Brixmor Property Group Reports First Quarter 2021 Results

NEW YORK, May 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Brixmor Property Group Inc. (NYSE: BRX) ("Brixmor" or the "Company") announced today its operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2021.  For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, net income was $0.18 per diluted share and $0.20 per diluted share, respectively.

Key highlights for the three months ended March 31, 2021 include: 

• Continued improvement in rent collections, with 94.2% of billed based rent for the three months ended March 31, 2021 collected (as of April 27, 2021)
• Including rent deferral and abatement agreements, total addressed billed base rent was 95.9% for the three months ended March 31, 2021 (as of April 27, 2021)
• Approximately 98% of the Company's annualized base rent ("ABR") is open and operating
• See COVID-19 update below for additional information on rent collection levels
• Executed 1.4 million square feet of new and renewal leases, with rent spreads on comparable space of 7.0%, including 0.7 million square feet of new leases, with rent spreads on comparable space of 20.3%
• Realized total leased occupancy of 90.8%, anchor leased occupancy of 93.8% and small shop leased occupancy of 84.2%
• Leased to billed occupancy spread of 300 basis points, representing $40.4 million of annualized base rent not yet commenced
• Reported a decrease in same property NOI of 1.5%
• Reported NAREIT FFO of $130.5 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, reflecting $4.3 million of revenues deemed uncollectible and a $1.6 million reversal of straight-line rental income, net primarily related to COVID-19
• NAREIT FFO included items that impact FFO comparability, including litigation and other non-routine legal expenses, a loss on extinguishment of debt, net and transaction expenses of ($3.1) million, or ($0.01) per diluted share 
• Stabilized $28.4 million of reinvestment projects at an average incremental NOI yield of 11%, with the in process reinvestment pipeline now totaling $409.2 million at an expected average incremental NOI yield of 9%
• Completed $33.2 million of dispositions and $3.6 million of acquisitions
• Issued $350.0 million of Senior Notes due 2028 and repaid a $350.0 million term loan scheduled to mature December 12, 2023

Subsequent events include:

• Acquired The Center of Bonita Springs, in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida MSA, for $48.5 million
• Updated previously provided NAREIT FFO per diluted share expectations for 2021 to $1.60 – 1.70 from $1.56 – 1.70 and same property NOI growth expectations for 2021 to 1.0 – 3.0% from (1.0) – 3.0%

"Our balanced business plan and portfolio of well-located shopping centers have not only outperformed through the pandemic, but they position us to continue to outperform through the recovery given our accelerating leasing productivity, our significant signed but not commenced pipeline, our stabilizing reinvestments at highly accretive returns, and our ongoing opportunity to drive both rate and occupancy," commented James Taylor, Chief Executive Officer and President.  

COVID-19 UPDATE  

• A summary of trends in billed base rent collected, rent deferrals and abatements and total addressed billed base rent follows:

• Collected 94.2% of billed base rent for April 2021 and entered into rent deferral and abatement agreements representing 0.8% of billed base rent, resulting in total addressed billed base rent of 95.0% for April (as of April 27, 2021)
• Net reserves associated with base rent during the three months ended March 31, 2021 represented 85.6% of accrued but uncollected base rent, comprised of net reserves representing 78.2% of rent deferrals (not lease modifications) and 87.0% of accrued but uncollected and unaddressed (under negotiation) base rent 
• Net reserves associated with base rent during the nine months ended December 31, 2020 represented 82.6% of accrued but uncollected base rent, comprised of net reserves representing 66.0% of rent deferrals (not lease modifications) and 97.1% of accrued but uncollected and unaddressed (under negotiation) base rent 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Net Income

• For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, net income was $52.4 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, and $59.8 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, respectively.

NAREIT FFO

• For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, NAREIT FFO was $130.5 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, and $137.5 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, respectively. Results for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 include items that impact FFO comparability, including litigation and other non-routine legal expenses, a loss on extinguishment of debt, net and transaction expenses of ($3.1) million, or ($0.01) per diluted share, and ($0.5) million, or ($0.00) per diluted share, respectively. 

Same Property NOI Performance

• For the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company reported a decrease in same property NOI of 1.5% versus the comparable 2020 period.

Dividend

• The Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.215 per common share (equivalent to $0.860 per annum) for the second quarter of 2021.
• The dividend is payable on July 15, 2021 to stockholders of record on July 6, 2021, representing an ex-dividend date of July 2, 2021.

