Granite Announces 2024 Third Quarter Results and a 3.03% Distribution Increase Commencing in December 2024

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TORONTO, November 06, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Granite Real Estate Investment Trust and Granite REIT Inc. (TSX: GRT.UN; NYSE: GRP.U) ("Granite" or the "Trust") announced today its combined results for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2024 and a distribution increase of 3.03% effective with the December 2024 distribution.

THIRD QUARTER 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights for the three month period ended September 30, 2024 are set out below:

Financial:

  • Granite's net operating income ("NOI") was $119.6 million in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $109.2 million in the prior year period, an increase of $10.4 million primarily as a result of the completion of two development projects in Canada and the United States, the completion of two expansion projects in Canada and Netherlands in the third quarter of 2024, contractual rent adjustments and consumer price index based increases, and renewal leasing activity;

  • Same property NOI - cash basis(4) increased by 6.2% for the third quarter of 2024, excluding the impact of foreign exchange;

  • Funds from operations ("FFO")(1) was $85.2 million ($1.35 per unit) in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $79.1 million ($1.24 per unit) in the third quarter of 2023;

  • Adjusted funds from operations ("AFFO")(2) was $76.6 million ($1.22 per unit) in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $69.6 million ($1.09 per unit) in the third quarter of 2023;

  • During the three month period ended September 30, 2024, the Canadian dollar weakened against the Euro and the US dollar, respectively, relative to the prior year period. The impact of foreign exchange on FFO for the three month period ended September 30, 2024, relative to the same period in 2023, was $0.02 per unit, and for AFFO, the impact of foreign exchange relative to the same period in 2023 was $0.02 per unit;

  • AFFO payout ratio(3) was 68% for the third quarter of 2024 compared to 73% in the third quarter of 2023;

  • Occupancy as at September 30, 2024 and committed occupancy as at November 6, 2024 are 94.3% and 94.7%, respectively;

  • Granite recognized $42.6 million in net fair value gains on investment properties in the third quarter of 2024, which were primarily attributable to the lease renewal of a property in the GTA and fair market rent increases at select properties in the U.S., partially offset by the expansion in the discount and terminal capitalization rates at select properties in Granite’s U.S. markets;

  • Granite's net income attributable to stapled unitholders in the third quarter of 2024 was $111.6 million in comparison to $33.1 million in the prior year period primarily due to a positive change in the fair value of investment properties of $95.8 million and a $10.4 million increase in net operating income as noted above, partially offset by a $20.1 million increase in income tax expense;

  • On October 1, 2024, Granite completed the uncoupling of its stapled unit structure by replacing it with a conventional REIT trust unit structure (the "Arrangement"). As a result of and immediately following the Arrangement, each Granite unitholder held a number of Granite Real Estate Investment Trust ("Granite REIT") units equal to the number of stapled units held prior to completion of the Arrangement, and Granite REIT Inc. has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Granite REIT. On October 3, 2024, the stapled units were delisted from the TSX and the NYSE, and the Granite REIT units trade on the TSX and the NYSE under the same ticker symbols "GRT.UN" and "GRP.U", respectively. In connection with the completion of the Arrangement, Granite REIT Inc. applied to cease to be a reporting issuer and ceased to be a reporting issuer on November 4, 2024. Further information on the Arrangement, including Canadian and US tax implications can be found at www.granitereit.com/unwind-of-stapled-unit-structure; and

  • On November 6, 2024, Granite increased its targeted annualized distribution by 3.03% to $3.40 ($0.2833 per month) per unit from $3.30 ($0.2750 per month) per unit to be effective upon the declaration of the distribution in respect of the month of December 2024 and payable in mid-January 2025.