Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This section generally discusses 2023 and 2022 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022. Discussions of 2021 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 8, 2023.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this section or elsewhere in this report may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this report for important information regarding these forward-looking statements and certain risk and uncertainties that may affect us. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.
Overview
Federal Realty Investment Trust (the "Parent Company" or the "Trust") is an equity real estate investment trust ("REIT"). Federal Realty OP LP (the "Operating Partnership") is the entity through which the Trust conducts substantially all of its operations and owns substantially all of its assets. The Trust owns 100% of the limited liability company interest of, is sole member of, and exercises exclusive control over Federal Realty GP LLC (the "General Partner"), which in turn, is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, "we," "our," and "us" means the Trust and its business and operations conducted through its directly and indirectly owned subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership. We specialize in the ownership, management, and redevelopment of high quality retail and mixed-use properties located primarily in communities where we believe demand exceeds supply, in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, California, and South Florida. As of December 31, 2023, we owned or had a majority interest in community and neighborhood shopping centers and mixed-use properties which are operated as 102 predominantly retail real estate projects comprising approximately 26.0 million commercial square feet. In total, the real estate projects were 94.2% leased and 92.2% occupied at December 31, 2023. We have paid quarterly dividends to our shareholders continuously since our founding in 1962 and have increased our dividends per common share for 56 consecutive years.
General Economic Conditions
The heightened levels of inflation, higher interest rates, and the potentially worsening of economic conditions presents risks for our business and our tenants. We continue to monitor and address risks related to the general state of the economy. We believe that the actions we have taken to improve our financial position and maximize our liquidity will continue to mitigate the impact to our cash flow caused by tenants not timely paying contractual rent.
Additional discussion of the impact of current economic conditions on our results and long-term operations can be found throughout Item 7 and Item 1A . Risk Factors.
Corporate Responsibility
We actively endeavor to operate and develop our properties in a sustainable, responsible, and effective manner with the objective being to drive long-term growth and aid in value creation for our shareholders, tenants, employees, and local communities. We have aligned our program and efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as described in our ESG Policy and our 2022 Environmental Social and Governance Report, which are provided only for informational purposes on our website and not incorporated by reference herein.
We are committed to implementing sustainable business practices at our operating properties that focus on energy efficiency, water conservation and waste minimization and have established greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets in accordance with the Science-Based Targets initiative as well as energy reduction targets. To achieve these targets, we are actively addressing energy efficiency projects on site such as upgrading to LED lighting, procuring green energy, reducing electric consumption, and increasing our onsite solar generation capacity. We have installed on-site solar systems at 26 of our properties with a capacity of 14 MW with more projects actively in progress. We also installed electric vehicle car charging
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stations in numerous properties throughout our portfolio. We currently have over 400 charging stations in operation with more under construction.
We also understand that we face risks presented by climate change and are working to evaluate our risk exposure. In our 2022 Sustainability report, we provided a disclosure pursuant to the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosure and we intend to provide that disclosure annually.
We are also highly committed to our employees and fostering a work environment that promotes growth, development and personal well-being. Our four core values are accountability, excellence, innovation and integrity and we seek to attract and retain talented professionals who embrace those values. All of our efforts with respect to corporate responsibility are overseen by our Board of Trustees.
Our development activities have been heavily focused on owning, developing and operating properties that are certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s® (“USGBC”) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design™ (LEED®) rating system which serves as a third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built to mitigate its environmental footprint. We currently have 21 LEED certified buildings and our Pike & Rose project has achieved LEED for Neighborhood Development Stage 3 Gold certification.
Cyber Security
Our chief information officer, who has over 30 years of experience in managing information systems for real estate companies, heads our internal team of technology professionals who are responsible for managing our cybersecurity risks, which includes identifying our primary areas of risk, establishing processes, procedures, and systems to mitigate those risks and identifying and remediating any breaches that may occur. Cybersecurity risk management falls under our general counsel as part of our overall risk management program, which is ultimately overseen by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees. Our team is supported by a third party company that we have retained to act as our chief information security officer based on the third party company's experience in preventing cybersecurity incidents, advising clients about appropriate cybersecurity procedures and processes, and assessing the integrity of those procedures and processes. The assessment and management of our cybersecurity risks covers all of our internal systems as well as the systems of third parties who maintain our data.
We rely on our management team's experience in risk management, in consultation with our third party advisor, to appropriately address cybersecurity threats. As part of our processes to manage risks from cybersecurity threats, we have developed and enforce company-wide policies related to password encryption, strength and expiration, we require multi-factor authentication where appropriate, and we conduct regular employee training about our policies and cybersecurity threats. We make use of firewalls, anti-virus software, backups, redundancies, regular penetration testing, and our systems monitor and flag irregularities in how our information systems are accessed or used. Any known cybersecurity incidents would be reported by our chief information officer to our general counsel and disclosure committee for evaluation and remediation, and for a determination of how we might develop further security systems and procedures to address evolving cybersecurity threats. Management provides written and verbal updates to the Audit Committee at least quarterly identifying our primary areas of risk, actions taken or planned to be taken to mitigate those risks, and specific activities undertaken during the quarter, including employee training and the results of that training. Management would also provide updates to seek oversight from the Audit Committee on an ad hoc basis in connection with any material cybersecurity incident, should one occur.
We have not experienced any cybersecurity incident that has had a material impact on our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. For more information, see Item 1A. Risk Factors ("We face risks relating to cybersecurity threats that could cause loss of confidential information and other business distributions").
