Exhibit 99.1

 

SAUL CENTERS, INC.

7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1500, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-6522

(301) 986-6200

 

Saul Centers, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2004 Earnings

 

November 2, 2004, Bethesda, MD.

 

Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE: BFS), an equity real estate investment trust (REIT), announced its third quarter operating results. Total revenues for the quarter ended September 30, 2004 increased 17.8% to $29,044,000 compared to $24,659,000 for the 2003 quarter. Operating income before gain on property sale, minority interests and preferred stock dividends increased 25.0% to $8,793,000 compared to $7,035,000 for the comparable 2003 quarter. After preferred stock dividends and a $572,000 property sale gain resulting from the State of Maryland’s condemnation of a small strip of unimproved land for a road widening project at White Oak shopping center, the Company reported net income available to common stockholders of $5,355,000 or $0.33 per share for the 2004 quarter, a per share increase of 3.1% compared to net income available to common stockholders of $5,012,000 or $0.32 per share for the 2003 quarter (basic & diluted).

 

Overall same property revenues for the total portfolio increased 5.5% for the 2004 third quarter compared to the same quarter in 2003 and same property operating income increased 5.6%. The same property comparisons exclude the results of operations of properties not in operation for each of the comparable reporting periods. Operating income is calculated as total revenue less property operating expenses, provision for credit losses and real estate taxes. Same center operating income in the shopping center portfolio increased 3.8% for the 2004 third quarter, due primarily to new leasing resulting from minor redevelopments at Thruway and Southdale. Same property operating income in the office portfolio grew 9.3% for the 2004 quarter, due primarily to the completion of lease-up of space, vacant during a portion of 2003, at 601 Pennsylvania Avenue. Excluding the impact of 601 Pennsylvania Avenue, overall portfolio same property growth was 3.5% for the 2004 quarter.

 

For the nine month period ended September 30, 2004, total revenues increased 16.1% to $83,273,000 compared to $71,755,000 for the 2003 period. Operating income before gain on property sale, minority interests and preferred stock dividends increased 29.9% to $25,451,000 compared to $19,590,000 for the comparable 2003 period. After preferred stock dividends and

 

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the third quarter property sale gain, net income available to common stockholders was $13,946,000 or $.86 per fully diluted share for the 2004 period, a per share decrease of 1.1% compared to net income available to common stockholders of $13,527,000 or $0.87 per fully diluted share for the 2003 period. Overall same property revenues for the total portfolio increased 4.9% for the 2004 nine month period compared to the same period in 2003 and same property operating income increased 5.8%. The shopping center portfolio same center operating income increased 3.9% and the office portfolio grew 10.0%. Excluding the impact of 601 Pennsylvania Avenue, overall portfolio same property operating income growth was 2.7% for the 2004 period.

 

As of September 30, 2004, 94.2% of the portfolio was leased, compared to 93.8% a year earlier. On a same property basis, 94.8% of the portfolio was leased, compared to the prior year level of 94.4%. The comparative increase in the 2004 same property leasing percentage is largely attributable to the leasing of approximately 31,000 square feet of office space at two Washington DC office properties, 601 Pennsylvania Avenue (20,000 square feet) and Van Ness Square (11,000 square feet).

 

Funds From Operations (FFO) available to common shareholders (after deducting preferred stock dividends), increased 6.2% to $12,304,000 in the 2004 third quarter compared to $11,584,000 for the same quarter in 2003. The $720,000 increase in FFO available to common shareholders in the 2004 quarter resulted from the combination of (1) increased operating income from retail acquisition and development properties and (2) successful leasing efforts in the core portfolio, primarily at 601 Pennsylvania Avenue; offset in part by the payment of $2,000,000 in preferred dividends relating to the November 2003 offering. On a fully diluted per share basis, FFO available to common shareholders increased 3.6% to $.57 per share in 2004 compared to $.55 for the 2003 quarter. FFO available to common shareholders for the 2004 nine month period increased by $2,481,000 (7.6%) to $34,947,000. Fully diluted per share FFO available to common shareholders increased 4.5% to $1.64 per share in 2004 compared to $1.57 for the 2003 period. FFO, a widely accepted non-GAAP financial measure of operating performance for real estate investment trusts, is defined as net income, plus minority interests, extraordinary items and real estate depreciation and amortization, excluding gains and losses from property sales.

