Alexander's, Inc. - 10-Q quarterly report FY2018 Q1

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

ALEXANDER’S, INC.

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

(UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(UNAUDITED)

ALEXANDER’S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(UNAUDITED)

We have made estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.

ALEXANDER’S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

(UNAUDITED)

ALEXANDER’S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

(UNAUDITED)

Our revenues consist of property rentals and expense reimbursements. We have the following revenue sources and revenue recognition policies:

The following is a summary of revenue sources for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017.

ALEXANDER’S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

(UNAUDITED)

Management and Development Agreements

Leasing and Other Agreements

We also have agreements with Building Maintenance Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vornado, to supervise (i) cleaning, engineering and security services at our 731 Lexington Avenue property and (ii) security services at our Rego Park I and Rego Park II properties and The Alexander apartment tower.

The following is a summary of fees to Vornado under the various agreements discussed above.

ALEXANDER’S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

(UNAUDITED)

In 2012, we sold the Kings Plaza Regional Shopping Center (“Kings Plaza”) and paid real property transfer taxes to New York City in connection with the sale. In 2015, the New York City Department of Finance (“NYC DOF”) issued a Notice of Determination to us assessing an additional New York City real property transfer tax amount, including interest, which we are contesting.

In 2014, in a case with similar facts, the NYC DOF issued a Notice of Determination to a Vornado joint venture assessing an additional New York City real property transfer tax amount, including interest. In January 2017, a New York City administrative law judge made a determination upholding the Vornado joint venture’s position that such additional real property transfer taxes were not due. On February 16, 2018, the New York City Tax Appeals Tribunal (the “Tribunal”) overturned the January 2017 determination. The Vornado joint venture is appealing the Tribunal’s decision to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.

ALEXANDER’S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

(UNAUDITED)

ALEXANDER’S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

(UNAUDITED)

Insurance

ALEXANDER’S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

(UNAUDITED)

We continue to monitor the state of the insurance market and the scope and costs of coverage for acts of terrorism. However, we cannot anticipate what coverage will be available on commercially reasonable terms in the future. We are responsible for deductibles and losses in excess of our insurance coverage, which could be material.

Our mortgage loans are non-recourse to us and contain customary covenants requiring us to maintain insurance. Although we believe that we have adequate insurance coverage for purposes of these agreements, we may not be able to obtain an equivalent amount of coverage at reasonable costs in the future. If lenders insist on greater coverage than we are able to obtain, it could adversely affect our ability to finance our properties.

Paramus

Rego Park I Litigation

Letters of Credit

Other

There are various other legal actions against us in the ordinary course of business. In our opinion, the outcome of such matters in the aggregate will not have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. 

ALEXANDER’S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

(UNAUDITED)

We have reviewed the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Alexander’s, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of March 31, 2018, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity, and cash flows, for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "interim financial information"). Based on our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the accompanying interim financial information for it to be in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have previously audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of December 31, 2017, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for the year then ended (not presented herein); and in our report dated February 12, 2018, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2017, is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the consolidated balance sheet from which it has been derived.

Basis for Review Results

This interim financial information is the responsibility of the Company's management. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our reviews in accordance with standards of the PCAOB. A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB, the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Parsippany, New Jersey April 30, 2018

Certain statements contained in this Quarterly Report constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our future results, financial condition, results of operations and business may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. You can find many of these statements by looking for words such as “approximates,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “would,” “may” or other similar expressions in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. These forward-looking statements represent our intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Many of the factors that will determine these items are beyond our ability to control or predict. For a further discussion of factors that could materially affect the outcome of our forward-looking statements, see “Item 1A – Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or the date of any document incorporated by reference. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly, any revisions to our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations include a discussion of our consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.

A summary of our critical accounting policies is included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the consolidated financial statements included therein. For the three months ended March 31, 2018, there were no material changes to these policies, other than the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, described in “Part I - Financial Information, Item 1 - Financial Statements, Note 3 - Recently Issued Accounting Literature” of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Overview

Alexander’s, Inc. (NYSE: ALX) is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”), incorporated in Delaware, engaged in leasing, managing, developing and redeveloping its properties. All references to “we,” “us,” “our,” “Company,” and “Alexander’s”, refer to Alexander’s, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. We are managed by, and our properties are leased and developed by, Vornado Realty Trust (“Vornado”) (NYSE: VNO). We have seven properties in the greater New York City metropolitan area.

We compete with a large number of property owners and developers. Our success depends upon, among other factors, trends of the world, national and local economies, the financial condition and operating results of current and prospective tenants and customers, the availability and cost of capital, construction and renovation costs, taxes, governmental regulations, legislation, population trends, zoning laws, and our ability to lease, sublease or sell our properties, at profitable levels. Our success is also subject to our ability to refinance existing debt on acceptable terms as it comes due.

Real Property Transfer Tax Litigation

In 2012, we sold the Kings Plaza Regional Shopping Center (“Kings Plaza”) and paid real property transfer taxes to New York City in connection with the sale. In 2015, the New York City Department of Finance (“NYC DOF”) issued a Notice of Determination to us assessing an additional New York City real property transfer tax amount, including interest, which we are contesting.

