Sun Communities Reports 2025 First Quarter Results; Announces Completion of Safe Harbor Sale

Core Insights - Sun Communities, Inc. reported a net loss of $23.1 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025, an improvement from a net loss of $36.7 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, in the same period of 2024 [3] - The company completed the sale of its Safe Harbor Marinas business for net pre-tax cash proceeds of $5.25 billion, which is part of a strategy to reduce leverage and enhance financial flexibility [5][12] - Core Funds from Operations (Core FFO) per share for the quarter was $1.26, up from $1.19 in the same quarter of 2024 [7] Financial Performance - The North America Same Property Net Operating Income (NOI) for manufactured housing (MH) and recreational vehicle (RV) increased by $9.6 million, or 4.6%, year-over-year [7] - The adjusted blended occupancy for MH and RV in North America rose to 99.0%, a 150 basis point increase from the previous year [9] - The company expects Core FFO per share for 2025 to be in the range of $6.43 to $6.63, with North American Same Property NOI growth projected at 3.5% to 5.2% [18] Distributions and Shareholder Returns - A special cash distribution of $4.00 per share was announced, totaling approximately $520 million, payable on May 22, 2025 [16] - The quarterly distribution is set to increase by 10.6% in 2025, reaching $1.04 per share [16] - The company has authorized a stock repurchase program of up to $1.0 billion [17] Operational Highlights - The company’s portfolio included 502 properties with approximately 174,850 developed sites as of March 31, 2025 [32] - The occupancy rate for MH and annual RV sites was 98.0% as of March 31, 2025, compared to 97.5% a year earlier [8] - The company is focused on enhancing operational efficiencies and revenue-driving strategies, particularly in the manufactured housing sector [5] Balance Sheet and Capital Structure - As of March 31, 2025, the company had $7.4 billion in debt with a weighted average interest rate of 4.1% [11] - The net debt to trailing twelve-month recurring EBITDA ratio was 5.9 times [11] - The company has begun using proceeds from the Safe Harbor sale for debt reduction and reinvestment in its core portfolio [12][13]