Upgrade to SI Premium - Free Trial

Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. Announces 2015 Third Quarter Financial Results

November 9, 2015 5:07 PM

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Nov. 9, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (NASDAQ: WHLR) ("Wheeler" or the "Company") today reported operating and financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2015 and the nine month period ended September 30, 2015.

2015 Third Quarter Highlights (all comparisons to the same prior year period unless otherwise noted)

2015 Year-to-Date Highlights (all comparisons to the same prior year period unless otherwise noted)

Jon S. Wheeler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "The third quarter of 2015 was another successful period for WHLR. Our acquisition activity was exponential as we added eleven necessity based retail shopping centers valued at $86 million with over 930,000 square feet of GLA to the portfolio. Our acquisition team continues to see portfolios of critical mass and this quarter we were able to demonstrate our expertise on sourcing and closing on favorable cap rates in the secondary and tertiary markets. We will remain focused on broadening our base with quality assets in an effort to achieve proper scale in the near term."

"Our leasing efforts, for the eleventh straight quarter, saw positive rent spreads over 12% on renewals. We believe we have always bought well, and lease and manage extremely well. Once the acquisitions team finishes their job, the property management and leasing teams act quickly and professionally, often creating value at the property level almost immediately. Our occupancy level remains consistent, continually at 94% occupied or better for the year. In an effort to show our ability to create value for our shareholders and to streamline our business model of owning grocery anchored or shadow anchored retail properties, we listed eight of our single tenant free-standing assets for sale this quarter. The market for such properties is favorable and we were able to close on the sale of three properties during October. All three were sold to Ladder Capital for a combined sales price of $28.2 million. Having owned the assets for just over two years and selling them for a combined cap rate of 7.26% versus the original acquisition cap rate of 7.7%, we feel that this strategy demonstrated to the market the true value of our portfolio and our ability to recycle the capital from the sales into acquisitions that we think will produce solid returns for our shareholders. With another strong quarter under our belt, we continue to execute on our business plan and expect 2015 to continue to produce solid returns and sustainable growth for the company and its shareholders."

2015 Third Quarter Financial Review

2015 Year-to-Date Financial Review

Acquisition Activity

Leasing Review

Balance Sheet Summary

Dividend Distribution

Subsequent Activity

Supplemental Information

Further details regarding Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc.'s operations and financials for the period ended September 30, 2015, including a supplemental presentation, are available through the Company's website by visiting www.whlr.us.

About Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc.

Headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA, Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. is a fully-integrated, self-managed commercial real estate investment company focused on acquiring and managing income-producing retail properties with a primary focus on grocery-anchored centers. Wheeler's portfolio contains well-located, potentially dominant retail properties in secondary and tertiary markets that generate attractive, risk-adjusted returns, with a particular emphasis on grocery-anchored retail centers. For additional information about the Company, please visit: www.whlr.us.

Financial Information

A copy of Wheeler's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which includes the Company's consolidated financial statements and management's discussion & analysis of financial condition and results of operations, will be available upon filing via the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website (www.sec.gov) or through Wheeler's website at www.whlr.us.

FFO, AFFO, Pro Forma AFFO, Property NOI, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures within the meaning of the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Wheeler considers FFO, AFFO, Pro Forma AFFO, Property NOI, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to be important supplemental measures of its operating performance and believes it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of REITs, many of which present FFO when reporting their results. FFO is intended to exclude GAAP historical cost depreciation and amortization of real estate and related assets, which assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes ratably over time. Historically, however, real estate values have risen or fallen with market conditions. Because FFO excludes depreciation and amortization unique to real estate, gains and losses from property dispositions and extraordinary items, the Company believes that it provides a performance measure that, when compared year-over-year, reflects the impact to operations from trends in occupancy rates, rental rates, operating costs, development activities and interest costs, providing perspective not immediately apparent from the closest GAAP measurement, net income.