 

Saul Centers is a self-managed, self-administered equity real estate investment trust headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Saul Centers currently operates and manages a real estate portfolio of 39 community and neighborhood shopping center and office properties totaling approximately 7.1 million square feet of leasable area. Over 80% of the Company’s cash flow is generated from properties in the metropolitan Washington, DC/Baltimore area.

 

Contact:

  

Scott V. Schneider

    

(301) 986-6220

 

LOGO

www.SaulCenters.com


Saul Centers, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

($ in thousands)

 

    

September 30,

2004


   

December 31,

2003


 
     (Unaudited)        

Assets

                

Real estate investments

                

Land

   $ 109,153     $ 82,256  

Buildings

     500,351       436,371  

Construction in progress

     57,330       33,488  
    


 


       666,834       552,115  

Accumulated depreciation

     (176,848 )     (164,823 )
    


 


       489,986       387,292  

Cash and cash equivalents

     21,785       45,244  

Accounts receivable and accrued income, net

     18,394       14,642  

Lease acquisition costs, net

     18,571       15,344  

Prepaid expenses

     3,072       3,633  

Deferred debt costs, net

     4,982       4,224  

Other assets

     3,339       1,237  
    


 


Total assets

   $ 560,129     $ 471,616  
    


 


Liabilities

                

Mortgage notes payable

   $ 429,498     $ 357,248  

Dividends and distributions payable

     10,371       9,454  

Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities

     16,667       7,793  

Deferred income

     4,716       4,478  
    


 


Total liabilities

     461,252       378,973  
    


 


Stockholders’ Equity

                

Preferred stock

     100,000       100,000  

Common stock

     163       159  

Additional paid in capital

     102,630       91,469  

Accumulated deficit

     (103,916 )     (98,985 )
    


 


Total stockholders’ equity

     98,877       92,643  
    


 


Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 560,129     $ 471,616  
    


 



Saul Centers, Inc.

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

 

     Three Months Ended
September 30,


    Nine Months Ended
September 30,


 
     2004

    2003

    2004

    2003

 

Revenue

                                

Base rent

   $ 23,324     $ 19,751     $ 67,351     $ 57,733  

Expense Recoveries

     4,448       3,303       12,360       10,473  

Percentage Rent

     440       438       1,144       1,102  

Other

     832       1,167       2,418       2,447  
    


 


 


 


Total revenue

     29,044       24,659       83,273       71,755  
    


 


 


 


Operating Expenses

                                

Property operating expenses

     3,186       2,653       8,948       8,261  

Provision for credit losses

     131       26       299       118  

Real estate taxes

     2,325       2,130       7,204       6,391  

Interest expense and deferred debt amortization

     7,008       6,767       19,908       20,124  

Depreciation and amortization

     5,511       4,549       15,496       12,876  

General and administrative

     2,090       1,499       5,967       4,395  
    


 


 


 


Total operating expenses

     20,251       17,624       57,822       52,165  
    


 


 


 


Operating Income

     8,793       7,035       25,451       19,590  

Gain on property disposition

     572       —         572       —    

Minority Interests

     (2,010 )     (2,023 )     (6,077 )     (6,063 )
    


 


 


 


Net Income

     7,355       5,012       19,946       13,527  

Preferred Dividends

     (2,000 )     —         (6,000 )     —    
    


 


 


 


Net Income Available to Common Stockholders

   $ 5,355     $ 5,012     $ 13,946     $ 13,527  
    


 


 


 


Per Share Amounts :

                                

Net income available to common stockholders

   $ 0.33     $ 0.32     $ 0.87     $ 0.87  
    


 


 


 


Net income available to common stockholders (fully diluted)

   $ 0.33     $ 0.32     $ 0.86     $ 0.87  
    


 


 


 


Weighted average common stock outstanding :

                                

Common stock

     16,227       15,683       16,088       15,516  

Effect of dilutive options

     68       16       42       14  
    


 


 


 


Fully diluted weighted average common stock

     16,295       15,699       16,130       15,530  
    


 


 


 



Saul Centers, Inc.

