BRE Properties Reports Third Quarter 2011 Results

BRE Properties, Inc. (NYSE:BRE) today reported operating results for the quarter ended September 30, 2011. All per share results are reported on a fully diluted basis.

Third Quarter Operational and Financial Highlights

• Quarterly funds from operations (FFO) totaled $41.5 million, or $0.55 per share. Quarterly net income available to common shareholders totaled $17.1 million, or $0.23 per share.
• Year-over-year, third-quarter same-store revenues and net operating income (NOI) increased 3.7% and 4.0%, respectively. On a sequential basis from the second quarter to the third quarter of 2011, same-store revenues and NOI increased 1.7% and 1.1%, respectively.
• Physical occupancy averaged 95.7%; annualized turnover in the same-store portfolio was 71.1% for the quarter. Average revenue per occupied unit for the third quarter was $1,504, representing a 4.3% increase from the same period in 2010.
• Acquired Lafayette Highlands, a 151-unit property in Lafayette, Calif., for a total purchase price of approximately $48.8 million. The property is expected to have a first-year yield of 4.8%; occupancy was 95% on the acquisition date.
• Issued 514,000 common shares at $48.60 per share through the Company’s at-the-market (ATM) program, generating approximately $25.0 million of gross proceeds.
• Other capital activities during the quarter included: 1) the open market purchase of 840,285 shares of 6.75% Series D preferred stock, or approximately $21 million in value, at a gross purchase price of $24.33 per share ($25.00 par value); and 2) the sale of a property owned in an unconsolidated joint venture. BRE’s share of the proceeds from the property sale totaled $4.5 million and resulted in a gain of $2.2 million (inclusive of a promote of $408,000). The gain and promote are excluded from FFO per share totals.
• 2011 FFO guidance updated to $2.12 to $2.14 per share. Fourth quarter guidance announced in a range of $0.55 to $0.57 per share.

Third Quarter 2011

Funds from operations, the generally accepted measure of operating performance for real estate investment trusts, totaled $41.5 million, or $0.55 per share, for the third quarter 2011, compared with $30.6 million, or $0.47 per share, for the third quarter 2010. (A reconciliation of net income available to common shareholders to FFO is provided at the end of this release.) FFO for the third quarter 2010 included acquisition-related expenses totaling $2.4 million or $0.04 per share.

Net income to common shareholders for the third quarter 2011 totaled $17.1 million, or $0.23 per share, compared with net income of $19.6 million, or $0.30 per share, for the same period 2010. The third quarter 2011 results included a gain on sale of an unconsolidated joint venture totaling $2.2 million or, $0.04 per share. The gain is excluded from the company’s FFO per share calculations. The third quarter 2010 results included a gain on sale of real estate of approximately $13.2 million, or $0.20 per share, and acquisition-related expenses cited above totaling $2.4 million, or $0.04 per share.

Total revenues from continuing operations for the quarter were $96.7 million, compared with $87.2 million for the third quarter 2010. The $96.7 million in quarterly revenue represents the highest quarterly total in BRE’s 40-year history. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter totaled $60.9 million, compared with $57.1 million in the third quarter 2010. (A reconciliation of net income available to common shareholders to Adjusted EBITDA is provided at the end of this release.)

BRE’s year-over-year earnings and FFO results reflect the impact of the following during 2011: (1) increases in same-store property-level operating results over 2010 levels; (2) incremental NOI from acquired and newly completed properties in the last 21 months; and (3) a reduction in interest expense due to lower leverage levels and higher levels of capitalized interest, which was offset by (4) a higher level of outstanding shares from equity issued in 2010 and 2011.

Nine-Month Period Ended September 30, 2011

For the year-to-date period, FFO totaled $111.1 million, or $1.57 per share, compared with $88.9 million, or $1.44 per share, for the same period in 2010. FFO for the nine-month period in 2011 includes a $3.8 million, or $0.05 per share, preferred stock redemption charge. FFO for the nine-month period in 2010 included: (1) acquisition-related expenses totaling $3.8 million, or $0.06 per share; (2) one-time compensation costs related to the resignation of the company’s chief operating officer, totaling $1.3 million, or $0.02 per share; and (3) a loss on retirement of debt totaling $558,000, or $0.01 per share. Net income available to common shareholders for the nine-month period totaled $32.9 million, or $0.47 per diluted share, compared with $41.4 million, or $0.68 per diluted share, for the same period 2010. The year-to-date 2010 results included a gain on sales of real estate of approximately $24.9 million, or $0.41 per share.

Same-Store Property Results

BRE defines same-store properties as stabilized apartment communities owned by the company since January 1, 2010. Of the 21,971 apartment units owned directly by BRE, same-store units totaled 19,275 for the quarter and year-to-date periods.

On a year-over-year basis, overall same-store revenues and NOI increased 3.7% and 4.0%, respectively, for the third quarter. The revenue increase was driven by a 4.3% increase in revenue per unit earned during the period, offset by a 60-basis-point reduction in year-over-year financial occupancy levels.

On a sequential basis, same-store revenue increased 1.7%, NOI increased 1.1% and expenses increased 3.0% over second quarter 2011 levels. The sequential quarter increase in revenues was driven by a 1.6% increase in revenue earned per unit during the third quarter, combined with a 10-basis-point increase in financial occupancy.