PORTFOLIO AND INVESTMENT ACTIVITY  

Value Enhancing Reinvestment Opportunities

• During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company stabilized 11 value enhancing reinvestment projects with a total aggregate net cost of approximately $28.4 million at an average incremental NOI yield of 11% and added seven new reinvestment projects to its in process pipeline.  Projects added include three anchor space repositioning projects, three outparcel development projects and one redevelopment project, with a total aggregate net estimated cost of approximately $34.3 million at an expected average incremental NOI yield of 7%.
• At March 31, 2021, the value enhancing reinvestment in process pipeline was comprised of 57 projects with an aggregate net estimated cost of approximately $409.2 million at an expected average incremental NOI yield of 9%.  The in process pipeline includes 20 anchor space repositioning projects with an aggregate net estimated cost of approximately $98.9 million at an expected incremental NOI yield of 9 to 14%; 16 outparcel development projects with an aggregate net estimated cost of approximately $29.5 million at an expected average incremental NOI yield of 11%; and 21 redevelopment projects with an aggregate net estimated cost of approximately $280.8 million at an expected average incremental NOI yield of 9%.
• Due to COVID-19, there is inherent uncertainty as it relates to the Company's reinvestment projects, specifically with respect to expected project scopes, expected stabilization dates and expected NOI yields.

Acquisitions

• During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company acquired an outparcel adjacent to an existing center and land associated with an existing center and terminated a ground lease and acquired the associated land parcel at an existing center for a combined purchase price of $3.6 million.
• Subsequent to March 31, 2021, the Company acquired The Center of Bonita Springs, a 281,000 square foot community shopping center located in the high-income market of Bonita Springs, Florida (Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida MSA), for $48.5 million. The Center of Bonita Springs is anchored by a highly-productive Publix and Bealls Outlet|Home Centric and has significant near-term value creation opportunity. The property complements the Company's four other assets in Southwest Florida, three of which have recently been or currently are in redevelopment, and is ten miles from its 99% leased Park Shore Plaza in Naples, Florida.

Dispositions

• During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company generated approximately $33.2 million of gross proceeds on the disposition of four shopping centers, as well as four partial properties, comprised of 0.6 million square feet of gross leasable area.

CAPITAL STRUCTURE   

• As previously announced, during the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company's Operating Partnership, Brixmor Operating Partnership LP, issued $350.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2.250% Senior Notes due 2028.  The net proceeds from the offering were utilized to repay the Company's $350.0 million term loan scheduled to mature December 12, 2023.
• At March 31, 2021, the Company had $1.6 billion of total liquidity, comprised of $372.7 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash and $1.2 billion of availability under its Revolving Credit Facility.  The Company has no debt maturities in 2021 and only $250.0 million of debt maturities in 2022.

GUIDANCE

• The Company has updated its previously provided NAREIT FFO per diluted share expectations for 2021 to $1.60 – 1.70 from $1.56 – 1.70 and its same property NOI growth expectations for 2021 to 1.0 – 3.0% from (1.0) – 3.0%.
• With respect to future periods, the Company's updated guidance:
• Reflects anticipated transaction activity
• Does not contemplate any tenants moving to or from a cash basis of accounting, either of which may result in significant volatility in straight-line rental income
• Does not include any additional items that impact FFO comparability, including litigation and other non-routine legal expenses, loss on debt extinguishment, net and transaction expenses, or any one-time items
• The following table provides a reconciliation of the range of the Company's 2021 estimated net income attributable to common stockholders to NAREIT FFO:

CONNECT WITH BRIXMOR

• For additional information, please visit www.brixmor.com;
• Follow Brixmor on:
• Twitter at https://twitter.com/Brixmor
• Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Brixmor
• Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/brixmorpropertygroup
• YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/Brixmor; and
• Find Brixmor on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/brixmor.

CONFERENCE CALL AND SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

The Company will host a teleconference on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 10:00 AM ET. To participate, please dial 877.705.6003 (domestic) or 201.493.6725 (international) within 15 minutes of the scheduled start of the call. The teleconference can also be accessed via a live webcast at www.brixmor.com in the Investors section. A replay of the teleconference will be available through midnight ET on May 18, 2021 by dialing 844.512.2921 (domestic) or 412.317.6671 (international) (Passcode: 13717945) or via the web through May 4, 2022 at www.brixmor.com in the Investors section.

The Company's Supplemental Disclosure will be posted at www.brixmor.com in the Investors section. These materials are also available to all interested parties upon request to the Company at [email protected] or 800.468.7526.

