Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. Reports 2018 Second Quarter Results


SAN DIEGO, July 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. (NASDAQ:ROIC) announced today financial and operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • $7.3 million of net income attributable to common stockholders ($0.06 per diluted share)
  • $33.4 million of Funds From Operations(1) ($0.27 per diluted share)
  • 97.5% portfolio lease rate at June 30, 2018
  • 20.4% increase in same-space comparative cash rents on new leases (7.6% on renewals)
  • 2.8% increase in same-center cash net operating income (2Q’18 vs. 2Q’17)
  • $15.7 million grocery-anchored shopping center acquired
  • $0.1950 per share quarterly cash dividend paid

__________________________

(1) A reconciliation of GAAP net income to Funds From Operations (FFO) is provided at the end of this press release.

Stuart A. Tanz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. stated, “During the second quarter, demand for space across our portfolio continued to be strong, coming from a broad range of necessity-based retailers.  We continued to maintain our portfolio at over 97% leased, ending the second quarter specifically at a strong, 97.5%.  Additionally, for the 26th consecutive quarter, we achieved growth in our key same-center and same-space comparative operating metrics.  During the second quarter, we grew same-center cash NOI by 2.8% and achieved a 20.4% increase in same-space cash rents on new leases.”  Tanz added, “Looking ahead, with the current leasing activity and momentum across our portfolio, we are on track to continue achieving solid portfolio operational results as we progress through the second half of 2018.”

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders was $7.3 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, as compared to GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders of $8.3 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, for the three months ended June 30, 2017.  For the six months ended June 30, 2018, GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders was $18.0 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, as compared to GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders of $18.5 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2017.

FFO for the second quarter of 2018 was $33.4 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, as compared to $32.8 million in FFO, or $0.27 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2017.  FFO for the first six months of 2018 was $70.5 million, or $0.57 per diluted share, as compared to $67.2 million in FFO, or $0.55 per diluted share for the first six months of 2017.  ROIC reports FFO as a supplemental performance measure in accordance with the definition set forth by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts.  A reconciliation of GAAP net income to FFO is provided at the end of this press release.

At June 30, 2018, ROIC had a total market capitalization of approximately $3.9 billion with approximately $1.5 billion of principal debt outstanding, equating to a 39.3% debt-to-total market capitalization ratio.  ROIC’s principal debt outstanding was comprised of $95.8 million of mortgage debt and approximately $1.4 billion of unsecured debt, including $192.0 million outstanding on its unsecured revolving credit facility at June 30, 2018.  ROIC’s interest coverage for the second quarter was 3.1 times and 93.6% of its portfolio was unencumbered at June 30, 2018 (based on gross leasable area).

ACQUISITION SUMMARY

Year-to-date in 2018, ROIC has acquired a total of $38.7 million of shopping center assets.  During the first quarter of 2018, ROIC acquired a grocery-anchored shopping center for $19.0 million.  During the second quarter of 2018, ROIC acquired a grocery-anchored shopping center for $15.7 million.  Additionally, during the second quarter, ROIC acquired a multi-tenant, freestanding pad for $4.0 million located at one of its existing grocery-anchored shopping centers.

King City Plaza

In May 2018, ROIC acquired King City Plaza for $15.7 million.  The shopping center is approximately 63,000 square feet and is anchored by Grocery Outlet Supermarket and McCann’s Pharmacy.  The property is located in King City, Oregon, within the Portland metropolitan area, and is currently 100% leased.

PROPERTY OPERATIONS SUMMARY

At June 30, 2018, ROIC’s portfolio was 97.5% leased.  For the second quarter of 2018, same-center net operating income (NOI) was $44.5 million, as compared to $43.2 million in same-center NOI for the second quarter of 2017, representing a 2.8% increase.  ROIC reports same-center comparative NOI on a cash basis.  A reconciliation of GAAP operating income to same-center comparative NOI is provided at the end of this press release.

During the second quarter of 2018, ROIC executed 97 leases, totaling 265,743 square feet, including 42 new leases, totaling 98,669 square feet, achieving a 20.4% increase in same-space comparative base rent, and 55 renewed leases, totaling 167,074 square feet, achieving a 7.6% increase in base rent.   ROIC reports same-space comparative base rent on a cash basis.

CASH DIVIDEND

On June 28, 2018, ROIC distributed a $0.1950 per share cash dividend.  On July 25, 2018, ROIC’s board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.1950 per share, payable on September 27, 2018 to stockholders of record on September 13, 2018.

