Developers Diversified Realty Corp. (DDR), a real estate investment trust (REIT), reported relatively weak third quarter results, with FFO (fund from operations) of ($90.1) million or (54 cents) per share compared to $96.7 million or 80 cents per share in the year-earlier quarter. Fund from operations, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income. 
 The decrease in year-over-year FFO was primarily due to the non-recurring charges of $164.6 million primarily related to the non-cash impairment charges and non-cash loss related to the Otto investment. Excluding one-time charges, FFO in the third quarter was $74.5 million or 44 cents per share.

Despite challenging market conditions, Developers Diversified executed strong leasing activities during the quarter. The company signed 146 new leases and 287 renewal leases spanning over 0.7 million square feet and 1.9 million square

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Developers Diversified Realty Corporation (DDR), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), reported relatively weak second quarter results, with FFO (fund from operations) of ($166.5) million or ($1.15) per share compared to $95.9 million or $0.79 per share in the year-earlier quarter. FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.  The decrease in year-over-year FFO was due to the non-recurring charges of $240.0 million primarily related to the impairment of assets. Excluding one-time charges, FFO in the second quarter of 2009 was $0.51 per share.  Despite challenging market conditions, Developers Diversified executed strong leasing activities during the quarter. The company signed 147 new leases and 259 renewal leases spanning over 0.9 million square feet and 2.2 million square feet, respectively. The core portfolio of the company was 90.7% leased ...

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. Beats Consensus Estimates, Shares RiseOn June 24, Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. (BBBY) released earnings results for the first quarter ended May 30, 2009.The company performed above expectations. It reported a net income of $87.2 million or $0.34 per share, compared to $76.8 million or $0.30 per share the same quarter a year ago, thus beating the consensus EPS estimate by 9 cents. The company has beaten consensus estimates in each of the last three quarters.Net sales rose by 2.8% to $1.69 billion, up from $1.65 billion, which again was slightly above the consensus estimate of $1.68 billion. However, same-store sales declined by a less-than-expected 1.6%. Same-store sales have declined in five of the past six quarters, after having risen every quarter since the company went public ...

Shares of Kirkland's, Inc. (KIRK), a specialty retailer of home decor, are up about 7% Friday, which is enough to be recognized as a top-performing Zacks #1 Rank company.

< ?DART(15);?> KIRK, as well as its industry, got some help recently from a solid report out of Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. (BBBY). In addition, the company received a brokerage upgrade today to "Buy" from "Neutral".

Earnings estimates remain well above levels from 2 months ago by 67% for the fiscal year ending January 2010 and by 59% for the fiscal year ending January 2011.

KIRK is the only company from the retail - home furnishings industry on today's Zacks #1 Rank List, which includes 224 stocks. It is trading on extremely high volume of more than 1.1 million, compared to its average of 481,000.

First Quarter Earnings were

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The once booming business of private equity faces an uncertain future. What’s not uncertain, however, is that many private equity deals are imploding from the weight of leveraged debt and greed. Inevitable bankruptcies will result in higher unemployment and a deeper recession.

Private equity is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded.  The name “private equity”is the rechristened, kinder and more gentile label for what used to be known as leveraged buyouts, or LBOs. But make no mistake about it, while leverage may not be part of the name any more, it remains a big part of every private equity deal.

LBO firms, or “franchises”, as Henry Kravis, co-founder of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), likes to call his shop, acquire publicly traded operating companies. Then they streamline management and operations to increase profitability and hope to cash out

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The residential real estate sector is in shambles and, some economists say, will not recover until the end of 2010, at the earliest. Now it looks like commercial real estate may be the next block to fall in our “Jenga economy.”

On November 19, bonds and stocks backed by commercial real estate loans plummeted on investors’ fears the struggling U.S. economy might lead to a wave of defaults.

Big real estate companies suffered big losses: shares of Simon Property Group, the top U.S. mall operator, declined 13%; Boston Properties Inc., owner of skyscrapers and office buildings in key U.S. markets, fell 12.1%.

General Growth Properties Inc., which owns more than 200 mall properties throughout the United States, is teetering on the brink of annihilation. If the flailing company can’t come up with the $958 million of its debt that is now due, and the $3.07 billion due next year, it will have

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Even the strongest retail brands are suffering heavy losses as consumers flock to low-cost stores. Andrew Snyder says this spells doom for Under Armour (NYSE:UA). The company has a strong marketing strategy, but its sales estimates are too optimistic for a retailer of expensive niche clothing. Andrew says the stock is overvalued right now, creating a good chance for a profitable short play.

This from Today’s Financial News:

It is tough for many investors to admit, but marketers rule Wall Street. On most days, it is not true fundamentals that rule the Dow. It is the change in the way we perceive a company’s valuation that makes a stock go up or do.

If marketers do their job, share price rises. If they fail, shareholders feel the pain.

Investors rarely weigh a company’s marketing talent in their decision-making process. It is a flaw that could cost them dearly. In many cases, a firm’s

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Retail sales slumped 1.2% in September. It was the steepest decline for over three years. This is bad news for retailers. Andrew Snyder says this means investors should avoid retail-related REITs such as Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG).

This from Today’s Financial News:

Just a few days ago, I wrote about how the housing slowdown has reached its lowest point. I told readers that some real-estate investment trusts (REITs) look downright promising. I also warned that others were in extremely dangerous territories.

Yesterday’s consumer spending figures proved my theory was right on track. The report showed that while consumer spending dropped 1.2%, healthcare spending was up by a similar amount.

In other words, REITs that specialize in healthcare properties, like National Health Investors (NYSE:NHI), will beat the markets. And their counterparts that focus on retail-related properties, like Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG), are going to under-perform.

Going

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