W. P. Carey Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results

NEW YORK, July 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- W. P. Carey Inc. (NYSE: WPC) (W. P. Carey or the Company), a net lease real estate investment trust, today reported its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021.

• 2021 AFFO guidance range raised and narrowed to between $4.94 and $5.02 per diluted share, including Real Estate AFFO of between $4.82 and $4.90 per diluted share
   
• Quarterly cash dividend raised to $1.05 per share, equivalent to an annualized dividend rate of $4.20 per share

Real Estate Portfolio

• Investment volume of $780.0 million for the second quarter, bringing total investment volume for the first half of 2021 to $993.7 million
   
• Active capital investments and commitments of $174.4 million outstanding at quarter end, including $122.0 million scheduled to be completed during the second half of 2021
   
• Gross disposition proceeds of $86.0 million during the second quarter, bringing total dispositions for the first half of 2021 to $99.7 million
   
• Overall collection rate of 99% for 2021 second quarter rent due
   
• Portfolio occupancy of 98.0%
   
• Weighted-average lease term increased to 10.8 years

Balance Sheet and Capitalization

• Completed an underwritten public offering under which approximately 6 million shares of common stock were sold through forward sale agreements at a gross offering price of $75.30 per share
   
• During the second quarter the Company:
   
• Settled forward sale agreements for total net proceeds of approximately $310 million
   
• Utilized its ATM program to raise approximately $162 million in net proceeds

MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY

"Our accelerated pace of deal closings during the second quarter brought investment volume for the first half of the year to $1 billion, driving AFFO growth and putting us on a trajectory to generate record annual deal volume," said Jason Fox, Chief Executive Officer of W. P. Carey. "Supported by an active deal pipeline and a favorable cost of capital, we're confident in our ability to maintain a strong pace of investments in the second half of the year, as our raised guidance reflects. Over the long term, while we remain focused on acquisitions as the primary driver of sustainable growth, we believe we're uniquely positioned for inflation to create additional growth, given the proportion of our portfolio with rent escalations tied to CPI."

QUARTERLY FINANCIAL RESULTS

Revenues

• Total Company: Revenues, including reimbursable costs, for the 2021 second quarter totaled $319.7 million, up 10.1% from $290.5 million for the 2020 second quarter.
   
• Real Estate: Real Estate revenues, including reimbursable costs, for the 2021 second quarter were $314.8 million, up 11.0% from $283.6 million for the 2020 second quarter, due primarily to higher lease revenues resulting from net acquisitions, a stronger euro relative to the U.S. dollar, and the positive impact on rent collections as businesses recover from the initial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lease termination and other revenues increased primarily due to higher lease-related settlements. Higher operating property revenues reflected increased occupancy at the Company's remaining hotel operating property as its business recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
   
• Investment Management: Investment Management revenues, including reimbursable costs, for the 2021 second quarter were $4.9 million, down 29.0% from $6.9 million for the 2020 second quarter, due primarily to lower asset management revenues and reimbursable costs from affiliates resulting from the management internalization by Carey Watermark Investors Incorporated (CWI 1) and Carey Watermark Investors 2 Incorporated (CWI 2) completed during the 2020 second quarter.

Net Income Attributable to W. P. Carey

• Net income attributable to W. P. Carey for the 2021 second quarter was $120.2 million, up 14.2% from $105.3 million for the 2020 second quarter. Net income from Real Estate attributable to W. P. Carey was $114.7 million, which increased due primarily to the impact of net acquisitions, a higher aggregate gain on sale of real estate, the positive impact on rent collections as businesses recover from the initial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lower interest expense. Net income from Investment Management attributable to W. P. Carey was $5.6 million, which decreased due primarily to a non-cash net gain of $33.0 million recognized within earnings from equity method investments during the prior year period upon the redemption of special general partner interests in CWI 1 and CWI 2 in connection with the management internalization by CWI 1 and CWI 2, as well as the cessation of Investment Management revenues previously earned from CWI 1 and CWI 2.

Adjusted Funds from Operations (AFFO)

• AFFO for the 2021 second quarter was $1.27 per diluted share, up 11.4% from $1.14 per diluted share for the 2020 second quarter. The Real Estate segment generated AFFO (Real Estate AFFO) of $1.23 per diluted share, primarily reflecting higher lease revenues resulting from net investment activity, the positive impact on rent collections as businesses recover from the initial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher lease termination income and other revenues, and lower interest expense.

Note: Further information concerning AFFO and Real Estate AFFO, which are both non-GAAP supplemental performance metrics, is presented in the accompanying tables and related notes.

Dividend

• As previously announced, on June 17, 2021 the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.05 per share, equivalent to an annualized dividend rate of $4.20 per share. The dividend was paid on July 15, 2021 to stockholders of record as of June 30, 2021.

