American Assets Trust, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2014 Financial Results

FFO per share increases 3% year-over-year for the three months ended March 31, 2014

SAN DIEGO, California - 4/29/2014 - American Assets Trust, Inc. (NYSE: AAT) (the "Company") today reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2014.

Financial Results and Recent Developments

  • Funds From Operations increased 3% to $0.39 per diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2014 compared to the same period in 2013

  • Net income available to common stockholders of $4.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014, or $0.11 per diluted share

  • Same-store cash NOI decreased slightly by 0.5% for the three months ended March 31, 2014, compared to the same period in 2013

  • Leased approximately 63,000 comparable retail square feet at an average cash-basis and GAAP-basis contractual rent increase of 9.8% and 20.9%, respectively

  • Leased approximately 4,400 comparable office square feet at an average cash-basis and GAAP-basis contractual rent increase of 11.1% and 13.8%, respectively

  • Multifamily occupancy increased to 96.3% at March 31, 2014 compared to 94.3% for the same period in 2013

  • Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach WalkTM increased Revenue per Available Room by 2% for the three months ended March 31, 2014 respectively, compared to the same period in 2013

  • Signed 24 retail and office leases for approximately 91,500 square feet

During the first quarter of 2014, the Company generated funds from operations ("FFO") for common stockholders of $22.9 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, compared to $21.8 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.  The increase in FFO from the corresponding period in 2013 was largely due to a decrease in interest expense as a result of the Company's payoff, without penalty, of the outstanding mortgage at Alamo Quarry Market during the fourth quarter of 2013 and an increase in capitalized interest related to the Company's Lloyd District Portfolio and Torrey Reserve Campus redevelopments.

Net income attributable to common stockholders was $4.6 million, or $0.11 per basic and diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2014 compared to $3.2 million, or $0.08 per basic and diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2013.  The increase in net income attributable to common stockholders was largely due to a  decrease in interest expense as noted above.

FFO is a non-GAAP supplemental earnings measure which the Company considers meaningful in measuring its operating performance.   A reconciliation of FFO to net income is attached to this press release.

Portfolio Results

The portfolio leased status as of the end of the indicated quarter was as follows:

March 31, 2014 December 31, 2013 March 31, 2013
Total Portfolio
Retail 96.8% 97.0% 96.1%
Office 89.5% 89.8% 93.8%
Multifamily 96.3% 96.4% 94.3%
Mixed-Use:
Retail 98.9% 97.8% 95.5%
Hotel 90.2% 87.2% 89.6%
Same-Store Portfolio
Retail 96.8% 97.0% 96.0%
Office 92.4% 91.6% 98.2%
Multifamily 96.3% 96.4% 94.3%
Mixed-Use:
Retail 98.9% 97.8% 95.5%
Hotel 90.2% 87.2% 89.6%

During the first quarter of 2014, the Company signed 24 leases for approximately 91,500 square feet of retail and office space, as well as 208 multifamily apartment leases.   Renewals accounted for 93.3% of the comparable retail leases, 50.0% of the comparable office leases and 63.0% of the residential leases. 

Retail and Office
On a comparable space basis (i.e., leases for which there was a former tenant) during the first quarter of 2014, our retail and office leasing spreads are shown below: 

Q1 2014 Number of Leases Signed Comparable Leased Sq. Ft. Average Cash Basis % Change Over Prior Rent Average Cash Contractual Rent Per Sq. Ft. Prior Average Cash Contractual Rent Per Sq. Ft. GAAP Straight-Line Basis % Change Over Prior Rent
Retail 15 63,000 9.8% $29.15 $26.55 20.9%
Office 4 4,400 11.1% $36.88 $33.19 13.8%

Multifamily
At March 31, 2014, the average monthly base rent per leased unit was $1,445 compared to an average monthly base rent per leased unit of $1,384 at March 31, 2013. 

