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SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 6 raised, 4 lowered, 2 narrowed, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • FFO as adjusted per share rose 17.6%: Management cited a 17.6% year-over-year rise in FFO, as adjusted, per share. Total FFO, as adjusted, was $29.3 million, up $4.9 million from the year-earlier quarter. Source
  • Same-store NOI rose 3.7%: Same-store revenue rose 1.3%. Six-month same-store revenue rose 1.4%, and six-month same-store net operating income rose 2.9%. Source
  • Same-store margin reached 67.3%: Same-store operating margin was 67.3%, up 150 basis points year over year. Management tied the gain to revenue management, store teams, scale and expense control. Source
  • Property expenses fell on insurance: Same-store property operating expenses fell about $0.6 million, or 3.4%, for the quarter. Six-month same-store expenses fell 1.4%. Source
  • Spartanburg stores bought from SSGT III: Three self storage facilities near Spartanburg, South Carolina closed in June for about $29.7 million. The sellers' subsidiaries repaid their mortgage loans in full, and both boards' committees approved the deal. Source
  • $46 million deployed in quarter: Management said the company put over $46 million into acquisitions and bridge capital investments, and reduced cash flow leverage organically from the prior quarter, without a ratio given. Source
  • SSGT III to merge into SST VI: SmartStop will receive a $2.0 million negotiated payment in SSGT III operating partnership units, and will remain advisor and property manager of the combined company. Source

“These improvements in our core operations led us to increase our 2026 same store NOI guidance and FFOa per share guidance.”

H. Michael Schwartz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Same-store revenue growth (as translated in U.S. dollars) SourceFull year 20260.50% to 1.50%Narrowed from -0.25% to 1.75%
Same-store operating expense growth SourceFull year 20260.25% to 1.25%Lowered from 1.75% to 3.75%
Same-store net operating income growth SourceFull year 20260.65% to 1.65%Raised from -1.25% to 0.75%
FFO, as adjusted per share and OP unit, diluted SourceFull year 2026$1.98 to $2.04Narrowed, low end up from $1.94 to $2.04
Net income per share, diluted SourceFull year 2026$0.61 to $0.65Raised from $0.48 to $0.54
Non same-store net operating income (thousands of dollars) SourceFull year 2026$19,900 to $20,700Raised from $18,500 to $19,800
Tenant Protection Program net margin (thousands of dollars) SourceFull year 2026$9,625 to $9,925
Managed REIT adjusted EBITDA (thousands of dollars) SourceFull year 2026$13,650 to $14,250
Third-party management adjusted EBITDA (thousands of dollars) SourceFull year 2026$1,750 to $2,250Lowered from $1,800 to $2,700
Average assets under management, Managed REITs SourceYear ending December 31, 2026$1,040 million to $1,090 millionLowered from $1,080 million to $1,130 million
General and administrative expenses (thousands of dollars) SourceFull year 2026$33,000 to $34,000Raised from $32,250 to $33,750
Interest expense (thousands of dollars) SourceFull year 2026$53,450 to $54,950
Investment income, net (thousands of dollars) SourceFull year 2026$9,200 to $10,000
Average one-month SOFR assumption SourceFull year 20263.8%Raised from 3.7%
Acquisitions, loans, bridge loans and preferred investments (thousands of dollars) SourceFull year 2026$55,000 to $75,000Raised from $45,000 to $65,000
Redevelopment and expansion spend (thousands of dollars) SourceFull year 2026$13,000 to $15,000Lowered from $14,000 to $16,000
Solar spend (thousands of dollars) SourceFull year 2026$2,250 to $2,750Kept
Development spend (thousands of dollars) SourceFull year 2026$9,000 to $10,000Kept
Weighted average share count SourceFull year 202659,400,000Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Same-store net operating income growth range raised to 0.65% to 1.65%, from -1.25% to 0.75%. Source
  • Guidance raised: FFO, as adjusted per share range raised at the low end, to $1.98 from $1.94; high end unchanged at $2.04. Source
  • Guidance raised: Non same-store net operating income range raised to $19,900 to $20,700 thousand, from $18,500 to $19,800 thousand. Source
  • Guidance raised: Acquisitions, loans, bridge loans and preferred investments range raised to $55,000 to $75,000 thousand. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Same-store operating expense growth range lowered to 0.25% to 1.25%, from 1.75% to 3.75%. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Third-party management adjusted EBITDA range lowered to $1,750 to $2,250 thousand, from $1,800 to $2,700 thousand. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Assumed average Managed REIT assets under management lowered to $1,040 million to $1,090 million. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Redevelopment and expansion spend range lowered to $13,000 to $15,000 thousand, from $14,000 to $16,000 thousand. Source
  • Guidance kept: Solar spend and development spend ranges were unchanged from the May 6 estimates. Source
  • New: Management introduced the Deca Initiative, described as the framework that will guide growth over the coming years. Source
  • New: Agreement and Plan of Merger signed July 14, 2026 under which SSGT III merges into a subsidiary of SST VI. Source
  • New: Three self storage facilities in Spartanburg, South Carolina acquired in June from SSGT III subsidiaries. Source
  • New: North Carolina Department of Transportation took most of the Asheville III property in an eminent domain proceeding. Source
  • New: First preferred investment with joint venture partner AXCS closed in August; SmartStop's portion is about $3.1 million. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • FFO as adjusted per share rose 17.6%: Management cited a 17.6% year-over-year rise in FFO, as adjusted, per share. Total FFO, as adjusted, was $29.3 million, up $4.9 million from the year-earlier quarter. Source
  • Net income rose to $11.2 million: Diluted EPS was $0.20 against a $0.16 loss a year earlier. Net income attributable to common stockholders rose about $19.6 million on the year. Source
  • Six-month FFO rose $22.5 million: Six-month FFO, as adjusted, was $58.1 million. Six-month FFO, as adjusted, per share and OP unit was $0.98, up $0.15. Source
  • Self storage revenue rose $4.9 million: Six-month self storage-related revenues were $130.7 million, up $10.6 million. Non same-store facilities contributed $8.1 million of quarterly revenue, against $4.0 million a year earlier. Source

