STORE Capital Announces Second Quarter 2021 Operating Results

admin August 5, 2021

4 15 minutes read

Raises 2021 AFFO Guidance

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–STORE Capital Corporation (NYSE: STOR, “STORE Capital” or the “Company”), an internally managed net-lease real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests in Single Tenant Operational Real Estate, today announced operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021.

Highlights

For the quarter ended June 30, 2021:

Total revenues of $192.0 million
Net income of $62.4 million, or $0.23 per basic and diluted share, including an aggregate net gain of $5.9 million on dispositions of real estate
AFFO of $135.6 million, or $0.50 per basic and diluted share
Declared a regular quarterly cash dividend per common share of $0.36
Invested $340.9 million in 95 properties at a weighted average initial cap rate of 7.8%
Raised $55.4 million in net proceeds from the sale of approximately 1.6 million common shares under the Company’s at-the-market equity program
Issued $515.0 million of long-term fixed rate notes, at a weighted average interest rate of 2.8%, under STORE’s Master Funding secured debt program in June 2021; the issuance included $337.0 million of AAA rated notes

For the six months ended June 30, 2021:

Total revenues of $374.3 million
Net income of $117.4 million, or $0.44 per basic and diluted share, including an aggregate net gain of $21.5 million on dispositions of real estate
AFFO of $260.9 million, or $0.97 per basic and diluted share
Declared a regular quarterly cash dividend per common share of $0.72
Invested $611.7 million in 161 properties at a weighted average initial cap rate of 7.8%
Raised $169.5 million in net proceeds from the sale of approximately 5.1 million common shares under the Company’s at-the-market equity program

Management Commentary

“We delivered strong operational results for the second quarter, originating $341 million in acquisitions at a cap rate of 7.8% and realizing strong revenue growth. We are also seeing continued improvement in the financial health of our customers and our AFFO growth reflects these favorable trends. With the successful execution of our tenth Master Funding issuance and the enhancement of our unsecured credit facility, we once again were able to meaningfully lower our cost of capital,” said Mary Fedewa, STORE Capital’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We entered the third quarter with a sizable pipeline of attractive 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.

AFFO for the three- and six-month periods in 2021 rose primarily as a result of net additional rental revenues and interest income generated by growth in the Company’s real estate investment portfolio.

Dividend Information

As previously announced, STORE Capital declared a regular quarterly cash dividend per common share of $0.36 for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021. This dividend, totaling $97.8 million, was paid on July 15, 2021 to stockholders of record on June 30, 2021.

Real Estate Portfolio Highlights

Investment Activity

The Company originated $340.9 million of gross investments representing 95 property locations during the second quarter of 2021. These origination and other activities resulted in the creation of ten new customer relationships. The investments had a weighted average initial cap rate of 7.8%. Total investment activity for the first half of 2021 was $611.7 million representing 161 property locations with a weighted average initial cap rate of 7.8%. The Company defines “initial cap rate” for property acquisitions as the initial annual cash rent divided by the purchase price of the property. STORE’s leases customarily have lease escalations, most of which are tied to the consumer price index and subject to a cap. For acquisitions made during the first half of 2021, the weighted average stated lease escalation cap was 1.9%.

Disposition Activity

During the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Company sold 57 properties and recognized an aggregate net gain on the disposition of real estate of $21.5 million; 13 of these 57 properties were sold in the second quarter for an aggregate net gain of $5.9 million. For the six months ended June 30, 2021, net proceeds from the disposition of real estate aggregated $172.5 million as compared to an aggregate original investment amount of $176.1 million.

Portfolio

At June 30, 2021, STORE Capital’s real estate portfolio totaled $10.0 billion. Approximately 94% of the portfolio represents commercial real estate properties subject to long-term leases, 6% represents mortgage loans and financing receivables on commercial real estate properties and a nominal amount represents loans receivable secured by the tenants’ other assets. The weighted average non-cancelable remaining term of the leases at June 30, 2021 was approximately 14 years with leases representing approximately 3.7% of the portfolio scheduled to expire in the next five years.