NON-GAAP PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The Company presents the non-GAAP performance measures set forth below.  These measures should not be considered as alternatives to, or more meaningful than, net income (calculated in accordance with GAAP) or other GAAP financial measures, as an indicator of financial performance and are not alternatives to, or more meaningful than, cash flow from operating activities (calculated in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of liquidity.  Non-GAAP performance measures have limitations as they do not include all items of income and expense that affect operations, and accordingly, should always be considered as supplemental financial results to those calculated in accordance with GAAP.  The Company's computation of these non-GAAP performance measures may differ in certain respects from the methodology utilized by other REITs and, therefore, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by such other REITs. Investors are cautioned that items excluded from these non-GAAP performance measures are relevant to understanding and addressing financial performance.  A reconciliation of these non-GAAP performance measures to net income is presented in the attached table.                    

NAREIT FFO            

NAREIT FFO is a supplemental, non-GAAP performance measure utilized to evaluate the operating and financial performance of real estate companies. The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT") defines FFO as net income (loss), calculated 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, (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 and (v) after adjustments for unconsolidated joint ventures calculated to reflect FFO on the same basis. Considering the nature of its business as a real estate owner and operator, the Company believes that NAREIT FFO is useful to investors in measuring its operating and financial performance because the definition excludes items included in net income that do not relate to or are not indicative of the Company's operating and financial performance, such as depreciation and amortization related to real estate, and items which can make periodic and peer analyses of operating and financial performance more difficult, such as gains and losses from the sale of certain real estate assets and impairment write-downs of certain real estate assets.

Same Property NOI

Same property NOI is a supplemental, non-GAAP performance measure utilized to evaluate the operating performance of real estate companies.  Same property NOI is calculated (using properties owned for the entirety of both periods and excluding properties under development and completed new development properties which have been stabilized for less than one year) as total property revenues (base rent, expense reimbursements, adjustments for revenues deemed uncollectible, ancillary and other rental income, percentage rents and other revenues) less direct property operating expenses (operating costs and real estate taxes). Same property NOI excludes (i) corporate level expenses (including general and administrative), (ii) lease termination fees, (iii) straight-line rental income, net, (iv) accretion of below-market leases, net of amortization of above-market leases and tenant inducements, (v) straight-line ground rent expense, and (vi) income / expense associated with the Company's captive insurance company.  Considering the nature of its business as a real estate owner and operator, the Company believes that same property NOI is useful to investors in measuring the operating performance of its property portfolio because the definition excludes various items included in net income that do not relate to, or are not indicative of, the operating performance of the Company's properties, such as depreciation and amortization and corporate level expenses (including general and administrative), and because it eliminates disparities in NOI due to the acquisition or disposition of properties or the stabilization of completed new development properties during the period presented and therefore provides a more consistent metric for comparing the operating performance of the Company's real estate between periods.

ABOUT BRIXMOR PROPERTY GROUP

Brixmor (NYSE: BRX) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns and operates a high-quality, national portfolio of open-air shopping centers. Its 389 retail centers comprise approximately 68 million square feet of prime retail space in established trade areas.  The Company strives to own and operate shopping centers that reflect Brixmor's vision "to be the center of the communities we serve" and are home to a diverse mix of thriving national, regional and local retailers.  Brixmor is a proud real estate partner to approximately 5,000 retailers including The TJX Companies, The Kroger Co., Publix Super Markets and Ross Stores.

Brixmor announces material information to its investors in SEC filings and press releases and on public conference calls, webcasts and the "Investors" page of its website at www.brixmor.com. The Company also uses social media to communicate with its investors and the public, and the information Brixmor posts on social media may be deemed material information. Therefore, Brixmor encourages investors and others interested in the Company to review the information that it posts on its website and on its social media channels.

SAFE HARBOR LANGUAGE

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  These statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to the Company's expectations regarding the performance of its business, its financial results, its liquidity and capital resources and other non-historical statements.  You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "seeks,"  "projects," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described under the sections entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Currently, one of the most significant factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from forward-looking statements is the adverse effect of the current pandemic of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, on the financial condition, operating results and cash flows of the Company, the Company's tenants, the real estate market, the financial markets and the global economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the Company and its tenants significantly, and the extent to which it continues to impact the Company and its tenants will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the scope, severity and duration of the pandemic, the speed and effectiveness of vaccine and treatment developments and their deployment, public adoption rates of COVID-19 vaccines, potential mutations of COVID-19, including SARS-CoV-2 and the response thereto, the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, and potential sustained changes in consumer behavior, among others. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this release and in the Company's filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE Brixmor Property Group Inc.