Same-center NOI increased 3.6% over the prior-year period

CBL Properties (NYSE: CBL) announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024. Results of operations as reported in the consolidated financial statements for these periods are prepared in accordance with GAAP. A description of each supplemental non-GAAP financial measure and the related reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure is located at the end of this news release.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• CBL reported an increase in same-center NOI of 3.6% for first quarter 2024 compared with the prior-year period, and FFO, as adjusted, per share of $1.50, compared with $1.56 for first quarter 2023. Results were in-line with the previously issued guidance range for 2024 same-center NOI in the range of $428 million - $442 million and after adjusting for year-to-date share repurchase activity, 2024 FFO, as adjusted, per share guidance in the range of $6.24 - $6.69.
• Over 1.1 million square feet of leases were executed in first quarter 2024. First quarter 2024 leasing results included comparable leases of approximately 775,000 square feet signed at a 10.2% increase in average rents versus the prior leases.
• Portfolio occupancy was 89.4% as of March 31, 2024, a 50 basis point decline compared with portfolio occupancy of 89.9% as of March 31, 2023. Same-center occupancy for malls, lifestyle centers and outlet centers was 87.7% as of March 31, 2024, a 50-basis-point decline from 88.2% as of March 31, 2023.
• Same-center tenant sales per square foot for the first quarter 2024 increased 0.2%, a reversal of previous sales trends. Same-center tenant sales per square foot for the 12-months ended March 31, 2024, declined 3.7% to $417, compared with $433 for the prior period.
• As of March 31, 2024, the Company had $295.3 million of unrestricted cash and marketable securities.
• More than $9.1 million in share repurchases completed year-to-date, continuing CBL's commitment to return capital to shareholders.
• CBL's Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.40 per common share for the quarter ending June 30, 2024. The dividend equates to an annual dividend payment of $1.60 per common share.

“As demonstrated by first quarter results, CBL is off to a solid start in 2024," said CBL's chief executive officer, Stephen D. Lebovitz. "We are pleased with the strong 3.6% growth in same-center NOI for the quarter. This growth reflects the improving fundamentals and overall quality of the CBL portfolio. NOI results also include the realization of a multi-year effort to reduce real estate taxes in certain markets, which was anticipated in our original guidance provided last quarter. In addition, results benefited from lower third-party contract expense related to the new contracts signed in third quarter 2023. Maintenance and repair expense was also lower in the quarter, primarily due to timing of projects which are expected to occur later in the year.

“Leasing volumes remained strong this quarter as we signed more than 220,000-square-feet of new leases, highlighted by new locations for Barnes & Noble's in-line mall concept, fast-growing global lifestyle retailer MINISO, Five Below, and food court stores for Popeye's. Comparable leasing spreads were notably up more than 10% as we replaced several spaces with below market prior rents. While we are pleased with this quarter’s leasing spreads, we anticipate experiencing some pressure going forward due to certain national tenants with higher occupancy costs. We were encouraged to see portfolio tenant sales improve modestly during the quarter. Although occupancy declined modestly in the quarter, the overall tenant environment is healthy, and we remain focused on capitalizing on tenant demand for new locations across the portfolio to generate occupancy growth.

"Interest rate volatility and its impact on the overall financing market remains a concern; however, we are benefiting from our well-laddered maturity schedule with only three major loan maturities in 2024. Financing plans for all three are actively in process. We are also exploring various avenues, including potential sales of term loan properties, to meet our term loan extension test in 2025 while minimizing use of our corporate cash reserve.

"Our focus through the remainder of the year is to build on the strong momentum generated in the first quarter while working to improve our debt maturity profile and grow our strong cash position."

Same-center Net Operating Income (“NOI”) ⁽¹⁾:

Same-center NOI for the first quarter 2024 increased $3.8 million. First quarter 2024 results included a $3.9 million benefit to real estate tax expense related to reduced assessments and refunds received from successful appeals, net of related reimbursement amounts due to tenants. Operating and maintenance and repair expenses were approximately $2.2 million lower related to timing of maintenance and repair projects as well as lower third-party contract expense. Insurance expense rose $0.3 million in the quarter. The estimate for uncollectible revenues negatively impacted the quarter by approximately $2.2 million. Percentage rents declined $0.3 million due to lower tenant sales.

PORTFOLIO OPERATIONAL RESULTS

Occupancy⁽¹⁾:

New and Renewal Leasing Activity of Same Small Shop Space Less Than 10,000 Square Feet:

Same-Center Sales Per Square Foot for In-line Tenants 10,000 Square Feet or Less:

DIVIDEND

On May 8, 2024, CBL’s Board of Directors declared CBL's regular quarterly cash dividend for the three months ended June 30, 2024, of $0.40 per share. The dividend, which equates to an annual dividend payment of $1.60 per share, is payable on June 28, 2024, to shareholders of record as of June 13, 2024.

FINANCING ACTIVITY

In February 2024, CBL retired the $15.3 million recourse loan secured by Brookfield Square Anchor Redevelopment in Brookfield, WI.

CBL is cooperating with the foreclosure or conveyance of WestGate Mall in Spartanburg, SC, ($28.7 million) and Alamance Crossing East in Burlington, NC, ($41.1 million).

STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM ACTIVITY

On August 10, 2023, CBL announced that its Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program for the Company to buy up to $25.0 million of its common stock. Purchases may be made through the program by August 10, 2024. Since commencement, CBL has repurchased 452,910 shares at an average price of $22.54 per share under the program including 400,944 shares repurchased year-to-date at an average price of $22.70 per share.

