CAPREIT Reports Another Strong Quarter in Q2 2011
Acquisitions and Strong Operating Performance Contribute to Solid NFFO Growth
(firmenpresse) - TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 08/09/11 -- Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust ("CAPREIT") (TSX: CAR.UN) announced today strong operating and financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011.
"Our proven and highly effective property management programs continue to generate record operating results, while our acquisitions are successfully and accretively deploying the capital raised at the end of 2010," commented Thomas Schwartz, President and CEO. "Looking ahead, we continue to implement a number of programs to enhance operating efficiency and reduce costs, initiatives that we believe will only accelerate our NFFO growth in the quarters ahead."
Operating Revenues
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, total operating revenues increased by 4.1% and 3.7%, respectively, compared to the same periods last year primarily due to increased average monthly rents and higher occupancies in most regions and the contribution from acquisitions, though partially offset by dispositions in the same period. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, ancillary revenues, such as parking, laundry and antenna income, rose by 14.7% and 18.2%, respectively, as Management continued its focus on maximizing the revenue potential of its property portfolio, which includes the impact of certain non-recurring settlements totaling $0.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011.
CAPREIT's annualized net rental revenue run-rate based on the average monthly rents in place on CAPREIT's share of residential suites and sites as at June 30, 2011 is $342.8 million, or 5.6% higher than $324.7 million as of June 30, 2010. Net rental revenue for the twelve months ended June 30, 2011 was $327.6 million (2010 - $319.4 million).
Average monthly rents increased in all sectors and most geographic regions of the portfolio resulting in a 2.5% increase in overall average monthly rents as at June 30, 2011 to $982, compared to $958 as at June 30, 2010. Overall occupancy at June 30, 2011 improved to 98.4% from 98.0% in the prior year. The increases in average monthly rents and occupancy were due to ongoing successful sales and marketing strategies and continued strength in the residential rental sector in the majority of CAPREIT's regional markets.
Suite turnovers in the residential suite portfolio (excluding co-ownerships) resulted in increases in average monthly rents of $9 or 0.9% for both the three months and the six months ended June 30, 2011. Although the pace of increases in average monthly rents from suite turnovers has improved from the same periods last year, these increases were partially offset by the continued, adverse effect of rent discounting in the Alberta market for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 of approximately $3 or 0.3% per suite and $13 or 1.3% per suite, respectively. Excluding the impact of the Alberta portfolio, residential suite turnovers would have instead resulted in average monthly rent increases of $10 or 1% per suite in the second quarter and increases of $11 or 1.1% for the first six months of 2011.
Pursuant to Management's focus on increasing overall portfolio rents, for the three months ended June 30, 2011 average monthly rents on lease renewals increased by approximately $14 or 1.4% compared to $23 or 2.3% for the same period last year. For the six months ended June 30, 2011, average monthly rents increased by $14 or 1.3% compared to $22 or 2.2% for the same period last year. The lower rate of growth in average monthly rents on lease renewals during the current year periods are due primarily to the Ontario guideline increase of 0.7% for 2011, significantly below the guideline increase for 2010 of 2.1%. Management is actively pursuing applications for above guideline increases to raise average monthly rents on lease renewals above the guideline increase. The 2012 Ontario rent control guideline for lease renewals was announced at 3.1%.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses as a percentage of revenues increased for the three months ended June 30, 2011, to 41.1% from 40.8% last year, but decreased for the six months ended June 30, 2011 to 43.5% from 44.2% last year.
The increase through the second quarter was primarily due to a significant increase in natural gas as a result of considerably higher consumption compared to the same period last year due to cooler weather earlier in the second quarter. However, the impact of the higher consumption was significantly mitigated by Management's successful energy-saving initiatives. The decrease through the first six months of 2011 was primarily due to the decrease in utility costs resulting from the natural gas supply strategy implemented last year, but partially offset by increases in repairs and maintenance ("R&M") costs as a result of a combination of the Harmonized Sales tax ("HST") and the integration of new properties.
Net Operating Income
Overall NOI improved in the current quarter by $1.8 million or 3.6% and the NOI margin decreased slightly to 58.9% compared to 59.2% in the prior year period due to the combination of higher revenues and higher overall operating costs. For the six months ended June 30, 2011, overall NOI increased by $4.7 million or 5.0%, while the NOI margin improved to 56.5% from 55.8% for the same period last year.
As of June 30, 2011, CAPREIT has generated 22 consecutive quarters of stable or improved year-over-year NOI growth for stabilized properties demonstrating Management's strong operating and financing strategies. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, operating revenues for stabilized suites and sites increased 3.1% and 3.3%, respectively, while operating costs also increased by 3.9% and 3.1%, respectively, compared to the same periods last year. As a result, for the three and six months ended June 30 2011, stabilized NOI increased by a significant 2.5% and 3.5%, respectively.
