News Release: Healthcare Realty Trust Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE:HR) today announced results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023. The Company reported net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders of $(40.5) million, or $(0.11) per diluted common share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. Normalized FFO for the three months ended December 31, 2023 totaled $150.7 million, or $0.39 per diluted common share.

The following applies to all same store disclosures reported in this press release. Subsequent to its merger with Healthcare Trust of America (“Legacy HTA”) on July 20, 2022, the Company began reporting combined same store results in the third quarter of 2022, which are now referred to as Merger Combined Same Store. Merger Combined Same Store includes the Company’s same store properties, including Legacy HTA properties, that were owned for the full comparative period, and that meet all elements of the Company’s same store criteria. The Company presents the combined companies’ same store portfolios to provide an understanding of the operating performance and growth potential of the combined company.

RESULTS

• Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was $(40.5) million or $(0.11) per diluted common share. Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $(278.3) million or $(0.74) per diluted common share.

• Normalized FFO per share totaled $0.39 and $1.57 for the three months and year ended December 31, 2023, respectively.

MERGER COMBINED SAME STORE

• Merger Combined Same Store cash NOI for the fourth quarter increased 2.7% over the prior year, and 2.8% for the year ended December 31, 2023.

• Fourth quarter predictive growth measures in the Merger Combined Same Store portfolio include:
  • Average in-place rent increases of 2.8%
  • Future annual contractual increases of 2.9% for leases commencing in the quarter.
  • Weighted average MOB cash leasing spreads of 3.3% on 607,000 square feet renewed:
    • 3% (<0% spread)
    • 6% (0-3%)
    • 76% (3-4%)
    • 16% (>4%)
  • Tenant retention of 78.2%

MULTI-TENANT OCCUPANCY AND ABSORPTION

• During the quarter, the multi-tenant portfolio had sequential occupancy improvement of 175,000 square feet, or 53 basis points.

• Total multi-tenant square feet changes from the November 2023 projection to 4Q 2023 actual include the sale of properties comprising 287,000 square feet offset by a 106,000 square feet development completion.
• The multi-tenant portfolio leased percentage was 87.3% at December 31, which was 210 basis points greater than occupancy.
  • The multi-tenant Legacy HTA portfolio leased percentage was 85.5%, which was 230 basis points greater than occupancy.
• An updated multi-tenant occupancy and NOI bridge can be found on page 21 of the Investor Presentation.

LEASING

• Portfolio leasing activity that commenced in the fourth quarter totaled 1,224,000 square feet related to 340 leases:
  • 703,000 square feet of renewals
  • 508,000 square feet of new and 13,000 square feet of expansion leases
• The Company executed new leases totaling 425,000 square feet in the quarter that will commence in future periods.

DISPOSITIONS

• During the fourth quarter, the Company sold 27 properties totaling $338 million.
• Additional dispositions in 2023 totaled 36 properties for $656 million at an average cap rate of 6.6%. These dispositions generated proceeds of $597 million and $59 million of seller financing.
• The 2023 additional dispositions do not include the January 2023 dispositions of $112 million to repay the balance on the asset sale term loan.
• The 2023 total dispositions improved the quality and growth profile of the portfolio as seen through the following characteristics:
  • 34% non-MOB
  • 54% off campus MOB
  • 63% single-tenant
  • 1.9% average in-place escalators

 

BALANCE SHEET

• Net debt to adjusted EBITDA was 6.4 times at the end of the quarter.
• During the fourth quarter, the Company executed interest rate swaps totaling $275 million. In January 2024, $200 million of interest rate swaps expired.
• As of December 31, 2023, including the effect of the expiration of the January 2024 interest rate swap, variable rate debt was 8%. This reflects an improvement from 13% as of December 31, 2022.
• As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s line of credit balance was fully repaid.

DIVIDEND

• A dividend of $0.31 per share was paid in November 2023. A dividend of $0.31 per share will be paid on March 14, 2024 to stockholders and OP unitholders of record on February 26, 2024.

EARNINGS CALL

• On Friday, February 16, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, Healthcare Realty Trust has scheduled a conference call to discuss earnings results, quarterly activities, general operations of the Company and industry trends.
• Simultaneously, a webcast of the conference call will be available to interested parties at https://investors.healthcarerealty.com/corporate-profile/webcasts under the Investor Relations section. A webcast replay will be available following the call at the same address.
• Live Conference Call Access Details:
  • Domestic Dial-In Number: +1 404-975-4839 access code 926364;
  • All Other Locations: +1 833-470-1428 access code 926364.
• Replay Information:
  • Domestic Dial-In Number: +1 929-458-6194 access code 512784;
  • All Other Locations: +1 866-813-9403 access code 512784.