Same-Store Operating Income
For the three months ended March 31, 2014, same-store property operating income decreased 0.5% on a cash basis compared to the corresponding period in 2013.  For the three months ended March 31, 2014, same-store property operating income decreased 0.7% on a GAAP basis compared to the corresponding period in 2013. The same-store property operating income by segment was as follows (in thousands):

Three Months Ended (1)
March 31,
2014 2013 Change
Cash Basis:
Retail $ 16,567 $ 17,130 (3.3) %
Office 9,995 10,072 (0.8)
Multifamily 2,703 2,433 11.1
Mixed-Use 5,755 5,570 3.3
$ 35,020 $ 35,205 (0.5) %
GAAP Basis:
Retail $ 16,936 $ 17,207 (1.6) %
Office 11,253 11,739 (4.1)
Multifamily 2,703 2,433 11.1
Mixed-Use 5,725 5,492 4.2
$ 36,617 $ 36,871 (0.7) %

(1)    Same-store portfolio excludes (i) Torrey Reserve Campus and Lloyd District Portfolio due to significant redevelopment activity during the period and (ii) land held for development.

On a same-store basis, retail property operating income decreased for the three months ended March 31, 2014 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2013 on a cash basis primarily due to the expiration of the Foodland Super Market  lease at Waikele Center on January 25, 2014 and an increase in rental expenses during the first quarter of 2014.

On a same-store basis, office property operating income decreased for the three months ended March 31, 2014 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2013 on a cash basis primarily due to the decrease in percentage leased mainly at First & Main due to the expiration of the Tax and Treasury Administration lease during the fourth quarter of 2013.  Additionally, the decrease is attributed to rent abatements for tenants at City Center Bellevue.

On a same-store basis, multifamily property operating income increased for the three months ended March 31, 2014 compared to the corresponding period in 2013 primarily due to an increase in average occupancy and average monthly base rent during the first quarter of 2014.

On a same-store basis, mixed-use property operating income increased for the three months ended March 31, 2014 compared to the corresponding period in 2013 primarily due to an increase in percentage leased and parking income at the retail portion of our mixed-use property.  Additionally, the increase is also attributed to higher revenue per available room, or RevPAR of $271 for the three months ended March 31, 2014 compared to $266 for the three months ended March 31, 2013. 

Development

Our redevelopment efforts at Lloyd District Portfolio and Torrey Reserve Campus are ongoing. Both projects remain within budget and on schedule, with the newly completed building at Torrey Reserve Campus being ahead of schedule on leasing activity.  Projected costs of the redevelopment at Lloyd District Portfolio are approximately $192 million, of which approximately $53 million has been incurred to date. We expect to incur the remaining costs for redevelopment of the Lloyd District Portfolio in 2014 and 2015. Projected costs of the redevelopment at Torrey Reserve Campus are approximately $34 million, of which approximately $21 million has been incurred to date. We expect to incur the remaining costs for this project in 2014.  Our redevelopment and development opportunities are subject to market conditions and actual results may vary.

Credit Facility

On January 9, 2014, we entered into an amended and restated credit agreement, which provides for aggregate, unsecured borrowing of $350 million, consisting of a revolving line of credit of $250 million and a term loan of $100 million. The revolver loan and term loan initially mature on January 9, 2018 and January 9, 2016, respectively, with extension options through January 9, 2019 that are exercisable by us subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions.

Concurrent with the closing of the amended and restated credit facility, we drew down on the entirety of the $100 million term loan and entered into an interest rate swap agreement that is intended to fix the interest rate associated with the term loan at approximately 3.08% through its maturity date and extension options, subject to adjustments based on our consolidated leverage ratio.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity

At March 31, 2014, the Company had gross real estate assets of $2.0 billion and liquidity of $329.5 million, comprised of cash and cash equivalents of $79.5 million and approximately $250.0 million of availability on its line of credit. 

For the three months ended March 31, 2014, we issued 1,435,215 shares of common stock through the ATM equity program at a weighted average price per share of $33.06, resulting in net proceeds of $46.9 million.  We intend to use the net proceeds primarily to fund our development activities at Torrey Reserve Campus and Lloyd District Portfolio.  As of March 31, 2014, we had the capacity to issue up to an additional $76.6 million in shares of common stock under our ATM equity program.  Actual future sales will depend on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, market conditions, the trading price of our common stock and our capital needs.  We have no obligation to sell the remaining shares available for sale under the ATM equity program.