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, referred to as “GAAP”, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that in certain circumstances affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and revenues and expenses. These estimates are prepared using management’s best judgment, after considering past and current events and economic conditions. In addition, information relied upon by management in preparing such estimates includes internally generated financial and operating information, external market information, when available, and when necessary, information obtained from consultations with third party experts. Actual results could differ from these estimates. A discussion of possible risks which may affect these estimates is included in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this report. Management considers an accounting estimate to be critical if changes in the estimate could have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations or financial condition.
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Our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements; however, the most critical accounting policies, which are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations, and involve the use of complex estimates and significant assumptions as to future uncertainties and, therefore, may result in actual amounts that differ from estimates, are as follows:
Collectibility of Lease Income
Our leases with our tenants are classified as operating leases. When collection of substantially all lease payments during the lease term is considered probable, the lease qualifies for accrual accounting. When collection of substantially all lease payments during the lease term is not considered probable, total lease revenue is limited to the lesser of revenue recognized under accrual accounting or cash received. Determining the probability of collection of substantially all lease payments during a lease term requires significant judgment. This determination is impacted by numerous factors including our assessment of the tenant’s credit worthiness, economic conditions, tenant sales productivity in that location, historical experience with the tenant and tenants operating in the same industry, future prospects for the tenant and the industry in which it operates, and the length of the lease term. If leases currently classified as probable are subsequently reclassified as not probable, any outstanding lease receivables (including straight-line rent receivables) would be written-off with a corresponding decrease in rental income. For example, in the event that our collectibility determinations were not accurate and we were required to write off additional receivables equaling 1% of rental income, our rental income and net income would decrease by $11.3 million. If leases currently classified as not probable are subsequently changed to probable, any lease receivables (including straight-line rent receivables) are re-instated with a corresponding increase to rental income.
Our collectibility related adjustments for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 resulted in a decrease to rental income of $0.4 million and an increase to rental income of $4.1 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the revenue from approximately 28% and 31% of our tenants (based on total commercial leases), respectively, is being recognized on a cash basis. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, our straight-line rent receivables balance was $138.4 million and $126.6 million, respectively, and is included in "accounts and notes receivable, net" on our consolidated balance sheet.
Real Estate Acquisitions
Upon acquisition of operating real estate properties, we estimate the fair value of assets and liabilities acquired including land, building, improvements, leasing costs, intangibles such as acquired leases, assumed debt, and current assets and liabilities, if any. Based on these estimates, we allocate the purchase price to the applicable assets and liabilities. We utilize methods similar to those used by independent appraisers in estimating the fair value of acquired assets and liabilities. The value allocated to acquired leases is amortized over the related lease term and reflected as rental income in the statement of operations. We consider qualitative and quantitative factors in evaluating the likelihood of a tenant exercising a below market renewal option and include such renewal options in the calculation of in-place lease value when we consider these to be bargain renewal options. If the value of below market lease intangibles includes renewal option periods, we include such renewal periods in the amortization period utilized. If a tenant vacates its space prior to contractual termination of its lease, the unamortized balance of any acquired lease value is written off to rental income.
During 2022 and 2023, we acquired properties included in our consolidated financial statements with a total purchase price of $509.1 million. $3.4 million, or 1% of the total purchase price was allocated to above market lease assets and $39.9 million, or 8% was allocated to below market lease liabilities. If the amounts allocated in 2022 and 2023 to below market lease liabilities and building assets were each reduced by 5% of the total purchase price, annual below market lease liability amortization increasing rental income would decrease by approximately $2.2 million (using the weighted average life of below market liabilities at each respective acquired property) and annual depreciation expense would decrease by approximately $0.7 million (using a depreciable life of 35 years).
Long-Lived Assets and Impairment
There are estimates and assumptions made by management in preparing the consolidated financial statements for which the actual results will be determined over long periods of time. This includes the recoverability of long-lived assets, including our properties that have been acquired or redeveloped and our investment in certain joint ventures. Management’s evaluation of impairment includes review for possible indicators of impairment as well as, in certain circumstances, undiscounted and discounted cash flow analysis. Since most of our investments in real estate are wholly-owned or controlled assets which are held for use, a property with impairment indicators is first tested for impairment by comparing the undiscounted cash flows, taking into account the anticipated hold period, including residual value, to the current net book value of the property. If the undiscounted cash flows are less than the net book value, the property is written down to expected fair value.
The calculation of both discounted and undiscounted cash flows requires management to make estimates of future cash flows including revenues, operating expenses, required maintenance and development expenditures, market conditions, demand for
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space by tenants and rental rates over long periods. Because our properties typically have a long life, the assumptions used to estimate the future recoverability of book value requires significant management judgment. We are also required to estimate the anticipated hold period. A change in the expected holding period from a long term hold to a short term would cause a significant change in the undiscounted cash flows and could result in an impairment charge. Actual results could be significantly different from the estimates. These estimates have a direct impact on net income, because recording an impairment charge results in a negative adjustment to net income.
Recently Adopted and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements.
2023 Acquisitions and Dispositions
On January 31, 2023, we acquired the 168,000 square foot portion of Huntington Square shopping center that was not previously owned, as well as the fee interest in the land underneath the portion of the shopping center which we controlled under a long-term ground lease for $35.5 million. As a result of this transaction, we now own the entire fee interest in this 243,000 square foot property and the "operating lease right of use assets, net" on our consolidated balance sheet decreased by $5.3 million. Approximately $4.1 million and $1.3 million of net assets acquired were allocated to other assets for "acquired lease costs" and "above market leases," respectively.
On May 26, 2023, we exercised our option and acquired the 22.3% tenancy in common ("TIC") interest from our co-owner at Escondido Promenade for $30.5 million, bringing our ownership interest to 100%. As a result of the transaction, we gained control of this property, and effective May 26, 2023, we have consolidated this property. Approximately $1.8 million and $0.2 million of net assets associated with the 22.3% interest acquired were allocated to other assets for "acquired lease costs" and "above market leases," respectively, and $1.1 million of net assets associated with the 22.3% interest acquired were allocated to other liabilities for "below market leases."