GUIDANCE

• The Company’s 2024 guidance range represents the in-place portfolio as of February 16, 2024, and does not include any assumptions for prospective acquisitions, joint venture seed portfolios or other related balance sheet activities that have not closed unless otherwise noted. The 2024 guidance range expectations are as follows:

• The 2024 annual guidance above includes the following significant changes from 2023 results (dollars in thousands, except per share data). Refer to page 28 for additional guidance detail including operating metrics and capital funding expectations.

The 2024 annual guidance range reflects the Company’s view of current and future market conditions, including assumptions with respect to rental rates, occupancy levels, interest rates, and operating and general and administrative expenses. The Company’s guidance does not contemplate impacts from gains or losses from dispositions, potential impairments, or debt extinguishment costs, if any. There can be no assurance that the Company’s actual results will not be materially higher or lower than these expectations. If actual results vary from these assumptions, the Company’s expectations may change.

Healthcare Realty (NYSE: HR) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns and operates medical outpatient buildings primarily located around market-leading hospital campuses. The Company selectively grows its portfolio through property acquisition and development. As the first and largest REIT to specialize in medical outpatient buildings, Healthcare Realty’s portfolio includes nearly 700 properties totaling over 40 million square feet concentrated in 15 growth markets.

Additional information regarding the Company, including this quarter’s operations, can be found at www.healthcarerealty.com. In addition to the historical information contained within, this press release contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the Company. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not descriptions of historical facts and include statements regarding management’s intentions, beliefs, expectations, plans or predictions of the future, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Because such statements include risks, uncertainties and contingencies, actual results may differ materially and in adverse ways from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and contingencies include, without limitation, the following: the Company’s expected results may not be achieved; failure to realize the expected benefits of the Merger; significant transaction costs and/or unknown or inestimable liabilities; the risk that HTA’s business will not be integrated successfully or that such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; risks related to future opportunities and plans for the Company, including the uncertainty of expected future financial performance and results of the Company; the possibility that, if the Company does not achieve the perceived benefits of the Merger as rapidly or to the extent anticipated by financial analysts or investors, the market price of the Company’s common stock could decline; general adverse economic and local real estate conditions; changes in economic conditions generally and the real estate market specifically; legislative and regulatory changes, including changes to laws governing the taxation of REITs and changes to laws governing the healthcare industry; the availability of capital; changes in interest rates; competition in the real estate industry; the supply and demand for operating properties in the Company’s proposed market areas; changes in accounting principles generally accepted in the US; policies and guidelines applicable to REITs; the availability of properties to acquire; the availability of financing; pandemics and other health concerns, and the measures intended to prevent their spread, including the currently ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; and the potential material adverse effect these matters may have on the Company’s business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Additional information concerning the Company and its business, including additional factors that could materially and adversely affect the Company’s financial results, include, without limitation, the risks described under Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors, in the Company’s 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in its other filings with the SEC.

^{1 4Q 2023 normalizing items include severance costs and YTD 2023 includes severance costs and non-routine legal costs.}

^{2 Includes third party and travel costs related to the pursuit of acquisitions and developments.}

^{3 Potential common shares are not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share when a loss exists, as the effect would be an antidilutive per share amount. As a result, the Company’s OP totaling 3,966,365 units was not included.}

^{1 Funds from operations (“FFO”) and FFO per share are operating performance measures adopted by NAREIT. NAREIT defines FFO as “net income (computed in accordance with GAAP) excluding depreciation and amortization related to real estate, gains and losses from the sale of certain real estate assets, gains and losses from change in control, and impairment write-downs of certain real assets and investments in entities when the impairment is directly attributable to decreases in the value of depreciable real estate held by the entity.”}

^{2 FFO, Normalized FFO and Funds Available for Distribution (“FAD”) do not represent cash generated from operating activities determined in accordance with GAAP and is not necessarily indicative of cash available to fund cash needs. FFO, Normalized FFO and FAD should not be considered alternatives to net income attributable to common stockholders as indicators of the Company’s operating performance or as alternatives to cash flow as measures of liquidity.}

^{3 Potential common shares are not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share when a loss exists, as the effect would be an antidilutive per share amount.}

^{4 In Q1 2023, allowance for credit losses included a $5.2 million credit allowance for a mezzanine loan included in “Impairment of real estate and credit loss reserves” on the Statement of Income and $3.4 million reserve included in “Rental Income” on the Statement of Income for previously deferred rent and straight line rent for three skilled nursing facilities.}

^{5 Includes the Company’s proportionate share of normalizing items related to unconsolidated joint ventures such as lease intangibles and acquisition and pursuit costs.}