Investment Activity

On August 12, 2011, BRE acquired a 151-unit community in Lafayette, Calif., for a total purchase price of $48.8 million. The property was 95% occupied on the acquisition date, and currently is 97% occupied.

BRE had two communities under construction at quarter-end: Lawrence Station, a 336-unit community in Sunnyvale, Calif., with estimated completion date in the first quarter 2013; and Aviara, a 166-unit community in Mercer Island, Wash., with an estimated completion date in the second quarter of 2013.

On August 10, 2012, The Landing at Bear Creek, a 224-unit property in Denver, Colo., which was owned in an unconsolidated joint venture, was sold to a third party. BRE’s share of the proceeds from the property sale totaled $4.5 million and a resulted in a gain of $2.2 million (inclusive of a promote of $408,000). The gain and promote are excluded from FFO per share totals.

Capital Markets Activity

Under the at-the-market (ATM) equity distribution agreement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 8-K on February 25, 2010, the company issued 514,000 shares of common stock, at an average share price of $48.60 per share, with total gross proceeds of $25.0 million. The remaining capacity under the equity distribution agreement totals $175.0 million.

During the quarter the company completed an open market purchase of 840,285 shares of Series D preferred stock, or approximately $21 million in value, at a gross purchase price of $24.33 per share ($25.00 par value). As of the end of the quarter, 2,159,715 Series D preferred shares remain outstanding.

Common and Preferred Dividends Declared

On November 1, 2011, the BRE board of directors approved regular common and preferred stock dividends for the quarter ending December 31, 2011. All common and preferred dividends will be payable on Friday, December 30, 2011 to shareholders of record on Thursday, December 15, 2011. The quarterly common dividend payment of $0.375 is equivalent to $1.50 per share on an annualized basis, and represents a yield of approximately 3.0% on yesterday’s closing price of $50.12 per share. BRE has paid uninterrupted quarterly dividends to shareholders since the company’s founding in 1970. The company’s 6.75% Series D preferred dividend is $0.421875 per share.

Earnings Guidance Update

The company updated annual FFO guidance to a range of $2.12 to $2.14 per share, from a previously guided range of $2.09 to $2.17 per share.

The revised guidance range reflects no changes to the assumptions provided in BRE’s second quarter earnings release.

The company has established an FFO guidance range of $0.55 to $0.57 per share for the fourth quarter of 2011. The primary difference between the company’s third quarter 2011 FFO of $0.55 per share and the midpoint of the fourth quarter guidance range of $0.56 per share is due to positive impact of approximately $0.01 per share from higher same-store and non-same-store property NOI in the fourth quarter of 2011 than the third quarter levels.

Fourth quarter and annual FFO guidance does not include any nonroutine income or expense items.

Q3 2011 Analyst Conference Call

The company will hold a conference call on Wednesday, November 2, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern (8:00 a.m. Pacific) to review these results. The dial-in number to participate in the United States and Canada is 800.946.0722; the international number is 719.325.2320 Enter Conf. ID# 1951042. A telephone replay of the call will be available for 14 days at 877.870.5176 or 858.384.5517 international, using the same ID# 1951042. A link to the live webcast of the call will be posted on www.breproperties.com, in the Investors section. A webcast replay will be available for 90 days following the call.

Q4 2011 Earnings Dates

The company will report fourth quarter and annual 2011 earnings in February 2012. Annual 2012 earnings guidance will be provided in conjunction with year-end results.

About BRE Properties

BRE Properties, based in San Francisco, California, focuses on the development, acquisition and management of apartment communities located primarily in the major metropolitan markets of Southern and Northern California and Seattle. BRE directly owns 78 multifamily communities (totaling 21,971 units) and has joint venture interests in an additional 12 apartment communities (totaling 3,856 units). BRE Properties is a real estate investment trust (REIT) listed in the S&P MidCap 400 Index. For more information on BRE Properties, please visit our website at www.breproperties.com.

"Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements regarding the company’s capital resources, portfolio performance and results of operations, and is based on the company’s current expectations and judgment. You should not rely on these statements as predictions of future events because there is no assurance that the events or circumstances reflected in the statements can be achieved or will occur. Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as "believes,” "expects,” "may,” "will,” "should,” "seeks,” "approximately,” "intends,” "plans,” "pro forma,” "estimates,” or "anticipates” or their negative form or other variations, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. The following factors, among others, could affect actual results and future events: defaults or nonrenewal of leases, increased interest rates and operating costs, failure to obtain necessary outside financing, difficulties in identifying properties to acquire and in effecting acquisitions, failure to successfully integrate acquired properties and operations, inability to dispose of assets that no longer meet our investment criteria under applicable terms and conditions, risks and uncertainties affecting property development and construction (including construction delays, cost overruns, inability to obtain necessary permits and public opposition to such activities), failure to qualify as a real estate investment trust under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and increases in real property tax rates. The company’s success also depends on general economic trends, including interest rates, tax laws, governmental regulation, legislation, population changes and other factors, including those risk factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors” in the company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K as they may be updated from time to time by the company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Do not rely solely on forward-looking statements, which only reflect management’s analysis. The company assumes no obligation to update this information. For more details, refer to the company’s SEC filings, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.