ended December 31, 2014.

NOI
Net Operating Income ("NOI") was $71.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2015, compared to $66.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2014.

Same-Property Cash NOI
Same-Property Cash NOI increased $1.9 million, or 3.1%, to $62.5 million, for the three months ended December 31, 2015, compared to $60.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2014.  Same-Property rental revenue increased $1.4 million, or 2.1%, to $70.3 million, for the three months ended December 31, 2015, compared to the three months ended December 31, 2014.

General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses were $6.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2015, compared to $6.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2014. 

Interest Expense and Change in Fair Value of Derivative Financial Instruments
The total interest expense and change in fair value of derivative financial instruments for the three months ended December 31, 2015, was $12.0 million, which included $14.3 million of interest expense related to debt and interest rate swaps, and a net gain of $2.3 million on the change in the fair value of HTA's derivative financial instruments. 

HTA ended the year with a weighted average interest rate of 3.30% per annum, including the impact of interest rate swaps.  The weighted average remaining term of the debt portfolio was 4.8 years, including extension options.

Net Income
Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2015, was $10.6 million, compared to $21.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2014.  Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2014 included a gain on the sales of real estate of $16.1 million.

Balance Sheet

As of December 31, 2015, HTA had total assets of $3.2 billion, cash and cash equivalents of $13.1 million, and $626.5 million available on its unsecured revolving credit facility (includes the impact of $5.5 million of outstanding letters of credit).  The leverage ratio of debt to capitalization was 31.4%.

Leased Rate, Occupancy Rate and Tenant Retention

The leased rate (includes leases which have been executed, but which have not yet commenced) was 92.0% by gross leasable area ("GLA").  The occupancy rate of HTA's portfolio was 91.4% by GLA.  Tenant retention for the Same-Property portfolio was 75% by GLA for the quarter.

Credit Rated Tenants

Investment grade rated tenants as a percent of annualized base rent was 45% as of December 31, 2015.  Additionally, 61% of HTA's annualized base rent as of December 31, 2015 was derived from tenants that have (or whose parent companies have) a credit rating from a nationally recognized rating agency.

In-House Property Management and Leasing Platform

As of December 31, 2015, HTA's in-house property management and leasing platform operated approximately 14.6 million square feet of GLA, or 94%, of HTA's total portfolio.

About Healthcare Trust of America, Inc.

Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. (NYSE: HTA) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that acquires, owns and operates medical office buildings.  Since its formation in 2006, HTA has invested $3.6 billion in medical office buildings and other healthcare assets comprising 15.5 million square feet across 28 states.  HTA listed on the New York Stock Exchange in June of 2012 and has a consistent track record of generating stockholder returns.

HTA invests in key markets with above average growth and healthcare infrastructure that are capable of servicing long-term patient demand.  Within each key market, HTA focuses on acquiring medical office buildings on health system campuses, in community-core locations, or near university medical centers.  The portfolio consists of medical office buildings that are core-critical, a key part of the integrated delivery of healthcare, and that continue to complement the HTA's institutional asset management and leasing platform.  HTA's business strategy is defined by establishing critical mass within key markets which allows HTA's asset management and in-house leasing platform to drive earnings growth, capitalize on synergies and maximize expense efficiencies, and build lasting tenant relationships, which is designed to lead to tenant retention, rent growth and long-term value creation across the portfolio.

More information about HTA can be found on the company's website at www.htareit.com.

Forward-Looking Language

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to HTA.  Forward-looking statements are statements that are not descriptions of historical facts and include statements regarding management's intentions, beliefs, expectations, plans or predictions of the future, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  Because such statements include risks, uncertainties and contingencies, actual results may differ materially and in adverse ways from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.  These risks, uncertainties and contingencies include, without limitation, the following: changes in economic conditions generally and the real estate market specifically; legislative and regulatory changes, including changes to laws governing the taxation of REITs and changes to laws governing the healthcare industry; the availability of capital; changes in interest rates; competition in the real estate industry; the supply and demand for operating properties in our proposed market areas; changes in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; policies and guidelines applicable to REITs; the availability of properties to acquire; and the availability of financing.  Additional information concerning us and our business, including additional factors that could materially and adversely affect our financial results, include, without limitation, the risks described under Part I, Item 1A - Risk Factors, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our other filings with the SEC.

Conference Call

HTA will host a conference call and webcast on Friday, February 19, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (8:00 a.m. Pacific Time) to review its financial performance and operating results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2015.

Conference Call and Webcast Details:
Domestic Dial-In Number: (877) 507-6265
International Dial-In Number: (412) 902-6633
Webcast: www.htareit.com under the Investor Relations tab

Replay Conference Call Details:
Domestic Dial-In Number: (877) 344-7529
International Dial-In Number: (412) 317-0088
Conference ID: 10078404
Available February 19, 2016 (one hour after the end of the conference call) to March 19, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time

Supplemental Information

Supplemental financial data are available on the company's website at www.htareit.com.