Normalized Funds From Operations
NFFO is not a financial measure determined by IFRS, however, it is used by CAPREIT to assess overall operating performance. NFFO, which substantially excludes from Funds From Operations ("FFO") the effect of the change in fair value of hedging instruments originally put in place for interest rate protection, losses incurred on the amendment of natural gas physical delivery contracts and the effect of certain non-recurring items, increased by 5.3% and 8.5%, respectively, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, compared to the same periods last year. The increase was primarily due to the contribution from acquisitions, higher average monthly rents and higher occupancy levels, resulting from Management's sales and marketing programs despite the negative effects of higher operating costs and a low permitted guideline increase on lease renewals in Ontario for 2011.
However, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, basic NFFO per Unit decreased by 6.8% and 3.8%, respectively, compared to the same periods last year as a result of the approximately 13% increase in the weighted average number of Units outstanding as a result of the 2010 equity offering. Management expects per Unit FFO and NFFO and related payout ratios to improve in the medium term as a result of NOI contribution from the recent acquisitions.
Comparing distributions declared to NFFO, the NFFO payout ratios for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 increased to 78.1% and 84.7%, respectively, compared to 73.3% and 82.0% for the same periods last year. The effective NFFO payout ratio, which compares net distributions paid to Unitholders to NFFO, improved significantly for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, to 60.2% and 65.8%, respectively, from 62.3% and 70.2% in the same periods last year, primarily due to the higher reinvestments of distributions under the Distribution Reinvestment Plan ("DRIP"). The average participation rate in the DRIP increased to 22.9% and 22.3%, respectively, for the three months and three and six months ended June 30, 2011 from 15.0% and 14.4% for the same periods last year.
Financial Strength
Management believes CAPREIT's strong balance sheet and liquidity position will enable it to continue to take advantage of acquisition and property capital investment opportunities.
CAPREIT is achieving its financing goals as demonstrated by the following key indicators:
Property Capital Investment Plan
During the first six months of 2011, CAPREIT made property capital investments of $36.7 million as compared to $27.4 million for the same period last year.
Property capital investments were higher compared to the prior year period primarily due to the acceleration of building improvement programs, and higher investments in suite improvements, common areas and equipment, which generally tend to increase NOI more quickly. The acceleration is in line with the revised capital investment plan for 2011 announced in the fourth quarter of 2010. CAPREIT continues to invest in environment-friendly and energy-saving initiatives, including boilers, energy-efficient lighting systems, and water-saving programs, which permit CAPREIT to mitigate potentially higher increases in utility and R&M costs and significantly improve overall portfolio NOI.
Acquisitions
During the second quarter, CAPREIT completed the acquisition of a total of 495 suites in the Greater Vancouver Region of British Columbia as well as 849 suites in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario for total acquisition costs of $74.6 million and $113.2 million, respectively.
Subsequent to the quarter, on July 31, 2011, CAPREIT completed the acquisition of an 811-suite portfolio in Laval, Quebec. The purchase price was $70.0 million and was funded through the assumption of existing CMHC-insured mortgages totaling $47.0 million, at a weighted average stated interest rate of 4.80% and a weighted average term to maturity of 12.5 years, with the balance from the acquisition and operating facility.
On July 21, 2011, CAPREIT announced that it had agreed to acquire a 229-suite property in Scarborough, Ontario. The purchase price of approximately $16.8 million will be funded through new CMHC-insured 10.5 year mortgage financing of approximately $12.9 million at an interest rate of 3.88%, with the balance from the acquisition and operating facility. The transaction is expected to close August 10, 2011.
"So far this year we have acquired 16 properties, adding 2,467 suites to the portfolio for total acquisition costs of $284 million," Mr. Schwartz added. "While we have now exceeded our acquisition target for the year, we continue to leverage our strong liquidity position and evaluate additional acquisition opportunities that will further strengthen and diversify our portfolio."
Additional Information
More detailed information and analysis is included in CAPREIT's unaudited consolidated interim financial statements and MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, which have been filed on SEDAR and can be viewed at under CAPREIT's profile or on CAPREIT's website on the investor relations page at .
Conference Call
A conference call hosted by Thomas Schwartz, President and CEO and Scott Cryer, Chief Financial Officer, will be held Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 10.00 am EST. The telephone numbers for the conference call are: Local: (416) 340-2218, North American Toll Free: (877) 240-9772.
A slide presentation to accompany Management's comments during the conference call will be available one hour and a half prior to the conference call. To view the slides, access the CAPREIT website at , click on "Investor Relations" and follow the link at the top of the page. Please log on at least 15 minutes before the call commences.
The telephone numbers to listen to the call after it is completed (Instant Replay) are local (905) 694-9451 or toll free (800) 408-3053. The Passcode for the Instant Replay is 4413380#. The Instant Replay will be available until midnight, August 17, 2011. The call and accompanying slides will also be archived on the CAPREIT website at . For more information about CAPREIT, its business and its investment highlights, please refer to our website at .