In 2014, in a case with similar facts, the NYC DOF issued a Notice of Determination to a Vornado joint venture assessing an additional New York City real property transfer tax amount, including interest. In January 2017, a New York City administrative law judge made a determination upholding the Vornado joint venture’s position that such additional real property transfer taxes were not due. On February 16, 2018, the New York City Tax Appeals Tribunal (the “Tribunal”) overturned the January 2017 determination. The Vornado joint venture is appealing the Tribunal’s decision to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.

Based on the precedent of the Tribunal’s decision, we accrued an expense for the potential additional real property transfer taxes of $23,797,000 ($15,874,000 of real property transfer tax and $7,923,000 of interest) during the three months ended March 31, 2018. On April 5, 2018, we paid this amount in order to stop the interest from accruing.  Our case is on hold pending the outcome of the Vornado joint venture’s appeal.

Net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 was $9,700,000, or $1.90 per diluted share, compared to net income of $21,667,000, or $4.24 per diluted share in the prior year’s quarter. Negative funds from operations (“FFO”) (non-GAAP) for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 was $1,549,000, or $0.30 per diluted share, compared to positive FFO (non-GAAP) of $29,581,000, or $5.78 per diluted share in the prior year’s quarter. Net loss and negative FFO for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 included (i) $23,797,000, or $4.65 per diluted share, of accrued expense for potential additional New York City real property transfer taxes on the 2012 sale of Kings Plaza, which is being contested and (ii) $5,170,000, or $1.01 per diluted share, of expense from the decrease in the fair value of marketable securities resulting from a new GAAP accounting standard effective January 1, 2018. Previously, changes in the fair value of marketable securities were recognized through “accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income” on our consolidated balance sheets and did not impact our consolidated statements of income.

Square Footage, Occupancy and Leasing Activity

Overview - continued

Tenant Matters

Significant Tenant

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Property rental income is our primary source of cash flow and is dependent on a number of factors, including the occupancy level and rental rates of our properties, as well as our tenants’ ability to pay their rents. Our properties provide us with a relatively consistent stream of cash flow that enables us to pay our operating expenses, interest expense, recurring capital expenditures and cash dividends to stockholders. Other sources of liquidity to fund cash requirements include our existing cash, proceeds from financings, including mortgage or construction loans secured by our properties and proceeds from asset sales. We anticipate that cash flows from continuing operations over the next twelve months, together with existing cash balances, will be adequate to fund our business operations, cash dividends to stockholders, debt amortization and capital expenditures. We may refinance our maturing debt as it comes due or choose to repay it.

Net cash provided by operating activities of $36,805,000 was comprised of (i) adjustments for non-cash items of $40,008,000 and (ii) the net change in operating assets and liabilities of $6,497,000, partially offset by (iii) net loss of $9,700,000. The adjustments for non-cash items were comprised of (i) liability related to discontinued operations of $23,797,000, (ii) depreciation and amortization (including amortization of debt issuance costs) of $9,596,000, (iii) the change in fair value of marketable securities of $5,170,000 and (iv) straight-lining of rental income of $1,445,000.

Net cash provided by investing activities of $125,000 was comprised of principal repayment proceeds from the Rego Park II loan participation of $753,000, partially offset by construction in progress and real estate additions of $628,000.

Net cash used in financing activities of $23,993,000 was primarily comprised of dividends paid of $23,022,000.

Net cash provided by operating activities of $41,623,000 was comprised of net income of $21,667,000, adjustments for non-cash items of $9,639,000 and the net change in operating assets and liabilities of $10,317,000. The adjustments for non-cash items were comprised of depreciation and amortization (including amortization of debt issuance costs) of $8,569,000 and straight-lining of rental income of $1,070,000.

Net cash used in financing activities of $22,647,000 was primarily comprised of dividends paid of $21,737,000.

Net cash used in investing activities of $1,628,000 was comprised of construction in progress and real estate additions.

Insurance

We maintain general liability insurance with limits of $300,000,000 per occurrence and per property, and all-risk property and rental value insurance coverage with limits of $1.7 billion per occurrence, including coverage for acts of terrorism, with sub-limits for certain perils such as floods and earthquakes on each of our properties.

Fifty Ninth Street Insurance Company, LLC (“FNSIC”), our wholly owned consolidated subsidiary, acts as a direct insurer for coverage for acts of terrorism, including nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological (“NBCR”) acts, as defined by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, which expires in December 2020. Coverage for acts of terrorism (including NBCR acts) is up to $1.7 billion per occurrence and in the aggregate. Coverage for acts of terrorism (excluding NBCR acts) is fully reinsured by third party insurance companies and the Federal government with no exposure to FNSIC. For NBCR acts, FNSIC is responsible for a $306,000 deductible and 18% of the balance of a covered loss, and the Federal government is responsible for the remaining 82% of a covered loss. We are ultimately responsible for any loss incurred by FNSIC.

