The Macerich Company (MAC) Q2 2025 Earnings Call August 11, 2025 05:00 PM ET Company ParticipantsSamantha Greening - AVP - Investor RelationsJackson Hsieh - President, CEO & DirectorDoug Healey - Senior EVP - LeasingDan Swanstrom - Senior EVP, CFO & TreasurerKi Bin Kim - MD - US REIT Equity ResearchMichael Griffin - DirectorJeffrey Spector - Managing DirectorFloris van Dijkum - MD & Equity ResearchBrad Miller - SVP - Asset ManagementVince Tibone - Managing Director and Head of US Industrial & Mall ResearchR ...

The Macerich Company (MAC) Q2 2025 Earnings Call August 11, 2025 05:00 PM ET Speaker0Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Second Quarter twenty twenty five Macerich Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. After the speakers' presentation, there will be a question and answer session. To ask a question during the session, you will need to press 11 on your telephone.You will then hear an automated message advising your hand is raised. To wi ...

Core Viewpoint - The Macerich Company has announced the acquisition of Crabtree Mall for $290 million, which is expected to yield an initial return of approximately 11% and is aligned with the company's Path Forward Plan aimed at enhancing operational performance and asset value [1][2][3]. Acquisition Details - The acquisition involves Crabtree Mall, a Class A retail center in Raleigh, NC, covering approximately 1.3 million square feet [1]. - The expected initial yield on the acquisition is around 11%, with a potential yield of approximately 12.5% when considering current leases that will commence in 2027 [2]. - A strategic investment plan of about $60 million is planned for redevelopment and leasing to maximize the mall's performance from 2025 to 2028 [2]. Financial Strategy - The acquisition was funded using cash on hand and $100 million borrowed from a revolving line of credit, with plans to repay this borrowing within 30 days using proceeds from a $160 million two-year term loan [3]. - The financing strategy is designed to maintain the company's de-leveraging targets under the Path Forward Plan [3]. Market Position and Growth Potential - Crabtree Mall is positioned in the high-growth Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA, which is recognized for its innovation and wealth, anchored by the Research Triangle Park [4]. - The mall features over 200 stores and generates $429 million in annual sales, with a sales per square foot of $951 and over 8.7 million annual visitors [6]. Company Overview - Macerich is a self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on high-quality retail properties in densely populated U.S. markets, owning 41 million square feet of real estate across 38 retail centers [7]. - The company has been recognized for its sustainability efforts, achieving a 1 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark ranking for the North American retail sector for ten consecutive years [8].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - FFO excluding financing expenses was approximately $87 million or $0.33 per share for Q1 2025, compared to $75 million or $0.33 per share for Q1 2024, driven by higher leasing revenues [32] - Same center NOI, excluding lease termination income, increased by 0.9% year-over-year, while excluding Eddy assets, it increased by 2.4% [34] - Net debt to EBITDA at the end of Q1 was 7.9 times, nearly a full turn lower than at the outset of the path forward plan [36] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q1 2025, the company signed 2.6 million square feet of leases, including 2.3 million square feet of renewals, more than double the leases signed in Q1 2024 [12] - Trailing twelve-month leasing spreads were 10.9%, up from 8.8% in the previous quarter, marking 14 consecutive quarters of positive leasing spreads [22] - New deal completion percentage reached 60%, up from 39% last quarter, with a target of 70% by year-end 2025 [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Portfolio sales at the end of Q1 were $837 per square foot, flat compared to Q4 2024, but $928 per square foot when excluding Eddy properties, which is an increase of $13 [21] - Traffic for the year increased by 2% compared to the same period in 2024 [21] - Occupancy in Q1 was 92.6%, down from 94.1% in Q4 2024, primarily due to the decrease in temporary holiday stores [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on executing its path forward plan, which aims to simplify the business, improve operational performance, and reduce leverage [6] - A new structure has been implemented to streamline leasing teams and enhance collaboration across departments [9] - The company is targeting $2 billion in asset sales and loan givebacks to strengthen its balance sheet [17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the leasing progress and the overall execution of the path forward plan, indicating that they are ahead of schedule [6][19] - Minimal impact from tariffs has been observed, with retailers continuing to honor their leases [15][44] - Future same store NOI growth is expected to be in the 3% to 4% range for 2026, with higher growth anticipated in 2027 and 2028 [62] Other Important Information - The company has completed $1.1 billion in dispositions to date and is on track to achieve its $2 billion target [39] - The redevelopment of Green Acres is set to begin, with strong demand and pre-leasing activity [30] - The company anticipates