American Realty Investors Reports 2002 Second Quarter, Six Months Net Losses of $1.29 and $1.24 vs. $.78 and $.96 Net Income in 2001 Periods


DALLAS, Aug. 14, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- American Realty Investors, Inc. (NYSE:ARL) announced Wednesday that the company posted second quarter and six months net losses of $14.70 million and $14.11 million, or $(1.29) and $(1.24) per share, on revenues of $38.64 million and $76.92 million, respectively, as compared to net incomes of $7.93 million and $9.68 million, or $.78 and $.96 per share, on revenues of $48.09 million and $89.54 million, respectively, in the 2001 comparable periods.

Income and sales and related expenses and costs for the second quarter and six months of 2002 resulted in increased income from continuing operations of $11.33 million and $23.93 million, up from $6.32 million and $19.01 million in the 2001 comparable periods, and included:


 -- Income from rents increased to $28.71 million and $56.84 million,
    up from $27.27 million and $53.83 million in the 2001 comparable
    periods, due to higher occupancy at the commercial properties and
    the opening of a hotel in 2001.
 -- Property operations expense decreased to $20.48 million and $39.80
    million, from $23.49 million and $42.54 million in the 2001 
    comparable periods.
 -- Pizza parlor sales increased to $9.74 million and $18.28 million,
    from $8.73 million and $16.56 million in the 2001 comparable
    periods, due to three new stores opening in 2001 and a 10.4 
    percent increase in same-store sales.  Cost of sales increased to
    $7.79 million and $14.75 million, from $7.13 million and $13.55
    million in the 2001 comparable periods.  Gross margins increased
    to $1.94 million and $3.53 million, up from $1.60 million and
    $3.01 million in the 2001 comparable periods.
 -- Land sales, cost of sales and gain on land sales increased to
    $15.12 million, $13.96 million and $1.16 million in second quarter
    2002, compared to $13.09 million, $12.16 million and $924,000 in
    second quarter 2001.  Land sales, cost of sales and gain on land
    sales decreased to $20.70 million, $17.34 million and $3.36
    million in six months 2002, compared to $33.58 million, $28.86
    million and $4.71 million in six months 2001.  Twelve land parcels
    were sold in the first six months of 2002.

Other income (loss) decreased to losses of ($4.29) million and ($8.04) million in the second quarter and six months of 2002, from losses of ($3.41) million and ($4.44) million in the 2001 comparable periods, and included:


 -- Equity in the loss of investees increased to ($5.22) million and
    ($9.23) million in the second quarter and six months of 2002, from
    ($3.84) million and ($5.29) million in the 2001 comparable periods
    due to increased losses by affiliates.
 -- Other income increased to $142,000 and $326,000 in the second
    quarter and six months of 2002, from $44,000 and $77,000 in the
    2001 comparable periods, due to service fee income, stock
    dividends and stock redemption.

Other expenses (excluding property operations expenses and costs of sales for pizza and land) decreased in the second quarter and six months of 2002 to $27.46 million and $55.47, from $30.15 million and $56.40 million in the 2001 comparable periods, and included:


 -- Interest expense increased in the second quarter and six months of
    2002 to $18.07 million and $36.27 million, compared to $16.09
    million and $31.54 million in the 2001 comparable periods, due to
    increased balances and higher interest rates on stock loans.
 -- General and administrative expenses increased to $3.17 million and
    $6.48 million in the second quarter and six months of 2002, from
    $1.56 million and $4.47 million in the 2001 comparable periods,
    due to higher legal fees and cost reimbursements paid to the
    advisor. 
 -- Advisory, net income and incentive fees decreased to a total of
    $990,000 and $3.25 million in the second quarter and six months of
    2002, from $8.37 million and $11.14 million in the 2001 comparable
    periods, due to a reduction in total assets and 2002 net income
    not meeting the threshold of 10 percent of annualized net income
    in excess of a 10 percent return on shareholders' equity.  No
    incentive fee is paid unless net income has met the 10 percent
    threshold. 
 -- Minority interest expense increased to $773,000 and $1.56 million
    in second quarter and six months 2002, from ($95,000) and $1.48
    million in the 2001 comparable periods.  The three month increase
    was due to corrections made in the second quarter of 2001,
    eliminating the expense for that quarter.

Net income on discontinued operations (non-land properties that were sold) in the second quarter and six months of 2002 decreased to $6.31 million and $26.67 million, from $35.77 million and $52.76 million in the 2001 comparable periods, and included:


 -- Gains on the sale of real estate decreased to $2.15 million and
    $18.43 million in the second quarter and six months of 2002 on the
    sale of five apartments, a shopping center and an office building,
    from $25.84 million and $42.27 million in the 2001 comparable
    periods.  
 -- Equity in investees' gains on the sale of real estate decreased to
    $4.15 million and $8.28 million in the second quarter and six
    months of 2002, from $9.94 million and $11.38 million in the 2001
    comparable periods. 

American Realty Investors, Inc., a Dallas-based real estate investment company, holds a diverse portfolio of equity real estate located across the U.S., including office buildings, apartments, hotels, shopping centers and developed and undeveloped land. For more information, go to ARI's web site at www.amrealtytrust.com .


                         FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
        (dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

                      Three months ended         Six months ended
                            June 30,                  June 30,
                       2002         2001         2002         2001
                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------

 Income from rents $    28,705  $    27,273  $    56,842  $    53,830
 Expense from
  operations            20,481       23,486       39,800       42,543
                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------
   Operating income      8,224        3,787       17,042       11,287

 Land sales             15,121       13,087       20,701       33,577
 Cost of sales          13,957       12,163       17,338       28,864
                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------
  Gain on land
   sales                 1,164          924        3,363        4,713

 Pizza sales             9,736        8,733       18,276       16,559
 Cost of sales           7,794        7,129       14,747       13,551
                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------
  Gross margin           1,942        1,604        3,529        3,008

 Income from
  operations       $    11,330  $     6,315  $    23,934  $    19,008

 Other income
  (loss)                (4,294)      (3,408)      (8,041)      (4,438)
 Other expense          27,461       30,146       55,471       56,404
                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------

 Net loss from
  continuing
  operations           (20,425)     (27,239)     (39,578)     (41,834)

 Income (loss) from
  discontinued
  operations                14           (6)         (42)        (889)
 Gain on sale of
  real estate            2,150       25,840       18,433       42,266
 Equity in gain on
  sale of real estate
  by equity investees    4,149        9,938        8,280       11,380
                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------
 Net income from
  discontinued
  operations             6,313       35,772       26,671       52,757

 Net income (loss) $   (14,112) $     8,533  $   (12,907) $    10,923
 Preferred dividend
  requirement             (589)        (606)      (1,200)      (1,248)
                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------

 Net income (loss)
  applicable to
  Common shares    $   (14,701) $     7,927  $   (14,107) $     9,675
                   ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========

 Earnings Per Share
  Net loss from
   continuing
   operations      $     (1.85) $     (2.75) $     (3.58) $     (4.26)
  Discontinued
   operations              .56         3.53         2.34         5.22
                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------
 Net income (loss)
  applicable to
  Common shares    $     (1.29) $       .78  $     (1.24) $       .96
                   ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========
 Weighted average
  common shares
  used to compute
  earnings per
  share             11,375,127   10,128,124   11,375,127   10,116,196

            

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