Exhibit 99.2

CONTACTS: | | | |
Shelly Doran | | 317.685.7330 | Investors |
Les Morris | | 317.263.7711 | Media |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SIMON PROPERTY GROUP ANNOUNCES SECOND QUARTER RESULTS
AND QUARTERLY DIVIDENDS
Indianapolis, Indiana—July 30, 2007...Simon Property Group, Inc. (the “Company” or “Simon”) (NYSE:SPG) today announced results for the quarter ended June 30, 2007:
· Funds from operations (“FFO”) of the Simon portfolio for the quarter increased 4.1% to $373.0 million from $358.4 million in the second quarter of 2006. On a diluted per share basis the increase was 4.0% to $1.31 from $1.26 in 2006. FFO of the Simon portfolio for the six months increased 6.7% to $765.4 million from $717.3 million in 2006. On a diluted per share basis the increase was 6.3% to $2.68 per share from $2.52 per share in 2006.
· Net income available to common stockholders for the quarter decreased 27.7% to $59.9 million from $82.9 million in the second quarter of 2006. On a diluted per share basis the decrease was 27.0% to $0.27 from $0.37 in 2006. Net income available to common stockholders for the six months decreased 15.3% to $158.3 million from $186.9 million in 2006. On a diluted per share basis the decrease was 15.5% to $0.71 per share from $0.84 per share in 2006. The decrease in net income for the quarter and six months is primarily attributable to higher gains recognized in 2006 on the sale of interests in unconsolidated entities than in 2007 and lower income from unconsolidated entities in 2007. Income from unconsolidated entities was lower in the second quarter of 2007 than the year earlier period primarily as a result of increased depreciation expense attributable to the acquisition of the Mills portfolio of assets.
| | As of June 30, 2007 | | As of June 30, 2006 | | Change | |
Occupancy | | | | | | | | | | | |
Regional Malls(1) | | | 92.0 | % | | | 91.6 | % | | 40 basis point increase | |
Premium Outlet Centers®(2) | | | 99.4 | % | | | 99.4 | % | | unchanged | |
Community/Lifestyle Centers(2) | | | 92.9 | % | | | 89.7 | % | | 320 basis point increase | |
Comparable Sales per Sq. Ft. | | | | | | | | | | | |
Regional Malls(3) | | | $ | 489 | | | | $ | 468 | | | 4.5% increase | |
Premium Outlet Centers(2) | | | $ | 492 | | | | $ | 453 | | | 8.6% increase | |
Average Rent per Sq. Ft. | | | | | | | | | | | |
Regional Malls(1) | | | $ | 36.51 | | | | $ | 35.10 | | | 4.0% increase | |
Premium Outlet Centers(2) | | | $ | 25.11 | | | | $ | 23.78 | | | 5.6% increase | |
Community/Lifestyle Centers(2) | | | $ | 12.03 | | | | $ | 11.65 | | | 3.3% increase | |
(1) For mall and freestanding stores.
(2) For all owned gross leasable area (GLA).
(3) For mall and freestanding stores with less than 10,000 square feet.
61
Dividends
Today the Company announced a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.84 per share. This dividend will be paid on August 31, 2007 to stockholders of record on August 17, 2007.
The Company also declared dividends on its three outstanding issues of preferred stock:
· 7.89% Series G Cumulative Preferred (NYSE:SPGPrG) dividend of $0.98625 per share is payable on September 28, 2007 to stockholders of record on September 14, 2007.
· 6% Series I Convertible Perpetual Preferred (NYSE:SPGPrI) dividend of $0.75 per share is payable on August 31, 2007 to stockholders of record on August 17, 2007.
· 8 3/8% Series J Cumulative Redeemable Preferred (NYSE:SPGPrJ) dividend of $1.046875 per share is payable on September 28, 2007 to stockholders of record on September 14, 2007.
Common Stock Repurchase Program
On July 26, 2007, the Company announced that its Board of Directors had authorized a common stock repurchase program. Under the program, the Company may purchase up to $1 billion of its common stock over the next 24 months as market conditions warrant. The shares may be repurchased in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions.
2007 Guidance
Today the Company increased its guidance for 2007. The Company expects diluted FFO to be within a range of $5.83 to $5.88 per share for the year ending December 31, 2007, and diluted net income available to common stockholders to be within a range of $1.58 to $1.63 per share.
The following table provides the reconciliation of the range of estimated diluted net income available to common stockholders per share to estimated diluted FFO per share.
