Duke Realty Corp.
's (
DRE
) fourth quarter 2012 core FFO (funds from operations) of 27
cents per share was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate but
fell 3 cents from the prior-year quarter.
The decrease in year-over-year FFO at this real estate investment
trust (REIT) reflects reduced income from service operations that
were driven by lower third party construction fees. In addition,
short-term dilution effect arising out of the repositioning moves
further added to its woes.
For full year 2012, Duke Realty reported core FFO of $1.02 per
share, a penny ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but below
the prior-year core FFO of $1.15 per share.
Including certain one-time items, Duke Realty's reported FFO per
share came in at 25 cents in fourth quarter 2012, marginally up
from 24 cents earned in the prior-year quarter. On a similar
basis, full year 2012 FFO per share decreased to 98 cents from
$1.07 reported a year ago.
Total revenue during fourth quarter 2012 was $269.6 million, down
11.1% from the prior-year period. However, it came well ahead of
the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $210 million. For full year 2012,
total revenue decreased 12.3% year over year to $1.1 billion but
was ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $813 million.
Behind the Headline Numbers
Overall portfolio occupancy of Duke Realty remained relatively
high at 93.0% at year-end 2012, up 50 basis points (bps) from Sep
30, 2012 and 230 bps from year-end 2011. By segments, in-service
occupancy in the bulk distribution portfolio was 94.6%, while
that in medical office and suburban office portfolio was 91.3%
and 86.3%, respectively, at year-end 2012.
Tenant retention was 84.6% for the quarter and 83.0% for year-end
2012. For the reported quarter, same-store net operating income
(NOI) of the overall portfolio advanced 1.6% year over year. For
full year 2012, same property NOI increased 2.5% from a year ago.
Portfolio Restructuring Activity
In accordance with its asset repositioning strategy, Duke Realty
sold non-strategic assets during the quarter. This generated
proceeds of $24.3 million, which came from a non-core suburban
office building ($4.6 million), and a portfolio of non-core
industrial assets ($19.7 million).
During the reported quarter, Duke Realty acquired more than $448
million of industrial and medical office assets, resulting in
$800 million worth of total acquisitions for the year. The
company commenced development of 1 bulk industrial facility in
greater Seattle, Wash. (spanning 1.02 million square feet and
100% pre-leased); and 3 medical office buildings (aggregating
126,000 square feet and 100% pre-leased).
As of Dec 31, 2012, Duke Realty had 6 industrial projects (2.5
million square feet), 9 medical office projects (610,000 square
feet) and 2 suburban office buildings (502,000 square feet) under
various stages of construction. These projects were 83.8%
pre-leased in the aggregate.
Moreover, Duke Realty had 2 joint venture development projects
under construction as of Dec 31, 2012. This included a 100%
pre-leased medical office project spanning 274,000 square foot,
and a speculative bulk industrial facility totaling 600,000
square foot.
As of Dec 31, 2012, Duke Realty owned and operated more than 145
million rentable square feet of industrial and office, including
medical office, space in 18 major U.S. cities. On a net operating
income basis, Duke Realty's portfolio mix comprised 54%
industrial, 30% office, 13% medical office and 3% retail.
Liquidity
Duke Realty maintains a balanced and flexible balance sheet with
ample liquidity that enables it to capitalize on potential
acquisition opportunities to fuel its top-line growth.
During 2012, the company generated net proceeds of $315 million
from an at-the-market (ATM) equity program, refinanced $600
million in unsecured debt and redeemed 6.95% Series M Preferred
Shares worth $168 million. At the end of fourth quarter 2012, the
company had nearly $34 million of cash.
Furthermore, in Jan 2013, the company raised net proceeds of $572
million from a 41.4 million common equity offering to help lower
its leverage and improve coverage ratios.
2013 Outlook
Management at Duke Realty remains optimistic about the company's
performance in 2013. For full year 2013, core FFO is projected to
range from $1.03 - $1.11 per share and reflects expectations of a
sustained solid occupancy performance, growth in same property
NOI, benefit from asset repositioning measures and a strong year
in development starts.
Dividend Update
Duke Realty also remains committed to enhancing investors' wealth
through dividend payout. It declared a quarterly cash dividend of
17 cents per share on its common stock. The dividend will be paid
on Feb 28, 2013, to shareholders of record as of Feb 13.
Our Viewpoint
We believe that though the short-term revenue headwinds remain a
concern, over the long-term, Duke Realty's repositioning of its
portfolio to focus on markets in which it already has a strong
presence, will boost its top-line growth. In addition, the
company has a relatively healthy balance sheet with adequate
liquidity to repay debt.
Yet, its large development pipeline increases operational risks
in the current credit-constrained market, exposing it to rising
construction costs, entitlement delays, and lease-up risk.
Duke Realty currently holds a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Other REITs
that are performing better and are worth a look include
Ventas Inc.
(
VTR
),
Simon Property Group Inc.
(
SPG
) and
Brandywine Realty Trust
(
BDN
), all carrying a Zacks Rank #2.
Note: FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of
REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and
other non-cash expenses to net income.
BRANDYWINE RT (BDN): Free Stock Analysis
Report
DUKE REALTY CP (DRE): Free Stock Analysis
Report
SIMON PROPERTY (SPG): Free Stock Analysis
Report
VENTAS INC (VTR): Free Stock Analysis Report
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