UE
Urban Edge Properties (UE)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q4 delivered FFO as Adjusted of $0.34 per share (vs. $0.31 in Q4’23) on total revenue of $116.4M, with same‑property NOI growth of 7.4% including redevelopment as new rent commencements and recovery income accelerated .
- 2025 guide implies continued growth: FFO as Adjusted of $1.37–$1.42, same‑property NOI growth of 3–4%, and recurring G&A of $35–$37M; the Board raised the dividend 12% to $0.76 annualized, a potential near‑term stock catalyst alongside expected 2H25 rent commencements from the SNO pipeline .
- Balance sheet is positioned conservatively: ~$808.5M liquidity, net debt/annualized Adjusted EBITDAre at 6.0x, and only ~9% of debt maturing through 2026 ($139.7M) .
- Capital recycling and operations are key narratives: accretive A&D activity (Waugh Chapel buy at 6.6% cap; Union NJ Home Depot sale at 5.4% cap) and record leasing spreads (Q4 new lease cash spread 44%) underpin NOI momentum; cap‑rate compression on acquisitions pushes UE to prioritize recycling over net buying near‑term .
- Watch items for 2025: credit losses assumed at 75–100 bps of gross rent (mostly bankrupt tenants), 75% of SNO revenue weighted to 2H25, and capex cadence (~$75M redevelopment spend) .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- Record pricing power and occupancy: new lease cash spreads hit 44% in Q4, same‑property leased occupancy reached 96.6%, and shop leased occupancy rose to 90.9% .
- NOI growth inflected: same‑property NOI +6.6% (incl. redevelopment +7.4%) driven by rent commencements and higher recovery income; management highlighted achieving their 3‑year earnings target one year early .
- Capital recycling/value creation: acquired The Village at Waugh Chapel ($126M at 6.6% cap; expected ~9% first‑year levered return) and sold a Union, NJ Home Depot for $71M at a 5.4% cap via 1031 exchange .
- Quote: “FFO as Adjusted increased by 8% for the year to $1.35 per share, allowing us to achieve our three‑year earnings target... one year ahead of plan” — Jeff Olson, CEO .
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What Went Wrong
- Acquisition economics tightened: higher‑quality retail assets now trade below 6% caps; management signaled a greater focus on recycling over net acquisitions given tighter buy‑side yields vs. financing costs .
- Credit risk in outlook: 2025 guidance embeds 75–100 bps credit losses (70 bps from bankrupt tenants), with collections assumptions only partially offsetting .
- Non‑comparable comps: Q4’24 GAAP net income ($0.24/sh) compares to an unusually high Q4’23 (large gain on sale), masking underlying operational gains in FFO as Adjusted .
Financial Results
Quarterly P&L metrics
Same‑property growth
Occupancy & Leasing KPIs
KPI snapshot (Q4 2024)
- NOI margin (property level; NOI/total property revenue): 63.2% .
- Signed‑not‑open (SNO) pipeline: $25.2M future annual gross rent; expected incremental recognized gross rent: 2025 $6.1M; 2026 $13.1M; 2027 $14.1M; 2028 $14.1M .
- Weighted average annual rent (retail) $20.79 psf; Net debt/Adj EBITDAre 6.0x; Liquidity $808.5M .
Balance sheet & liquidity (Q4 2024)
- Total liquidity ~$808.5M (cash & restricted cash $90.6M; undrawn revolver availability ~$717.9M) .
- Net debt $1.543B; net debt to total market cap 34.5% .
- Debt maturity profile: ~$36.4M (2025), ~$125.0M (2026); ~9% of outstanding debt through 2026 .
- Brick Commons refinancing: $50M, 7‑yr, 5.2% fixed (Nov 2024); $50M drawn on $800M revolver at year‑end .
Non‑GAAP notes (Q4)
- FFO as Adjusted adds back/normalizes items such as transaction/severance, debt extinguishment, foreclosure impacts, and non‑cash adjustments (e.g., acceleration/write‑off of lease intangibles), improving period‑to‑period comparability .
Guidance Changes
Bridge highlights: From $1.48 FFO/sh in 2024 to $1.36–$1.41 in 2025E reflects removal of non‑comparable items, +6–7c from same‑property NOI incl. redevelopment, +1c from A&D net, partially offset by interest/other items .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “FFO as Adjusted increased by 8% for the year to $1.35 per share, allowing us to achieve our three‑year earnings target... one year ahead of plan” — Jeff Olson, CEO .
- “Our portfolio is now 80% grocery‑anchored with grocers generating average sales of $900 per square foot” — Jeff Olson, CEO .
- “Initial 2025 FFO as adjusted per share guidance is $1.37 to $1.42... we assume total credit losses of 75 to 100 bps of gross rents... SNO revenue ~$8M in 2025, ~75% in 2H” — Mark Langer, CFO .
- “Cap rates for acquisitions have compressed with higher quality assets now trading below 6%... we think the best way to leverage this environment is through capital recycling” — Jeff Mooallem/Jeff Olson .
Q&A Highlights
- Credit/bad debt: 2025 assumes 75–100 bps credit loss, with ~70 bps from bankrupt tenants and partial offsets from collections; provides a realistic cushion in NOI outlook .
- A&D pipeline/cap rates: More deal flow expected, but buy‑side caps have compressed; UE intends to pair acquisitions with dispositions to preserve spreads (recent 200 bps spread unlikely to persist) .
- Sunrise Mall: Macy’s termination a “big step”; mixed‑use alternatives under evaluation; further disclosure targeted during 2025 .
- Development returns vs. costs: Demand supports better leasing economics (e.g., Bruckner), though higher capital costs erode some return; still targeting ~15% unlevered yields .
- Cost discipline/automation: Continued focus on vendor rebids and AI/RPA to automate workflows; recurring G&A planned flat in 2025 at ~$36M .
Estimates Context
- Wall Street EPS/revenue consensus (S&P Global) for Q4 2024 was unavailable at the time of analysis due to a data access limit, so we cannot provide beat/miss versus consensus here [GetEstimates error].
- REIT investors typically focus on FFO and FFO as Adjusted; UE’s Q4 FFO as Adjusted per share of $0.34 rose vs. $0.31 y/y, while Q4 FFO per share was $0.35 vs. $0.37 y/y due to non‑comparable prior‑year items .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Pricing power strengthening: 44% new‑lease cash spreads and rising shop occupancy suggest durable rent growth and embedded mark‑to‑market opportunity into 2025