realizing approximately $25 million from its current $80 million signed not open (SNO) pipeline in 2025 [29] Q&A Session Summary Question: Potential upside on leasing due to recent news - Management noted minimal pullback from tenants and strong leasing metrics, indicating no significant change in upside [44][45] Question: Clarification on SNO pipeline - The $80 million SNO pipeline is incremental over revenue from 2024, with $25 million expected to be realized in 2025 [46] Question: CapEx spending trends - Spending on leases is trending slightly higher than initially envisioned, with major uplifts in FFO and EBITDA expected in 2027 and 2028 [50][51] Question: Success of new deals - The new organizational structure has contributed to a significant increase in new leasing activity, with a focus on high-quality tenants [53][54] Question: Same store NOI growth expectations - Management expects same store NOI to grow in the 3% to 4% range for 2026, with higher growth in subsequent years [62] Question: Clarification on renewal leasing spread statistics - The renewal spread statistics reflect different metrics, with the 1% figure being more appropriate for same space renewals [88][90] Question: Details on same store revenues and expenses - Operating expenses increased, but revenue generation offset these increases, with further details expected in future disclosures [97][99]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - FFO excluding certain expenses was approximately $87 million or $0.33 per share for Q1 2025, compared to approximately $75 million or $0.33 per share for Q1 2024, driven by higher leasing revenues [31][32] - Same center NOI, excluding lease termination income, increased by 0.9% year-over-year, while excluding Eddy assets, it increased by 2.4% [33] - Net debt to EBITDA at the end of Q1 was 7.9 times, nearly a full turn lower than at the outset of the path forward plan [35] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q1 2025, the company signed 2.6 million square feet of leases, including 2.3 million square feet of renewals, more than double the leases signed in Q1 2024 [11][21] - Trailing twelve-month leasing spreads were 10.9%, up from 8.8% last quarter, marking 14 consecutive quarters of positive leasing spreads [20] - The leasing speedometer indicated a completion percentage of 60% for new deals, up from 39% last quarter [13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Portfolio sales at the end of Q1 were $837 per square foot, flat compared to Q4 2024, but $928 per square foot when excluding Eddy properties, which is up $13 from the last quarter [19] - Traffic for the year increased by 2% compared to the same period in 2024 [19] - Occupancy in Q1 was 92.6%, down from 94.1% in Q4 2024, primarily due to a decrease in temporary holiday stores [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on executing its path forward plan, which aims to simplify the business, improve operational performance, and reduce leverage [5][7] - The leasing dashboard, referred to as the leasing speedometer, has been implemented to drive leasing and capital allocation decisions [8] - The company anticipates reaching a mid-2026 inflection point, indicating substantial completion of its plan [6][10] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the leasing progress and the overall execution of the path forward plan, stating that they are ahead of schedule [5][15] - Minimal impact from tariffs has been observed, with retailers continuing to honor their leases [14][42] - The company expects same store NOI growth in the 3% to 4% range for 2026, with significantly higher growth anticipated in 2027 and 2028 [61] Other Important Information - The company has made substantial progress on asset sales, with total dispositions reaching approximately $1.1 billion, and has identified additional assets totaling up to $400 million for sale or giveback [38][39] - The redevelopment and expansion of Green Acres is set to begin, addressing 370,000 square feet of vacant space [29] Q&A Session Summary Question: Potential upside on leasing due to recent news - Management noted minimal pullback from tenants regarding leasing, indicating strong retailer sentiment and confidence in the leasing metrics [41][42] Question: Clarification on the SNO pipeline - The $80 million SNO pipeline is incremental over revenue generated from 2024, with $25 million expected to be realized in 2025 [44] Question: Spending on leases and guidance reinstatement - Current spending on leases is slightly more than initially envisioned, with expectations for major uplifts in FFO and EBITDA in 2027 and 2028 [47][48] Question: Success of new deals and organizational structure - The consolidation of leasing teams has led to increased leasing activity, with a strong pipeline of new deals and a focus on high-quality spaces [52][53] Question: Same store NOI growth expectations - Management expects same store NOI growth of 3% to 4% in 2026, with higher growth anticipated in subsequent years [61] Question: Clarification on renewal leasing spread statistics - The renewal spread statistics include temporary spaces and are reflective of the exact same space, leading to differences in reported metrics [85][86] Question: Impact of tariffs on asset sales - Management indicated that tariffs have not significantly impacted asset sales, with positive demand and pricing for outparcels and other assets [110][111]