The Company’s portfolio of real estate investments is highly diversified across customers, brand names or business concepts, industries and geography. The following table presents a summary of the portfolio.

Portfolio At A Glance – As of June 30, 2021
Investment property locations	2,738
States	49
Customers	529
Industries in which customers operate	118
Investment portfolio subject to Master Leases*⁽¹⁾	94	%
Average investment amount/replacement cost (new)⁽²⁾	80	%
Locations subject to unit-level financial reporting	99	%
Proportion of portfolio from direct origination	~80	%
Contracts on STORE’s form*⁽³⁾	96	%
Weighted average annual lease escalation⁽⁴⁾	1.9	%
Weighted average remaining lease contract term	~14 years
Occupancy⁽⁵⁾	99.6	%
Properties not operating but subject to a lease⁽⁶⁾	2.0	%
Investment locations subject to a ground lease⁽⁷⁾	0.9	%
Median unit fixed charge coverage ratio (FCCR)/4‑Wall coverage ratio⁽⁸⁾	2.4x/3.0x
Contracts rated investment grade⁽⁹⁾	~72	%

*		Based on base rent and interest.
⁽¹⁾		Percentage of investment portfolio in multiple properties with a single customer subject to master leases. Approximately 87% of the investment portfolio involves multiple properties with a single customer, whether or not subject to a master lease.
⁽²⁾		Represents the ratio of purchase price to replacement cost (new) at acquisition.
⁽³⁾		Represents the percentage of lease contracts that were created by STORE or contain preferred contract terms such as unit-level financial reporting, triple-net lease provisions and, when applicable, master lease provisions.
⁽⁴⁾		Represents the weighted average annual escalation rate of the entire portfolio as if all escalations occurred annually. For escalations based on a formula including CPI, assumes the stated fixed percentage in the contract or assumes 1.5% if no fixed percentage is in the contract. For contracts with no escalations remaining in the current lease term, assumes the escalation in the extension term. Calculation excludes contracts representing less than 0.1% of base rent and interest where there are no further escalations remaining in the current lease term and there are no extension options.
⁽⁵⁾		The Company defines occupancy as a property being subject to a lease or loan contract. As of June 30, 2021, 11 of the Company’s properties were vacant and not subject to a contract.
⁽⁶⁾		Represents the percentage (based on the number of locations) of the Company’s investment locations that have been closed by the tenant but remain subject to a lease.
⁽⁷⁾		Represents the percentage (based on the number of locations) of the Company’s investment locations that are subject to a ground lease.
⁽⁸⁾		STORE Capital calculates a unit’s FCCR generally as the ratio of (i) the unit’s EBITDAR, less a standardized corporate overhead expense based on estimated industry standards, to (ii) the unit’s total fixed charges, which are its lease expense, interest expense and scheduled principal payments on indebtedness (if applicable). The 4‑Wall coverage ratio refers to a unit’s FCCR before taking into account standardized corporate overhead expense. The weighted average unit FCCR and 4‑Wall coverage ratios were 3.1x and 4.1x, respectively.
⁽⁹⁾		Represents the percentage of the Company’s contracts that have a STORE Score that is investment grade; amount disclosed represents the average since the inception of the Company. The Company measures the credit quality of its portfolio on a contract-by-contract basis using the STORE Score, which is a proprietary risk measure reflective of both the credit risk of the Company’s tenants and the profitability of the operations at the properties. As of June 30, 2021, STORE Capital’s tenants had a median tenant credit profile of approximately ‘Ba3’ as measured by Moody’s Analytics RiskCalc rating scale. Considering the profitability of the operations at each of its properties and STORE’s assessment of the likelihood that each of the tenants will choose to continue to operate at the properties in the event of their insolvency, the credit quality of its contracts, or STORE Score, is enhanced to a median of ‘Baa3’.

Capital Transactions

The Company established a $900 million “at the market” equity distribution program, or ATM Program, in November 2020 and terminated its previous program. During the second quarter of 2021, the Company sold an aggregate of approximately 1.6 million common shares at a weighted average share price of $34.17 and raised approximately $55.4 million in net proceeds after the payment of sales agents’ commissions and offering expenses. For the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Company sold an aggregate of approximately 5.1 million common shares at a weighted average share price of $33.59 and raised approximately $169.5 million in net proceeds after the payment of sales agents’ commissions and offering expenses.