Liquidity and Capital Resources - continued

We continue to monitor the state of the insurance market and the scope and costs of coverage for acts of terrorism. However, we cannot anticipate what coverage will be available on commercially reasonable terms in the future. We are responsible for deductibles and losses in excess of our insurance coverage, which could be material.

Our mortgage loans are non-recourse to us and contain customary covenants requiring us to maintain insurance. Although we believe that we have adequate insurance coverage for purposes of these agreements, we may not be able to obtain an equivalent amount of coverage at reasonable costs in the future. If lenders insist on greater coverage than we are able to obtain, it could adversely affect our ability to finance our properties.

Rego Park I Litigation

In June 2014, Sears Roebuck and Co. (“Sears”) filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against Vornado and us (and certain of our subsidiaries) with regard to space that Sears leases at our Rego Park I property alleging that the defendants are liable for harm that Sears has suffered as a result of (a) water intrusions into the premises, (b) two fires in February 2014 that caused damages to those premises, and (c) alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the premises’ parking garage. Sears asserted various causes of actions for damages and sought to compel compliance with landlord’s obligations to repair the premises and to provide security, and to compel us to abate a nuisance that Sears claims was a cause of the water intrusions into its premises. In addition to injunctive relief, Sears sought, among other things, damages of not less than $4 million and future damages it estimated would not be less than $25 million. In March 2016, Sears withdrew its claim for future damages leaving a remaining claim for property damages, which we estimate to be approximately $650,000 based on information provided by Sears. We intend to defend the remaining claim vigorously. The amount or range of reasonably possible losses, if any, is not expected to be greater than $650,000.

Paramus

In 2001, we leased 30.3 acres of land located in Paramus, New Jersey to IKEA Property, Inc. The lease has a purchase option in 2021 for $75,000,000. The property is encumbered by a $68,000,000 interest-only mortgage loan with a fixed rate of 2.90%, which matures on October 5, 2018. The annual triple-net rent is the sum of $700,000 plus the amount of debt service on the mortgage loan. If the purchase option is exercised, we will receive net cash proceeds of approximately $7,000,000 and recognize a gain on sale of land of approximately $60,000,000. If the purchase option is not exercised, the triple-net rent for the last 20 years would include debt service sufficient to fully amortize $68,000,000 over the remaining 20-year lease term.

Letters of Credit

Other

There are various other legal actions against us in the ordinary course of business. In our opinion, the outcome of such matters in the aggregate will not have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Funds from Operations (“FFO”) (non-GAAP)

FFO is computed in accordance with the definition adopted by the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”). NAREIT defines FFO as GAAP net income or loss adjusted to exclude net gains from sales of depreciated real estate assets, real estate impairment losses, depreciation and amortization expense from real estate assets and other specified non-cash items, including the pro rata share of such adjustments of unconsolidated subsidiaries. FFO and FFO per diluted share are used by management, investors and analysts to facilitate meaningful comparisons of operating performance between periods and among our peers because it excludes the effect of real estate depreciation and amortization and net gains on sales, which are based on historical costs and implicitly assume that the value of real estate diminishes predictably over time, rather than fluctuating based on existing market conditions. FFO does not represent cash generated from operating activities and is not necessarily indicative of cash available to fund cash requirements and should not be considered as an alternative to net income as a performance measure or cash flow as a liquidity measure. FFO may not be comparable to similarly titled measures employed by other companies. A reconciliation of our net (loss) income to (negative FFO) FFO is provided below.

Negative FFO (non-GAAP) for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 was $1,549,000, or $0.30 per diluted share, compared to positive FFO (non-GAAP) of $29,581,000, or $5.78 per diluted share in the prior year’s quarter. Negative FFO for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 included (i) $23,797,000, or $4.65 per diluted share, of accrued expense for potential additional New York City real property transfer taxes on the 2012 sale of Kings Plaza, which is being contested and (ii) $5,170,000, or $1.01 per diluted share, of expense from the decrease in the fair value of marketable securities resulting from a new GAAP accounting standard effective January 1, 2018. Previously, changes in the fair value of marketable securities were recognized through “accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income” on our consolidated balance sheets and did not impact our consolidated statements of income.

The following table reconciles our net (loss) income to (negative FFO) FFO (non-GAAP):

We have exposure to fluctuations in interest rates, which are sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control. Our exposure to a change in interest rates is summarized in the table below. 

Fair Value of Debt

(a) Disclosure Controls and Procedures:  Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

(b) Internal Control Over Financial Reporting:  There have not been any changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fiscal quarter to which this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q relates that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

We are from time to time involved in legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In our opinion, the outcome of such matters in the aggregate will not have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

For a discussion of the litigation concerning our Rego Park I property, see “Part I – Financial Information, Item 1 – Financial Statements, Note 12 – Commitments and Contingencies.”

There have been no material changes in our “Risk Factors” as previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

None.

Not applicable.

None.

Exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K are filed herewith and are listed in the attached Exhibit Index.

EXHIBIT INDEX

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.