Easterly Government Properties Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE: DEA), a fully integrated real estate investment trust focused primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties leased to the U.S. Government, today announced its results of operations for the quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023. 

Highlights for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2023:

• Net income of $4.8 million, or $0.04 per share on a fully diluted basis
• Core FFO of $30.1 million, or $0.28 per share on a fully diluted basis
• Acquired three properties totaling 221,463 leased square feet with a weighted average remaining lease term of 9.7 years. Key tenancies in these facilities include the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the State of California, and the U.S. Judiciary
• Released the Company’s second annual Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Report, featuring environmental data including energy and water usage and Scopes 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions
• Announced the appointment of Darrell W. Crate, Easterly’s Executive Chairman and co-founder of Easterly, in connection with the planned retirement of Easterly’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), William C. Trimble, III. Mr. Crate was appointed to the role of CEO effective January 1, 2024, and William H. Binnie, the Company’s Lead Independent Director, assumed the role of Easterly’s Chairman of the Board of Directors
• Entered into forward sales transactions through the Company’s $300.0 million ATM Program launched in December 2019 (“the December 2019 ATM Program”) for the sale of 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at a net weighted average initial forward sales price of $13.52 per share that have not yet been settled

Highlights for the Year Ended December 31, 2023:

• Net income of $21.1 million, or $0.20 per share on a fully diluted basis
• Core FFO of $120.1 million, or $1.14 per share on a fully diluted basis
• Completed the acquisition of, either directly or through the Company’s joint venture partnership (the “JV”), four properties for an aggregate pro rata contractual purchase price of approximately $80.4 million, comprised of $62.2 million of wholly owned acquisitions, and $18.2 million of pro rata JV acquisitions
• Successfully renewed 390,330 leased square feet of the Company’s portfolio for a weighted average lease term of 16.4 years
• Maintained a quarterly cash dividend of $0.265 per share
• Exercised the $50.0 million delayed draw option on the Company’s 2018 term loan facility, increasing the Company’s term loan commitments from $250.0 million to $300.0 million
• Recognized as a 2022 ENERGY STAR® Certification Nation Premier Member
• Named one of Washington Business Journal’s 2023 “Best Places to Work”
• Issued an aggregate of 1,950,000 shares of the Company’s common stock in settlement of previously entered into forward sales transactions through the December 2019 ATM Program at a weighted average price per share of $20.14, raising net proceeds to the Company of approximately $39.3 million

“Mission-critical buildings are essential to the work U.S. Government agencies do every single day,” said Darrell Crate, Easterly’s Chief Executive Officer. “Easterly has a definable edge in servicing our core tenants, and we remain focused on increasing our position in the public markets in 2024 and beyond.”

Portfolio Operations

As of December 31, 2023, the Company or the JV owned 90 operating properties in the United States encompassing approximately 8.8 million leased square feet, including 88 operating properties that were leased primarily to U.S. Government tenant agencies, one operating property leased primarily to tenant agencies of a high-credit state government, and one operating property that is entirely leased to a private tenant. In addition, the Company wholly owned one property under re-development that the Company expects will encompass approximately 0.2 million rentable square feet upon completion. The re-development project, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is currently under construction and, once complete, a 20-year lease with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is expected to commence for the beneficial use of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As of December 31, 2023, the portfolio had a weighted average age of 14.6 years, based upon the date properties were built or renovated-to-suit, and had a weighted average remaining lease term of 10.5 years.

Acquisitions

On September 22, 2023, the Company acquired, through the JV, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinic located in Corpus Christi, Texas (“VA – Corpus Christi”). VA – Corpus Christi, a 69,276 leased square outpatient facility, was the ninth property to be acquired in the previously announced portfolio of 10 properties 100% leased to the VA that the Company is acquiring through the JV. VA – Corpus Christi provides enhanced services for the approximately 25,000 veterans in the surrounding region, including but not limited to an audiology clinic, a mental health clinic, pathology, radiology, and homeless care. VA – Corpus Christi is leased directly to the VA pursuant to a 20-year lease that does not expire until November 2042.

On October 3, 2023, the Company acquired a 95,273 leased square foot Class A workers’ compensation adjudication and training facility located in Anaheim, California. The facility is 100% leased by tenant agencies of the State of California (“CA – Anaheim”), including the Department of Industrial Relations and the Employment Development Department. This public facing facility contains court hearing rooms used for adjudicating workers’ compensation claims, as well as training rooms for furthering employment opportunities. With a weighted average expiration date of January 2034, CA – Anaheim has been occupied by the State of California (S&P AA-) since 2009 and recently underwent a renewal exercise process post-pandemic whereby the tenants demonstrated their continued need for the facility by executing several leases with a weighted average lease term of 10.7 years.