Same-store operating performance

  • Same-store NOI rose 3.7%: Same-store revenue rose 1.3%. Six-month same-store revenue rose 1.4%, and six-month same-store net operating income rose 2.9%. Source
  • Same-store margin reached 67.3%: Same-store operating margin was 67.3%, up 150 basis points year over year. Management tied the gain to revenue management, store teams, scale and expense control. Source
  • Occupancy eased slightly: Same-store occupancy was 93.1% a year earlier. Six-month same-store occupancy was 92.5%, down about 0.2%. Source
  • Non same-store facilities increased to 25: Non same-store facilities numbered 25, against 16 a year earlier, with 86.8% average occupancy and $21.10 annualized rent per occupied square foot. Source

“Additionally, we deployed over $46 million this quarter into accretive on balance sheet acquisitions and bridge capital investments, while also organically reducing our cash flow leverage from the prior quarter,”

H. Michael Schwartz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Rent, tenant protection and fees

  • Rent growth offset lower occupancy: Management attributed same-store revenue growth mainly to higher annualized rent per occupied square foot, partly offset by lower occupancy, with higher administrative and late fees also contributing. Source
  • Tenant protection revenue at same-store sites: Tenant Protection Program related expense was $248 thousand, against $110 thousand a year earlier, on total program revenue of about $2.6 million. Source
  • Managed Platform revenue rose to $6.7m: Managed Platform expenses were $3.7 million, against $3.3 million. Reimbursable costs from the platform were $6.7 million, against $1.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Managed REIT assets near $1.0 billion: Assets under management were $1,055.8 million at March 31. At June 30 the Managed REITs held 52 operating properties, down from 53. Source

