PREIT Reports Second Quarter 2019 Results and Updates Full Year Expectations

PHILADELPHIA, July 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PREIT (NYSE: PEI) today reported results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019.  A description of each non-GAAP financial measure and the related reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure is located in the tables accompanying this release.

"We are seven weeks away from opening our marquee project, Fashion District, which we anticipate will stabilize at over $18 million of NOI, at our share, representing almost 10% of incremental Same Store NOI. We have taken bold action to create a quality portfolio designed to deliver results over the long term, are on track for a strong 2020 and, while not reflected in our results today, have laid the foundation for growth into the future," said Joseph F. Coradino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PREIT.  "We have no unleased department stores in our core portfolio, commitments for 84% of the core mall space impacted by bankruptcy, traffic growing at an average of 5% at our redeveloped properties, a diverse tenant mix comprised of 45% open air, dining and entertainment tenants and sales growing at over 5% to a historic high of $531 per square foot. Our efforts culminate this Fall as we add two trophy assets to our collection, executing on our strategic objective to create a quality platform.  Despite a temporary setback, we are on course to execute on the opportunity that we have laid out, including monetizing our multifamily and hotel opportunities to recapitalize the Company."

• Same Store NOI, excluding lease termination revenue, decreased 3.0% for the three months ended June 30, 2019 compared to June 30, 2018.
• The quarter was impacted by an incremental $1.6 million of lost rent as a result of bankruptcies and store closings. This was partially offset by incremental revenues from anchor replacements and box openings of $0.7 million in the quarter.
• NOI-weighted sales at our core malls increased to $540 per square foot. Core Mall sales per square foot reached $531, a 5.7% increase over the prior year and a sequential increase of 2.7%. Average comparable sales per square foot at our top 6 properties rose 5.3% to $633.
• Core Mall total occupancy was 93.7%, flat compared to June 30, 2018. Non-anchor occupancy declined by 180 basis points after accounting for bankruptcies and chain liquidations that resulted in 51 store closures in 176,000 square feet year-to-date.
• Non-anchor Leased space exceeds occupied space by 130 basis points when factoring in 697,000 square feet of executed new leases slated for future occupancy, representing $15.0 million in annualized future revenue.
• Average renewal spreads improved sequentially to 6.1% for the quarter. Average renewal spreads in our wholly-owned portfolio for spaces less than 10,000 square feet were strong at 9.8%.
• Year-to-date, the Company has completed asset sales generating proceeds of $34.1 million, which together with other actions, improved its liquidity position by over $87.0 million. The Company has no material debt maturities until 2021.

Primary Factors Affecting Financial Results for the Three Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018:

• Net loss attributable to PREIT common shareholders was $12.6 million, or $0.17 per basic and diluted share for the three months ended June 30, 2019, compared to net loss attributable to PREIT common shareholders of $35.0 million, or $0.50 per basic and diluted share for the three months ended June 30, 2018.
• Lease Termination revenue at our same store malls declined by $6.4 million.
• Same Store NOI decreased by $7.9 million, or 13.4%. Revenue from new store openings, including contributions from replacement anchors, mitigated the impact of revenue lost to bankruptcies and associated store closings.
• Non Same Store NOI decreased by $2.0 million primarily due to lower rents and associated co-tenancy revenue adjustments from multiple anchor closings at Wyoming Valley and Valley View malls and the sale of an office property at Fashion District Philadelphia in the first quarter of 2018.
• FFO for the three months ended June 30, 2019 was $0.24 per share and OP Unit compared to $0.38 per share and OP Unit in the prior year. Adjustments to FFO in the 2019 quarter included $0.02 per share of net insurance proceeds related to claims for hurricane damage. Adjustments to FFO in the 2018 quarter included loss on debt extinguishment and provision for employee separation expenses that totaled $0.01 per share.
• General and administrative expenses were impacted by the new lease accounting standard that now limits the capitalization of certain leasing costs. We expensed $1.6 million ($0.02 per share) of costs in the three months ended June 30, 2019 that would have been capitalized under the prior standard.

All NOI and FFO amounts referenced as primary factors affecting financial results above include our share of unconsolidated properties' revenues and expenses.  Additional information regarding changes in operating results for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 is included on page 17.