Dividends

The Company declared dividends on its shares of common stock of $0.22 per share for the first quarter of 2014.  The dividends were paid on March 28, 2014. 

In addition, the Company has declared a dividend on its common stock of $0.22 per share for the quarter ending June 30, 2014.  The dividend will be paid on June 27, 2014 to stockholders of record on June 13, 2014.

Guidance

The Company reaffirms its guidance for full year 2014 FFO per diluted share of a range of $1.54 to $1.62 per share.  The Company's guidance excludes any impact from future acquisitions, dispositions, equity issuances or repurchases, debt financings or repayments. The Company will discuss key assumptions regarding the guidance tomorrow on the conference call.

The foregoing estimates are forward-looking and reflect management's view of current and future market conditions, including certain assumptions with respect to leasing activity, rental rates, occupancy levels, interest rates and the amount and timing of acquisition and development activities.  The Company's actual results may differ materially from these estimates.

Conference Call

The Company will hold a conference call to discuss the results for the first quarter of 2014 on Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time ("PT").  To participate in the event by telephone, please dial 1-800-901-5213 and use the pass code 63980706.  A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available beginning at 12:00 p.m. PT on Wednesday, April 30, 2014 through Tuesday, May 6, 2014.  To access the replay, dial 1-888-286-8010 and use the pass code 78470858.  A live on-demand audio webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's website at www.americanassetstrust.com.  A replay of the call will also be available on the Company's website.

Supplemental Information

Supplemental financial information regarding the Company's first quarter 2014 results may be found in the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website at www.americanassetstrust.com.  This supplemental information provides additional detail on items such as property occupancy, financial performance by property and debt maturity schedules.


Financial Information
American Assets Trust, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In Thousands, Except Share Data)

March 31, 2014 December 31, 2013
Assets
Real estate, at cost
Operating real estate $ 1,924,855 $ 1,919,015
Construction in progress 89,991 67,389
Held for development 9,028 9,013
2,023,874 1,995,417
Accumulated depreciation (330,945) (318,581)
Net real estate 1,692,929 1,676,836
Cash and cash equivalents 79,486 48,987
Restricted cash 10,568 9,124
Accounts receivable, net 6,277 7,295
Deferred rent receivables, net 33,372 32,531
Other assets, net 56,326 57,670
Total assets $ 1,878,958 $ 1,832,443
Liabilities and equity
Liabilities:
Secured notes payable $ 952,498 $ 952,174
Term loan 100,000 -
Line of credit - 93,000
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 40,248 37,063
Security deposits payable 5,222 5,163
Other liabilities and deferred credits 58,514 58,465
Total liabilities 1,156,482 1,145,865
Commitments and contingencies
Equity:
American Assets Trust, Inc. stockholders' equity
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 490,000,000 shares authorized, 41,935,138 and 40,512,563 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively 419 405
Additional paid-in capital 735,175 692,196
Accumulated dividends in excess of net income (48,619) (44,090)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (521) -
Total American Assets Trust, Inc. stockholders' equity 686,454 648,511
Noncontrolling interests 36,022 38,067
Total equity 722,476 686,578
Total liabilities and equity $ 1,878,958 $ 1,832,443

American Assets Trust, Inc.
Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Income
(In Thousands, Except Shares and Per Share Data)

Three Months Ended March 31,
2014 2013
Revenue:
Rental income $ 60,482 $ 59,222
Other property income 3,471 2,958
Total revenue 63,953 62,180
Expenses:
Rental expenses 16,620 16,286
Real estate taxes 6,026 4,800
General and administrative 4,612 4,201
Depreciation and amortization 16,341 17,013
Total operating expenses 43,599 42,300
Operating income 20,354 19,880
Interest expense (13,632) (14,736)
Other income (expense), net (64) (279)
Net income 6,658 4,865
Net income attributable to restricted shares (70) (132)
Net income attributable to unitholders in the Operating Partnership (1,986) (1,495)
Net income attributable to American Assets Trust, Inc. stockholders $ 4,602 $ 3,238
Net income per share
Basic income attributable to common stockholders per share $ 0.11 $ 0.08
Weighted average shares of common stock outstanding - basic 40,582,792 39,033,013
Diluted income attributable to common stockholders per share $ 0.11 $ 0.08
Weighted average shares of common stock outstanding - diluted 58,492,473 57,056,448
Dividends declared per common share $ 0.22 $ 0.21

