Kevin Habicht
Analyst · Citigroup. Please proceed with your question
Thanks, Craig. I will start with my normal cautionary language that we will make certain statements that maybe considered to be forward-looking statements under Federal Securities laws. The company's actual future results may differ significantly from the matters discussed in these forward-looking statements, and we may not release revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect changes after the statements were made. Factors and risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations are disclosed from time to time in greater detail in the company's filings with the SEC and in this morning's press release. With that headlines from this morning’s press release include reporting record third quarter FFO and recurring FFO of $0.58 per share, which represents an 11.5% increase over prior year results. As we noted in the press release, well these amounts do include rent settlement income from a prior tenant of $1,950,000. So excluding that income results would have been $0.57 per share of FFO and recurring FFO for the quarter and that represents a 9.6% increase over prior year results. Year-to-date, per share results increased 8.5% to 9% or about 8% if you exclude this rent settlement income. But so, anyway you look at it, NNN is producing very good year-over-year results and continuing a string of years with 7 plus percent growth in per share results. As we have noted in the past, we have not achieved this results with using more leverage or shorter term debt or variable rate debt and we continue to operate more efficiently with year-to-date G&A expect as a percent of revenues declining from 7.8% in 2014 to 7.0% in 2015. And if you look, over 90% of 2015 year-to-date incremental revenue has found its way to the bottomline and that includes covering increased interest expense due to higher outstanding debt amount. As Craig’s comment indicated, the acquisition pace quickened in recent months and we are now guiding to around $650 million of 2015 acquisition. This has allowed us to raise our FFO per share guidance for 2015 to $2.20 to $2.23 per share, which is a $0.04 increase over prior guidance. So 2015 we are on track to perpetuate growing our per share results on a multiyear basis, while maintaining a strong balance sheet, the annual base rent for all leases in place as of September 30, 2015 was $476 million. Craig mentioned, occupancy continues to hold up well and in the quarter at 99.1%. The portfolio is in pretty good shape. We continue to have tenant being applied by higher rated retailers. As Craig noted, with the most recent announcement of Walgreens’ acquiring Rite Aid, which at the margin will help our Rite Aid credit and we do have more Rite Aids than Walgreens. So it’s really a net credit positive for us. Also Bridgestone announced its acquisition of Pep Boys', which we have 16 stores or about 1.5% of the annual base rent, and that will be a notable credit improvement for us a well. During the third quarter, we increased our quarterly dividend 3.6% to $43.5 per share. Our year-to-date AFFO payout ratio is 75% -- 75.0%, which is about where it should end up for the year. In 2015, it marks the 26th consecutive year of increased annual dividends for NNN, something that only three other REITs can say and less than 100 U.S. public company. The consistency of each results and our long-term perspective in managing the company have been critical components of that track record. We also introduced 2016 FFO guidance this morning of $2.28 to $2.34 per share and AFFO guidance of $2.32 to $2.38 which suggest 4 plus percent growth in results based on our current assumptions. And those assumptions include one, $400 million to $500 million of acquisitions in the high fixed cap range with a little over 60% closing in the second half. Two, G&A expense of $35.5 million and that does not include $1 million of real estate acquisition transaction cost. Number three, no change in occupancy. Number four, $1.8 million of mortgage residual interest income, which is about flat with this year. Number five, property expenses net of tenant reimbursements of $5.6 million and that’s flat with this year and then lastly, $75 million to $100 million of property dispositions. While we don’t give any guidance on our capital market plans, you can assume, we will maintain one of the more conservative balance sheets in the industry. Turning to balance sheet. We raised $38 million of common equity in the third quarter primarily from our ATM equity program. And we raised $125.6 million during the first nine months of 2015. And as you can calculate from our disclosure, our average selling price for the year was just over $39 per share. For the trailing 12 months, we’ve raised $330 million. This equity coupled with $48 million of dispositions and $41 million of retained earnings over the past 12 months totals $419 million of equity-like capital, which has funded 64% of our $653 million of acquisitions made over the past 12 months. At quarter end, we had $282 million outstanding on our bank credit facility. However, three weeks after quarter end, we paid off that entire amount with the proceeds from our recent $400 million offering of 4% notes due 2025. And despite the very choppy corporate credit markets over the past several months including some deals that got pulled due to poor conditions, our offering is well received in nearly five times of what we subscribe. Pricing on our transaction was only 10.5 basis points wider than our May 2014 10-year note issuance. So we are well positioned from a liquidity perspective. The weighted average debt maturity performing this recent debt offering and paying off our bank line and paying off the $150 million of debt that comes due next months is right at seven years. And we currently have no floating rate debt. Our balance sheet remains in great position to fund future acquisitions and weather potential economic in capital market term loan. Looking at September 30, leverage metrics, debt-to-gross book assets was 34.9%, debt to EBITDA was 4.6 times at September 30th. Interest coverage was 4.8 times for the third quarter and 4.7 times for the first nine months. Fixed charge coverage was 3.4 times over the third quarter and 3.3 times for the first nine months. Only 8 of our 2,231 properties are unencumbered by mortgages that totaled $24.5 million. So despite the significant acquisition activity over the past four plus years, our balance sheet remains in very good shape. So 2015 will be another good year for NNN, 2016 will try to continue that trend in recent years. We’ve been reminding investors of some of the distinctives which largely come from maintaining a consistent strategy for 20 plus years. We remain focused on our single property site. We believe retail properties offered better risk adjusted returns over the long-term compared to other net leased property sectors. And our core competency is in retail properties. Additionally, we’ve always maintained a conservative balance sheet profile and we don’t plan to change that. We like the optionality that creates especially if the capital markets becomes less friendly. So strategies has been very consistent for years. Our overwriting goal remains to grow per share results and manage our balance sheet on a multiyear basis. And if we do this we are optimistic. We’ll be able to perpetuate our 26th consecutive year track record of raising our dividend which has been our important part of consistently outperforming REIT equity indices and general equity market indices for many years And Rob, with that, we will open it up to any questions.