CONFERENCE CALL

ROIC will conduct a conference call and audio webcast to discuss its results on Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time / 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time.  Those interested in participating in the conference call should dial (877) 312-8783 (domestic), or (408) 940-3874 (international) at least ten minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. When prompted, provide the Conference ID: 1890648. A live webcast will also be available in listen-only mode at http://www.roireit.net/.  The conference call will be recorded and available for replay beginning at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 26, 2018 and will be available until 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 2, 2018. To access the conference call recording, dial (855) 859-2056 (domestic) or (404) 537-3406 (international) and use the Conference ID: 1890648. The conference call will also be archived on http://www.roireit.net/ for approximately 90 days.

ABOUT RETAIL OPPORTUNITY INVESTMENTS CORP.

Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. (NASDAQ:ROIC), is a fully-integrated, self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the acquisition, ownership and management of grocery-anchored shopping centers located in densely-populated, metropolitan markets across the West Coast.  As of June 30, 2018, ROIC owned 92 shopping centers encompassing approximately 10.6 million square feet.  ROIC is the largest publicly-traded, grocery-anchored shopping center REIT focused exclusively on the West Coast.  ROIC is a member of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index and has investment-grade corporate debt ratings from Moody's Investor Services and Standard & Poor's.  Additional information is available at: www.roireit.net.

When used herein, the words "believes," "anticipates," "projects," "should," "estimates," "expects," “guidance” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements with the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and in Section 21F of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Certain statements contained herein may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results of ROIC to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.   Information regarding such risks and factors is described in ROIC's filings with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is available at: www.roireit.net

RETAIL OPPORTUNITY INVESTMENTS CORP.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands, except share data)

 June 30, 2018
(unaudited)
 December 31,
2017
ASSETS   
Real Estate Investments:   
Land$898,436  $878,797 
Building and improvements2,265,760  2,230,600 
 3,164,196  3,109,397 
Less: accumulated depreciation295,602  260,115 
Real Estate Investments, net2,868,594  2,849,282 
Cash and cash equivalents10,958  11,553 
Restricted cash1,420  5,412 
Tenant and other receivables, net42,095  43,257 
Deposits  500 
Acquired lease intangible assets, net78,246  82,778 
Prepaid expenses1,600  2,853 
Deferred charges, net36,150  37,167 
Other10,606  6,396 
Total assets$3,049,669  $3,039,198 
    
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY   
Liabilities:   
Term loan$298,942  $298,816 
Credit facility189,259  140,329 
Senior Notes940,762  940,086 
Mortgage notes payable97,884  107,915 
Acquired lease intangible liabilities, net173,911  178,984 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses14,580  18,638 
Tenants’ security deposits6,997  6,771 
Other liabilities18,213  18,018 
Total liabilities1,740,548  1,709,557 
    
Commitments and contingencies   
    
Equity:   
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value 50,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding   
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized; 112,719,459 and 112,347,451 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively11  11 
Additional paid-in capital1,415,286  1,412,590 
Dividends in excess of earnings(236,570) (210,490)
Accumulated other comprehensive income7,235  1,856 
Total Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. stockholders’ equity1,185,962  1,203,967 
Non-controlling interests123,159  125,674 
Total equity1,309,121  1,329,641 
Total liabilities and equity$3,049,669  $3,039,198 
    

RETAIL OPPORTUNITY INVESTMENTS CORP.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share data)

    
 Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Revenues       
Base rents$55,050  $50,528  $110,427  $102,007 
Recoveries from tenants16,471  15,222  32,632  28,890 
Other income820  890  3,677  1,643 
Total revenues72,341  66,640  146,736  132,540 
        
Operating expenses       
Property operating11,017  9,628  21,495  18,928 
Property taxes7,914  7,647  15,733  14,715 
Depreciation and amortization25,331  23,645  50,548  46,703 
General and administrative expenses3,990  3,817  7,521  7,316 
Acquisition transaction costs  4    4 
Other expense274  225  343  274 
Total operating expenses48,526  44,966  95,640  87,940 
        
Operating income23,815  21,674  51,096  44,600 
Non-operating expenses       
Interest expense and other finance expenses(15,713) (12,477) (31,170) (24,152)
Net income8,102  9,197  19,926  20,448 
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests(763) (888) (1,885) (1,969)
Net Income Attributable to Retail Opportunity Investments Corp.$7,339  $8,309  $18,041  $18,479 
        
Earnings per share – basic and diluted$0.06  $0.08  $0.16  $0.17 
        
Dividends per common share$0.1950  $0.1875  $0.3900  $0.3750 
        

CALCULATION OF FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)

    
 Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Net income attributable to ROIC$7,339  $8,309  $18,041  $18,479 
Plus: Depreciation and amortization25,331  23,645  50,548  46,703 
Funds from operations – basic32,670  31,954  68,589  65,182 
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests763  888  1,885  1,969 
Funds from operations – diluted$33,433  $32,842  $70,474  $67,151 
        

