Liberty Property Trust Reports Operating Results (10-K)

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Feb 24, 2012
Liberty Property Trust (LRY, Financial) filed Annual Report for the period ended 2011-12-31.

Liberty Ppty Tr has a market cap of $3.96 billion; its shares were traded at around $33.95 with a P/E ratio of 13.3 and P/S ratio of 5.9. The dividend yield of Liberty Ppty Tr stocks is 5.6%.

Highlight of Business Operations:

The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT") has issued a standard definition for Funds from operations (as defined below). The Securities and Exchange Commission has agreed to the disclosure of this non-GAAP financial measure on a per share basis in its Release No. 34-47226, Conditions for Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The Company believes that the calculation of Funds from operations is helpful to investors and management as it is a measure of the Company's operating performance that excludes depreciation and amortization and gains and losses from property dispositions. As a result, year over year comparison of Funds from operations reflects the impact on operations from trends in occupancy rates, rental rates, operating costs, development activities, general and administrative expenses, and interest costs, providing perspective not immediately apparent from net income. In addition, management believes that Funds from operations provides useful information to the investment community about the Company's financial performance when compared to other REITs since Funds from operations is generally recognized as the standard for reporting the operating performance of a REIT. Funds from operations available to common shareholders is defined by NAREIT as net income (computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP")), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, plus depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. Funds from operations available to common shareholders does not represent net income or cash flows from operations as defined by GAAP and does not necessarily indicate that cash flows will be sufficient to fund cash needs. It should not be considered as an alternative to net income as an indicator of the Company's operating performance or to cash flows as a measure of liquidity. Funds from operations available to common shareholders also does not represent cash flows generated from operating, investing or financing activities as defined by GAAP. Historically the Company included impairment charges in this computation. However, excluding impairment charges from the computation of Funds from operations is consistent with NAREIT's reaffirmation in November of 2011 of its July, 2000 guidance on NAREIT-defined Funds from Operations, which indicated that impairment write-downs of depreciable real estate should be excluded in the computation of Funds from operations. Accordingly, Funds from operations have been restated for prior periods. A reconciliation of Funds from operations to net income may be found in Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Total operating revenue increased to $667.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2011 from $657.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2010. This $10.6 million increase was primarily due to an increase in average gross investment in operating real estate. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in rental rates and termination fees, which totaled $3.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2011 as compared to $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2010. Termination Fees are fees that the Company agrees to accept in consideration for permitting certain tenants to terminate their leases prior to the contractual expiration date. Termination Fees are included in rental revenue and if a property is sold or held for sale, related termination fees are included in discontinued operations. See “Other” below.

Total operating revenue increased to $657.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2010 from $644.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2009. This $12.3 million increase was primarily due to the increase in investment in operating real estate and the increase in operating revenue from the "Prior Year Same Store" (as defined below) group of properties as well as an increase in Termination Fees, which totaled $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2010 as compared to $4.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2009. Termination Fees are included in rental revenue and if a property is sold or held for sale related termination fees are included in discontinued operations.

Income from discontinued operations decreased to $23.4 million from $48.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2010 compared to the year ended December 31, 2009. The decrease is due to lower operating income and a decrease in gains recognized on sales (net of impairment charges) which were $6.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2010 compared to $17.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2009. These decreases were partially offset by termination fees in discontinued operations which equaled $1.4 million in 2010 and $5.0 million in 2009.

The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”) has issued a standard definition for Funds from operations (as defined below). The SEC has agreed to the disclosure of this non-GAAP financial measure on a per share basis in its Release No. 34-47226, Conditions for Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The Company believes that the calculation of Funds from operations is helpful to investors and management as it is a measure of the Company s operating performance that excludes depreciation and amortization and gains and losses from operating property dispositions. As a result, year over year comparison of Funds from operations reflects the impact on operations from trends in occupancy rates, rental rates, operating costs, development activities, general and administrative expenses, and interest costs, providing perspective not immediately apparent from net income. In addition, management believes that Funds from operations provides useful information to the investment community about the Company s financial performance when compared to other REITs since Funds from operations is generally recognized as the standard for reporting the operating performance of a REIT. Funds from operations available to common shareholders is defined by NAREIT as net income (computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”)), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, plus depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and

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