During the three months ended December 31, 2009, the final escrow release related to the MEA Holdings, Inc. (“MEA”) acquisition occurred. Pursuant to an agreement between the Company and the MEA Holdings, Inc. Seller Representatives, $5.0 million of the escrow was paid to the Company in consideration of full and final settlement of certain claims made by the Company in connection with the MEA transaction. During fourth quarter 2009, the Company recorded other income of $4.9 million related to this settlement.
During the three months ended December 31, 2009, the Company reclassified the wholly-owned property Harbison Medical Office Building (formerly known as Baptist Northwest) as held for sale discontinued operations. Related to this property, the Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of ($1.4 million) in order to reduce the carrying value of the real estate property to its estimated net sale proceeds.
The Company’s results for the three months ended December 31, 2009 includes costs associated with the Company’s exploration of a range of strategic alternatives that included: an assessment of potential change of control transactions; asset dispositions and acquisitions; business and portfolio combinations; debt financings and refinancings. The costs associated with this exercise totaled approximately $2.6 million and included fees for consultants, accountants, attorneys, and other service providers. At this time, the Company is not engaged in any negotiation for a change of control transaction. The Company does not intend to make further disclosures relating to any such transaction unless the Company enters into a definitive agreement.
Capital Transactions
In October 2009, the Company obtained a $7.5 million mortgage note payable collateralized by the Randolph Medical Park, Lincoln/Lakemont Family Practice Center, and Northcross Family Physicians properties, all of which are located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mortgage note payable matures in October 2014, has a fixed interest rate of 7.00%, and requires monthly principal and interest payments based on a 20-year amortization.
In October 2009, the Company exercised its extension option for Methodist Professional Center I (located in Indianapolis, Indiana) mortgage note payable for a two year period. Associated with this extension, the Company repaid $4.5 million of the $30.0 million outstanding principal. The remaining $25.5 million balance on the mortgage note payable matures in October 2011, has an interest rate of LIBOR plus 1.30% (1.53% as of December 31, 2009), and requires monthly principal and interest payments based on a 30-year amortization.
In October 2009, the Company refinanced the MRMC MOB I (formerly known as Hanover Medical Office Building One), located in Richmond, Virginia, mortgage note payable. The principal balance was increased from $4.7 million to $6.0 million and the $1.3 million additional proceeds were used for general corporate purposes. The $6.0 million mortgage note payable matures in November 2014, has a fixed interest rate of 7.35%, and requires monthly principal and interest payments based on a 25-year amortization.
In November 2009, the Company refinanced the Health Park Medical Office Building (located in Chattanooga, TN) mortgage note payable, which was to mature on January 1, 2010. The principal balance was reduced from $8.7 million to $7.0 million. The $7.0 million mortgage note payable matures in December 2019, has a fixed interest rate of 7.50%, and requires monthly principal and interest payments based on a 25-year amortization.
In December 2009, the Company began construction on a 4,630 square foot expansion to the wholly-owned Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital (located in Lancaster, PA). The $2.1 million expansion project is 100% pre-leased and scheduled for completion during second quarter 2010. The Company obtained financing in the amount of $2.1 million from a construction loan which provides interest-only payments during the construction period at a rate of LIBOR plus 3.75% (3.98% as of December 31, 2009). Upon the earlier of completion of construction or June 2010, the loan converts to an amortizing loan with monthly payments based on a 25-year amortization schedule. The loan matures June 2014.
Build to Suit
In December 2009, the Company completed The Woodlands Center for Specialized Medicine building in Pensacola, Florida. The 75,985 square foot facility marked the construction completion of the first fully integrated project for the Company. The Company provided development, design/build (architectural, engineering and construction), and property management services on the medical office building and outpatient treatment center. The three-story project is 100% leased by the physicians of Woodlands Medical Specialists. The facility is a joint venture with the Company owning 40% and Gen-Ex Holdings, LLC (a group of local physicians) owning 60%.