SAME-CENTER CASH NET OPERATING INCOME ANALYSIS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except number of shopping centers and percentages)

     
  Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
  2018 2017 $
Change
 %
Change
 2018 2017 $
Change
 %
Change
Number of shopping centers included in same-center analysis82  82      79  79     
Same-center occupancy97.3% 97.4%   (0.1)% 97.4% 97.5%   (0.1)%
                 
Revenues:               
 Base rents$46,229  $44,666  $1,563  3.5% $89,342  $86,911  $2,431  2.8%
 Percentage rent91  187  (96) (51.3)% 176  302  (126) (41.7)%
 Recoveries from tenants15,181  14,985  196  1.3% 28,861  28,183  678  2.4%
 Other property income789  897  (108) (12.0)% 1,089  1,655  (566) (34.2)%
Total Revenues62,290  60,735  1,555  2.6% 119,468  117,051  2,417  2.1%
Operating Expenses               
 Property operating expenses10,312  9,805  507  5.2% 19,418  18,322  1,096  6.0%
 Bad debt expense276  255  21  8.2% 364  743  (379) (51.0)%
 Property taxes7,252  7,449  (197) (2.6)% 13,769  14,134  (365) (2.6)%
Total Operating Expenses17,840  17,509  331  1.9% 33,551  33,199  352  1.1%
Same-Center Cash Net Operating Income$44,450  $43,226  $1,224  2.8% $85,917  $83,852  $2,065  2.5%
                 

SAME-CENTER CASH NET OPERATING INCOME RECONCILIATION
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)

    
 Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
GAAP operating income$23,815  $21,674  $51,096  $44,600 
Depreciation and amortization25,331  23,645  50,548  46,703 
General and administrative expenses3,990  3,817  7,521  7,316 
Acquisition transaction costs  4    4 
Other expense274  225  343  274 
Property revenues and other expenses (1)(4,441) (4,311) (9,924) (11,201)
Total Company cash NOI48,969  45,054  99,584  87,696 
Non same-center cash NOI(4,519) (1,828) (13,667) (3,844)
Same-center cash NOI$44,450  $43,226  $85,917  $83,852 
        

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(1) Includes straight-line rents, amortization of above and below-market lease intangibles, anchor lease termination fees, net of contractual amounts, and expense and recovery adjustments related to prior periods.

NON-GAAP DISCLOSURES

Funds from operations (“FFO”), is a widely recognized non-GAAP financial measure for REITs that the Company believes when considered with financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, provides additional and useful means to assess its financial performance.  FFO is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate the performance of REITs, most of which present FFO along with net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP.  The Company computes FFO in accordance with the “White Paper” on FFO published by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”), which defines FFO as net income attributable to common stockholders (determined in accordance with GAAP) excluding gains or losses from debt restructuring, sales of depreciable property and impairments, plus real estate related depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for partnerships and unconsolidated joint ventures.

The Company uses cash net operating income (“NOI”) internally to evaluate and compare the operating performance of the Company’s properties.  The Company believes cash NOI provides useful information to investors regarding the Company’s financial condition and results of operations because it reflects only those income and expense items that are incurred at the property level, and when compared across periods, can be used to determine trends in earnings of the Company’s properties as this measure is not affected by the non-cash revenue and expense recognition items, the cost of the Company’s funding, the impact of depreciation and amortization expenses, gains or losses from the acquisition and sale of operating real estate assets, general and administrative expenses or other gains and losses that relate to the Company’s ownership of properties.  The Company believes the exclusion of these items from operating income is useful because the resulting measure captures the actual revenue generated and actual expenses incurred in operating the Company’s properties as well as trends in occupancy rates, rental rates and operating costs.  Cash NOI is a measure of the operating performance of the Company’s properties but does not measure the Company’s performance as a whole and is therefore not a substitute for net income or operating income as computed in accordance with GAAP.  The Company defines cash NOI as operating revenues (base rent and recoveries from tenants), less property and related expenses (property operating expenses and property taxes), adjusted for non-cash revenue and operating expense items such as straight-line rent and amortization of lease intangibles, debt-related expenses and other adjustments.  Cash NOI also excludes general and administrative expenses, depreciation and amortization, acquisition transaction costs, other expense, interest expense, gains and losses from property acquisitions and dispositions, extraordinary items, tenant improvements and leasing commissions.  Other REITs may use different methodologies for calculating cash NOI, and accordingly, the Company’s cash NOI may not be comparable to other REITs.

Contact:
Ashley Rubino, Investor Relations
858-255-4913
arubino@roireit.net