On October 12, 2023, we acquired the fee interest under a portion of our Mercer on One (formerly Mercer Mall) shopping center for $55.0 million pursuant to the purchase option included in the master lease. As a result of this transaction, "finance lease right of use assets, net" of $37.8 million were allocated to "operating real estate" and "finance lease liabilities" decreased by $55.0 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold one retail property and one portion of a property for sales prices totaling $30.4 million, resulting in net gains totaling approximately $9.7 million.
2023 Significant Debt and Equity Transactions
For the three months ended December 31, 2023, we sold 1,220,842 common shares (of which, 62,895 settled on January 2, 2024) at a weighted average price per share of $101.30 for net cash proceeds of $122.4 million including paying $1.2 million in commissions and $0.1 million in additional operating expenses related to the sales of these common shares. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold 1,372,889 common shares (of which, 62,895 settled on January 2, 2024) at a weighted average price per share of $101.89 for net cash proceeds of $138.3 million including paying $1.4 million in commissions and $0.2 million in additional offering expenses related to the sales of these common shares. As of December 31, 2023, we had the capacity to issue up to $312.1 million in common shares under our ATM equity program.
On April 12, 2023, we issued $350.0 million of fixed rate senior unsecured notes that mature on May 1, 2028 and bear interest at 5.375%. The notes were offered at 99.590% of the principal amount with a yield to maturity of 5.468%. The net proceeds, after issuance discount, underwriting fees, and other costs were $345.7 million. The net proceeds of these notes, or "green bonds," will be allocated to the financing and refinancing of recently completed and future eligible green projects, which includes (i) investments in acquisitions of buildings; (ii) building developments or redevelopments; (iii) renovations in existing buildings; and (iv) tenant improvement projects, in each case that have received, or are expected to receive, in the three years prior to the issuance of the notes or during the term of the notes, a LEED Gold or Platinum certification (or environmentally equivalent successor standards). Net proceeds will be available for repayment of indebtedness, or may be invested in short-term income-producing investments or may be used to temporarily repay current and/or future amounts outstanding under our revolving credit facility.
Effective May 4, 2023, our Declaration of Trust was amended to increase the number of authorized common shares of beneficial interest to 200,000,000.
On June 1, 2023, we repaid our $275.0 million 2.75% senior unsecured notes at maturity.
On December 28, 2023, one of our wholly-owned subsidiaries entered into a $200.0 million mortgage loan, which bears interest at SOFR, plus a 95 basis point spread, matures on December 28, 2025, plus two one-year extensions, at our option, and is
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secured by our Bethesda Row property. The interest rate is effectively fixed at 5.03% through the initial maturity date, as a result of three interest rate swap agreements. Our net proceeds were $199.1 million, after debt issuance costs. Our subsidiary's obligations under the mortgage loan are guaranteed by the Operating Partnership.
2024 Significant Debt Transactions
On January 11, 2024, our Operating Partnership issued $485.0 million aggregate principal amount of 3.25% Exchangeable Senior Notes (the “Notes”) that mature on January 15, 2029, unless earlier exchanged, purchased or redeemed. On or after July 15, 2028, the Notes will be exchangeable for cash up to the principal amount of the Notes and, if applicable, cash, common shares of the Trust, or a combination thereof at our option, in respect of the remainder, if any, of the exchange obligation in excess of the principal amount. The exchange rate initially equals 8.1436 common shares per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes (equivalent to an exchange price of approximately $122.80 per common share). Net proceeds after the initial purchaser’s discount and estimated offering costs were approximately $471 million.
In connection with the Notes, we entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions with certain of the initial purchasers of the notes or their affiliates or other financial institutions. The capped call transactions cover, subject to customary adjustments, the number of our common shares that initially underlie the Notes. The capped call transactions are expected generally to reduce the potential dilution to our common shares upon exchange of any Notes and/or offset any cash payments we are required to make in excess of the principal amount of the Notes, with such reduction and/or offset subject to a cap. The cap price of the capped call transaction initially is approximately $143.26 per share, which represents a premium of approximately 40% over the last reported sale price of our common shares of $102.33 on the New York Stock Exchange on January 8, 2024, and is subject to certain adjustments under the terms of the capped call transactions. A portion of the proceeds from the Notes were used to pay the capped call premium of $19.4 million, which will be recorded in shareholders' equity for the Trust and capital for the Operating Partnership.
On January 16, 2024, we repaid the $600.0 million 3.95% senior unsecured notes at maturity.
Capitalized Costs
Certain external and internal costs directly related to the development, redevelopment and leasing of real estate, including pre-construction costs, real estate taxes, insurance, and construction costs and salaries and related costs of personnel directly involved, are capitalized. We capitalized external and internal costs related to both development and redevelopment activities of $183 million and $10 million, respectively, for 2023 and $278 million and $11 million, respectively, for 2022. We capitalized external and internal costs related to other property improvements of $91 million and $4 million, respectively, for 2023 and $111 million and $4 million, respectively, for 2022. We capitalized external and internal costs related to leasing activities of $20 million and $3 million, respectively, for 2023 and $18 million and $4 million, respectively, for 2022. The amount of capitalized internal costs for salaries and related benefits for development and redevelopment activities, other property improvements, and leasing activities were $9 million, $4 million, and $3 million, respectively, for 2023 and $10 million, $3 million, and $4 million, respectively, for 2022. Total capitalized costs were $312 million for 2023 and $425 million for 2022, respectively.
