CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwire - August 6, 2008) - U-Store-It Trust (
About U-Store-It Trust
U-Store-It Trust is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust. The Company's self-storage facilities are designed to offer affordable, easily-accessible and secure storage space for residential and commercial customers. According to the Self-Storage Almanac, U-Store-It Trust is one of the top five owners and operators of self-storage facilities in the United States.
Non-GAAP Performance Measurements
FFO is a widely used performance measure for real estate companies and is provided here as a supplemental measure of operating performance. The Company calculates FFO in accordance with the best practices described in the April 2002 National Policy Bulletin of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (the "White Paper"). The White Paper defines FFO as net income (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, plus depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures.
Management uses FFO as a key performance indicator in evaluating the operations of the Company's facilities. Given the nature of its business as a real estate owner and operator, the Company considers FFO a key measure of its operating performance that is not specifically defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The Company believes that FFO is useful to management and investors as a starting point in measuring its operational performance because it excludes various items included in net income that do not relate to or are not indicative of its operating performance such as gains (or losses) from sales of property and depreciation, which can make periodic and peer analyses of operating performance more difficult. FFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income (determined in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of the Company's financial performance, is not an alternative to cash flow from operating activities (determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of the Company's liquidity, and is not indicative of funds available to fund the Company's cash needs, including its ability to make distributions.
We define net operating income, which we refer to as "NOI," as total continuing revenues less continuing property operating expenses. NOI also can be calculated by adding back to net income: interest expense, loan procurement amortization expense, early extinguishment of debt, minority interest, loss on sale of storage facilities, depreciation and general and administrative, and deducting from net income: income from discontinued operations, gains on sale of self-storage facilities, and interest income. NOI is not a measure of performance calculated in accordance with GAAP. Management uses NOI as a measure of operating performance at each of our facilities, and for all of our facilities in the aggregate. NOI should not be considered as a substitute for operating income, net income, cash flows provided by operating, investing and financing activities, or other income statement or cash flow statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this release that are not historical fact may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements are based on assumptions and expectations that may not be realized and are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which cannot be predicted with accuracy and some of which might not even be anticipated. Although we believe the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, future events and actual results, performance, transactions or achievements, financial and otherwise, may differ materially from the results, performance, transactions or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Risk, uncertainties and other factors that might cause such differences, some of which could be material, include but are not limited to: national and local economic, business, real estate and other market conditions; the competitive environment in which the Company operates; the execution of the Company's business plan; financing risks, including the risk of over-leverage and the corresponding risk of default on our mortgage and other debt; increases in interest rates and operating costs; the Company's ability to maintain its status as a REIT for federal income tax purposes; acquisition and development risks; changes in real estate and zoning laws or regulations; risks related to natural disasters; potential environmental and other liabilities; and other factors affecting the real estate industry generally or the self-storage industry in particular. The Company refers you to the documents filed by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the section titled "Business-Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, which discuss these and other risks and factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as may be required by securities laws.
Contact Information: Contact: U-Store-It Trust Christopher Marr Chief Financial Officer (610) 293-5700