On October 3, 2023, the Company acquired a 97,969 square foot facility primarily occupied by two branches of the DHS and located in Atlanta, Georgia (“DHS – Atlanta”). DHS – Atlanta is a 93% leased facility that recently underwent an extensive renovation in 2023 for the beneficial use of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The two tenants recently executed leases that provide for occupancy of up to 15 years through 2038.

On October 19, 2023, the Company acquired a 35,005 leased square foot United States District Courthouse in Newport News, Virginia (“JUD – Newport News”). The United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division Courthouse is a highly specialized facility that features 2008 build-to-suit LEED Certified construction, and a new 10-year firm term lease extension that does not expire until 2033. JUD – Newport News houses four District Judges, three Senior District Judges, and three Magistrate Judges, and is responsible for the cities of Newport News, Hampton, and Williamsburg, and the counties of York, James City, Gloucester, and Matthews.

Balance Sheet and Capital Markets Activity

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had total indebtedness of approximately $1.3 billion comprised of $79.0 million outstanding on its revolving credit facility, $100.0 million outstanding on its 2016 term loan facility, $200.0 million outstanding on its 2018 term loan facility, $700.0 million of senior unsecured notes, and $220.6 million of mortgage debt (excluding unamortized premiums and discounts and deferred financing fees). At December 31, 2023, the Company’s outstanding debt had a weighted average maturity of 4.6 years and a weighted average interest rate of 4.2%. As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s Net Debt to total enterprise value was 47.1% and its Adjusted Net Debt to annualized quarterly pro forma EBITDA ratio was 7.0x.

Dividend

On February 21, 2024, the Board of Directors of Easterly approved a cash dividend for the fourth quarter of 2023 in the amount of $0.265 per common share. The dividend will be payable March 18, 2024 to shareholders of record on March 6, 2024.

Subsequent Events

Reflective of its superior tenancy and investment grade balance sheet, the Company announced it received an investment grade issuer credit rating from Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC (“KBRA”) of BBB with Stable Outlook.

On January 25, 2024, the Company announced it extended its $100 million unsecured term loan executed in 2016. Easterly secured market leading terms for the facility and extended the weighted average life of maturities at attractive spreads, underscoring the Company’s fortified balance sheet and strong capital partner relationships. The loan now matures on January 30, 2025.

Subsequent to the quarter ending December 31, 2023, the Company entered into forward sales transactions through the Company’s December 2019 ATM Program for the sale of an additional 89,647 shares of the Company’s common stock at a net weighted average initial forward sales price of $13.39 per share that have not yet been settled.

As of the date of this release, the Company expects to receive aggregate net proceeds of approximately $8.0 million from the sale of an aggregate of 589,647 shares of the Company’s common stock that have not yet been settled under the Company’s December 2019 ATM Program, assuming these forward sales transactions are physically settled in full using a net weighted average combined initial forward sales price of $13.50 per share.

Guidance

This guidance is forward-looking and reflects management’s view of current and future market conditions. The Company’s actual results may differ materially from this guidance.

Outlook for the 12 Months Ending December 31, 2024

The Company is introducing its guidance for full-year 2024 Core FFO per share on a fully diluted basis at a range of $1.14 – $1.16.

This guidance assumes (i) the closing of VA – Jacksonville through the JV at the Company’s pro rata share of approximately $41 million, and (ii) $100 – $110 million of gross development-related investment during 2024.

Non-GAAP Supplemental Financial Measures

This section contains definitions of certain non-GAAP financial measures and other terms that the Company uses in this press release and, where applicable, the reasons why management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors about the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and the other purposes for which management uses the measures. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of the differences between each non-GAAP financial measure and the comparable GAAP financial measure are included in this press release following the consolidated financial statements. Additional detail can be found in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. We present certain financial information and metrics “at Easterly’s Share,” which is calculated on an entity-by-entity basis. “At Easterly’s Share” information, which we also refer to as being “at share,” “pro rata,” or “our share” is not, and is not intended to be, a presentation in accordance with GAAP.

