Welltower(WELL) - 2025 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported approximately 19% growth in FFO per share, raising the midpoint of full year FFO guidance by $0.10 to $4.97 [3][25] - Net income attributable to common stockholders was $0.40 per diluted share, with normalized funds from operations (FFO) at $1.2 per diluted share, representing 18.8% year-over-year growth [25][30] - Total portfolio same store NOI growth was 12.9% year-over-year [25][30] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The seniors housing operating business reported a same store NOI growth of 21.7% [12][13] - Same store revenue growth for the senior housing operating portfolio was 9.6%, driven by 400 basis points of occupancy growth and nearly 6% RevPAR growth [14][25] - The outpatient medical segment posted 2.7% year-over-year same store NOI growth, with same store occupancy at 94.5% [12][13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue growth was consistent across regions, with the U.S. at 9.8%, the UK at 9.3%, and Canada at 8.3% [14] - The company achieved nearly 300 basis points of year-over-year margin expansion, with revenue growth outpacing unit expense growth [14][25] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company launched a private fund management business and advanced its proprietary Welltower business system [4] - The focus is on augmenting growth through market share gains with best-in-class operating partners and enhancing operational efficiency [6][12] - The company aims to maintain a strong balance sheet and liquidity to navigate macroeconomic uncertainties while capitalizing on investment opportunities [11][36] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the demand-supply backdrop for the senior living sector, anticipating a multi-year period of attractive growth despite macroeconomic uncertainties [6][7] - The company is cautious about rising macroeconomic risks, particularly as it approaches the summer leasing season [6][34] - Management emphasized the importance of operational excellence and the resilience of the need-based private pay nature of their product [15][36] Other Important Information - The company completed $2,660,000,000 of new investments in the first quarter, surpassing the total acquisition volume for all of last year [17] - The company received credit upgrades from S&P and Moody's, reflecting its strong balance sheet and improved risk profile [28][29] Q&A Session Summary Question: How does the business system overlay impact margins and CapEx control? - Management highlighted that the Welltower Business System aims to streamline operations and minimize friction, which could lead to significant margin expansion [40][44] Question: Can you elaborate on the data science platform's impact on transaction velocity? - The proprietary platform allows for a neighborhood-level view of assets, significantly reducing the time to provide initial pricing feedback and close deals [48][50] Question: How does the company view sustained growth given its current size? - Management believes that as an operating company, growth can be positively correlated with size due to network effects and data capture [58][60] Question: What are the long-term expectations for occupancy growth? - Management expects a long journey towards higher occupancy levels, with current performance indicating positive trends [70][72] Question: How does the company plan to navigate potential economic disruptions? - Management is optimistic about the business's resilience and believes it will perform better than other real estate sectors during economic downturns [78][80]