In June 2021, the Company amended its unsecured revolving credit facility with its group of banks. The amended facility provides the Company immediate access to a $600 million unsecured, revolving credit facility and expanded the accordion feature from $800 million to $1.0 billion for a total maximum borrowing capacity of $1.6 billion; the amendment also reduced the interest rate on LIBOR-based borrowings by 15 basis points to LIBOR plus 85 basis points. The amended credit facility matures in June 2025 and includes two six-month extension options, subject to certain conditions.

In late June 2021, certain of the Company’s consolidated special purpose entities issued the tenth series, Series 2021-1, of seven- and twelve-year, net-lease mortgage notes under the Company’s STORE Master Funding debt program, separated into four classes as summarized below.

Note Class	Rating	Amount (in millions)		Coupon Rate		Term	Maturity Date
Class A-1	AAA	$	168.5	2.12	%	7 years	June 2028
Class A-2	AAA		168.5	2.96	%	12 years	June 2033
Class A-3	A+		89.0	2.86	%	7 years	June 2028
Class A-4	A+		89.0	3.70	%	12 years	June 2033
Total/Weighted Average Coupon		$	515.0	2.80	%

In anticipation of this issuance, the Company prepaid, without penalty, $86.7 million of STORE Master Funding Series 2013-1 Class A-2 notes in May 2021. In addition, $83.3 million of the proceeds from the issuance were held in restricted cash as of June 30, 2021 and used to prepay, without penalty, the Series 2013-2 Class A-2 notes in July 2021; the two prepaid note classes bore a weighted average interest rate of 4.98%. A portion of the net proceeds from the issuance were also used to pay down balances on the Company’s revolving credit facility with the remainder of the proceeds representing new incremental term borrowings.

2021 Guidance

Raising its guidance first issued in February, the Company currently expects 2021 AFFO per share to be within a range of $1.94 to $1.97, up from a range of $1.90 to $1.96. The guidance is based on 2021 projected real estate acquisition volume, net of projected property sales, of $1.0 billion to $1.2 billion. This AFFO per share guidance equates to anticipated net income, excluding gains or losses on sales of property, of $0.85 to $0.87 per share, plus $0.96 to $0.97 per share of expected real estate depreciation and amortization, plus approximately $0.13 per share related to noncash items. AFFO per share is sensitive to the timing and amount of real estate acquisitions, property dispositions and capital markets activities during the year, as well as to the spread achieved between the lease rates on new acquisitions and the interest rates on borrowings used to finance those acquisitions. The AFFO per share guidance is based on a weighted average initial cap rate on new acquisitions of 7.7% and target leverage in the range of 5½ to 6 times run-rate net debt to EBITDA.

Conference Call and Webcast

A conference call and audio webcast with analysts and investors will be held later today at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time / 9:00 a.m. Scottsdale, Arizona Time, to discuss second quarter ended June 30, 2021 operating results and answer questions.

Live conference call: 855-656-0920 (domestic) or 412-542-4168 (international)
Conference call replay available through August 19, 2021: 877-344-7529 (domestic) or 412-317-0088 (international)
Replay access code: 10158536
Live and archived webcast: https://ir.storecapital.com/news-results/webcasts/default.aspx

About STORE Capital

STORE Capital Corporation is an internally managed net-lease real estate investment trust, or REIT, that is a leader in the acquisition, investment and management of Single Tenant Operational Real Estate, which is its target market and the inspiration for its name. STORE Capital is one of the largest and fastest growing net-lease REITs and owns a large, well-diversified portfolio that consists of investments in more than 2,700 property locations across the United States, substantially all of which are profit centers. Additional information about STORE Capital can be found on its website at www.storecapital.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are subject to the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seek,” “approximate” or “plan,” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, involve estimates, projections, goals, forecasts and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. For more information on risk factors for STORE Capital’s business, please refer to the periodic reports the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Many of the risks identified in the periodic reports have been and will continue to be heightened as a result of the ongoing and numerous adverse effects arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. These forward-looking statements herein speak only as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as predictions of future events. STORE Capital expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, to reflect any change in STORE Capital’s expectations with regard thereto, or any other change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