Outlook
Our long-term growth strategy is focused on growth in earnings, funds from operations, and cash flows primarily through a combination of the following:
• growth in our comparable property portfolio,
• growth in our portfolio from property redevelopments and expansions, and
• expansion of our portfolio through property acquisitions.
Although general economic impacts of elevated levels of inflation and rising interest rates are impacting us in the short-term, our long-term focus has not changed.
Our comparable property growth is primarily driven by increases in rental rates on new leases and lease renewals, changes in portfolio occupancy, and the redevelopment of those assets. Over the long-term, the infill nature and strong demographics of our properties provide a strategic advantage allowing us to maintain relatively high occupancy and generally increase rental rates. We continue to experience strong demand for our commercial space as evidenced by the 2.0 million square feet of comparable space leasing we've completed in 2023, and the 2.0% spread between our leased rate of 94.2% and our occupied rate of 92.2%. During 2023, we have seen an uptick in tenants filing for bankruptcy compared to the prior two years. As a result, approximately 290,000 square feet of anchor space became vacant during the second half of 2023, of which, approximately 38,000 is leased to a replacement tenant. This will negatively impact our occupancy and net income in the short term, however, we expect to be able to re-lease the space at similar or better aggregate rents over the next several quarters, and
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we are actively in negotiations with replacement tenants. Additionally, the effects of high levels of inflation and rising interest rates continue to negatively impact our business with the largest impacts being higher interest costs, increased material costs, and higher operating costs. We continue to see impacts of increased costs for certain construction and other materials that support our development and redevelopment activities. Worsening supply chain disruptions could also result in extended time frames and/or increased costs for completion of our projects and tenant build-outs, which could delay the commencement of rent payments under new leases. Similarly, if our tenants experience significant disruptions in supply chains supporting their own products, staffing issues due to labor shortages, or are otherwise impacted by worsening economic conditions, their ability to pay rent may be adversely affected. We continue to monitor these macroeconomic developments and are working with our tenants and our vendors to limit the overall impact to our business.
We believe the locations and nature of our centers and diverse tenant base partially mitigates any potential negative changes in the economic environment. However, any significant reduction in our tenants' abilities to pay base rent, percentage rent or other charges, will adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. We seek to maintain a mix of strong national, regional, and local retailers. At December 31, 2023, no single tenant accounted for more than 2.7% of annualized base rent.
We continue to have several development projects in process being delivered as follows:
• Phase IV at Pike & Rose is a 276,000 square foot office building (which includes 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail space). Approximately 172,000 square feet of the office space is leased to two tenants, and approximately 8,000 square feet of retail is leased. The building is expected to cost between $185 million and $200 million, and began delivering in late September 2023. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 109,000 square feet of office space is open.
• Construction on Santana West includes an eight story 376,000 square foot office building, which is expected to cost between $315 million and $330 million. Approximately 29,000 square feet of space is leased as of December 31, 2023.
• Throughout the portfolio, we currently have redevelopment projects underway with a projected total cost of approximately $321 million that we expect to stabilize over the next several years.
The above includes our best estimates based on information currently known, however, the completion of construction, final costs, and the timing of leasing and openings may be further impacted by the current environment including the duration and severity of the economic impacts of broader, as well as local, economic conditions, inflation, higher interest rates, and higher operating costs.
The development of future phases of Assembly Row, Pike & Rose, Santana Row, and other properties will be pursued opportunistically based on, among other things, market conditions, tenant demand, and our evaluation of whether those phases will generate an appropriate financial return.
We continue to review acquisition opportunities that complement our portfolio and provide long-term growth opportunities. Initially, some of our acquisitions do not contribute significantly to earnings growth; however, we believe they provide long-term re-leasing growth, redevelopment opportunities, and other strategic opportunities. Any growth from acquisitions is contingent on our ability to find properties that meet our qualitative standards at prices that meet our financial hurdles. Changes in interest rates may affect our success in achieving earnings growth through acquisitions by affecting both the price that must be paid to acquire a property, as well as our ability to economically finance the property acquisition. Generally, our acquisitions are initially financed by available cash and/or borrowings under our revolving credit facility which may be repaid later with funds raised through the issuance of new equity or new long-term debt. We may also finance our acquisitions through the issuance of common shares, preferred shares, or units in the Operating Partnership, as well as through assumed mortgages and property sales.
At December 31, 2023, the leasable commercial square feet in our properties was 94.2% leased and 92.2% occupied. The leased rate is higher than the occupied rate due to leased spaces that are being redeveloped or improved or that are awaiting permits and, therefore, are not yet ready to be occupied. Our occupancy and leased rates are subject to variability over time due to factors including acquisitions, the timing of the start and stabilization of our redevelopment projects, lease expirations and tenant closings and bankruptcies.
Comparable Properties
Throughout this section, we have provided certain information on a “comparable property” basis. Information provided on a comparable property basis includes the results of properties that we owned and operated for the entirety of both periods being compared except for properties that are currently under development or are being repositioned for significant redevelopment and investment. For the year ended December 31, 2023 and the comparison of 2023 and 2022, all or a portion of 94 properties, were considered comparable properties and eight were considered non-comparable properties. For the year ended December 31, 2023, one property was moved from comparable properties to non-comparable properties, four properties and one portion of a
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property were moved from acquisitions to comparable properties, and one property and one portion of a property were removed from comparable properties, as they were sold, compared to the designations as of December 31, 2022. While there is judgment surrounding changes in designations, we typically move non-comparable properties to comparable properties once they have stabilized, which is typically considered 90% physical occupancy or when the growth expected from the redevelopment has been included in the comparable periods. We typically remove properties from comparable properties when the repositioning of the asset has commenced and has or is expected to have a significant impact to property operating income within the calendar year. Acquisitions are moved to comparable properties once we have owned the property for the entirety of comparable periods and the property is not under development or being repositioned for significant redevelopment and investment.