Asset Dispositions
In April 2019, we closed on the sale of the Whole Foods parcel located at Exton Square Mall for $22.1 million.  We recorded a gain of a gain of $1.3 million in connection with this sale.

In April 2019, we sold an undeveloped land parcel located in New Garden Township, Pennsylvania, for total consideration of $11.0 million consisting of $8.25 million in cash and $2.75 million of preferred stock.

In July 2019, we closed on the sale of a Texas Roadhouse outparcel located at Valley View Mall in LaCrosse, WI for $1.4 million. 

Year-to- Date Capital Transaction Summary
The table below summarizes year-to-date capital activity that impacts the Company's liquidity position:

Leasing and Redevelopment

• Excluding Fashion District Philadelphia, 697,000 square feet of leases are signed for future openings. This is comprised of 499,000 square feet of space expected to open in 2019 contributing annual gross rent of $11.4 million and 198,000 square feet opening in 2020 contributing annual gross rent of $3.6 million.
• At Fashion District Philadelphia, leases for approximately 90% of the leasable area are signed or are in active negotiation. Noteworthy commitments joining Century 21 and Burlington include H&M, Nike, Forever 21, AMC Theaters, Round One, City Winery, Ulta, Columbia Sportswear, Wonderspaces, American Eagle, Express Factory, Journeys, Skechers and Guess Factory. The first wave of tenants opens on September 19, 2019.
• At Willow Grove Park, Yard House is under construction for a December 2019 opening and construction continues on the 51,000 square foot Studio Movie Grill, which is projected to open in early 2020.
• At Valley Mall, both Macy's and The Bon Ton were replaced in 2018. DICK's Sporting Goods is under construction in a former Sears location and is expected to open in 2020.
• At Plymouth Meeting Mall, work continues to replace a former Macy's with five new tenants - Burlington, DICK's Sporting Goods, Miller's Ale House, Michael's and Edge Fitness. The new anchor space opens in September 2019.
• The redevelopment at Woodland Mall continues with opening of the new wing anchored by a brand new, top quality Von Maur Department Store planned for October 12, 2019. REI is open and will be joined by Urban Outfitters, Tricho Salon & Spa, Williams-Sonoma, Black Rock Bar & Grill, The Cheesecake Factory and others.
• At Dartmouth Mall, a lease has been executed with Burlington as the lead tenant for a proactively recaptured Sears store. Occupying 43,000 square feet, the store is expected to open in Spring 2020. The redevelopment plan also includes approximately 35,000 square feet of new outparcels to capitalize on the well-located property.

Retail Operations
The following table sets forth information regarding sales per square foot in the Company's mall portfolio, including unconsolidated properties:

A reconciliation of portfolio sales per square foot ⁽¹⁾ for the core mall portfolio can be found below:

2019 Outlook
The Company expects a GAAP net loss of between $0.59 and $0.46 per diluted share for the year ending December 31, 2019, excluding any gain on sale or conveyance of Wyoming Valley Mall.

The Company is revising its May 2, 2019 guidance for FFO as adjusted of $1.20 to $1.30 per share.  FFO is expected to be between $1.16 and $1.27 per share. Same Store NOI, excluding termination revenue, is expected to change between -1.0% and 0.5% with wholly-owned properties in the range of -0.6% to 1.0% and joint venture properties declining between 3.4% and 3.0%.

A reconciliation between GAAP net loss and FFO is as follows:

Detailed guidance assumptions are included herein in our financial tables.

Our 2019 guidance is based on our current assumptions and expectations about market conditions, our projections regarding occupancy, retail sales and rental rates, and planned capital spending. Our guidance is forward-looking, and is subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that might cause future events, achievements or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

Conference Call Information

Management has scheduled a conference call for 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 31, 2019, to review the Company's results and future outlook.  To listen to the call, please dial 1-844-885-9139 (domestic toll free), or 1-647-689-4441 (international), and request to join the PREIT call, Conference ID  4279998, at least five minutes before the scheduled start time.  Investors can also access the call in a "listen only" mode via the internet at the Company's website, preit.com.  Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site and download the necessary software to listen to the Internet broadcast.  Financial and statistical information expected to be discussed on the call will also be available on the Company's website. For best results when listening to the webcast, the Company recommends using Flash Player.

For interested individuals unable to join the conference call, the online archive of the webcast will also be available for one year following the call.

