Highwoods Properties Inc. Reports Operating Results (10-Q)

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Apr 28, 2010
Highwoods Properties Inc. (HIW, Financial) filed Quarterly Report for the period ended 2010-03-31.

Highwoods Properties Inc. has a market cap of $2.31 billion; its shares were traded at around $32.45 with and P/S ratio of 5.1. The dividend yield of Highwoods Properties Inc. stocks is 5.2%.HIW is in the portfolios of Chris Davis of Davis Selected Advisers, Ruane Cunniff of Ruane & Cunniff & Goldfarb Inc, Steven Cohen of SAC Capital Advisors.

Highlight of Business Operations:

The Company classified income of $0.2 million and $1.2 million as discontinued operations in the first three months of 2010 and 2009, respectively. These amounts relate to 0.5 million square feet of office and retail properties sold during 2009 and the first three months of 2010, and include net gains on the sale of these properties of $0.2 million and $0.1 million in the first three months of 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Based on our total market capitalization of approximately $4.0 billion at March 31, 2010 (at the March 31, 2010 per share stock price of $31.73 and assuming the redemption for shares of Common Stock of the approximate 3.8 million Common Units not owned by the Company), our mortgages and notes payable represented 37.0% of our total market capitalization.

Mortgages and notes payable at March 31, 2010 was comprised of $718.0 million of secured indebtedness with a weighted average interest rate of 6.21% and $748.4 million of unsecured indebtedness with a weighted average interest rate of 5.41%. At March 31, 2010, our outstanding mortgages and notes payable and financing obligations were secured by real estate assets with an aggregate undepreciated book value of $1.2 billion.

Our $400.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility is scheduled to mature on February 21, 2013 and includes an accordion feature that allows for an additional $50.0 million of borrowing capacity subject to additional lender commitments. Assuming we continue to have three publicly announced ratings from the credit rating agencies, the interest rate and facility fee under our revolving credit facility are based on the lower of the two highest publicly announced ratings. Based on our current credit ratings, the interest rate is LIBOR plus 290 basis points and the annual facility fee is 60 basis points. We expect to use our revolving credit facility for working capital purposes and for the short-term funding of our development and acquisition activity and, in certain instances, the repayment of other debt. Continuing ability to borrow under the revolving credit facility allows us to quickly capitalize on strategic opportunities at short-term interest rates. There were no amounts outstanding under our revolving credit facility at March 31, 2010 and April 22, 2010. At March 31, 2010 and April 22, 2010, we had $1.1 million of outstanding letters of credit, which reduces the availability on our revolving credit facility. As a result, the unused capacity of our revolving credit facility at March 31, 2010 and April 22, 2010 was $398.9 million.

Our $70.0 million secured construction facility, of which $41.7 million was outstanding at March 31, 2010, is initially scheduled to mature on December 20, 2010. Assuming no defaults have occurred, we have options to extend the maturity date for two successive one-year periods. The interest rate is LIBOR plus 85 basis points. Our secured construction facility had $28.3 million of availability at March 31, 2010 and April 22, 2010.

Our revolving credit facility, $137.5 million bank term loan due in February 2011 and $20.0 million bank term loan due in March 2012 also require us to comply with customary operating covenants and various financial requirements, including a requirement that we maintain a ratio of total liabilities to total asset value, as defined in the respective agreements, of no more than 60%. Total asset value depends upon the effective economic capitalization rate (after deducting capital expenditures) used to determine the value of our buildings. Depending upon general economic conditions, the lenders have the good faith right to unilaterally increase the capitalization rate by up to 25 basis points once in any twelve-month period. The lenders have not previously exercised this right. Any such increase in capitalization rates, without a corresponding reduction in total liabilities, could make it more difficult for us to maintain a ratio of total liabilities to total asset value of no more than 60%, which could have an adverse effect on our ability to borrow additional funds under the revolving credit facility. If we were to fail to make a payment when due with respect to any of our other obligations with aggregate unpaid principal of $10.0 million, and such failure remains uncured for more than 120 days, the lenders under our credit facility could provide notice of their intent to accelerate all amounts due thereunder. Upon an event of default on the revolving credit facility, the lenders having at least 66.7% of the total commitments under the revolving credit facility can accelerate all borrowings then outstanding, and we could be prohibited from borrowing any further amounts under our revolving credit facility, which would adversely affect our ability to fund our operations.

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