Reconciliation of Net Income to Funds From Operations
The Company's FFO attributable to common stockholders and operating partnership unitholders and reconciliation to net income is as follows (in thousands except shares and per share data, unaudited):

Three Months Ended
March 31, 2014
Funds From Operations (FFO)
Net income $ 6,658
Depreciation and amortization of real estate assets 16,341
FFO, as defined by NAREIT $ 22,999
Less: Nonforfeitable dividends on incentive stock awards (70)
FFO attributable to common stock and units $ 22,929
FFO per diluted share/unit $ 0.39
Weighted average number of common shares and units, diluted 58,626,718

Reported results are preliminary and not final until the filing of the Company's Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission and, therefore, remain subject to adjustment.

Use of Non-GAAP Information
The Company calculates FFO in accordance with the standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or NAREIT. FFO represents net income (loss) (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of depreciable operating property, impairment losses, real estate related depreciation and amortization (excluding amortization of deferred financing costs) and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures.

FFO is a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure. Management uses FFO as a supplemental performance measure because it believes that FFO is beneficial to investors as a starting point in measuring the Company's operational performance. Specifically, in excluding real estate related depreciation and amortization and gains and losses from property dispositions, which do not relate to or are not indicative of operating performance, FFO provides a performance measure that, when compared year over year, captures trends in occupancy rates, rental rates and operating costs. The Company also believes that, as a widely recognized measure of the performance of REITs, FFO will be used by investors as a basis to compare the Company's operating performance with that of other REITs. However, because FFO excludes depreciation and amortization and captures neither the changes in the value of the Company's properties that result from use or market conditions nor the level of capital expenditures and leasing commissions necessary to maintain the operating performance of the Company's properties, all of which have real economic effects and could materially impact the Company's results from operations, the utility of FFO as a measure of the Company's performance is limited. In addition, other equity REITs may not calculate FFO in accordance with the NAREIT definition as the Company does, and, accordingly, the Company's FFO may not be comparable to such other REITs' FFO.  Accordingly, FFO should be considered only as a supplement to net income as a measure of the Company's performance. FFO should not be used as a measure of the Company's liquidity, nor is it indicative of funds available to fund the Company's cash needs, including the Company's ability to pay dividends or service indebtedness. FFO also should not be used as a supplement to or substitute for cash flow from operating activities computed in accordance with GAAP.

About American Assets Trust, Inc.
American Assets Trust, Inc. (the "Company") is a full service, vertically integrated and self-administered real estate investment trust, or REIT, headquartered in San Diego, California. For over 40 years, the Company has been acquiring, improving, developing and managing premier retail, office and residential properties throughout the United States in some of the nation's most dynamic, high-barrier-to-entry markets primarily in Southern California, Northern California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. The Company's retail portfolio comprises approximately 3.1 million rentable square feet, and its office portfolio comprises approximately 2.6 million square feet. In addition, the Company owns one mixed-use property (including approximately 97,000 rentable square feet of retail space and a 369-room all-suite hotel) and over 900 multifamily units. In 2011, the Company was formed to succeed to the real estate business of American Assets, Inc., a privately held corporation founded in 1967 and, as such, has significant experience, long-standing relationships and extensive knowledge of its core markets, submarkets and asset classes. For additional information, please visit www.americanassetstrust.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially.  Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," or "potential" or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters.  While forward-looking statements reflect the Company's good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, they are not guarantees of future performance.  For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause the Company's future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements, see the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and other risks described in documents subsequently filed by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, of new information, data or methods, future events or other changes.

Source:  American Assets Trust, Inc.

Investor and Media Contact:
American Assets Trust
Robert F. Barton
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
858-350-2607


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