About PREIT
PREIT (NYSE:PEI) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns and manages quality properties in compelling markets. PREIT's robust portfolio of carefully curated retail and lifestyle offerings mixed with destination dining and entertainment experiences are located primarily in the densely-populated eastern U.S. with concentrations in the mid-Atlantic's top MSAs. Since 2012, the Company has driven a transformation guided by an emphasis on portfolio quality and balance sheet strength driven by disciplined capital expenditures. Additional information is available at www.preit.com or on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Rounding

Certain summarized information in the tables above may not total due to rounding.

Definitions

Funds From Operations (FFO)

The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT") defines FFO, which is a non-GAAP measure commonly used by REITs, as net income (computed in accordance with GAAP) excluding (i) depreciation and amortization related to real estate, (ii) gains and losses from the sale of certain real estate assets, (iii) gains and losses from change in control, and (iv) impairment write-downs of certain real estate assets and investments in entities when the impairment is directly attributable to decreases in the value of depreciable real estate held by the entity. We compute FFO in accordance with standards established by NAREIT, which may not be comparable to FFO reported by other REITs that do not define the term in accordance with the current NAREIT definition, or that interpret the current NAREIT definition differently than we do.

FFO is a commonly used measure of operating performance and profitability among REITs.  We use FFO and FFO per diluted share and unit of limited partnership interest in our operating partnership ("OP Unit") and, when applicable, related measures such as Funds From Operations, as adjusted, in measuring our performance against our peers and as one of the performance measures for determining incentive compensation amounts earned under certain of our performance-based executive compensation programs. 

FFO does not include gains and losses on sales of operating real estate assets or impairment write downs of depreciable real estate, which are included in the determination of net income in accordance with GAAP. Accordingly, FFO is not a comprehensive measure of our operating cash flows. In addition, since FFO does not include depreciation on real estate assets, FFO may not be a useful performance measure when comparing our operating performance to that of other non-real estate commercial enterprises. We compensate for these limitations by using FFO in conjunction with other GAAP financial performance measures, such as net income and net cash provided by operating activities, and other non-GAAP financial performance measures, such as NOI. FFO does not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered to be an alternative to net income (determined in accordance with GAAP) as an indication of our financial performance or to be an alternative to cash flow from operating activities (determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of our liquidity, nor is it indicative of funds available for our cash needs, including our ability to make cash distributions. We believe that net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measurement to FFO.

When applicable, we also present Funds From Operations, as adjusted, and Funds From Operations per diluted share and OP Unit, as adjusted, which are non-GAAP measures, to show the effect of such items as loss on debt extinguishment, accelerated amortization of financing costs, impairment of assets, provision for employee separation expense and insurance losses, net, which can have a significant effect on our results of operations, but are not, in our opinion, indicative of our operating performance.  We also present FFO on a further adjusted basis to isolate the impact on FFO caused by property dispositions.

We believe that FFO is helpful to management and investors as a measure of operating performance because it excludes various items included in net income that do not relate to or are not indicative of operating performance, such as gains on sales of operating real estate and depreciation and amortization of real estate, among others. We believe that Funds From Operations, as adjusted, is helpful to management and investors as a measure of operating performance because it adjusts FFO to exclude items that management does not believe are indicative of our operating performance, such as provision for employee separation expense, loss on debt extinguishment, accelerated amortization of financing costs and insurance losses and recoveries.

Net Operating Income ("NOI")

NOI (a non-GAAP measure) is derived from real estate revenue (determined in accordance with GAAP, including lease termination revenue), minus property operating expenses (determined in accordance with GAAP), plus our pro rata share of revenue and property operating expenses of our unconsolidated partnership investments. NOI does not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered to be an alternative to net income (determined in accordance with GAAP) as an indication of our financial performance or to be an alternative to cash flow from operating activities (determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of our liquidity. It is not indicative of funds available for our cash needs, including our ability to make cash distributions.  We believe that NOI is helpful to management and investors as a measure of operating performance because it is an indicator of the return on property investment, and provides a method of comparing property performance over time. We believe that net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measurement to NOI.

NOI excludes other income, general and administrative expenses, provision for employee separation expenses, interest expense, depreciation and amortization, impairment of assets, gains on sale of interest in non operating real estate, gain/adjustments to gain on sale of interest in real estate by equity method investee, gains/losses on sales of interests in real estate, net, project costs, loss on debt extinguishment, insurance losses recoveries and other expenses.