For the year ending December 31, 2007
| | Low End | | High End | |
Estimated diluted net income available to common stockholders per share | | $ | 1.58 | | $ | 1.63 | |
Depreciation and amortization including our share of joint ventures | | 4.36 | | 4.36 | |
Impact of additional dilutive securities | | (0.11 | ) | (0.11 | ) |
Estimated diluted FFO per share | | $ | 5.83 | | $ | 5.88 | |
U.S. Development Activity
During June and July of 2007, the Company opened the 48,000 square foot small shop retail component and the residential component of 150 luxury apartments at The Village at SouthPark—a mixed-use project located adjacent to the highly successful SouthPark in Charlotte, North Carolina. Crate & Barrel opened in November of 2006.
In late July, the Company commenced construction on Jersey Shore Premium Outlets, a 435,000 square foot upscale manufacturers’ outlet center in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. The center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2008.
The Company continues construction on:
· Palms Crossing—a 396,000 square foot community center in McAllen, Texas. The first phase of the center is scheduled to open in November of 2007.
62
· Philadelphia Premium Outlets—a 425,000 square foot upscale manufacturers’ outlet center in Limerick, Pennsylvania, 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The center is scheduled to open in November of 2007.
· Pier Park—a 920,000 square foot community/lifestyle center in Panama City Beach, Florida. Target and a 16-screen theater have already opened at the center. The remainder of the project is scheduled to open in March of 2008.
· Hamilton Town Center—a 950,000 square foot open-air retail center in Noblesville, Indiana. The 690,000 square foot first phase of the center is scheduled to open in May of 2008.
· Houston Premium Outlets—a 433,000 square foot upscale manufacturers’ outlet center in Houston, Texas. The center is scheduled to open in May of 2008.
International Activity
Recent international activities include:
· On April 4th, Gallerie Commerciali Italia (“GCI”), Simon’s Italian joint venture partnership with Groupe Auchan, acquired the remaining 60% interest in the venture’s shopping center in Giugliano (a suburb of Naples).
· On June 1st, the Company’s Chelsea division opened Yeoju Premium Outlets, the first Premium Outlet Center in South Korea. The project is located on Expressway 50 approximately 36 miles southeast of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province. The 250,000 square-foot first phase of the project opened with 120 tenants. The center was 100% leased at opening, with approximately 90% of the center leased to international brands and the balance to Korean domestic brands. Population within a 40-mile radius of Yeoju Premium Outlets is approximately nine million people.
Yeoju Premium Outlets is the first project to be completed by Shinsegae Chelsea Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Simon (50%) and Shinsegae Co., Ltd. and Shinsegae International Co., Ltd. (together 50%). Shinsegae is one of Korea’s leading retailers.
· On July 5th, the Company’s Simon Ivanhoe joint venture completed the sale of five non-core assets in Poland. Proceeds approximated 183 million euros, net of debt and transaction costs. SPG’s share of the gain is expected to be in excess of $70 million.
· On July 5th, the Company’s Chelsea division opened Kobe-Sanda Premium Outlets, the sixth Premium Outlet Center in Japan and the second in the Kansai region. The project is located 22 miles north of downtown Kobe and 30 miles northwest of central Osaka. It is accessible via the region’s three most heavily traveled major highways—the Chugoku Expressway, the Sanyo Expressway and the Rokko-kita Toll Road. The 195,000 square-foot first phase of the project opened 100% leased to 90 tenants. Approximately 70% of the center has been leased to international brands and the balance to Japanese domestic brands. The population within a 30-mile radius is approximately 13 million people.
Kobe-Sanda Premium Outlets was developed by Chelsea Japan Co., Ltd., a joint venture of Simon Property Group (40% interest), Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. and Sojitz Corporation (each 30%), and brings the joint venture’s operating portfolio of Premium Outlet Centers to 1.6 million square feet of gross leasable area.
· On July 26th, the Company announced that the Porta di Roma shopping center in Rome, Italy opened to the public. The center is located on the north side of Rome adjacent to the Grande Annulare, the peripheral highway which circles the city. The 1.3 million square foot center (Italy’s largest shopping center) opened 97% leased and is anchored by Auchan, LeRoy Merlin, IKEA and
63
a 14-screen UGC Movie Theatre. The center’s 210 small shops have been leased to significant national and international retailers. The trade area for Porta di Roma contains approximately 1.3 million people.
The center is the joint development of the Lamaro Group, a major Rome-based construction and development organization, and GCI. GCI owns 40% of this project.
