Macerich(US:MAC)2025-05-12 18:02Financial 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]