Management believes that the computation of FFO in accordance with NAREIT's definition includes certain items that are not indicative of the operating performance of the Company's real estate assets. These items include, but are not limited to, non-recurring expenses, legal settlements, legal and professional fees, and acquisition costs. Management uses AFFO, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, to exclude such items. Management believes that reporting AFFO and Pro Forma AFFO in addition to FFO is a useful supplemental measure for the investment community to use when evaluating the operating performance of the Company on a comparative basis. Management also believes that Property NOI, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA represent important supplemental measures for securities analysts, investors and other interested parties, as they are often used in calculating net asset value, leverage and other financial metrics used by these parties in the evaluation of REITs.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended, including (i) the future generation of financial returns from the acquisition of 'necessity based' retail focused properties; (ii) the Company's ability to complete future acquisitions of properties and achieving proper scale; (iii) the Company's expectation to have high occupancy rates; (iv) the future generation of financial growth from the Company's anticipated execution of its business plan; (v) the anticipated renewals of the Company's existing leases at amounts and terms comparable to existing leases; (vi) the anticipated implementation of the Company's acquisition strategy; (vii) payment of future dividends on the Company's preferred stock and common stock; and (viii) the anticipated sale of the remaining five single tenant free-standing assets listed for sale; and (ix) the anticipated ability to produce returns and growth for the Company and its shareholders. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but are the intent, belief or current expectations of management based on its knowledge and understanding of our business and industry. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "should," "potential," "predicts," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," or the negative of such terms and variations of these words and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements that were true at the time made may ultimately prove to be incorrect or false. You are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect management's view only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements made in this press release include:

Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2015 2014 2015 2014
(unaudited)
REVENUE:
Rental revenues $ 5,552,882 $ 2,815,486 $ 13,479,755 $ 7,462,653
Asset management fees 132,335 465,817
Commissions 86,682 307,292
Tenant reimbursement and other income 1,395,314 690,928 3,961,021 2,016,689
Total Revenue 7,167,213 3,506,414 18,213,885 9,479,342
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Property operations 2,094,054 1,101,006 5,474,129 2,819,618
Non-REIT management and leasing services 299,566 901,118
Depreciation and amortization 4,824,448 1,961,041 11,672,780 4,996,141
Provision for credit losses 112,580 46,774 214,316 18,742
Corporate general & administrative 4,895,567 3,024,675 10,710,262 5,203,728
Total Operating Expenses 12,226,215 6,133,496 28,972,605 13,038,229
Operating Loss (5,059,002) (2,627,082) (10,758,720) (3,558,887)
Interest expense (2,306,017) (1,491,749) (6,406,466) (3,945,332)
Net Loss from Continuing Operations (7,365,019) (4,118,831) (17,165,186) (7,504,219)
Income from discontinued operations 206,603 117,078 488,343 351,137
Net Loss (7,158,416) (4,001,753) (16,676,843) (7,153,082)
Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (428,702) (487,284) (1,331,294) (655,987)
Net Loss Attributable to Wheeler REIT (6,729,714) (3,514,469) (15,345,549) (6,497,095)
Preferred stock dividends (2,279,907) (1,088,062) (13,116,232) (1,552,320)
Deemed dividend related to beneficial conversion feature of preferred stock (13,124,506) (72,644,506)
Net Loss Attributable to Wheeler REIT Common Shareholders $ (22,134,127) $ (4,602,531) $ (101,106,287) $ (8,049,415)
Loss per share from continuing operations:
Basic and Diluted $ (0.35) $ (0.64) $ (3.41) $ (1.15)
Earnings per share from discontinued operations 0.00 0.02 0.01 0.05
$ (0.35) $ (0.62) $ (3.40) $ (1.10)
Weighted-average number of shares:
Basic and Diluted 63,262,408 7,430,413 29,757,718 7,316,147
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014
(unaudited)
ASSETS:
Investment properties, net $ 238,211,766 $ 127,140,394
Cash and cash equivalents 7,993,293 9,969,748
Rents and other tenant receivables, net 2,143,239 1,874,084
Goodwill 5,485,823 7,004,072
Assets held for sale 28,783,341 29,093,364
Above market lease intangibles, net 7,087,784 4,488,900
Deferred costs and other assets, net 49,331,780 25,400,706
Total Assets $ 339,037,026 $ 204,971,268
LIABILITIES:
Loans payable $ 186,283,498 $ 120,865,586
Liabilities associated with assets held for sale 21,943,128 20,722,981
Below market lease intangible, net 8,237,912 5,182,437
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities 9,189,347 5,076,837
Total Liabilities 225,653,885 151,847,841
Commitments and contingencies
EQUITY:
Series A preferred stock (no par value, 4,500 shares authorized, 562 and 1,809 shares issued and outstanding, respectively) 452,971 1,458,050
Series B preferred stock (no par value, 3,000,000 shares authorized, 729,119 and 1,648,900 shares issued and outstanding, respectively) 19,182,662 37,620,254
Common stock ($0.01 par value, 150,000,000 and 75,000,000 shares authorized, 66,146,331 and 7,512,979 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 661,463 75,129
Additional paid-in capital 217,735,361 31,077,060
Accumulated deficit (134,145,251) (27,660,234)
Total Shareholders' Equity 103,887,206 42,570,259
Noncontrolling interests 9,495,935 10,553,168
Total Equity 113,383,141 53,123,427
Total Liabilities and Equity $ 339,037,026 $ 204,971,268
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries Reconciliation of Funds From Operations (FFO) (unaudited)
Three Months Ended September 30,
Same Stores New Stores Total Period Over Period Changes
2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 $ %
Net income (loss) $ (4,557,929) $ (1,775,625) $ (2,600,487) $ (2,226,128) $ (7,158,416) $ (4,001,753) $ (3,156,663) 78.88%
Depreciation of real estate assets from continuing operations 1,363,476 1,468,381 3,460,972 492,660 4,824,448 1,961,041 2,863,407 146.01%
Depreciation of real estate assets from discontinued operations 105,187 244,203 61,188 166,375 244,203 (77,828) (31.87)%
Depreciation of real estate assets 1,468,663 1,712,584 3,522,160 492,660 4,990,823 2,205,244 2,785,579 126.32%
FFO $ (3,089,266) $ (63,041) $ 921,673 $ (1,733,468) $ (2,167,593) $ (1,796,509) $ (371,084) 20.66%
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Same Stores New Stores Total Period Over Period Changes
2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 $ %
Net income (loss) $ (10,418,532) $ (4,926,954) $ (6,258,311) $ (2,226,128) $ (16,676,843) $ (7,153,082) $ (9,523,761) 133.14%
Depreciation of real estate assets from continuing operations 4,232,313 4,503,481 7,440,467 492,660 11,672,780 4,996,141 6,676,639 133.64%
Depreciation of real estate assets from discontinued operations 560,203 730,649 69,073 629,276 730,649 (101,373 (13.87)%
Depreciation of real estate assets 4,792,516 5,234,130 7,509,540 492,660 12,302,056 5,726,790 6,575,266 114.82%
FFO $ (5,626,016) $ 307,176 $ 1,251,229 $ (1,733,468) $ (4,374,787) $ (1,426,292) $ (2,948,495) 206.72%
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries Reconciliation of Adjusted Funds From Operations (AFFO) (unaudited)
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2015 2014 2015 2014
FFO $ (2,167,593) $ (1,796,509) $ (4,374,787) $ (1,426,292)
Preferred stock dividends (2,279,907) (1,088,062) (13,116,232) (1,552,320)
Preferred stock accretion adjustments 1,857,133 114,719 8,836,696 181,856
FFO available to common shareholders and common unitholders (2,590,367) (2,769,852) (8,654,323) (2,796,756)
Acquisition costs 1,733,639 1,505,000 3,167,378 1,905,000
Capital related costs 1,826,240 2,447,890
Other non-recurring expenses (1) 149,833 566,813
Share-based compensation 54,700 45,000 356,000 190,000
Straight-line rent (108,595) 41,844 (202,030) 179,953
Loan cost amortization 303,463 140,068 1,048,711 414,668
Above (below) market lease amortization 153,512 44,288 562,987 (1,468)
Perimeter legal accrual 3,504 127,804
Tenant improvement reserves (76,500) (199,400)
Recurring capital expenditures (90,200) (237,700)
AFFO $ 1,359,229 $ (993,652) $ (1,015,870) $ (108,603)
Weighted Average Common Shares 63,262,408 7,430,413 29,757,718 7,316,147
Weighted Average Common Units 4,149,556 2,029,768 3,797,605 1,967,428
Total Common Shares and Units 67,411,964 9,460,181 33,555,323 9,283,575
FFO per Common Share and Common Units $ (0.04) $ (0.29) $ (0.26) $ (0.30)
AFFO per Common Share and Common Units $ 0.02 $ (0.11) $ (0.03) $ (0.01)
Pro Forma AFFO per Common Share and Common Units (2) $ 0.02 $ 0.07

