After the market closed today, Digital Realty Trust (DLR 0.67%) announced its earnings from the third quarter. The company saw its core funds from operations per share, or CFFO, rise from $1.16 last year to $1.22 in the most recent quarter, a gain of a little over 5%.
The funds from operations of $1.22 per share beat analysts' consensus expectation of $1.19 per share.
This marked another quarter of steady but unspectacular growth. In total, through the first nine months of the year, CFFO per share has risen by approximately 5.5% to stand at $3.71.
Solid growth
In the earnings announcement, interim CEO and CFO Bill Stein said the world's largest data-center REIT "maintained consistent leasing momentum during the third quarter, with new lease signings totaling $31 million of annualized GAAP rental revenue."
In total, as a result of solid growth in its rental revenue, operating revenue at Digital Realty rose to $412 million in the third quarter, representing an 8.5% increase over the third quarter of last year. Revenue grew by $11 million, or 3%, relative to the second quarter of this year.
"We also realized another consistent contribution from our mid-market segment, with new leases signed during the third quarter expected to generate $5 million of annualized GAAP rental revenue," Stein continued. "Pricing has firmed across products and regions, and net effective leasing economics continue to improve, driven by steady absorption of excess supply at the sector level, along with company-specific changes to our sales compensation program and tighter underwriting discipline."
Digital Realty also continued to see solid gains in its same-store portfolio of properties -- those acquired before Dec. 31, 2012 -- which have recognized net operating income growth of 12.3% to stand at $725 million through the first nine months of the year.
In addition, the company saw its portfolio occupancy rise slightly, from 92.8% at the end of June to 93% at the end of the third quarter.
Updated guidance
Digital Realty Trust also revised its full-year guidance for its core funds from operations to the higher end of its previously expected range. Previously it believed that its CFFO would come in between $4.85 and $4.95 per share -- which itself was a revision from an earlier range of $4.80 to $4.90 per share -- but the company updated that range to stand at $4.90 to $4.95 per share.
The key takeaway
Like the second quarter, the latest results from Digital Realty aren't likely to generate wows or raise many eyebrows. However, the solid growth and continued reliable results should provide much encouragement for investors.