 

Supplemental Information

(Unaudited)

 

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

 

     Three Months Ended
September 30,


    Nine Months Ended
September 30,


 
     2004

    2003

    2004

    2003

 

Reconciliation of Net Income to Funds From Operations (FFO) (1)

                                

Net Income

   $ 7,355     $ 5,012     $ 19,946     $ 13,527  

Less: Gain on sale of property

     (572 )     —         (572 )     —    

Add: Real property depreciation & amortization

     5,511       4,549       15,496       12,876  

Add: Minority Interests

     2,010       2,023       6,077       6,063  
    


 


 


 


FFO

     14,304       11,584       40,947       32,466  

Less: Preferred dividends

     (2,000 )     —         (6,000 )     —    
    


 


 


 


FFO available to common shareholders

   $ 12,304     $ 11,584     $ 34,947     $ 32,466  
    


 


 


 


Weighted average shares outstanding :

                                

Fully diluted weighted average common stock

     16,295       15,699       16,130       15,530  

Convertible limited partnership units

     5,196       5,184       5,193       5,181  
    


 


 


 


Fully diluted & converted weighted average shares

     21,491       20,883       21,323       20,711  
    


 


 


 


Per Share Amounts:

                                

FFO available to common shareholders

   $ 0.57     $ 0.55     $ 1.64     $ 1.57  
    


 


 


 


Reconciliation of Net Income to Same Property Operating Income

                                

Net Income

   $ 7,355     $ 5,012     $ 19,946     $ 13,527  

Add: Interest expense and deferred debt amortization

     7,008       6,767       19,908       20,124  

Add: Depreciation and amortization

     5,511       4,549       15,496       12,876  

Add: General and administrative

     2,090       1,499       5,967       4,395  

Less: Gain on property disposition

     (572 )     —         (572 )     —    

Less: Interest income

     (70 )     (6 )     (176 )     (39 )

Add: Minority Interests

     2,010       2,023       6,077       6,063  
    


 


 


 


Property operating income

     23,332       19,844       66,646       56,946  

Less: Acquisitions & developments

     (2,858 )     (448 )     (6,850 )     (448 )
    


 


 


 


Total same property operating income

   $ 20,474     $ 19,396     $ 59,796     $ 56,498  
    


 


 


 


Total Shopping Centers

   $ 13,668     $ 13,171     $ 39,982     $ 38,482  

Total Office Properties

     6,806       6,225       19,814       18,016  
    


 


 


 


Total same property operating income

   $ 20,474     $ 19,396     $ 59,796     $ 56,498  
    


 


 


 



(1) FFO is a widely accepted non-GAAP financial measure of operating performance of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). FFO is defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts as net income, computed in accordance with GAAP, plus minority interests, extraordinary items and real estate depreciation and amortization, excluding gains or losses from property sales. FFO does not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP and is not necessarily indicative of cash available to fund cash needs, which is disclosed in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows in the Company’s SEC reports for the applicable periods. FFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income, its most directly comparable GAAP measure, as an indicator of the Company’s operating performance, or as an alternative to cash flows as a measure of liquidity. Management considers FFO a supplemental measure of operating performance and along with cash flow from operating activities, financing activities and investing activities, it provides investors with an indication of the ability of the Company to incur and service debt, to make capital expenditures and to fund other cash needs. FFO may not be comparable to similarly titled measures employed by other REITs.