^{6 Includes the amortization of deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums, and non-cash financing receivable amortization.}

^{7 Includes the Company’s proportionate share of straight-line rent, net and rent reserves, net related to unconsolidated joint ventures.}

^{8 The Company utilizes the treasury stock method, which includes the dilutive effect of nonvested share-based awards outstanding of 308,389 for the three months ended December 31, 2023. Also includes the diluted impact of 3,966,365 OP units outstanding.}

Management considers funds from operations (“FFO”), FFO per share, normalized FFO, normalized FFO per share, funds available for distribution (“FAD”) to be useful non-GAAP measures of the Company’s operating performance. A non-GAAP financial measure is generally defined as one that purports to measure historical financial performance, financial position or cash flows, but excludes or includes amounts that would not be so adjusted in the most comparable measure determined in accordance with GAAP. Set forth below are descriptions of the non-GAAP financial measures management considers relevant to the Company’s business and useful to investors.

The non-GAAP financial measures presented herein are not necessarily identical to those presented by other real estate companies due to the fact that not all real estate companies use the same definitions. These measures should not be considered as alternatives to net income (determined in accordance with GAAP), as indicators of the Company’s financial performance, or as alternatives to cash flow from operating activities (determined in accordance with GAAP) as measures of the Company’s liquidity, nor are these measures necessarily indicative of sufficient cash flow to fund all of the Company’s needs.

FFO and FFO per share are operating performance measures adopted by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc. (“NAREIT”). NAREIT defines FFO as “net income (computed in accordance with GAAP) excluding depreciation and amortization related to real estate, gains and losses from the sale of certain real estate assets, gains and losses from change in control, and impairment write-downs of certain real assets and investments in entities when the impairment is directly attributable to decreases in the value of depreciable real estate held by the entity.” The Company defines Normalized FFO as FFO excluding acquisition-related expenses, lease intangible amortization and other normalizing items that are unusual and infrequent in nature. FAD is presented by adding to Normalized FFO non-real estate depreciation and amortization, deferred financing fees amortization, share-based compensation expense and rent reserves, net; and subtracting maintenance capital expenditures, including second generation tenant improvements and leasing commissions paid and straight-line rent income, net of expense. The Company’s definition of these terms may not be comparable to that of other real estate companies as they may have different methodologies for computing these amounts. FFO, Normalized FFO and FAD do not represent cash generated from operating activities determined in accordance with GAAP and are not necessarily indicative of cash available to fund cash needs. FFO, Normalized FFO and FAD should not be considered an alternative to net income as an indicator of the Company’s operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow as a measure of liquidity. FFO, Normalized FFO and FAD should be reviewed in connection with GAAP financial measures.

Management believes FFO, FFO per share, Normalized FFO, Normalized FFO per share, and FAD provide an understanding of the operating performance of the Company’s properties without giving effect to certain significant non-cash items, including depreciation and amortization expense. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with GAAP assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. However, real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions. The Company believes that by excluding the effect of depreciation, amortization, gains or losses from sales of real estate, and other normalizing items that are unusual and infrequent, FFO, FFO per share, Normalized FFO, Normalized FFO per share and FAD can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods. The Company reports these measures because they have been observed by management to be the predominant measures used by the REIT industry and by industry analysts to evaluate REITs and because these measures are consistently reported, discussed, and compared by research analysts in their notes and publications about REITs.

Merger Combined Cash NOI and Merger Combined Same Store Cash NOI are key performance indicators. Management considers these to be supplemental measures that allow investors, analysts and Company management to measure unlevered property-level operating results. The Company defines Merger Combined Cash NOI as rental income and less property operating expenses. Merger Combined Cash NOI excludes non-cash items such as above and below market lease intangibles, straight-line rent, lease inducements, lease termination fees, tenant improvement amortization and leasing commission amortization. Merger Combined Cash NOI is historical and not necessarily indicative of future results.

Merger Combined Same Store Cash NOI compares Merger Combined Cash NOI for stabilized properties. Stabilized properties are properties that have been included in operations for the duration of the year-over-year comparison period presented. Accordingly, stabilized properties exclude properties that were recently acquired or disposed of, properties classified as held for sale, properties undergoing redevelopment, and newly redeveloped or developed properties.

The Company utilizes the redevelopment classification for properties where management has approved a change in strategic direction for such properties through the application of additional resources including an amount of capital expenditures significantly above routine maintenance and capital improvement expenditures.

Any recently acquired property will be included in the same store pool once the Company has owned the property for eight full quarters. Newly developed or redeveloped properties will be included in the same store pool eight full quarters after substantial completion.