AFFO GUIDANCE

• The Company has raised and narrowed its guidance range for the 2021 full year and currently expects to report total AFFO of between $4.94 and $5.02 per diluted share, including Real Estate AFFO of between $4.82 and $4.90 per diluted share, due primarily to the positive impact on rent collections as businesses recover from the initial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased expectations for full year investment volume, and is based on the following key assumptions:

(i)   investments for the Company's Real Estate portfolio of between $1.5 billion and $2.0 billion, which has been revised higher;

(ii)  dispositions from the Company's Real Estate portfolio of between $150 million and $250 million, which has been revised lower; and

(iii)  total general and administrative expenses of between $82 million and $84 million, which has been revised higher.

Note: The Company does not provide guidance on net income. The Company only provides guidance on total AFFO (and Real Estate AFFO) and does not provide a reconciliation of this forward-looking non-GAAP guidance to net income due to the inherent difficulty in quantifying certain items necessary to provide such reconciliation as a result of their unknown effect, timing and potential significance. Examples of such items include impairments of assets, gains and losses from sales of assets, and depreciation and amortization from new acquisitions.

REAL ESTATE

Investments

• During the 2021 second quarter, the Company completed investments totaling $780.0 million, comprising 11 acquisitions totaling $687.9 million, the completion of one capital investment at a cost of $7.2 million and the $84.9 million initial funding of a construction loan, bringing total investment volume for the six months ended June 30, 2021 to $993.7 million.
   
• As of June 30, 2021, the Company had six capital investments and commitments outstanding for an expected total investment of approximately $174.4 million, of which three investments and commitments totaling $122.0 million are currently scheduled to be completed during 2021.

Dividends Received

• During the 2021 second quarter, the Company received a $3.3 million cash dividend from its investment in preferred shares of Watermark Lodging Trust, the surviving entity from the CWI lodging funds it previously managed, reflecting amounts due for the prior four quarters.

Dispositions

• During the 2021 second quarter, the Company disposed of ten properties for gross proceeds of $86.0 million, bringing total disposition proceeds for the six months ended June 30, 2021 to $99.7 million.

COVID-19 Update on Rent Collections

• The Company received 99% of contractual base rent that was due in the 2021 second quarter.

Composition

• As of June 30, 2021, the Company's net lease portfolio consisted of 1,266 properties, comprising 150 million square feet leased to 356 tenants, with a weighted-average lease term of 10.8 years and an occupancy rate of 98.0%. In addition, the Company owned 19 self-storage operating properties and one hotel operating property, totaling approximately 1.4 million square feet.

BALANCE SHEET AND CAPITALIZATION

"At-The-Market" (ATM) Program

• During the 2021 second quarter, the Company issued 2,205,509 shares of common stock under its ATM program at a weighted-average price of $74.56 per share, for net proceeds of approximately $162 million.
   
• This activity brought issuances under the Company's ATM program during the six months ended June 30, 2021 to 4,225,624 shares of common stock at a weighted-average price of $72.50 per share, for net proceeds of approximately $303 million.

Forward Equity Offerings

• As previously announced, on June 7, 2021, the Company completed an underwritten public offering of an aggregate of 6,037,500 shares of common stock under forward sale agreements (which included the full exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares) at a gross offering price of $75.30 per share, which was sold on a forward basis at an initial forward sale price of $74.51 per share, for gross proceeds of approximately $455 million.
   
• During the 2021 second quarter, the Company settled a total of 4,523,209 shares of common stock under equity forward agreements for total net proceeds of approximately $310 million, issuing the remaining 2,510,709 shares available under the forward sale agreements entered into during the 2020 second quarter, for net proceeds of approximately $160 million, and 2,012,500 shares available under the forward sale agreements entered into during the 2021 second quarter, for net proceeds of approximately $150 million.
   
• As of June 30, 2021, the Company had the ability to settle a remaining 4,025,000 shares under the 2021 forward sale agreements by December 7, 2022, for anticipated net proceeds of approximately $296 million.

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Supplemental Information

The Company has provided supplemental unaudited financial and operating information regarding the 2021 second quarter and certain prior quarters, including a description of non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations to GAAP measures, in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on July 30, 2021, and made available on the Company's website at ir.wpcarey.com/investor-relations.

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Live Conference Call and Audio Webcast Scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Please dial in at least 10 minutes prior to the start time.

Date/Time: Friday, July 30, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Call-in Number: 1 (877) 465-1289 (U.S.) or +1 (201) 689-8762 (international)

Live Audio Webcast and Replay: www.wpcarey.com/earnings

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W. P. Carey Inc.

