• Total Leasing in 2024: 2.4 million square feet, the highest since 2015.
• Cash Basis Same-Store NOI Growth: 2.6% for 2024.
• Year-End Lease Percentage: 88.4%.
• Rental Rate Growth: 12% on a cash basis and almost 20% on an accrual basis for 2024.
• Core FFO for 2024: $1.49 per diluted share.
• Core FFO for Q4 2024: $0.37 per diluted share.
• AFFO for Q4 2024: Approximately $28 million.
• Gross Proceeds from Property Dispositions in 2024: Approximately $77 million.
• Refinancing Activity: $400 million bond offering completed in June 2024.
• 2025 Core FFO Guidance: $1.38 to $1.44 per share.
• 2025 Expected Leasing: 1.4 million to 1.6 million square feet.
• 2025 Same-Store NOI Guidance: Flat to 3% increase.
• Net Interest Expense for 2025: $127 million to $129 million.
• General and Administrative Expense for 2025: $30 million to $32 million.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Signs with PDM.

Release Date: February 14, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

• Piedmont Office Realty Trust Inc (NYSE:PDM) achieved a record 2.4 million square feet of total leasing in 2024, the highest since 2015.
• The company reported strong rental rate growth, with a 12% increase on a cash basis and almost 20% on an accrual basis.
• Piedmont successfully completed a $400 million bond offering in June 2024 at a significantly improved credit spread.
• The company has no debt maturities until 2028, providing financial stability and flexibility.
• Piedmont's leasing pipeline is strong, with over 300,000 square feet in late-stage activity and 2.6 million square feet in outstanding proposals.

Negative Points

• Core FFO per diluted share decreased from $1.74 in 2023 to $1.49 in 2024, partly due to increased net interest expense.
• The company experienced downtime between the expiration of large leases and the commencement of new leases, impacting financial results.
• Piedmont's net interest expense increased due to refinancing activities, affecting profitability.
• The office market remains challenging, with high vacancy rates in lower-quality office stock.
• Economic uncertainty and a shortened holiday period slowed new leasing volumes in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you provide an update on the leasing pipeline and the types of tenants involved? A: George Wells, Chief Operating Officer, explained that Piedmont achieved 2.4 million square feet of leasing in 2024. For 2025, they expect around 800,000 square feet of new deals, excluding a large transaction from 2024. The pipeline is strong with 300,000 square feet in late-stage activity and 2.6 million square feet in proposals, mainly from sectors like insurance, law, accounting, and engineering.

Q: How are you balancing acquisitions versus dispositions given the current market conditions? A: Brent Smith, CEO, stated that with no debt maturities until 2028, Piedmont is focusing on recycling capital by disposing of non-core assets and considering acquisitions. They are evaluating $200-300 million in assets, primarily opportunistic in nature, and may involve joint ventures to minimize balance sheet complexity.

Q: Can you comment on the acceleration in new leasing activity and the types of users involved? A: George Wells noted that new leasing activity is strong, with significant interest in Atlanta, Dallas, and Minneapolis. The pipeline includes 500,000 square feet of transactions in Minneapolis and 15 deals over 50,000 square feet. Sectors involved include technology, insurance, law, and professional services.

Q: Does the 1.4 to 1.6 million square feet of leasing guidance include any large renewals? A: Brent Smith confirmed that the guidance includes expected renewals, such as a significant New York City renewal. They are also working on backfilling space from known vacates like Evershed and Ryan, with positive leasing velocity.

Q: What are the prospects for net effective rent growth across the portfolio? A: Brent Smith indicated that net effective rent growth is already being pushed, especially in Sunbelt markets. While suburban Boston and Minneapolis are seeing flat to slightly positive growth, Northern Virginia is stable, and the district remains challenging with flat to negative growth.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.