Sentiment Analysis of the earnings transcript to help figure out if there are any bullish or bearish sentiments that could be gathered from it. We're doing ML and AI based analysis on the earnings call to get some more insights.
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| Statement |
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| On the credit side, both Moody’s and Fitch appreciated the cleaner corporate structure and consistency in our strategy, which led to positive action from both |
| Over the course of 2023, costs trended better than projections |
| Fitch changed our outlook to positive and Moody’s upgraded us to A3, which elevates our credit profile and is expected to result in improved cost and access to capital over the long-term |
| We reached a lot of key milestones and added important long-term positives for the company |
| On the credit ratings front, we have previously discussed the Moody’s A3 upgrade, which was a strong outcome at a difficult time that underscores the fundamental credit strengths of the business and we believe it should have long-term benefits for the company |
| So feel pretty good about our capital position as well as our hedging |
| We are able to achieve a number of positive outcomes that we believe have the company positioned for success as stability and growth return |
| Our yields have further upside when you layer in our periodic CPI look backs |
| Improved ownership dynamics brought all competitive advantages in-house meaningfully improved governance and put a cost structure in place that we believe should achieve long-term synergies as we scaled the business |
| That cost structure was intended to support growth and benefit from strong operating leverage, given the lack of variable costs required to manage a ground lease portfolio |
| If the consensus is correct and rates begin to finally fall this year, we are optimistic that we can return to solid growth in EPS, restart the deal in capital market engines, and recapture the interest that was building in Caret |
| So, we are actually picking up and benefiting even more from the reductions because the LTIP is lower than the management fees decline |
| Our goal remains to be the best in this large and underserved market and we have a fantastic team in place to get us there |
| We continue to believe that investing in well located institutional quality ground leases in the top 30 markets that have attractive risk adjusted returns will benefit the company and its stakeholders over long periods of time |
| Ultimately, serving our customers and seeking to generate strong risk adjusted returns for investors is the path forward |
| On the investor front, we were pleased to add MSD Partners as a large investor in the business |
| But we feel great about the team as it is today |
| It’s a new year and we want to make it a good one with a clear focus and the expectation of a more favorable interest rate backdrop |
| We will of course add talent as growth justifies it, but feel very good with the team we have in place today |
| Our ground lease portfolio now has 137 assets and the portfolio has grown 19x since the IPO, while the estimated unrealized capital appreciation sitting above our ground leases has grown 22x |
| Subsequent to quarter end, Fitch, who had put us on positive outlook in the beginning of 2023, recently affirmed our positive outlook |
| As I mentioned in my remarks, Fitch recently affirmed our positive outlook |
| Look, we think anything in the high sixes [Technical Difficulty] is a very attractive yield |
| 2023 was a noisy year for the P&L with several non-recurring items, primarily merger-related obscuring true run-rate earnings |
| But as you can see from our – the deals we close, it’s a solid mix |
| We think that’s a significant savings from what the headline costs will be when you start to factor in those mark-to-market gains and we unwind those hedges |
| So a little bit of help from the macro environment would certainly be a positive |
| Over time, we expect our cost structure to provide meaningful savings versus the previous growing and uncapped external management structure |
| But we took a number of important steps to solidify the business and position ourselves for success as markets begin to stabilize and inevitably rebound |
| On our $6.3 billion portfolio, this yield delta equates to real earnings power and we will continue to speak about this difference and highlight the value components within our business that are less apparent in the financials |
| Statement |
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| But rapidly rising interest rates overshadowed these positives, slowing deal flow and hurting our share price |
| For the full year, GAAP revenues was $352.6 million, net income was negative $55 million, and earnings per share was negative $0.82 |
| Post internalization results indicated that net G&A was approximately 10% lower than expectations |
| Due to a pullback in overall real estate transaction activity, we have seen our origination volumes slow accordingly |
| As most of you know and experienced with us, 2023 was a frustrating year |
| While the overall operating environment was challenged by rate uncertainty and volatility, both of which weighed on transaction activity and our stock price |
| We are always looking only to chip away at sort of what we think is a little bit of a misperception and misunderstanding of the value in the balance sheet that the biggest catalyst obviously is carrot |
| When a sector gets under pressure and under that kind of stress, we are watching everything and definitely expect some of our customers to have a difficult time here |
| On the topic of G&A, maybe you can – I know you had to make some tough decisions in the fourth quarter and you are trending lower than you had originally expected |
| As such, we have a number of assets earning unrealistic or atypically low yields relative to our underwriting |
| Next, as we mentioned on the last quarter’s earning call, in the third quarter, we recognized a $1.9 million GAAP loss related to terminating an option to purchase a $215 million ground lease beneath a spec office development in the Greater Seattle area |
| So it seems like rent coverage for new originations dipped a little relative to the overall portfolio |
| I think all office markets are definitely in a recession, that supply and demand is still somewhat out of whack happening |
| So, leasing has not really recovered in many gateway cities |
| So to conclude, 2023 was a busy year that brought its fair share of challenges |
| But also concurrently, as part of the internalization, the LTIP will also be coming down, so it’s somewhat of an offset |
| So, you are right G&A has come down from last year to what we expect to occur this coming year |
| Conversely, when certain assets begin to see more capital flows and better valuation prospects, we would expect a delay in recognizing that benefit |
| I think you are seeing a natural tightening with our portfolio, leading to heavier into multifamily space as well |
| So, is that in area where you are not seeing as much activity these days? Jay Sugarman Development pipelines are down across the country |
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