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Alexandria (ARE) to Post Q1 Earnings: What's in the Cards?

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Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (ARE - Free Report) is scheduled to release first-quarter 2024 results on Apr 22, after the closing bell. Its quarterly results are likely to reflect growth in revenues and funds from operations (FFO) per share.

In the last reported quarter, this Pasadena, CA-based life science real estate investment trust (REIT), focusing on collaborative life science, agtech and technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.44% in terms of adjusted FFO per share. ARE’s performance in the quarter reflected a significant increase in interest expense.

Alexandria has a decent surprise history. Over the preceding four quarters, its adjusted FFO per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate on each occasion, the average beat being 1.03%. This is depicted in the graph below:

 

 

Factors at Play

With the demand for life-science assets growing due to the increasing need for drug research and innovation, in the first quarter, ARE is expected to have benefited from its emphasis on the development of Class A/A+ properties strategically located within AAA innovation cluster regions. These locations are highly appealing to life science, agtech and technology companies seeking tenancy.

Apart from the advantageous locations of the company’s properties, these locations are characterized by high barriers to entry for new landlords, high barriers to exit for tenants and a limited supply of available space.

As a result, ARE is expected to have witnessed healthy demand for its life science assets in the first quarter, driving healthy leasing and re-leasing activity and high occupancy levels.

In March 2024, Alexandria clinched a renewal and 10-year lease extension with Takeda Pharmaceutical, a longstanding credit tenant, for 222,925 rentable square feet at 75/125 Binney Street at Kendall Square in the Cambridge submarket.

For the first quarter of 2024, we expect Alexandria’s same-store occupancy to be 94.4%. Rental income is expected to increase 9.4% on a year-over-year basis in the quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Alexandria’s quarterly revenues currently stands at $772.6 million, suggesting an increase of 10.24% from the prior-year period’s reported figure.

Alexandria’s activities in the to-be-reported quarter were adequate to garner analysts’ confidence. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarterly adjusted FFO per share has moved up a cent to $2.32 over the past month. Moreover, the figure suggests a 5.94% increase from the year-ago quarter’s tally.

However, high interest expenses are likely to have been a spoilsport for Alexandria during the to-be-reported quarter. Elevated rates imply high borrowing costs for the company, affecting its ability to purchase or develop real estate. For the first quarter of 2024, our estimate indicates a significant increase in the company’s interest expenses on a year-over-year basis.

What Our Quantitative Model Predicts

Our proven model predicts a surprise in terms of FFO per share for Alexandria this season. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an FFO beat, which is the case here.

Alexandria currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3 and has an Earnings ESP of +0.40%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks That Warrant a Look

Here are two other stocks from the broader REIT sector — Welltower (WELL - Free Report) and Vornado Realty Trust (VNO - Free Report) — that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to report a surprise this quarter.

Welltower, scheduled to report quarterly numbers on Apr 29, has an Earnings ESP of +1.47% and carries a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Vornado, slated to release quarterly numbers on May 6, has an Earnings ESP of +2.12% and carries a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO), a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.


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