Same Store NOI is calculated using retail properties owned for the full periods presented and excludes properties acquired, disposed, under redevelopment or designated as non-core during the periods presented.  In 2018, Wyoming Valley Mall was designated as non-core.  In 2019, Exton Square and Valley View Malls were designated as non-core and will be excluded from Same Store NOI.  Non Same Store NOI is calculated using the retail properties excluded from the calculation of Same Store NOI.

Financial Information of our Unconsolidated Properties

The non-GAAP financial measures of FFO and NOI presented in this press release incorporate financial information attributable to our share of unconsolidated properties. This proportionate financial information is also non-GAAP financial information, but we believe that it is helpful information because it reflects the proportionate contribution from our unconsolidated properties that are owned through investments accounted for under GAAP using the equity method of accounting.  Under such method, earnings from these unconsolidated partnerships are recorded in our statements of operations prepared in accordance with GAAP under the caption entitled "Equity in income of partnerships."

To derive the proportionate financial information from our unconsolidated properties, we multiplied the percentage of our economic interest in each partnership on a property-by-property basis by each line item.  Under the partnership agreements relating to our current unconsolidated partnerships with third parties, we own a 25% to 50% economic interest in such partnerships, and there are generally no provisions in such partnership agreements relating to special non-proportionate allocations of income or loss, and there are no preferred or priority returns of capital or other similar provisions.  While this method approximates our indirect economic interest in our pro rate share of the revenue and expenses of our unconsolidated partnerships, we do not have a direct legal claim to the assets, liabilities, revenues or expenses of the unconsolidated partnerships beyond our rights as an equity owner in the event of any liquidation of such entity.  Our percentage ownership is not necessarily indicative of the legal and economic implications of our ownership interest.  Accordingly, NOI and FFO results based on our share of the results of unconsolidated partnerships do not represent cash generated from our investments in these partnerships.

Core Properties

Core Properties include all operating retail properties except for Exton Square Mall, Valley View Mall, Wyoming Valley Mall and Fashion District Philadelphia, which is currently under redevelopment.  Core Malls excludes these properties, power centers and Gloucester Premium Outlets.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "project"  or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans, strategies, anticipated events, trends and other matters that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about future events, achievements or results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that might cause future events, achievements or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In particular, our business might be materially and adversely affected by the following:

• changes in the retail and real estate industries, including consolidation and store closings, particularly among anchor tenants;
• current economic conditions and the corresponding effects on tenant business performance, prospects, solvency and leasing decisions;
• our inability to collect rent due to the bankruptcy or insolvency of tenants or otherwise;
• our ability to maintain and increase property occupancy, sales and rental rates;
• increases in operating costs that cannot be passed on to tenants;
• the effects of online shopping and other uses of technology on our retail tenants;
• risks related to our development and redevelopment activities, including delays, cost overruns and our inability to reach projected occupancy or rental rates;
• acts of violence at malls, including our properties, or at other similar spaces, and the potential effect on traffic and sales;
• our ability to sell properties that we seek to dispose of or our ability to obtain prices we seek;
• potential losses on impairment of certain long-lived assets, such as real estate, including losses that we might be required to record in connection with any disposition of assets;
• our substantial debt and the liquidation preference of our preferred shares and our high leverage ratio;
• our ability to refinance our existing indebtedness when it matures, on favorable terms or at all;
• our ability to raise capital, including through sales of properties or interests in properties and through the issuance of equity or equity-related securities if market conditions are favorable; and
• potential dilution from any capital raising transactions or other equity issuances.

Additional factors that might cause future events, achievements or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements include those discussed herein and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 in the section entitled "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and any subsequent reports we may file with the SEC. We do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or otherwise.

**     Quarterly supplemental financial and operating     **
**     information will be available on www.preit.com      **

CONTACT: AT THE COMPANY
Robert McCadden
EVP & CFO
(215) 875-0735

Heather Crowell
EVP, Strategy and Communications
(215) 454-1241
[email protected]

Changes in Funds from Operations for the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 as compared to the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 (all per share amounts on a diluted basis unless otherwise noted; rounded to the nearest half penny; amounts may not total due to rounding)

SOURCE PREIT

Related Links

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