Costs and margins

  • Property expenses fell on insurance: Same-store property operating expenses fell about $0.6 million, or 3.4%, for the quarter. Six-month same-store expenses fell 1.4%. Source
  • G&A costs fell year over year: G&A was $9.9 million, against $11.7 million a year earlier. Six-month G&A was $19.0 million, against $19.5 million. Depreciation rose to $16.5 million from $15.4 million. Source
  • Interest expense mixed by period: Quarterly interest expense was $13.3 million, against $12.0 million. Six-month interest expense fell to $26.5 million from $34.1 million. Source

“These accomplishments are emblematic of our recently introduced Deca Initiative, the framework that will guide our Company’s growth over the coming years.”

H. Michael Schwartz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Acquisitions, bridge lending and platform

  • Spartanburg stores bought from SSGT III: Three self storage facilities near Spartanburg, South Carolina closed in June for about $29.7 million. The sellers' subsidiaries repaid their mortgage loans in full, and both boards' committees approved the deal. Source
  • Asheville III partly taken by state: A gain of about $0.5 million was recognized on the Asheville III taking. A small part of Asheville IV was also taken in July; both were removed from the 2026 same-store pool. Source
  • Preferred investments yield about 10.9%: A $16.3 million preferred investment closed in June, making SmartStop property manager of that facility. A first AXCS preferred investment closed in August. Source
  • About 220 stores under third-party management: Stores managed on the third-party platform totalled 15.7 million rentable square feet at June 30, down from 227 stores at March 31. Source

Capital, cash and distributions

  • $46 million deployed in quarter: Management said the company put over $46 million into acquisitions and bridge capital investments, and reduced cash flow leverage organically from the prior quarter, without a ratio given. Source
  • Debt rose while cash fell: Debt, net was $1,119.6 million at June 30, against $1,098.2 million at December 31, 2025. Cash and cash equivalents fell to $38.2 million from $54.2 million. Source
  • Distributions held at $1.60 annualized: Board set June, July and August distributions at an annualized $1.60 per share, the same annualized rate as the monthly distributions declared earlier in 2026. Source

Strategy and managed REIT merger

  • Deca Initiative guides growth: Management described Deca as the framework that will guide growth over the coming years, and linked the quarter's deployment and core results to it. Source
  • SSGT III to merge into SST VI: SmartStop will receive a $2.0 million negotiated payment in SSGT III operating partnership units, and will remain advisor and property manager of the combined company. Source
  • Performance grants moved to relative TSR: Grant value is set under GAAP at grant and does not change with probability of achievement. FFO, as adjusted, excludes $1.6 million of IPO and legacy grant expense this quarter. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 August 2026

  • Managed REIT merger closing expected Q4: The merger of SSGT III into SST VI is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, after which SmartStop continues to advise and manage the combined company. Source
  • Next monthly distribution on September 15: The June, July and August distributions were paid or will be paid on the dates listed, with the last on September 15, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
FFO, as adjusted, per share (diluted) Source$0.49
Occupancy (same-store average physical) Source92.5%
Same-store NOI growth Source3.7%
Same-store revenue growth Source1.3%
Same-store operating margin Source67.3%
Acquisitions SourceSpartanburg Three Properties, about $29.7 million
Dispositions (gain on taking) SourceGain of about $0.5 million, Asheville III
Leverage SourceCash flow leverage reduced from prior quarter; ratio not stated

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Same-store occupancy declined year over year, partly offset by higher annualized rent per occupied square foot. Source
  • Regulatory: A state agency took part of two Asheville, North Carolina properties through eminent domain, and both were removed from the same-store pool. Source
  • External: Canadian same-store results are translated from Canadian dollars, so exchange rate movements affect reported U.S. dollar results. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: In the first quarter release, management said the dedicated team would continue to execute the business plan throughout 2026.
  • Not stated: Management refers to an anticipated closing of the merger in the fourth quarter of 2026. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.