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YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022
Change
2023 2022 Dollars %
(Dollar amounts in thousands)
Rental income $ 1,131,041 $ 1,073,292 $ 57,749 5.4 %
Mortgage interest income 1,113 1,086 27 2.5 %
Total property revenue 1,132,154 1,074,378 57,776 5.4 %
Rental expenses 231,666 228,958 2,708 1.2 %
Real estate taxes 131,429 127,824 3,605 2.8 %
Total property expenses 363,095 356,782 6,313 1.8 %
Property operating income (1)
769,059 717,596 51,463 7.2 %
General and administrative expense (50,707) (52,636) 1,929 (3.7) %
Depreciation and amortization (321,763) (302,409) (19,354) 6.4 %
Gain on deconsolidation of VIE — 70,374 (70,374) (100.0) %
Gain on sale of real estate 9,881 93,483 (83,602) (89.4) %
Operating income 406,470 526,408 (119,938) (22.8) %
Other interest income 4,687 1,072 3,615 337.2 %
Interest expense (167,809) (136,989) (30,820) 22.5 %
Income from partnerships 3,869 5,170 (1,301) (25.2) %
Total other, net (159,253) (130,747) (28,506) 21.8 %
Net income 247,217 395,661 (148,444) (37.5) %
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (10,232) (10,170) (62) 0.6 %
Net income attributable to the Trust $ 236,985 $ 385,491 $ (148,506) (38.5) %
(1) Property operating income is a non-GAAP measure that consists of rental income and mortgage interest income, less rental expenses and real estate taxes. This measure is used internally to evaluate the performance of property operations to the previous period and we consider it be a significant measure. We believe that property operating income is useful to investors in measuring the operating performance of our property portfolio because the definition excludes various items included in operating income that do not relate to, or are not indicative of, the operating performance of our properties, such as general and administrative expenses and depreciation and amortization, and allows us to isolate disparities in operating income caused by acquisitions, dispositions, and stabilization of properties. Property operating income may, therefore, provide a more consistent metric for comparing the operating performance of our real estate between periods. Property operating income should not be considered an alternative measure of operating results or cash flow from operations as determined in accordance with GAAP. The reconciliation of operating income to property operating income for 2023 and 2022 is as follows:
2023 2022
(in thousands)
Operating income $ 406,470 $ 526,408
General and administrative 50,707 52,636
Depreciation and amortization 321,763 302,409
Gain on deconsolidation of VIE — (70,374)
Gain on sale of real estate (9,881) (93,483)
Property operating income $ 769,059 $ 717,596
Property Revenues
Total property revenue increased $57.8 million, or 5.4%, to $1.13 billion in 2023 compared to $1.07 billion in 2022. The percentage occupied at our shopping centers was 92.2% at December 31, 2023 compared to 92.8% at December 31, 2022. Changes in the components of property revenue are discussed below.
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Rental Income
Rental income consists primarily of minimum rent, cost reimbursements from tenants and percentage rent, and is net of collectibility related adjustments. Rental income increased $57.7 million, or 5.4%, to $1.13 billion in 2023 compared to $1.07 billion in 2022 due primarily to the following:
• an increase of $25.4 million from 2022 and 2023 acquisitions,
• an increase of $23.3 million from comparable properties primarily related to higher rental rates of approximately $16.4 million, higher average occupancy of approximately $5.5 million, and a $5.1 million increase in recoveries from tenants, partially offset by a $2.9 million increase in collectibility related adjustments and a $2.7 million decrease in lease termination fee income,
• an increase of $19.2 million from non-comparable properties primarily driven by occupancy increases at Assembly Row Phase III, Darien Commons, Pike & Rose Phases III & IV, and CocoWalk, partially offset by redevelopment related occupancy decreases at Friendship Center, and
• an increase of $2.8 million from higher demand at our Pike & Rose hotel,
partially offset by
• a decrease of $13.0 million from property sales.
Property Expenses
Total property expenses increased $6.3 million, or 1.8%, to $363.1 million in 2023 compared to $356.8 million in 2022. Changes in the components of property expenses are discussed below.
Rental Expenses
Rental expenses increased $2.7 million, or 1.2%, to $231.7 million in 2023 compared to $229.0 million in 2022. This increase is primarily due to the following:
• an increase of $4.4 million from 2022 and 2023 acquisitions,
• an increase of $1.6 million from comparable properties due primarily to higher repairs and maintenance costs and other operating costs driven by inflationary impacts, higher insurance costs and utilities, and an increase in management fees on higher revenues, partially offset by lower snow removal costs,
• an increase of $0.9 million from non-comparable properties driven by openings at Darien Commons, CocoWalk, and Assembly Row Phase III, partially offset by lower costs associated with the redevelopment of Huntington Shopping Center, and
• an increase of $0.7 million in operating expenses at our Pike & Rose hotel as a result of higher occupancy,
partially offset by
• a decrease of $5.1 million from property sales.
As a result of the changes in rental income and rental expenses as discussed above, rental expenses as a percentage of rental income decreased to 20.5% for the year ended December 31, 2023 from 21.3% for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Real Estate Taxes
Real estate tax expense increased $3.6 million, or 2.8% to $131.4 million in 2023 compared to $127.8 million in 2022 due primarily to the following:
• an increase of $4.1 million from 2022 and 2023 acquisitions, and
• an increase of $0.8 million from comparable properties due to higher assessments partially offset by successful tax appeals,
partially offset by
• a decrease of $1.5 million from our property sales.