About CAPREIT
As one of Canada's largest residential landlords, CAPREIT (TSX: CAR.UN) is a growth-oriented investment trust owning interests in 29,496 residential suites (including acquisitions expected to close August 10, 2011) and two manufactured home communities comprising 1,325 land lease sites located in or near major urban centres from coast to coast. For more information about CAPREIT, its business and its investment highlights, please refer to our website at and our public disclosure which can be found under our profile at .
Non-IFRS Financial Measures
CAPREIT prepares and releases unaudited quarterly and audited consolidated annual financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. In this and other earnings releases and investor conference calls, as a complement to results provided in accordance with IFRS, CAPREIT also discloses and discusses certain non-IFRS financial measures, including Net Rental Revenue Run-Rate, NOI, FFO, NFFO and applicable per Unit amounts and payout ratios. These non-IFRS measures are further defined and discussed in the MD&A released on August 9, 2011, which should be read in conjunction with this press release. Since Net Rental Revenue Run-Rate, NOI, FFO and NFFO are not determined by IFRS, they may not be comparable to similar measures reported by other issuers. CAPREIT has presented such non-IFRS measures as Management believes these non-IFRS measures are relevant measures of the ability of CAPREIT to earn and distribute cash returns to Unitholders and to evaluate CAPREIT's performance. A reconciliation of Net Income and such non-IFRS measures and Adjusted Funds From Operations ("AFFO") is included in this press release. These non-IFRS measures should not be construed as alternatives to net income (loss) or cash flow from operating activities determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of CAPREIT's performance.
Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained, or contained in documents incorporated by reference, in this press release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to CAPREIT's future outlook and anticipated events or results and may include statements regarding the future financial position, business strategy, budgets, litigation, projected costs, capital investments, financial results, taxes, plans and objectives of or involving CAPREIT. Particularly, statements regarding CAPREIT's future results, performance, achievements, prospects, costs, opportunities and financial outlook, including those relating to acquisition and capital investment strategy and the real estate industry generally, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terms such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "continue" or the negative thereof or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding expected growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities. In addition, certain specific assumptions were made in preparing forward-looking information, including: that the Canadian economy will generally experience growth, however, with specific geographic areas of weakness including Alberta; that inflation will remain low; that interest rates will rise modestly in the medium term; that CMHC mortgage insurance will continue to be available and that a sufficient number of lenders will participate in the CMHC-insured mortgage program to ensure competitive rates; that conditions within the real estate market, including competition for acquisitions, will become more favourable; that the Canadian capital markets will continue to provide CAPREIT with access to equity and/or debt at reasonable rates; that vacancy rates for CAPREIT properties will be consistent with historical norms; that rental rates will grow at levels similar to the rate of inflation on renewal; that rental rates on turnovers will remain stable; that CAPREIT will effectively manage price pressures relating to its energy usage; and, with respect to CAPREIT's financial outlook regarding capital investments, assumptions respecting projected costs of construction and materials, availability of trades, the cost and availability of financing, CAPREIT's investment priorities, the properties in which investments will be made, the composition of the property portfolio and the projected return on investment in respect of specific capital investments.
Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions Management believes are reasonable as of the date hereof, there can be no assurance actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements; they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond CAPREIT's control, that may cause CAPREIT or the industry's actual results, performance, achievements, prospects and opportunities in future periods to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to: real property ownership, leasehold interests, co-ownerships, investment restrictions, operating risk, energy costs and hedging, environmental matters, insurance, capital investments, indebtedness, interest rate hedging, taxation, harmonization of federal goods and services tax and provincial sales tax, government regulations, controls over financial accounting, International Financial Reporting Standards, legal and regulatory concerns, the nature of units of CAPREIT ("Trust Units") and of CAPREIT's subsidiary, CAPREIT Limited Partnership ("Exchangeable Units") (collectively, the "Units"), Unitholder liability, liquidity and price fluctuation of Units, dilution, distributions, participation in CAPREIT's distribution reinvestment plan, potential conflicts of interest, dependence on key personnel, general economic conditions, competition for residents, competition for real property investments, continued growth and risks related to acquisitions. There can be no assurance that the expectations of CAPREIT's Management will prove to be correct. These risks and uncertainties are more fully described in regulatory filings, including CAPREIT's Annual Information Form, which can be obtained on SEDAR at , under CAPREIT's profile, as well as under Risks and Uncertainties section of the MD&A released on August 9, 2011. The information in this press release is based on information available to Management as of August 9, 2011. Subject to applicable law, CAPREIT does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information.
Contacts:
CAPREIT
Mr. Michael Stein
Chairman
(416) 861-5788
CAPREIT
Mr. Thomas Schwartz
President & CEO
(416) 861-9404
CAPREIT
Mr. Scott Cryer
Chief Financial Officer
(416) 861-5771
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Datum: 09.08.2011 - 15:40 Uhr
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