General Growth Properties, Inc. Provides Updated 2007 Core FFO Guidance and Announces Land Impairment Charges
December 10 2007 - 8:16PM
Business Wire
General Growth Properties, Inc. (NYSE: GGP) today announced an
update to previously provided Core Funds From Operations (Core FFO)
guidance per share for 2007. This updated guidance is the result of
additional amounts expected to be recorded in connection with the
previously reported jury verdict in the Caruso Affiliated Holdings
and Glendale Galleria matter. GGP currently projects 2007 Core FFO
per share to be in the range of $2.95 to $2.98 per share, a
decrease of $0.18 per share from the previously announced guidance
per share for 2007. GGP expects to record the remaining amount of
the jury verdict during the fourth quarter of 2007, approximately
$52 million, in the Caruso Affiliated Holdings and Glendale
Galleria matter, as a result of our potential responsibility as
managing agent of Glendale Galleria. GGP/Homart II previously
recorded the approximate $74 million verdict in the third quarter
of 2007 and GGP previously recorded its 50% share, approximately
$37 million, as an adjustment to our equity in earnings of our
Unconsolidated Real Estate Affiliates. The additional amount, when
combined with the previously recorded $37 million, represents the
full amount of the verdict, including the punitive damage award and
is reflected in the updated Core FFO guidance. �We emphatically
disagree with the verdict and the award of punitive damages. We
will ask the court to overturn the jury�s decision. However, we
believe the prudent action at this time is to reflect the full
amount of the verdict in our guidance and financial statements,�
said John Bucksbaum, CEO of GGP. GGP also announced it expects to
record a non-cash impairment charge during the fourth quarter of
2007 to write-down to the estimated fair market value the
residential land held for sale in the Fairwood, Maryland and
Columbia, Maryland Master Planned Communities. The impairment
charge, net of tax benefit, will be approximately $77 million and
will reduce the carrying values of these properties to
approximately $60 million and $141 million respectively. The
impairment charge does not impact projected Core FFO. �These
impairment charges are a result of the continued decline in the
residential housing market and the impact on land values in these
two nearly complete master planned communities. In contrast, the
Summerlin and Bridgeland communities are much newer projects with
greater long-term potential for land sales and considerable values
above our current carrying amounts,� said John Bucksbaum. ABOUT GGP
General Growth Properties, Inc. is one of the largest U.S.-based
publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) based upon
market capitalization. General Growth currently has ownership
interest in, or management responsibility for, a portfolio of more
than 200 regional shopping malls in 45 states, as well as ownership
in master planned community developments and commercial office
buildings. The Company�s portfolio totals approximately 200 million
square feet and includes over 24,000 retail stores nationwide. The
Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol
GGP. FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS (FFO) AND CORE FFO The Company,
consistent with real estate industry and investment community
preferences, uses FFO as a supplemental measure of operating
performance for a REIT. The National Association of Real Estate
Investment Trusts (NAREIT) defines FFO as net income (loss)
(computed in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles (GAAP)), excluding gains (or losses) from cumulative
effects of accounting changes, extraordinary items and sales of
properties, plus real estate related depreciation and amortization
and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint
ventures. The Company considers FFO a supplemental measure for
equity REITs and a complement to GAAP measures because it
facilitates an understanding of the operating performance of the
Company�s properties. FFO does not give effect to real estate
depreciation and amortization since these amounts are computed to
allocate the cost of a property over its useful life. Since values
for well-maintained real estate assets have historically increased
or decreased based upon prevailing market conditions, the Company
believes that FFO provides investors with a clearer view of the
Company�s operating performance. However, we believe that Funds
From Operations is a less meaningful supplemental measure for the
Master Planned Communities segment of our business. Funds From
Operations does not facilitate an understanding of the operating
performance of the Master Planned Communities segment of our
business as our primary strategy in this segment is to develop and
sell land in a manner that increases the value of the remaining
land. In addition, the Master Planned Communities segment of our
business is operated within taxable REIT subsidiaries and therefore
our income tax expense is largely attributable to this segment of
the business. To isolate these parts of the Company from the Retail
and Other segment for which Funds From Operations is a relevant
measure of operating performance, the Company also uses Core FFO as
an operating measure. Core FFO is defined as Funds From Operations
excluding the Real Estate Property Net Operating Income from the
Master Planned Communities segment and the provision for income
taxes. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains
forward-looking statements, including our 2007 Core FFO per fully
diluted share guidance. Actual results may differ materially from
the results suggested by these forward-looking statements, for a
number of reasons, including, but not limited to, the retail
market, tenant occupancy and tenant bankruptcies, the level of
indebtedness and interest rates, market conditions, land sales in
the Master Planned Communities segment, the cost and success of
development and re-development projects and our ability to
successfully manage growth. Readers are referred to the documents
filed by General Growth Properties, Inc. with the SEC, specifically
the most recent report on Form 10-K, which further identify the
important risk factors which could cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking statements in this release. The
Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements.
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