Property Operating Income
Property operating income increased $51.5 million, or 7.2%, to $769.1 million in 2023 compared to $717.6 million in 2022. This increase is primarily driven by higher rental rates and occupancy, the 2022 and 2023 openings at our non-comparable properties, and 2022 and 2023 acquisitions, partially offset by property sales.
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Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense increased $19.4 million, or 6.4%, to $321.8 million in 2023 from $302.4 million in 2022. This increase is due primarily to property acquisitions, our investment in comparable properties, placing redevelopment properties into service, and the reconsolidation of Escondido Promenade during the second quarter of 2023, partially offset by 2022 property sales.
Gain on Deconsolidation of VIE
The $70.4 million gain on deconsolidation of VIE for the year ended December 31, 2022 is the result of the deconsolidation of Escondido Promenade during the third quarter of 2022 (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information).
Gain on Sale of Real Estate
The $9.9 million gain on sale of real estate for the year ended December 31, 2023 is due primarily to the sale of one retail property and one portion of a property (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information).
The $93.5 million gain on sale of real estate for the year ended December 31, 2022 is due primarily to a net gain of $84.1 million from the sale of two residential properties (including an adjacent retail pad), one retail property, and one parcel of land (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information), and a $9.3 million gain related to the reduction of our liability for estimated condemnation and transaction costs associated with the sale under threat of condemnation in December 2019 at San Antonio Center.
Operating Income
Operating income decreased $119.9 million, or 22.8%, to $406.5 million in 2023 compared to $526.4 million in 2022. This decrease is primarily driven by lower gains on sale of real estate, the prior year gain on the deconsolidation of a VIE, and property sales, partially offset by higher rental rates and occupancy, 2022 and 2023 acquisitions, and the 2022 and 2023 openings at our non-comparable properties.
Other
Other Interest Income
Other interest income increased $3.6 million, or 337.2%, to $4.7 million in 2023 compared to $1.1 million in 2022. This increase is primarily driven by interest earned on the proceeds of our April 2023 senior unsecured note issuance until the June 1, 2023 payoff of our 2.75% senior unsecured notes and higher interest earned on cash balances.
Interest Expense
Interest expense increased $30.8 million, or 22.5%, to $167.8 million in 2023 compared to $137.0 million in 2022. This increase is due primarily to the following:
• an increase of $25.4 million due to a higher overall weighted average borrowing rate, and
• an increase of $9.3 million due to higher weighted average borrowings,
partially offset by
• an increase of $3.9 million in capitalized interest.
Gross interest costs were $190.4 million and $155.7 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Capitalized interest was $22.6 million and $18.7 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Income from Partnerships
Income from partnerships decreased $1.3 million or 25.2% to $3.9 million in 2023 compared to $5.2 million in 2022. This decrease is primarily driven by lower income at our restaurant joint ventures largely attributable to higher forgiveness of certain loans in the prior year.
Discussions of year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021 can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 8, 2023.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Due to the nature of our business and strategy, we typically generate significant amounts of cash from operations which is largely paid to our common and preferred shareholders in the form of dividends because as a REIT, the Trust is generally required to make annual distributions to shareholders of at least 90% of our taxable income (cash dividends paid in 2023 were approximately $360.9 million). Remaining cash flow from operations after regular debt service requirements (including debt service relating to additional or replacement debt, as well as scheduled debt maturities) and dividend payments is used to fund recurring and non-recurring capital projects (such as tenant improvements and redevelopments). We maintain an unsecured $1.25 billion revolving credit facility to fund short term cash flow needs and also look to the public and private debt and equity markets, joint venture relationships, and property dispositions to fund capital expenditures on a long-term basis.
On April 12, 2023, we issued $350.0 million of 5.375% senior unsecured notes, on December 28, 2023, we entered into a $200.0 million secured loan that bears interest at 5.03% through the initial maturity date, and on January 11, 2024, we issued $485.0 million of 3.25% exchangeable senior unsecured notes. We also raised $138.3 million from sales of common shares under our ATM equity program. We repaid $275.0 million of 2.75% senior unsecured notes at maturity on June 1, 2023, repaid $600.0 million of 3.95% unsecured notes at maturity on January 16, 2024, and extended the maturity of our $600.0 million term loan to April 2025 (with an additional one year extension at our option still available to further extend the loan to April 2026). For the remainder of 2024, we have no additional debt maturing.
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $250.8 million and no balance outstanding on our $1.25 billion unsecured revolving credit facility. For the year ended 2023, the weighted average amount of borrowings outstanding on our revolving credit facility was $44.7 million, and the weighted average interest rate, before amortization of debt fees, was 5.9%. We also have the capacity to issue up to $312.1 million in common shares under the ATM program.
Our overall capital requirements during 2024 will be impacted by the overall economic environment including impacts of inflation, higher interest rates, and a potential recession, as well as acquisition opportunities and the level and general timing of our redevelopment and development activities. We currently have development and redevelopment projects in various stages of construction with remaining costs of $250 million. We expect to incur the majority of those costs in the next two years. We expect overall capital costs to be at levels slightly reduced from 2023 as we complete current redevelopment projects, prepare vacant space for new tenants, and complete the current phase and prepare for the next phase of our larger mixed use development projects.
We believe cash flow from operations, the cash on our balance sheet, and our $1.25 billion revolving credit facility will allow us to continue to operate our business in the short-term. Given our ability to access the capital markets, we also expect debt or equity to be available to us, although newly issued debt would likely be at higher interest rates than we currently have outstanding. We also have the ability to delay the timing of certain development and redevelopment projects as well as limit future acquisitions, reduce our operating expenditures, or re-evaluate our dividend policy. We expect these sources of liquidity and opportunities for operating flexibility to allow us to meet our financial obligations over the long term. We intend to operate with and to maintain our long term commitment to a conservative capital structure that will allow us to maintain strong debt service coverage and fixed-charge coverage ratios as part of our commitment to investment-grade debt ratings.