Dividend
On December 17, 2009, the Company announced that its Board of Directors had declared a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share and operating partnership unit that was paid in cash on January 21, 2010 to holders of record on December 31, 2009. The dividend covered the Company’s fourth quarter of 2009.
Outlook
The Company’s management team expects that FFOM per share and operating partnership unit for the year ending December 31, 2010, will be between $0.42 and $0.50. A reconciliation of the range of projected net income (loss) to projected FFO and FFOM for the year ending December 31, 2010 is set forth below:
| | Guidance Range for the | |
| | Year Ending December 31, 2010 | |
| | Low | | | | | | High | |
(In thousands, except per share and operating partnership unit data) | | | | | | | | | |
Net loss | | $ | (5,000 | ) | | | - - | | | $ | (1,000 | ) |
Plus real estate related depreciation and amortization | | | 27,000 | | | | - - | | | | 27,000 | |
Less noncontrolling interests in real estate partnerships, before real estate | | | | | | | | | | | | |
related depreciation and amortization | | | (2,000 | ) | | | - - | | | | (2,000 | ) |
Funds from Operations (FFO) | | | 20,000 | | | | - - | | | | 24,000 | |
Plus amortization of intangibles related to purchase accounting, net of income tax benefit | | | 1,500 | | | | - - | | | | 1,500 | |
Funds from Operations Modified (FFOM) | | $ | 21,500 | | | | - - | | | $ | 25,500 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
FFO per share and unit - diluted | | $ | 0.39 | | | | - - | | | $ | 0.47 | |
FFOM per share and unit - diluted | | $ | 0.42 | | | | - - | | | $ | 0.50 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Weighted average shares and units outstanding - basic and diluted | | | 50,700 | | | | - - | | | | 50,700 | |
Supplemental operating and financial data are available in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s Web site at www.cogdell.com. The reported results are unaudited and there can be no assurance that the results will not vary from the final information for the three months and year ended December 31, 2009. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of these reported results have been made.
FFO is a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure used by the real estate industry to measure the operating performance of real estate companies. FFOM adds back to traditionally defined FFO non-cash amortization of non-real estate related intangible assets associated with purchase accounting. The Company presents FFO and FFOM because it considers them important supplemental measures of operational performance. The Company believes FFO 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. The Company believes that FFOM allows securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in evaluating current period results to results prior to the MEA Holdings, Inc. transaction. FFO and FFOM are 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 and FFOM excludes depreciation and amortization unique to real estate, gains and losses from property dispositions and extraordinary items, 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 a perspective not immediately apparent from net income. The Company computes FFO in accordance with standards established by the Board of Governors of NAREIT in its March 1995 White Paper (as amended in November 1999 and April 2002), which may differ from the methodology for calculating FFO utilized by other equity REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such other REITs. The Company adjusts the NAREIT definition to add back noncontrolling interests in consolidated real estate partnerships before real estate related depreciation and amortization. Further, FFO and FFOM do not represent amounts available for management’s discretionary use because of needed capital replacement or expansion, debt service obligations, or other commitments and uncertainties. FFO and FFOM should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of the Company’s performance, nor are they indicative of funds available to fund its cash needs, including its ability to pay dividends or make distributions. A reconciliation from GAAP net loss to FFO and FFOM is included as an attachment to this press release.
About Cogdell Spencer Inc.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s views about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that may contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to the following: our business strategy; our ability to comply with financial covenants in our debt instruments; our ability to obtain future financing arrangements; estimates relating to our future distributions; our understanding of our competition; our ability to renew our ground leases; changes in the reimbursement available to our tenants by government or private payors; our tenants' ability to make rent payments; defaults by tenants; customers’ access to financing; delays in project starts and cancellations by customers; the timing of capital expenditures by healthcare systems and providers; market trends; and projected capital expenditures.
For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be realized. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.