Sabra Healthcare REIT’s Optimistic Earnings Call Analysis

Sabra Healthcare Reit ((SBRA)) has held its Q3 earnings call. Read on for the main highlights of the call.

Meet Your ETF AI Analyst

• Discover how TipRanks' ETF AI Analyst can help you make smarter investment decisions
• Explore ETFs TipRanks' users love and see what insights the ETF AI Analyst reveals about the ones you follow.

Sabra Healthcare REIT’s recent earnings call presented a balanced yet optimistic outlook for the future. The company reported strong growth in its SHOP portfolio, robust financial metrics, and a successful investment pipeline. However, challenges with the Holiday properties, decreased cash rental income, and increased borrowing costs were notable concerns. Overall, the sentiment was one of cautious optimism, with a focus on future growth prospects.

Growth in SHOP Portfolio

The SHOP portfolio’s growth was a highlight of the earnings call, with its share increasing to 26% of the total portfolio, surpassing expectations. Sabra has set a new target to further increase SHOP exposure to 40%, indicating confidence in this segment’s potential.

Strong Financial Metrics

Sabra reported a cash NOI growth of 15.9%, excluding 16 ex-Holiday properties, and 13.3% including them. Additionally, EBITDAR rent coverage improved across asset classes, showcasing the company’s strong financial performance.

Robust Investment Activity

The company exceeded its investment target of $400-$500 million by closing deals worth more than $550 million in 2025. This robust investment activity underscores Sabra’s strategic focus on growth and expansion.

Senior Housing Portfolio Performance

The senior housing portfolio showed impressive performance, with cash NOI and cash NOI margin up by 18.6% and 90 basis points, respectively. Occupancy increased to 86.8%, and RevPAR rose by 4.3%, reflecting strong demand in this segment.

Credit Rating Upgrade

Moody’s upgraded Sabra’s credit rating to Baa3, reflecting the company’s commitment to maintaining a strong balance sheet and anticipated future earnings growth.

Challenges with Holiday Properties

The Holiday properties in the same-store portfolio showed only 5.1% same-store NOI growth, which impacted overall metrics and highlighted an area of concern for the company.

Decreased Cash Rental Income

Cash rental income from the triple-net portfolio decreased by $3.5 million from the second quarter, indicating challenges in this segment.

Higher Borrowings and Interest Expenses

Increased borrowings under the revolving credit facility led to higher cash interest expenses, a concern that the company will need to manage moving forward.

Limited Growth in Behavioral Portfolio

The behavioral portfolio is expected to shrink as a percentage of the total portfolio, with fewer opportunities for growth, suggesting a strategic shift in focus.

Forward-Looking Guidance

Sabra provided detailed guidance for the future, with the SHOP portfolio now making up approximately 26% of the portfolio and a new target set to increase it to 40%. The company significantly exceeded its investment target, with deals in 2025 totaling over $550 million. Sabra reaffirmed its guidance midpoint for 2025, projecting normalized FFO and AFFO per share at $1.46 and $1.50, respectively. The company also highlighted a strong balance sheet and ample liquidity of approximately $1.1 billion.

In conclusion, Sabra Healthcare REIT’s earnings call reflected a balanced sentiment with a mix of optimism for future growth and acknowledgment of current challenges. The company’s strategic focus on expanding its SHOP portfolio and strong financial metrics are promising, while areas such as the Holiday properties and increased borrowing costs require attention. Overall, Sabra appears well-positioned for future growth, with a clear plan to navigate current challenges.