Summary of Cash Flows
Year Ended December 31,
2023 2022 Change
(In thousands)
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 555,830 $ 516,769 $ 39,061
Net cash used in investing activities (358,325) (785,998) 427,673
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (33,849) 190,414 (224,263)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 163,656 (78,815) 242,471
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of year 96,348 175,163 (78,815)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of year $ 260,004 $ 96,348 $ 163,656
Net cash provided by operating activities increased $39.1 million to $555.8 million during 2023 from $516.8 million during 2022. The increase was primarily attributable to higher net income after adjusting for non-cash items and gains on sale of real estate, as well as higher collections related to year end recovery billings.
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Net cash used in investing activities decreased $427.7 million to $358.3 million during 2023 from $786.0 million during 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to:
• a $377.9 million decrease in acquisition of real estate primarily due to the January 2023 Huntington Square acquisition and the acquisition of our partner's 22.3% TIC interest in Escondido Promenade (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information), as compared to 2022 property acquisitions,
• a $105.6 million decrease in net capital expenditures,
• a $23.2 million decrease in investment in partnerships, resulting from the 2022 acquisition of a 47.5% net interest in an unconsolidated joint venture that owns two shopping centers (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information), and
• $16.7 million decrease in costs paid relating to the partial sale under threat of condemnation at San Antonio Center in 2019,
partially offset by,
• a $105.3 million decrease in net proceeds from the sale of real estate primarily due to $28.5 million of net proceeds from the sale of one retail property and one portion of a property during 2023, as compared to $133.7 million of net proceeds from the sale of two residential properties (one included an adjacent retail pad), one retail property, one parcel of land, and one portion of a property during 2022.
Net cash provided by financing activities decreased $224.3 million to $33.8 million used during 2023 from $190.4 million provided during 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to:
• $298.6 million in net proceeds from our unsecured term loan in October 2022,
• $275.0 million from the June 2023 repayment of our $275.0 million 2.75% senior unsecured notes,
• a $175.4 million decrease in net proceeds from the issuance of common shares primarily related to issuances under our ATM program for net proceeds of $131.7 million and $306.8 million, respectively, during 2023 and 2022,
• a $39.0 million increase in repayment of mortgages, finance leases, and notes payable primarily due to the October 2023 finance lease buyout for $55.0 million (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information), as compared to the $16.1 million mortgage loan repayment on one of the buildings at our Hoboken property in June 2022, and
• an $11.9 million increase in dividends paid to common and preferred shareholders due to an increase in the number of outstanding shares, as well as an increase to the common share dividend rate,
partially offset by,
• $345.7 million in net proceeds from the issuance of $350.0 million of 5.375% senior unsecured notes in April 2023,
• $199.2 million in net proceeds from the mortgage loan secured by our Bethesda Row property, which was entered into in December 2023, and
• a $23.3 million decrease in distributions to and redemptions of noncontrolling interests primarily related to the July 2022 acquisition of the redeemable noncontrolling interest in the partnership that owns the Plaza El Segundo shopping center for $23.6 million.
Cash Requirements
The following table provides a summary of material cash requirements comprising our fixed, noncancelable obligations as of December 31, 2023:
Cash Requirements by Period
Total Next Twelve Months Greater than Twelve Months
(In thousands)
Fixed and variable rate debt (principal only) (1) $ 4,615,731 $ 1,203,936 $ 3,411,795
Fixed and variable rate debt - our share of unconsolidated real estate partnerships (principal only)(2) 63,435 968 62,467
Lease obligations (minimum rental payments) (3) 292,742 6,532 286,210
Redevelopments/capital expenditure contracts 168,383 163,842 4,541
Real estate commitments (4) 9,713 — 9,713
Total estimated cash requirements $ 5,150,004 $ 1,375,278 $ 3,774,726
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_____________________
(1) The weighted average interest rate on our fixed and variable rate debt is 4.1% as of December 31, 2023. Of the $1.2 billion of debt maturing in the next twelve months as of December 31, 2023, $600.0 million was repaid at maturity in January 2024 and an additional $600.0 million related to our term loan was extended one year to April 2025.
(2) The weighted average interest rate on the fixed and variable rate debt related to our unconsolidated real estate partnerships is 4.36% as of December 31, 2023.
(3) This includes minimum rental payments related to both finance and operating leases.
(4) This includes the liability related to the sale under threat of condemnation at San Antonio Center as further discussed in Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.
In addition to the amounts set forth in the table above and other liquidity requirements previously discussed, the following potential commitments exist:
(a) Under the terms of the Congressional Plaza partnership agreement, a minority partner has the right to require us and the other minority partner to purchase its 26.63% interest in Congressional Plaza at the interest’s then-current fair market value. If the other minority partner defaults in their obligation, we must purchase the full interest. Based on management’s current estimate of fair market value as of December 31, 2023, our estimated liability upon exercise of the put option would range from approximately $66 million to $69 million.
(b) Under the terms of various other partnership agreements, the partners have the right to exchange their operating partnership units for cash or the same number of our common shares, at our option. As of December 31, 2023, a total of 635,431 downREIT operating partnership units are outstanding.
(c) The other member in The Grove at Shrewsbury and Brook 35 has the right to require us to purchase all of its approximately 4.1% interest in The Grove at Shrewsbury and approximately 6.5% interest in Brook 35 at the interests' then-current fair market value. Based on management's current estimate of fair market value as of December 31, 2023, our estimated maximum liability upon exercise of the put option would range from $6 million to $7 million.
