investment opportunities. Collectively, our strong portfolio performance, origination activity and financial results have enabled us to raise our 2021 AFFO guidance from $1.90 to $1.96 per share to a range of $1.94 to $1.97.”
Financial Results
COVID-19 Update
Since early 2020, the world has been impacted by the pandemic. COVID-19 and measures to prevent its spread affected the Company by impacting its tenants’ businesses and their ability to pay rent. As restrictions lifted, the Company’s tenants increased their business activity and their ability to make rent payments. Essentially all the Company’s properties are open for business and the Company’s collections of monthly rent and interest rose to over 96% for the second quarter of 2021 and to 98% in July 2021. The Company continues to closely watch for unpredictable factors that could impact its business going forward, including governmental, business and individual actions in response to the pandemic, including the vaccination process and the impact of COVID-19 variants, and the overall impact on broad economic activity.
Total Revenues
Total revenues were $192.0 million for the second quarter of 2021, an increase of 14.1% from $168.3 million for the second quarter of 2020.
Total revenues for the first half of 2021 were $374.3 million, an increase of 8.1% from $346.2 million for the first half of 2020. The increase was driven primarily by the growth in the size of STORE Capital’s real estate investment portfolio, which grew from $9.2 billion in gross investment amount representing 2,554 property locations and 503 customers at June 30, 2020 to $10.0 billion in gross investment amount representing 2,738 property locations and 529 customers at June 30, 2021.
Net Income
Net income was $62.4 million, or $0.23 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2021, as compared to $40.6 million, or $0.16 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2020. Net income for the second quarter of 2021 included an aggregate net gain on dispositions of real estate of $5.9 million, as compared to an aggregate net gain on dispositions of real estate of $0.5 million for the same period in 2020.
Net income includes such items as gain or loss on dispositions of real estate and provisions for impairment, which can vary from quarter to quarter and impact net income and period-to-period comparisons.
Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2021 was $117.4 million, or $0.44 per basic and diluted share, as compared to $103.3 million, or $0.42 per basic and diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2020. Net income for the first half of 2021 included an aggregate net gain on dispositions of real estate of $21.5 million, as compared to an aggregate net gain on dispositions of real estate of $3.3 million for the same period in 2020.
Adjusted Funds from Operations (AFFO)
AFFO increased to $135.6 million, or $0.50 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2021, as compared to AFFO of $108.7 million, or $0.44 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2020. AFFO for the six months ended June 30, 2021 was $260.9 million, or $0.97 per basic and diluted share, an increase from $228.8 million, or $0.93 per basic and diluted shares, for the six months ended June 30, 2020.