FFO and AFFO

STORE Capital’s reported results are presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. The Company also discloses Funds from Operations, or FFO, and Adjusted Funds from Operations, or AFFO, both of which are non‑GAAP measures. Management believes these two non‑GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they are widely accepted industry measures used by analysts and investors to compare the operating performance of REITs. FFO and AFFO do not represent cash generated from operating activities and are not necessarily indicative of cash available to fund cash requirements; accordingly, they should not be considered alternatives to net income as a performance measure or to cash flows from operations as reported on a statement of cash flows as a liquidity measure and should be considered in addition to, and not in lieu of, GAAP financial measures.

The Company computes FFO in accordance with the definition adopted by the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or NAREIT. NAREIT defines FFO as GAAP net income, excluding gains (or losses) from extraordinary items and sales of depreciable property, real estate impairment losses, and depreciation and amortization expense from real estate assets, including the pro rata share of such adjustments of unconsolidated subsidiaries.

To derive AFFO, the Company modifies the NAREIT computation of FFO to include other adjustments to GAAP net income related to certain revenues and expenses that have no impact on the Company’s long-term operating performance, such as straight-line rents, amortization of deferred financing costs and stock-based compensation. In addition, in deriving AFFO, the Company excludes certain other costs not related to its ongoing operations, such as the amortization of lease-related intangibles.

FFO is used by management, investors and analysts to facilitate meaningful comparisons of operating performance between periods and among the Company’s peers primarily because it excludes the effect of real estate depreciation and amortization and net gains (or losses) on sales, which are based on historical costs and implicitly assume that the value of real estate diminishes predictably over time, rather than fluctuating based on existing market conditions. Management believes that AFFO provides more useful information to investors and analysts because it modifies FFO to exclude certain additional revenues and expenses such as straight-line rents, including construction period rent deferrals, and the amortization of deferred financing costs, stock-based compensation and lease-related intangibles as such items have no impact on long-term operating performance. As a result, the Company believes AFFO to be a more meaningful measurement of ongoing performance that allows for greater performance comparability. Therefore, the Company discloses both FFO and AFFO and reconciles them to the most appropriate GAAP performance metric, which is net income. STORE Capital’s FFO and AFFO may not be comparable to similarly titled measures employed by other companies.

STORE Capital Corporation
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(In thousands, except share and per share data)

	Three months ended					Six months ended
	June 30,					June 30,
	2021			2020		2021			2020
	(unaudited)					(unaudited)
Revenues:
Rental revenues	$	180,164		$	155,994	$	349,492		$	319,344
Interest income on loans and financing receivables		11,660			11,871		24,223			23,353
Other income		222			415		592			3,480
Total revenues		192,046			168,280		374,307			346,177

Expenses:
Interest		41,709			44,032		83,537			85,726
Property costs		5,168			5,290		9,831			11,294
General and administrative		16,089			13,134		41,095			21,013
Depreciation and amortization		65,035			60,296		128,602			119,634
Provisions for impairment		6,600			5,300		13,950			8,200
Total expenses		134,601			128,052		277,015			245,867
Other income:
Net gain on dispositions of real estate		5,880			531		21,550			3,277
Loss from non-real estate, equity method investment		(705	)		—		(1,068	)		—
Income before income taxes		62,620			40,759		117,774			103,587
Income tax expense		189			159		383			327
Net income	$	62,431		$	40,600	$	117,391		$	103,260

Net income per share of common stock – basic and diluted:	$	0.23		$	0.16	$	0.44		$	0.42


Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic		270,293,555			248,265,906		268,340,974			245,810,696
Diluted		270,293,555			248,265,906		268,340,974			245,810,696

Dividends declared per common share	$	0.36		$	0.35	$	0.72		$	0.70