Community Healthcare Trust Inc annual report, FY2016

Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated — FY2016 Form 10-K

Reporting period: Year ended December 31, 2016. The filing compares results with 2015, when operations began following the May 2015 IPO; therefore, year-over-year growth partly reflects a longer operating period and portfolio expansion.

Business context

The company is a healthcare REIT focused on owning and acquiring properties leased to healthcare providers in non-urban markets. At year-end it held 57 properties and one mortgage note across 22 states, with approximately $263.5 million invested, 1.33 million square feet, 93.1% property occupancy and a 7.2-year weighted-average remaining lease term. No tenant individually represented 10% or more of revenue.

Financial performance and position

Metric20162015
Revenue$25.2 million$8.6 million
Net income (loss)$2.7 million($1.5 million)
Diluted EPS$0.24($0.31)
FFO$15.9 million; $1.41 per diluted share$3.7 million; $0.79 per diluted share
Cash from operating activities$14.9 million$3.0 million
Dividends paid per share$1.525$0.517

2016 revenue comprised $19.0 million rental income, $4.6 million tenant reimbursements and $1.6 million mortgage interest. Fourth-quarter 2016 revenue was $7.4 million and net income was $1.0 million, or $0.08 per share. The filing provides no clear quarterly cash-flow figure.

At December 31, 2016, total assets were $251.5 million, net real estate was $234.3 million, cash was $1.6 million, total liabilities were $57.5 million and stockholders’ equity was $194.0 million. The company had $51.0 million outstanding on its variable-rate revolving facility, at a 2.99% weighted-average rate, with $99.0 million of remaining capacity. Reported leverage was 20.8% of book capitalization; debt was also reported as 20.3% of total assets. The facility matures August 2019, with two extension options, subject to conditions. The company was in covenant compliance.

Dividends declared and paid totaled $17.8 million, exceeding reported FFO of $15.9 million. The board declared a subsequent quarterly dividend of $0.3875 per share, equivalent to $1.55 annualized; future dividends remain discretionary.

Changes, outlook and notable items

  • Revenue rose substantially as the portfolio expanded: the company acquired 17 properties in 2016 and funded a mortgage note; acquisitions contributed about $6.8 million of 2016 revenue. The prior-year comparison also reflects 40 properties acquired during 2015 and only a partial year of operations.
  • Property operating costs included a $1.3 million reduction from fair-value adjustments to contingent purchase consideration. 2016 results also included about $0.8 million of acquisition transaction costs. FFO is a supplemental, non-GAAP measure and is not equivalent to cash available for distribution.
  • Investing activities used $117.1 million; financing activities provided $101.7 million, including $86.1 million of net follow-on offering proceeds and $34.0 million of net credit-facility borrowings. Operating cash flow was $14.9 million.
  • Management expected many expiring leases to renew and believed vacated space could generally be re-leased without significant rental loss. Annualized rent associated with leases expiring in 2017 and 2018 was 13.7% and 13.2%, respectively. These are expectations, not guarantees.
  • From January 1 through February 23, 2017, the company acquired two properties for about $7.9 million, funded with facility borrowings. As of February 23, nine additional properties were under definitive purchase agreements for about $25.7 million, with estimated returns of 9.0%–9.6%, plus one $0.9 million property intended for possible office expansion. Closings were uncertain. No formal earnings or FFO guidance is provided.
  • Key risks include healthcare reimbursement and regulatory changes affecting tenants, tenant defaults or non-renewals, variable-rate debt and reliance on external capital, and geographic concentration: Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Texas generated 55.2% of 2016 revenue. Lease rollover and specialized space in non-urban markets may make replacement tenants difficult to secure.
  • The company qualified as a REIT for 2015 and 2016 and expected to maintain that status in 2017; qualification depends on ongoing compliance with complex tax rules. The independent auditor issued an unqualified opinion. Management concluded disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting were effective; no material litigation was reported.

Important facts for investors to verify

  • Whether operating cash flow and future FFO can support the dividend, given 2016 dividends exceeded FFO.
  • Tenant credit quality, lease renewals and re-leasing progress, especially for leases expiring in 2017–2019.
  • Actual closing, funding and realized returns for the acquisition pipeline and subsequent acquisitions.
  • Exposure to variable interest rates, facility maturity and extension conditions, covenant headroom, and access to future equity or debt capital.
  • Tenant exposure to reimbursement, regulatory and healthcare-market changes, and the continued effects of the four-state revenue concentration.
  • Reconciliation of reported occupancy, property counts and leverage measures when reviewing the full filing and subsequent disclosures.