BFS Saul Centers Inc

BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE: BFS), an equity real estate investment trust (REIT), announced its operating results for the quarter ended September 30, 2011.  Total revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2011 ("2011 Quarter") increased 8.4% to $42,878,000 compared to $39,551,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2010 ("2010 Quarter").  Operating income, which is net income available to common stockholders before income attributable to noncontrolling interests and preferred stock dividends, decreased 16.8% to $8,656,000 for the 2011 Quarter compared to $10,411,000 for the 2010 Quarter.  Net income available to common stockholders was $1,719,000, or $0.09 per diluted share, for the 2011 Quarter compared to $9,046,000, or $0.49 per diluted share, for the 2010 Quarter.

On September 23, 2011, the Company acquired three Giant Food-anchored neighborhood shopping centers, located in the metropolitan Washington DC / Baltimore area, totaling 635,000 square feet of leasable area.  The shopping centers were purchased for an aggregate price of $168,500,000 plus acquisition costs of approximately $2,439,000.  Because the properties were acquired just prior to the end of the quarter, their impact on revenue and operating income for the quarter is negligible, however, the acquisition costs were immediately expensed and adversely impacted net income available to common stockholders for the quarter.

Operating income for the 2011 Quarter decreased due to Clarendon Center, portions of which continue to be in their initial lease-up period, because interest and depreciation expense exceeded property operating income by approximately $1,351,000.  The Company's operating income also declined due to a $1,303,000 decrease in same property operating income, offset in part by the $540,000 addition to operating income generated by properties acquired during 2010 and 2011.  The decrease in net income available to common stockholders for the 2011 Quarter was primarily caused by (1) a $3,591,000 gain on sale of real estate and $1,700,000 gain on casualty settlement, both of which occurred in the 2010 Quarter, (2) $2,439,000 of property acquisition costs described above and, (3) a $1,755,000 decline in operating income, all of which were partially offset by a $2,176,000 decrease in income attributable to noncontrolling interests.  

Same property revenue decreased 3.2% for the 2011 Quarter and same property operating income decreased 4.4%.  The same property comparisons exclude the operating results of properties not in operation for each of the comparable reporting quarters.  For the shopping center portfolio, same property operating income decreased 3.6% due primarily to reduced base rent and increased provision for credit losses resulting primarily from two anchor tenant bankruptcies and, to a lesser extent, vacancies at several core shopping centers.  For the mixed-use portfolio, same property operating income decreased 7.3%, primarily due to a decrease in occupancy that occurred in the latter part of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2011 ("2011 Period"), total revenue increased 3.4% to $127,390,000 compared to $123,251,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2010 ("2010 Period"), and operating income decreased 25.4% to $25,168,000 compared to $33,769,000 for the 2010 Period.  Net income available to common stockholders was $7,856,000, or $0.42 per diluted share, for the 2011 Period, compared to $17,702,000, or $0.97 per diluted share, for the 2010 Period.  Same property revenue decreased 6.3% and same property operating income decreased 6.7%.  For the shopping center portfolio, same property operating income decreased 4.6%, primarily due to the collection in the prior year of $1,939,000 of rents and other past due charges from a former anchor tenant.  Excluding the one-time revenue, shopping center same property operating income decreased 1.9%, due to reduced base rent and increased provision for credit losses resulting primarily from the two tenant bankruptcies and, to a lesser extent, increased vacancies at several core shopping centers.  For the mixed-use portfolio, same property operating income decreased 14.2% for the 2011 Period, primarily due to decreased occupancy.

As of September 30, 2011, 89.7% of the commercial portfolio was leased (all properties except the apartments at Clarendon Center), compared to 92.0% at September 30, 2010.  On a same property basis, 89.2% of the commercial portfolio was leased, compared to the prior year level of 92.0%.  The Clarendon Center apartments were 100% leased at September 30, 2011.  The 2011 commercial leasing percentages were impacted by a net decrease of approximately 233,000 square feet of leased space, of which approximately 70,000 square feet was caused by the SuperFresh and Borders Books bankruptcies, 48,000 square feet resulted from the early lease termination of a local grocer and 75,000 square feet was an increase in office vacancies in the mixed-use properties.

Funds from operations (FFO) available to common shareholders (after deducting preferred stock dividends) decreased 20.4% to $10,727,000 in the 2011 Quarter compared to $13,488,000 in the 2010 Quarter.  On a diluted per share basis, FFO available to common shareholders decreased 22.8% to $0.44 per share for the 2011 Quarter compared to $0.57 per share for the 2010 Quarter.  FFO, a widely accepted non-GAAP financial measure of operating performance for REITs, is defined as net income plus real estate depreciation and amortization, and excluding gains and losses from property dispositions and extraordinary items.  FFO decreased in the 2011 Quarter primarily due to property acquisition costs ($2,439,000 or $0.10 per diluted share).  Clarendon Center operations adversely impacted FFO by $127,000 during the 2011 Quarter because (a) interest expense capitalized decreased and the construction loan was replaced with higher rate permanent financing during March 2011, causing an increase in interest expense ($2,513,000 or $0.10 per diluted share) which was partially offset by (b) property operating income ($2,386,000 or $0.10 per diluted share).

FFO available to common shareholders for the 2011 Period decreased 9.9% to $35,234,000 from $39,120,000 during the 2010 Period.  Per share FFO available to common shareholders for the 2011 Period decreased 12.1% to $1.45 per diluted share from $1.65 per diluted share for the 2010 Period.  FFO decreased in the 2011 Period primarily due to (1) reduced occupancy in the same property mixed-use portfolio ($2,841,000 or $0.12 per diluted share), (2) property acquisition costs ($2,513,000 or $0.10 per diluted share), (3) prior year collection of rents and other past due charges from a former anchor tenant ($1,939,000 or $0.08 per diluted share), (4) non-cash expense caused by the decrease in fair value of interest rate swaps ($1,374,000 or $0.06 per diluted share) and (5) the adverse impact of the commencement of operations at Clarendon Center ($744,000 or $0.03 per diluted share) caused by a $5,970,000  increase in interest expense, net of amounts capitalized, in excess of $5,226,000 of property operating income, the combined impact of which were partially offset by (1) the prior year expense associated with the Thruway refinancing ($4,479,000 or $0.18 per diluted share) and (2) the prior year net expense associated with snow removal ($1,200,000 or $0.05 per diluted share).

Saul Centers is a self-managed, self-administered equity REIT headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Saul Centers currently operates and manages a real estate portfolio of 58 community and neighborhood shopping center and mixed-use properties totaling approximately 9.6 million square feet of leasable area.  Over 85% of the Company's property operating income is generated from properties in the metropolitan Washington, DC/Baltimore area.  

SOURCE Saul Centers, Inc.