DISPOSITIONS

During the first quarter, CBL completed the sale of two land parcels, generating more than $7.7 million in gross proceeds at CBL's share.

DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY

Detailed project information is available in CBL’s Financial Supplement for Q1 2024, which can be found in the Invest – Financial Reports section of CBL’s website at cblproperties.com.

OUTLOOK AND GUIDANCE

Based on first quarter 2024 results, including any anticipated impact from the bankruptcy filings of Express and rue21, and Management's expectations for the remainder of 2024, CBL is reiterating the following guidance for FFO, as adjusted, and same-center NOI for full-year 2024. Per share amounts have been adjusted to reflect the impact of year-to-date share repurchase activity. Guidance excludes the impact of any unannounced transactions.

Reconciliation of GAAP Earnings Per Share to 2024 FFO, as Adjusted, Per Share:

2024 Estimate of Capital Items (in millions):

ABOUT CBL PROPERTIES

Headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, CBL Properties owns and manages a national portfolio of market-dominant properties located in dynamic and growing communities. CBL’s owned and managed portfolio is comprised of 94 properties totaling more than 58.5 million square feet across 22 states, including 56 high-quality enclosed malls, outlet centers and lifestyle retail centers as well as more than 30 open-air centers and other assets. CBL seeks to continuously strengthen its company and portfolio through active management, aggressive leasing and profitable reinvestment in its properties. For more information visit cblproperties.com.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

Funds From Operations

FFO is a widely used non-GAAP measure of the operating performance of real estate companies that supplements net income (loss) determined in accordance with GAAP. The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT") defines FFO as net income (loss) (computed in accordance with GAAP) excluding gains or losses on sales of depreciable operating properties and impairment losses of depreciable properties, plus depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures and noncontrolling interests. Adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures and noncontrolling interests are calculated on the same basis. We define FFO as defined above by NAREIT. The Company’s method of calculating FFO may be different from methods used by other REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such other REITs.

The Company believes that FFO provides an additional indicator of the operating performance of its properties without giving effect to real estate depreciation and amortization, which assumes the value of real estate assets declines predictably over time. Since values of well-maintained real estate assets have historically risen with market conditions, the Company believes that FFO enhances investors’ understanding of its operating performance. The use of FFO as an indicator of financial performance is influenced not only by the operations of the Company’s properties and interest rates, but also by its capital structure.

The Company believes FFO allocable to Operating Partnership common unitholders is a useful performance measure since it conducts substantially all of its business through its Operating Partnership and, therefore, it reflects the performance of the properties in absolute terms regardless of the ratio of ownership interests of the Company’s common shareholders and the noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership.

In the reconciliation of net income (loss) attributable to the Company’s common shareholders to FFO allocable to Operating Partnership common unitholders, located in this earnings release, the Company makes an adjustment to add back noncontrolling interest in income (loss) of its Operating Partnership in order to arrive at FFO of the Operating Partnership common unitholders.

FFO does not represent cash flows from operations as defined by GAAP, is not necessarily indicative of cash available to fund all cash flow needs and should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) for purposes of evaluating the Company’s operating performance or to cash flow as a measure of liquidity.

The Company believes that it is important to identify the impact of certain significant items on its FFO measures for a reader to have a complete understanding of the Company’s results of operations. Therefore, the Company has also presented adjusted FFO measures excluding these items from the applicable periods. Please refer to the reconciliation of net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders to FFO allocable to Operating Partnership common unitholders on page 8 of this news release for a description of these adjustments.

Same-center Net Operating Income

NOI is a supplemental non-GAAP measure of the operating performance of the Company’s shopping centers and other properties. The Company defines NOI as property operating revenues (rental revenues, tenant reimbursements and other income) less property operating expenses (property operating, real estate taxes and maintenance and repairs).

The Company computes NOI based on the Operating Partnership’s pro rata share of both consolidated and unconsolidated properties. The Company believes that presenting NOI and same-center NOI (described below) based on its Operating Partnership’s pro rata share of both consolidated and unconsolidated properties is useful since the Company conducts substantially all of its business through its Operating Partnership and, therefore, it reflects the performance of the properties in absolute terms regardless of the ratio of ownership interests of the Company’s common shareholders and the noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership. The Company's definition of NOI may be different than that used by other companies and, accordingly, the Company's calculation of NOI may not be comparable to that of other companies.

Since NOI includes only those revenues and expenses related to the operations of the Company’s shopping center properties, the Company believes that same-center NOI provides a measure that reflects trends in occupancy rates, rental rates, sales at the malls and operating costs and the impact of those trends on the Company’s results of operations. The Company’s calculation of same-center NOI excludes lease termination income, straight-line rent adjustments, amortization of above and below market lease intangibles and write-off of landlord inducement assets in order to enhance the comparability of results from one period to another. A reconciliation of same-center NOI to net income (loss) is located at the end of this earnings release.

Pro Rata Share of Debt

The Company presents debt based on the carrying value of its pro rata ownership share (including the carrying value of the Company’s pro rata share of unconsolidated affiliates and excluding noncontrolling interests’ share of consolidated properties) because it believes this provides investors a clearer understanding of the Company’s total debt obligations which affect the Company’s liquidity. A reconciliation of the Company’s pro rata share of debt to the amount of debt on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet is located at the end of this earnings release.

Information included herein contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Such statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which cannot be predicted with accuracy and some of which might not even be anticipated. Future events and actual events, financial and otherwise, may differ materially from the events and results discussed in the forward-looking statements. The reader is directed to the Company’s various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included therein, for a discussion of such risks and uncertainties.

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