(1) Other non-recurring expenses are detailed in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in our June 2015 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

(2) Pro forma AFFO assumes the following transactions had occurred on January 1, 2015: (i) the Pierpont Center, Alex City Marketplace, Butler Square, Brook Run Shopping Center, Beaver Ruin Village, Beaver Ruin Village II, Chesapeake Square, Sunshine Plaza, Barnett Portfolio, Grove Park, Parkway Plaza, Ft. Howard Square and Conyers Crossing acquisitions; the sales of Bixby Commons, Harps and Jenks Reasors; the Series C Preferred Stock capital raise and subsequent conversion; and the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Convertible Preferred Stock exchange offer that closed on July 23, 2015. Additionally, we excluded all non-recurring expenses detailed in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in our September 2015 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Lumber River loan which was paid off on May 1, 2015 and any additional common stock and common units issued during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 were outstanding for the entire period. The Pro forma AFFO is being presented solely for purposes of illustrating the potential impact of these transactions as if they occurred on January 1, 2015, based on information currently available to management, and is not necessarily indicative of what actual results would have been had the transactions referred to above occurred on January 1, 2015.

Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries Reconciliation of Property Net Operating Income
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2015 2014 2015 2014
(unaudited)
Property revenues $ 6,948,196 $ 3,506,414 $ 17,440,776 $ 9,479,342
Property expenses 2,094,054 1,101,006 5,474,129 2,819,618
Property Net Operating Income 4,854,142 2,405,408 11,966,647 6,659,724
Asset Management and Commission Revenues 219,017 773,109
Non-REIT management and leasing services 299,566 901,118
Depreciation and amortization 4,824,448 1,961,041 11,672,780 4,996,141
Provision for credit losses 112,580 46,774 214,316 18,742
Corporate general & administrative 4,895,567 3,024,675 10,710,262 5,203,728
Total Other Operating Expenses 10,132,161 5,032,490 23,498,476 10,218,611
Interest expense 2,306,017 1,491,749 6,406,466 3,945,332
Net Loss from Continuing Operations (7,365,019) (4,118,831) (17,165,186) (7,504,219)
Net Income from Discontinued Operations 206,603 117,078 488,343 351,137
Net Loss $ (7,158,416) $ (4,001,753) $ (16,676,843) $ (7,153,082)
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries Reconciliation of Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization - EBITDA (unaudited)
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2015 2014 2015 2014
(unaudited)
Net Loss $ (7,158,416) $ (4,001,753) $ (16,676,843) $ (7,153,082)
Add back: Depreciation and amortization (1) 5,144,335 2,249,532 12,865,043 5,725,322
Interest Expense (2) 2,544,402 1,720,835 7,140,459 4,626,410
EBITDA 530,321 (31,386) 3,328,659 3,198,650
Adjustments for items affecting comparability:
Acquisition costs 1,733,639 1,505,000 3,167,378 1,905,000
Capital related costs 1,826,240 2,447,890
Other non-recurring expenses (3) 149,833 566,813
$ 4,240,033 $ 1,473,614 $ 9,510,740 $ 5,103,650

(1) Includes above (below) market lease amortization and amounts associated with assets held for sale.

(2) Includes loan cost amortization and amounts associated with assets held for sale.

(3) Other non-recurring expenses are detailed in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in our September 2015 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

CONTACT: Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc.
         Robin Hanisch
         Corporate Secretary
         (757) 627-9088 / [email protected]

         Laura Nguyen
         Director of Marketing
         (757) 627-9088
         [email protected]

         The Equity Group Inc.
         Terry Downs
         Associate
         (212) 836-9615 / [email protected]

         Adam Prior
         Senior Vice-President
         (212)836-9606
         [email protected]
Source: Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc

Categories

Press Releases

Next Articles