W. P. Carey ranks among the largest net lease REITs with an enterprise value of approximately $21 billion and a diversified portfolio of operationally-critical commercial real estate that includes 1,266 net lease properties covering approximately 150 million square feet as of June 30, 2021. For nearly five decades, the company has invested in high-quality single-tenant industrial, warehouse, office, retail and self-storage properties subject to long-term net leases with built-in rent escalators. Its portfolio is located primarily in the U.S. and Northern and Western Europe and is well-diversified by tenant, property type, geographic location and tenant industry. 

www.wpcarey.com

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Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements and COVID-19 Update on Rent Collections

Certain of the matters discussed in this communication constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Exchange Act of 1934, both as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding the intent, belief or expectations of W. P. Carey and can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "should," "would," "assume," "outlook," "seek," "plan," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "forecast" and other comparable terms. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements made by Mr. Fox regarding our annual deal volume and pace of investments, as well as the potential impact for inflation to create additional growth over the long term. These statements are based on the current expectations of our management and it is important to note that our actual results could be materially different from those projected in such forward-looking statements. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Other unknown or unpredictable risks or uncertainties, like the risks related to the effects of pandemics and global outbreaks of contagious diseases or the fear of such outbreaks (such as the current COVID-19 pandemic) and those additional risk factors discussed in reports that we have filed with the SEC could also have material adverse effects on our future results, performance or achievements. Discussions of some of these other important factors and assumptions are contained in W. P. Carey's filings with the SEC and are available at the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov, including Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors in W. P. Carey's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this communication may not occur. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this communication, unless noted otherwise. Except as required under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations of the SEC, W. P. Carey does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to the forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this communication or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

In addition, given the significant uncertainty regarding the duration and severity of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company is unable to predict its tenants' continued ability to pay rent. Therefore, information provided regarding historical rent collections should not serve as an indication of expected future rent collections.

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Non-GAAP Financial Disclosure

Funds from Operations (FFO) and Adjusted Funds from Operations (AFFO)

Due to certain unique operating characteristics of real estate companies, as discussed below, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc. (NAREIT), an industry trade group, has promulgated a non-GAAP measure known as FFO, which we believe to be an appropriate supplemental measure, when used in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP, to reflect the operating performance of a REIT. The use of FFO is recommended by the REIT industry as a supplemental non-GAAP measure. FFO is not equivalent to, nor a substitute for, net income or loss as determined under GAAP.

We define FFO, a non-GAAP measure, consistent with the standards established by the White Paper on FFO approved by the Board of Governors of NAREIT, as restated in December 2018. The White Paper defines FFO as net income or loss computed in accordance with GAAP, excluding gains or losses from sales of property, impairment charges on real estate, gains or losses on changes in control of interests in real estate and depreciation and amortization from real estate assets; and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and jointly owned investments. Adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and jointly owned investments are calculated to reflect FFO.

We also modify the NAREIT computation of FFO to adjust GAAP net income for certain non-cash charges, such as amortization of real estate-related intangibles, deferred income tax benefits and expenses, straight-line rent and related reserves, other non-cash rent adjustments, non-cash allowance for credit losses on loans receivable and direct financing leases, stock-based compensation, non-cash environmental accretion expense, amortization of discounts and premiums on debt and amortization of deferred financing costs. Our assessment of our operations is focused on long-term sustainability and not on such non-cash items, which may cause short-term fluctuations in net income but have no impact on cash flows. Additionally, we exclude non-core income and expenses, such as gains or losses from extinguishment of debt and merger and acquisition expenses. We also exclude realized and unrealized gains/losses on foreign currency exchange transactions (other than those realized on the settlement of foreign currency derivatives), which are not considered fundamental attributes of our business plan and do not affect our overall long-term operating performance. We refer to our modified definition of FFO as AFFO. We exclude these items from GAAP net income to arrive at AFFO as they are not the primary drivers in our decision-making process and excluding these items provides investors a view of our portfolio performance over time and makes it more comparable to other REITs that are currently not engaged in acquisitions, mergers and restructuring, which are not part of our normal business operations. AFFO also reflects adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and jointly owned investments. We use AFFO as one measure of our operating performance when we formulate corporate goals, evaluate the effectiveness of our strategies and determine executive compensation.

We believe that AFFO is a useful supplemental measure for investors to consider as we believe it will help them to better assess the sustainability of our operating performance without the potentially distorting impact of these short-term fluctuations. However, there are limits on the usefulness of AFFO to investors. For example, impairment charges and unrealized foreign currency losses that we exclude may become actual realized losses upon the ultimate disposition of the properties in the form of lower cash proceeds or other considerations. We use our FFO and AFFO measures as supplemental financial measures of operating performance. We do not use our FFO and AFFO measures as, nor should they be considered to be, alternatives to net income computed under GAAP, or as alternatives to net cash provided by operating activities computed under GAAP, or as indicators of our ability to fund our cash needs.

Institutional Investors:
Peter Sands
1 (212) 492-1110
institutionalir@wpcarey.com

Individual Investors:
W. P. Carey Inc.
1 (212) 492-8920
ir@wpcarey.com

Press Contact:
Anna McGrath
1 (212) 492-1166
amcgrath@wpcarey.com

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SOURCE W. P. Carey Inc.