NOI is a non-GAAP financial measure that is defined as net income or loss (computed in accordance with GAAP) before: (i) general and administrative expenses; (ii) acquisition-related expenses; (iii) depreciation and amortization expense; (iv) impairment; (v) interest expense and net change in fair value of derivative financial instruments; (vi) gain or loss on sales of real estate; (vii) gain or loss on extinguishment of debt; and (viii) other income or expense.  HTA believes that NOI provides an accurate measure of the operating performance of its operating assets because NOI excludes certain items that are not associated with the management of the properties.  Additionally, HTA believes that NOI is a widely accepted measure of comparative operating performance of real estate investment trusts ("REITs").  However, HTA's use of the term NOI may not be comparable to that of other REITs as they may have different methodologies for computing this amount.  NOI should not be considered as an alternative to net income or loss (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our financial performance.  NOI should be reviewed in connection with other GAAP measurements.

Cash NOI is a non-GAAP financial measure which excludes from NOI: (i) straight-line rent adjustments; (ii) amortization of below and above market leases/leasehold interests; and (iii) lease termination fees.  HTA believes that Cash NOI provides another measurement of the operating performance of its operating assets.  Additionally, HTA believes that Cash NOI is a widely accepted measure of comparative operating performance of REITs.  However, HTA's use of the term Cash NOI may not be comparable to that of other REITs as they may have different methodologies for computing this amount.  Cash NOI should not be considered as an alternative to net income or loss (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our financial performance.  Cash NOI should be reviewed in connection with other GAAP measurements.

To facilitate the comparison of Cash NOI between periods, HTA calculates comparable amounts for a subset of its owned properties referred to as "Same-Property".  Same-Property Cash NOI excludes properties which have not been owned and operated by HTA during the entire span of all periods presented or are intended to be sold in the near term, notes receivable interest income and certain non-routine items.  Same-Property Cash NOI should not be considered as an alternative to net income or loss (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our financial performance.  Same-Property Cash NOI should be reviewed in connection with other GAAP measurements.

HTA computes FFO in accordance with the current standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT").  NAREIT defines FFO as net income or loss attributable to common stockholders (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains or losses from the sales of real estate property and impairment write-downs of depreciable assets, plus real estate depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures.  HTA presents this non-GAAP financial measure because it considers it an important supplemental measure of its operating performance and believes it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of REITs.  Historical cost accounting assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes ratably over time.  Since real estate values have historically risen or fallen based on market conditions, many industry investors have considered the presentation of operating results for real estate companies that use historical cost accounting to be insufficient by themselves.  Because FFO excludes depreciation and amortization unique to real estate, among other items, it provides a perspective not immediately apparent from net income or loss attributable to common stockholders.

HTA's methodology for calculating FFO may be different from methods utilized by other REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such other REITs.  FFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income or loss attributable to common stockholders (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our financial performance, nor is it indicative of cash available to fund cash needs.  FFO should be reviewed in connection with other GAAP measurements.

HTA computes Normalized FFO, which excludes from FFO: (i) acquisition-related expenses; (ii) gain or loss on change in fair value of derivative financial instruments; (iii) gain or loss on extinguishment of debt; (iv) noncontrolling income or loss from partnership units included in diluted shares; and (v) other normalizing items.  HTA presents this non-GAAP financial measure because it allows for the comparison of our operating performance to other REITs and between periods on a consistent basis.  HTA's methodology for calculating Normalized FFO may be different from the methods utilized by other REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to other REITs.  Normalized FFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income or loss attributable to common stockholders (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our financial performance, nor is it indicative of cash available to fund cash needs.  Normalized FFO should be reviewed in connection with other GAAP measurements.

HTA also computes Normalized FAD, which excludes from Normalized FFO: (i) other income or expense; (ii) non-cash compensation expense; (iii) straight-line rent adjustments; (iv) amortization of below and above market leases/leasehold interests; (v) deferred revenue - tenant improvement related; (vi) amortization of deferred financing costs and debt premium/discount; and (vii) recurring capital expenditures, tenant improvements and leasing commissions.  HTA believes this non-GAAP financial measure provides a meaningful supplemental measure of our operating performance.  Normalized FAD should not be considered as an alternative to net income or loss attributable to common stockholders (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our financial performance, nor is it indicative of cash available to fund cash needs.  Normalized FAD should be reviewed in connection with other GAAP measurements.

Financial Contact:
Robert A. Milligan
Chief Financial Officer
480.998.3478

SOURCE Healthcare Trust of America, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.htareit.com/