Federal Realty Investment Trust Announces Third Quarter 2011 Operating Results

ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT) today reported operating results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2011.

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Financial Results

In the third quarter 2011, Federal Realty generated funds from operations available for common shareholders (FFO) of $63.9 million, or $1.01 per diluted share. This compares to FFO of $58.8 million, or $0.95 per diluted share, in third quarter 2010.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, Federal Realty reported FFO of $189.5 million, or $3.02 per diluted share, compared to $177.0 million, or $2.87 per diluted share for the same nine-month period in 2010.

Net income available for common shareholders was $46.9 million and earnings per diluted share was $0.74 for the quarter ended September 30, 2011 versus $29.5 million and $0.48, respectively, for third quarter 2010.  Year-to-date, Federal Realty reported net income available for common shareholders of $112.6 million and earnings per diluted share of $1.80.  This compares to net income available for common shareholders of $89.6 million and earnings per diluted share of $1.45 for the nine months ended September 30, 2010.

FFO is a non-GAAP supplemental earnings measure which the Trust considers meaningful in measuring its operating performance.  A reconciliation of FFO to net income is attached to this press release.

Portfolio Results

In third quarter 2011, same-center property operating income increased 3.7% over third quarter 2010.  When redevelopment and expansion properties are excluded from same-center results, property operating income for third quarter 2011 increased 2.4% compared to third quarter 2010.  

The overall portfolio was 93.3% leased as of September 30, 2011, compared to 93.4% on June 30, 2011 and 93.9% on September 30, 2010.  Federal Realty's same-center portfolio was 94.0% leased on September 30, 2011, compared to 93.7% on June 30, 2011 and 94.5% on September 30, 2010.

During the third quarter of 2011, Federal Realty signed 92 leases for 385,000 square feet of retail space. On a comparable space basis (i.e., spaces for which there was a former tenant), the Trust leased 353,000 square feet at an average cash basis contractual rent increase per square foot (i.e., excluding the impact of straight-line rents) of 8%. The average contractual rent on this comparable space for the first year of the new leases is $31.62 per square foot, compared to the average contractual rent of $29.24 per square foot for the last year of the prior leases. The previous average contractual rent was calculated by including both the minimum rent and any percentage rent actually paid during the last year of the lease term for the re-leased space. On a GAAP basis (i.e., including the impact of straight-line rents), rent increases per square foot for comparable retail space averaged 18% for third quarter 2011. As of September 30, 2011, Federal Realty's average contractual, cash basis minimum rent for retail and commercial space in its portfolio was $23.04 per square foot.

Regular Quarterly Dividends

Federal Realty also announced today that its Board of Trustees declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.69 per share, resulting in an indicated annual rate of $2.76 per share. The regular common dividend will be payable on January 17, 2012, to common shareholders of record as of January 3, 2012.

Guidance

Federal Realty increased its guidance for 2011 FFO per diluted share to a range of $4.02 to $4.04, and provided 2011 earnings per diluted share guidance of $2.30 to $2.32. In addition, Federal Realty provided initial 2012 FFO per diluted share guidance of $4.16 to $4.22 and 2012 earnings per diluted share guidance $2.29 to $2.35.  

"We produced another very solid quarter based on continued strong leasing and positive impacts from our redevelopment properties," commented Don Wood, president and chief executive officer of Federal Realty.  "Looking forward, we have an active development pipeline that will provide future earnings growth and complement our strong existing assets and additional acquisitions."

Summary of Other Quarterly Activities and Recent Developments

• September 12, 2011 – Federal Realty finalized a lease to open a local, organic market at Rockville Town Square. The new grocer will operate under the name "Dawson's Market" and is slated to open in spring 2012, at the intersection of Beall Avenue and North Washington Street in Rockville, Maryland.
• October 31, 2011 – Federal Realty closed on the sale of the three buildings on Newbury Street owned in its joint venture with an affiliate of Taurus Investment Holdings, LLC created in mid-2010.  The sales price of $44 million will result in a gain to Federal Realty of approximately $12 million.

Conference Call Information

Federal Realty's management team will present an in-depth discussion of the Trust's operating performance on its third quarter 2011 earnings conference call, which is scheduled for November 4, 2011, at 11 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.  To participate, please call (866) 271-0675 five to ten minutes prior to the call start time and use the passcode FRT EARNINGS (required).  Federal Realty will also provide an online webcast on the Company's website, www.federalrealty.com, which will remain available for 30 days following the call.  A telephone recording of the call will also be available through December 4, 2011, by dialing (888) 286-8010 and using the passcode 14481371.

About Federal Realty

Federal Realty Investment Trust is an equity real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management and redevelopment of high quality retail assets. Federal Realty's portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) contains approximately 18.6 million square feet located primarily in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and California. In addition, the Trust has an ownership interest in approximately 1.0 million square feet of retail space through a joint venture in which the Trust has a 30% interest. Our operating portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) was 93.3% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of September 30, 2011, with no single tenant accounting for more than approximately 2.6% of annualized base rent. Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 44 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an S&P MidCap 400 company and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT.  For more information, please visit www.federalrealty.com.

Safe Harbor Language

Certain matters discussed within this Supplemental Information may be deemed to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws.  Although Federal Realty believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained.  These factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 15, 2011, and include the following:

• risks that our tenants will not pay rent, may vacate early or may file for bankruptcy or that we may be unable to renew leases or re-let space at favorable rents as leases expire;
• risks that we may not be able to proceed with or obtain necessary approvals for any redevelopment or renovation project, and that completion of anticipated or ongoing property redevelopment or renovation projects that we do pursue may cost more, take more time to complete or fail to perform as expected;
• risks that the number of properties we acquire for our own account, and therefore the amount of capital we invest in acquisitions, may be impacted by our real estate partnerships;
• risks normally associated with the real estate industry, including risks that occupancy levels at our properties and the amount of rent that we receive from our properties may be lower than expected, that new acquisitions may fail to perform as expected, that competition for acquisitions could result in increased prices for acquisitions, that costs associated with the periodic maintenance and repair or renovation of space, insurance and other operations may increase, that environmental issues may develop at our properties and result in unanticipated costs, and, because real estate is illiquid, that we may not be able to sell properties when appropriate;
• risks that our growth will be limited if we cannot obtain additional capital;
• risks associated with general economic conditions, including local economic conditions in our geographic markets;
• risks of financing, such as our ability to consummate additional financings or obtain replacement financing on terms which are acceptable to us, our ability to meet existing financial covenants and the limitations imposed on our operations by those covenants, and the possibility of increases in interest rates that would result in increased interest expense; and
• risks related to our status as a real estate investment trust, commonly referred to as a REIT, for federal income tax purposes, such as the existence of complex tax regulations relating to our status as a REIT, the effect of future changes in REIT requirements as a result of new legislation, and the adverse consequences of the failure to qualify as a REIT.

Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements that we make, including those in this Supplemental Information.  Except as required by law, we make no promise to update any of the forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.  You should review the risks contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 15, 2011.

SOURCE Federal Realty Investment Trust