News Release

PS Business Parks, Inc.

701 Western Avenue

Glendale,  CA 91201-2349

psbusinessparks.com





PS Business Parks, Inc. Reports Results for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2017

GLENDALE, California—PS Business Parks, Inc. (NYSE:PSB) reported operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2017.



Net income allocable to common shareholders was $26.4 million, or $0.97 per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2017, an increase of $11.8 million, or 81.2%, from $14.6 million, or $0.54 per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2016.  The increase was due to an increase in net operating income (“NOI”), gain on sale of development rights in Silver Spring, Maryland, and reduced interest expense resulting from the repayment of a $250.0 million mortgage note.



Funds from operations (“FFO”) were $53.0 million, or $1.52 per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2017, an increase of $9.3 million, or $0.26 per share, from the three months ended March 31, 2016 of $43.7 million, or $1.26 per share.  The increase was due to an increase in NOI, reduced interest expense and savings from lower preferred distributions.



Same Park NOI increased $5.7 million, or 8.9%, for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. The increase in Same Park NOI was driven by improving rental rates and occupancy as adjusted rental income (as defined below) increased $4.8 million, or 5.0%, from $95.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 to $99.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017. In addition, adjusted cost of operations (as defined below) decreased $934,000, or 3.0%, primarily as a result of a $1.4 million reduction in snow removal costs.



All per share amounts noted above are presented on a diluted basis.



Property Operations



To evaluate the performance of the Company’s portfolio over comparable periods, management analyzes the operating performance of properties owned and operated throughout both periods (herein referred to as “Same Park”). The Same Park portfolio includes all operating properties acquired prior to January 1, 2015. Operating properties acquired subsequently are referred to as “Non-Same Park.” For the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, the Same Park facilities constitute 27.9 million rentable square feet, representing 99.3% of the 28.1 million square feet in the Company’s total portfolio as of March 31, 2017.  

The following table presents the operating results of the Company’s properties for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 in addition to other income and expense items affecting net income (unaudited, in thousands, except per square foot amounts):







(1)Adjusted rental income excludes rental income from an asset held for development of $843,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

(2) Adjusted cost of operations excludes Long-Term Equity Incentive Plan (“LTEIP”) amortization of $796,000 and $864,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, as well as cost of operations from an asset held for development of $213,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

(3)NOI, a non-GAAP measure, is often used by investors to determine the performance and value of commercial real estate. Management believes that Same Park NOI, also a non-GAAP measure, provides investors a useful measure for comparing the performance of the Company’s commercial real estate portfolio across reporting periods. The Company’s calculation of NOI and Same Park NOI may not be comparable to those of other companies and should not be used as an alternative to measures of performance in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. 

(4)Adjusted general and administrative expenses exclude LTEIP amortization of $973,000 and $1.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

(5)Computed by dividing Same Park NOI by Same Park adjusted rental income.

(6)Represents the annualized Same Park adjusted rental income earned per occupied square foot.



Sale of Development Rights



During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company sold development rights it held to build medical office buildings on land adjacent to its Westech Business Park in Silver Spring, Maryland, for $6.5 million.  The Company had acquired the development rights as part of its 2006 acquisition of the park. The Company recorded a gain of $3.9 million related to the proceeds received less transaction costs.  The Company will report an additional gain of $2.5 million when the final proceeds are received in the fourth quarter of 2017.





Financial Condition



The following are key financial ratios with respect to the Company’s leverage as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2017:  







(1)Fixed charges include interest expense and capitalized interest totaling  $418,000.



Distributions Declared



On April 25, 2017, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per common share. Distributions were also declared on the various series of depositary shares, each representing 1/1,000 of a share of preferred stock listed below. Distributions are payable on June 29, 2017 to  shareholders of record on June 14, 2017.













Company Information



PS Business Parks, Inc., a member of the S&P SmallCap 600, is a self-advised and self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that acquires, develops, owns and operates commercial properties, primarily multi-tenant flex, office and industrial space. The Company defines “flex” space as buildings that are configured with a combination of office and warehouse space and can be designed to fit a number of uses (including office, assembly, showroom, laboratory, light manufacturing and warehouse space). As of March 31, 2017,  the Company wholly owned 28.1 million rentable square feet with approximately 4,900 customers in six states.





Forward-Looking Statements



When used within this press release, the words “may,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify “forward-looking statements.” Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results and performance of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include the impact of competition from new and existing commercial facilities which could impact rents and occupancy levels at the Company’s facilities; the Company’s ability to evaluate, finance and integrate acquired and developed properties into the Company’s existing operations; the Company’s ability to effectively compete in the markets that it does business in; the impact of the regulatory environment as well as national, state and local laws and regulations including, without limitation, those governing REITs; the impact of general economic conditions upon rental rates and occupancy levels at the Company’s facilities; the availability of permanent capital at attractive rates, the outlook and actions of Rating Agencies and risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports, including quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, reports on Form 8-K and annual reports on Form 10-K.



Additional information about PS Business Parks, Inc., including more financial analysis of the first quarter operating results, is available on the Company’s website at psbusinessparks.com.



A conference call is scheduled for Wednesday,  April 26, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. PDT (1:00 p.m. EDT) to discuss the first quarter results. The toll free number is (888) 299-3246; the conference ID is 3140328. The call will also be available via a live webcast on the Company’s website. A replay of the conference call will be available through May 3, 2017 at (855) 859‑2056. A replay of the conference call will also be available on the Company’s website.



Additional financial data attached.





PS BUSINESS PARKS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share data)









PS BUSINESS PARKS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Unaudited, in thousands, except per share amounts)







PS BUSINESS PARKS, INC.

Computation of Diluted Funds from Operations and Funds Available for Distribution

(Unaudited, in thousands, except per share amounts)







(1)FFO is computed in accordance with the White Paper on FFO approved by the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”). The White Paper defines FFO as net income, computed in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), before depreciation, amortization,  gains or losses on asset dispositions, net income allocable to noncontrolling interests—common units, net income allocable to restricted stock unit holders, impairment charges and nonrecurring items. Management believes that FFO provides a useful measure of the Company’s operating performance and when compared year over year, reflects the impact to operations from trends in occupancy rates, rental rates, operating costs, development activities, general and administrative expenses and interest costs, providing a perspective not immediately apparent from net income. FFO is a non-GAAP financial measure and should be analyzed in conjunction with net income. However, FFO should not be viewed as a substitute for net income as a measure of operating performance, as it does not reflect depreciation and amortization costs or the level of capital expenditure and leasing costs necessary to maintain the operating performance of the Company’s properties, which are significant economic costs and could materially impact the Company’s results of operations. Other REITs may use different methods for calculating FFO and, accordingly, the Company’s FFO may not be comparable to other real estate companies’ FFO.  



(2)Per share amounts are computed using additional dilutive shares related to noncontrolling interests and restricted stock units.



(3)FAD is a non-GAAP financial measure that is computed by adjusting FFO for recurring capital improvements, which the Company defines as those costs incurred to maintain the assets’ value, tenant improvements, lease commissions, straight-line rent, stock compensation expense, in-place lease adjustment, amortization of lease incentives and tenant improvement reimbursements, capitalized interest and the effect of redemption of preferred equity.  Like FFO, management considers FAD to be a useful measure for investors to evaluate the Company’s operating performance on a cash flow basis.  FAD should not be viewed as a substitute for net income or cash flow from operations as defined by GAAP.