Development projects:
· Construction continues on three shopping center projects in Italy, fully or partially owned by GCI. Two of the shopping centers are expected to open in 2007 and are located in Cinisello (Milan) and Nola (Naples). Another project, located in Argine (Naples), is scheduled to open in late 2008. After the opening of these three projects, GCI will own interests in 45 shopping centers in Italy comprising approximately 10.6 million square feet of gross leasable area.
· Construction also continues on four projects in China located in Changshu, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Zhengzhou. The centers range in size from 300,000 to 720,000 square feet and will be anchored by Wal-Mart. 2008 openings are scheduled for Changshu, Hangzhou, and Zhengzhou, followed by an anticipated fall 2009 opening for Suzhou. The Company expects to begin construction on a 5th center, in Hefei, by year-end 2007 for a 2009 opening. Simon owns 32.5% of these projects through its partnership with Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund and Shenzhen International Trust and Investment Company CP.
The Mills Corporation
On March 29th, the Company announced the successful completion of the $25.25 per share cash tender offer for all outstanding shares of common stock of The Mills Corporation by SPG-FCM Ventures, LLC, a joint venture between an entity owned by Simon and funds managed by Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C. On April 3rd, the acquisition by SPG-FCM Ventures, LLC was completed by means of a merger of a subsidiary of SPG-FCM Ventures and The Mills Corporation.
The Mills portfolio of assets consists primarily of two distinctive types of assets—regional malls and The Mills®. The Mills® are centers that typically comprise over one million square feet of gross leasable area with a combination of traditional mall, outlet center and big box retailers and entertainment uses, all focused on delivering value for the consumer. The Mills portfolio of assets is included in the Company’s financial statements as joint venture assets.
Recent and anticipated capital market activities related to the Mills transaction are as follows:
· Seven of the portfolio assets were refinanced, totaling $2.3 billion and generating $962 million of excess net loan proceeds at an average rate of 5.78%.
· A senior corporate credit facility was completed, raising $925 million at Libor plus 125 basis points.
· An announced liquidation of The Mills Corporation is expected to occur on August 1, 2007—this will include the concurrent liquidation of the five outstanding series’ of Mills’ preferred stock.
Effective July 1, 2007, Simon also completed the transfer of all accounting and financial operations related to the Mills portfolio to Simon’s Indianapolis headquarters.
Conference Call
The Company will provide an online simulcast of its quarterly conference call at www.simon.com (Investor Relations tab), www.earnings.com, and www.streetevents.com. To listen to the live call, please go to any of these websites at least fifteen minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. The call will begin at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time today, July 30, 2007. An
64
online replay will be available for approximately 90 days at www.simon.com, www.earnings.com, and www.streetevents.com. A fully searchable podcast of the conference call will also be available at www.REITcafe.com shortly after completion of the call.
Supplemental Materials
The Company will publish a supplemental information package which will be available at www.simon.com in the Investor Relations section, Financial Information tab. It will also be furnished to the SEC as part of a current report on Form 8-K. If you wish to receive a copy via mail or email, please call 800-461-3439.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this press release may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, the Company can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained, and it is possible that actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks and uncertainties. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the Company’s ability to meet debt service requirements, the availability of financing, changes in the Company’s credit rating, changes in market rates of interest and foreign exchange rates for foreign currencies, the ability to hedge interest rate risk, risks associated with the acquisition, development and expansion of properties, general risks related to retail real estate, the liquidity of real estate investments, environmental liabilities, international, national, regional and local economic climates, changes in market rental rates, trends in the retail industry, relationships with anchor tenants, the inability to collect rent due to the bankruptcy or insolvency of tenants or otherwise, risks relating to joint venture properties, costs of common area maintenance, competitive market forces, risks related to international activities, insurance costs and coverage, impact of terrorist activities, inflation and maintenance of REIT status. The Company discusses these and other risks and uncertainties under the heading “Risk Factors” in its annual and quarterly periodic reports filed with the SEC that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that the Company makes. The Company may update that discussion in its periodic reports, but otherwise the Company undertakes no duty or obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise.
Funds from Operations (“FFO”)
The Company considers FFO a key measure of its operating performance that is not specifically defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). The Company believes that FFO is helpful to investors because it is a widely recognized measure of the performance of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and provides a relevant basis for comparison among REITs. The Company determines FFO in accordance with the definition set forth by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”).
About Simon
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and the largest public U.S. real estate company. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers®, The Mills®, community/lifestyle centers and international properties. It currently owns or has an interest in 380 properties comprising 258 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia. The Company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 4,500 people worldwide. Simon Property Group, Inc. is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG and has a current total market capitalization of approximately $50 billion. For further information, visit the Company’s website at www.simon.com.
65