Cash Available for Distribution (CAD) is a non-GAAP financial measure that is not intended to represent cash flow for the period and is not indicative of cash flow provided by operating activities as determined under GAAP. CAD is calculated in accordance with the current Nareit definition as FFO minus normalized recurring real estate-related expenditures and other non-cash items, nonrecurring expenditures and the unconsolidated real estate venture’s allocated share of these adjustments. CAD is presented solely as a supplemental disclosure because the Company believes it provides useful information regarding the Company’s ability to fund its dividends. Because all companies do not calculate CAD the same way, the presentation of CAD may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Core Funds from Operations (Core FFO) adjusts FFO to present an alternative measure of the Company’s operating performance, which, when applicable, excludes items which it believes are not representative of ongoing operating results, such as liability management related costs (including losses on extinguishment of debt and modification costs), catastrophic event charges, depreciation of non-real estate assets, and the unconsolidated real estate venture’s allocated share of these adjustments. In future periods, the Company may also exclude other items from Core FFO that it believes may help investors compare its results. The Company believes Core FFO more accurately reflects the ongoing operational and financial performance of the Company’s core business.

EBITDA is calculated as the sum of net income (loss) before interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, (gain) loss on the sale of operating properties, impairment loss, and the unconsolidated real estate venture’s allocated share of these adjustments. EBITDA is not intended to represent cash flow for the period, is not presented as an alternative to operating income as an indicator of operating performance, should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP, is not indicative of operating income or cash provided by operating activities as determined under GAAP and may be presented on a pro forma basis. EBITDA is presented solely as a supplemental disclosure with respect to liquidity because the Company believes it provides useful information regarding the Company’s ability to service or incur debt. Because all companies do not calculate EBITDA the same way, the presentation of EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Funds From Operations (FFO) is defined, in accordance with the Nareit FFO White Paper – 2018 Restatement, as net income (loss), calculated in accordance with GAAP, excluding depreciation and amortization related to real estate, gains and losses from the sale of certain real estate assets, gains and losses from change in control and impairment write-downs of certain real estate assets and investments in entities when the impairment is directly attributable to decreases in the value of depreciable real estate held by the entity. FFO includes the Company’s share of FFO generated by unconsolidated affiliates. FFO is a widely recognized measure of REIT performance. Although FFO is a non-GAAP financial measure, the Company believes that information regarding FFO is helpful to shareholders and potential investors.

Net Debt and Adjusted Net Debt. Net Debt represents the Company’s consolidated debt and its share of unconsolidated debt adjusted to exclude its share of unamortized premiums and discounts and deferred financing fees, less its share of cash and cash equivalents and property acquisition closing escrow, net of deposit. By excluding these items, the result provides an estimate of the contractual amount of borrowed capital to be repaid, net of cash available to repay it. The Company believes this calculation constitutes a beneficial supplemental non-GAAP financial disclosure to investors in understanding its financial condition. Adjusted Net Debt is Net Debt reduced by 1) for each project under construction or in design, the lesser of i) outstanding lump-sum reimbursement amounts and ii) the cost to date, 2) 40% times the amount by which the cost to date exceeds total lump-sum reimbursement amounts for each project under construction or in design and 3) outstanding lump-sum reimbursement amounts for projects previously completed. These adjustments are made to 1) remove the estimated portion of each project under construction, in design or previously completed that has been financed with debt which may be repaid with outstanding cost reimbursement payments from the US Government and 2) remove the estimated portion of each project under construction or in design, in excess of total lump-sum reimbursements, that has been financed with debt but has not yet produced earnings. See page 25 of the Company’s Q4 2023 Supplemental Information Package for further information. The Company’s method of calculating Net Debt and Adjusted Net Debt may be different from methods used by other REITs and may be presented on a pro forma basis. Accordingly, the Company’s method may not be comparable to such other REITs.

Other Definitions

Fully diluted basis assumes the exchange of all outstanding common units representing limited partnership interests in the Company’s operating partnership, or common units, the full vesting of all shares of restricted stock, and the exchange of all earned and vested LTIP units in the Company’s operating partnership for shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis, which is not the same as the meaning of “fully diluted” under GAAP.

About Easterly Government Properties, Inc.

Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE: DEA) is based in Washington, D.C., and focuses primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties that are leased to the U.S. Government. Easterly’s experienced management team brings specialized insight into the strategy and needs of mission-critical U.S. Government agencies for properties leased to such agencies either directly or through the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). For further information on the company and its properties, please visit www.easterlyreit.com.