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Is Consumer Discretionary a Dead End? These 3 Stocks Say NoSL Green Realty NYSE: SLG raised its 2026 funds from operations guidance sharply after what management described as a strong first half of the year, citing stronger leasing, improved economic occupancy, expense control and a recurring contribution tied to One Vanderbilt.
On the company’s Q2 2026 earnings call, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Marc Holliday said leasing gains made over the past several years are now showing up in the company’s financial results. He said economic occupancy rose 300 basis points during the quarter as concessions burned off and vacancy declined.
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Are Dividend-Paying Office REITs Finally Staging A Comeback?“Much of what we predicted at our investor conference in December is now playing out in ways that directly drive earnings and improves cash flow,” Holliday said. He added that the company expects to exceed its leasing goals for the year, though management said it was too early to reforecast the exact magnitude.
FFO Guidance Raised by $1.20 Per Share Chief Financial Officer Matt DiLiberto said SL Green increased its 2026 FFO guidance by $1.20 per share, or more than 26%, with “the vast majority” of the increase recurring. He attributed $0.20 per share of incremental FFO to the real estate portfolio, including benefits from early renewals, leasing of pre-built space, faster delivery of space to tenants and expense containment. DiLiberto said $0.10 of that amount was recognized in the second quarter.
These 3 Top-Rated Small Caps May Be Undervalued BargainsAnother $0.20 per share is expected from additional fee and other income tied to execution of the company’s 2026 business plan over the remainder of the year.
The largest component of the guidance increase, however, came from One Vanderbilt. DiLiberto said the property’s strong cash flow had caused SL Green’s carrying value in the investment to go negative, reaching the maximum negative basis allowed under GAAP at the end of the first quarter. Beginning in Q2, the company’s FFO contribution from One Vanderbilt includes amortization of the negative carrying value and the difference between cash distributions received and SL Green’s share of GAAP net income.
DiLiberto said those two components add $0.80 per share to 2026 FFO, including $0.35 recorded in the second quarter. He said the contribution is expected to be “as much or more” next year based on current projections.
Leasing Momentum Broad-Based Across Portfolio SL Green executives described leasing strength as broad-based, with particular rent appreciation in Park Avenue and Sixth Avenue assets. Steve Durels, executive vice president and director of leasing and real property, said rents have risen “dramatically” at properties including 1185 Sixth Avenue and 245 Park Avenue.
Asked about leasing mark-to-market trends, Durels said the strength was not isolated to one building or submarket. “Across the portfolio, we’ve been consistently raising asking rents throughout the year,” he said, adding that the company expects similar trends in the next quarter.
Durels said the company’s leasing pipeline stood at 900,000 square feet, about evenly split between new leases and renewals. Of that amount, 400,000 square feet was in active negotiation, with the balance in term sheets expected to convert to leases.
Management also highlighted activity tied to technology and artificial intelligence tenants. Durels said there are 9.5 million square feet of active technology searches in Manhattan, including 2.5 million square feet from AI tenants. He said SL Green has limited AI exposure to roughly 1% to 2% of its portfolio and noted that many current AI prospects are better capitalized than dot-com-era tenants.
New York City Office Market Cited as Key Driver Holliday repeatedly pointed to New York City’s economic strength as a foundation for SL Green’s performance. He cited Wall Street profits, office-using job growth, venture capital funding and broad demand from financial services, technology and healthcare as factors supporting office leasing.
He said the city has seen about 50 million square feet of office space leased over the past four quarters, which he characterized as likely a record. Holliday said the recovery is being driven by four factors: a strong local economy, limited new office supply, tenants moving forward with long-term space plans after years of uncertainty, and office-to-residential conversions reducing available office inventory.
“As long as the economy stays robust as it is, we don’t see this abating anytime soon,” Holliday said.
On concessions, Durels said renewal deals continue to support higher net effective rents. For typical five-year renewals, he said free rent is generally around three to four months, with three months often being the average. For new 10-year transactions, he said free rent could eventually move toward 10 months.
Capital Markets, Dispositions and Development Updates President and Chief Investment Officer Harry Sitomer said investor demand for quality Midtown Manhattan assets remains strong despite higher benchmark rates. He said SL Green has completed or is under contract on four of the 11 transactions in its 2026 plan and expects to announce two more soon, with the remaining five expected to launch later in the year.
Sitomer cited several recent transactions, including SL Green’s partnership with Mori Building at 346 Madison Avenue and its contract to sell 10 East 53rd Street at an approximately 5.7% cap rate. He said the 10 East 53rd Street sale represents roughly a 3.5 times multiple on SL Green’s 2024 acquisition of its partner’s interest.
On debt markets, Sitomer said SL Green remains encouraged by credit availability, pointing to roughly $11 billion of year-to-date CMBS originations, compared with about $8.5 billion during the same period last year. He said the company’s next major refinancing is 245 Park Avenue, which is in advanced stages.
DiLiberto said SL Green continues to hedge interest rate exposure, maintaining a more cautious stance as benchmark rates remain volatile. He said the company’s debt mix is now closer to 90% fixed and 10% floating, compared with a prior 70/30 mix.
At 346 Madison, Holliday said SL Green chose to bring in Mori Building early to fully capitalize and de-risk the development. He said the company may syndicate additional equity later, potentially after leasing begins, upon completion or during recapitalization.
SUMMIT and Other Assets Holliday said SUMMIT One Vanderbilt continues to outperform competing observatory attractions in attendance and average ticket price, even as overall tourism in New York has been weaker this year. He said attendance was softer early in the year but improved beginning in late May and June, with recent daily ticket sales reaching levels typically seen during the year-end holiday period.
SL Green remains on track to open SUMMIT Paris in 2027 and SUMMIT Tokyo in 2030, Holliday said, adding that the company sees “enormous growth potential” for the business.
Regarding 1515 Broadway, Holliday said SL Green has reassessed plans after the casino outcome and now views the property positively. He said Paramount’s acquisition by Skydance and planned Warner Bros. transaction could put the building back in play for longer-term use by the combined company. He also said lower debt at the property after the Paramount lease expires would give SL Green flexibility to consider entertainment-focused conversion options.
DiLiberto said SL Green still expects funds available for distribution to improve through 2026 and 2027, with the company reaching dividend coverage breakeven in 2028.
About SL Green Realty (NYSE:SLG)SL Green Realty Corp. NYSE: SLG is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) focused primarily on the acquisition, management and development of commercial office properties in Manhattan. As one of New York City's largest office landlords, the company's portfolio includes Class A office buildings and mixed-use projects located in prime Midtown and Downtown submarkets. SL Green generates revenue through leasing office space to a diverse mix of tenants spanning financial services, technology, media and professional services firms.
Founded in 1980 by real estate investor Stephen L.
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