(d) The other member in Hoboken has the right to require us to purchase all of its 10% ownership interest at the interest's then-current fair market value. Based on management's current estimate of fair market value as of December 31, 2023, our estimated maximum liability upon exercise of the put option would range from $10 million to $11 million.
(e) Effective June 14, 2026, the other member in Camelback Colonnade and Hilton Village has the right to require us to purchase all of its 2.0% ownership interest at the interest's then-current fair market value. Based on management's current estimate of fair value as of December 31, 2023, our estimated maximum liability upon exercise of the put option would range from $4 million to $5 million.
(f) Effective October 6, 2027, the other member in the partnership that owns equity method investments in Chandler Festival and Chandler Gateway has the right to require us to purchase its 2.5% net ownership interest. Based on management's current estimate of fair value as of December 31, 2023, our estimated maximum liability upon exercise of the put option would range from $1 million and $2 million.
(g) Effective June 1, 2029, the other member in Grossmont Center has the right to require us to purchase all of its 40.0% ownership interest at the interest's then-current fair market value. Based on management's current estimate of fair value as of December 31, 2023, our estimated maximum liability upon exercise of the put option would range from $68 million to $73 million.
(h) At December 31, 2023, we had letters of credit outstanding of approximately $6.5 million.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
At December 31, 2023, we have four real estate related equity method investments with total debt outstanding of $153.3 million, of which our share is $63.4 million. Our investment in these ventures at December 31, 2023 was $30.9 million.
Other than the items disclosed in the Cash Requirements table, we have no off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2023 that are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, cash requirements, or capital resources.
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Debt Financing Arrangements
The following is a summary of our total debt outstanding as of December 31, 2023:
Description of Debt Original
Debt
Issued Principal Balance as of December 31, 2023 Stated Interest Rate as of December 31, 2023 Maturity Date
(Dollars in thousands)
Mortgages payable
Secured fixed rate
Azalea Acquired $ 40,000 3.73 % November 1, 2025
Bethesda Row (1) 200,000 200,000 SOFR + 0.95% December 28, 2025
Bell Gardens Acquired 11,531 4.06 % August 1, 2026
Plaza El Segundo 125,000 125,000 3.83 % June 5, 2027
The Grove at Shrewsbury (East) 43,600 43,600 3.77 % September 1, 2027
Brook 35 11,500 11,500 4.65 % July 1, 2029
Hoboken (24 Buildings) (2) 56,450 53,617 SOFR + 1.95% December 15, 2029
Various Hoboken (14 Buildings) (3) Acquired 29,878 Various Various through 2029
Chelsea Acquired 4,018 5.36 % January 15, 2031
Subtotal 519,144
Net unamortized debt issuance costs and discount (2,208)
Total mortgages payable, net 516,936
Notes payable
Term Loan (4)(5)(7) 600,000 600,000 SOFR + 0.85% April 16, 2024
Revolving credit facility (5) (7) (6) — SOFR + 0.775% April 5, 2027
Various 7,749 2,387 Various Various through 2059
Subtotal 602,387
Net unamortized debt issuance costs (442)
Total notes payable, net 601,945
Senior notes and debentures (7)
Unsecured fixed rate
3.95% notes 600,000 600,000 3.95 % January 15, 2024
1.25% notes 400,000 400,000 1.25 % February 15, 2026
7.48% debentures 50,000 29,200 7.48 % August 15, 2026
3.25% notes 475,000 475,000 3.25 % July 15, 2027
6.82% medium term notes 40,000 40,000 6.82 % August 1, 2027
5.375% notes 350,000 350,000 5.375 % May 1, 2028
3.20% notes 400,000 400,000 3.20 % June 15, 2029
3.50% notes 400,000 400,000 3.50 % June 1, 2030
4.50% notes 550,000 550,000 4.50 % December 1, 2044
3.625% notes 250,000 250,000 3.625 % August 1, 2046
Subtotal 3,494,200
Net unamortized debt issuance costs and premium (13,904)
Total senior notes and debentures, net 3,480,296
Total debt, net $ 4,599,177
_____________________
(1) On December 29, 2023, we entered into three interest rate swap agreements that fix the interest rate on the mortgage loan at a weighted average interest rate of 5.03% through the initial maturity date.
(2) On November 26, 2019, we entered into two interest rate swap agreements that fix the interest rate on the mortgage loan at 3.67%. The reference rate for the mortgage loan and related swaps was amended from LIBOR to SOFR in May 2023. The amendment was effective for interest payments subsequent to July 1, 2023.
(3) The interest rates on these mortgages range from 3.91% to 5.00%.
(4) On February 6, 2024, we extended the maturity date to April 16, 2025, with an additional one year extension at our option still available to further extend the loan to April 16, 2026.
(5) Our revolving credit facility SOFR loans bear interest at Daily Simple SOFR or Term SOFR and our term loan bears interest at Term SOFR as defined in the respective credit agreements, plus 0.10%, plus a spread, based on our current credit rating.
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(6) The maximum amount drawn under our $1.25 billion revolving credit facility during 2023 was $115.5 million and the weighted average effective interest rate on borrowings under our revolving credit facility, before amortization of debt fees, was 5.9%.
(7) The Operating Partnership is the obligor under our revolving credit facility, term loan, and senior notes and debentures.
Our revolving credit facility, unsecured term loan, and other debt agreements include financial and other covenants that may limit our operating activities in the future. As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with all financial and other covenants related to our revolving credit facility, term loan, and senior notes. Additionally, we were in compliance with all of the financial and other covenants that could trigger a loan default on our mortgage loans. If we were to breach any of these financial and other covenants and did not cure the breach within an applicable cure period, our lenders could require us to repay the debt immediately and, if the debt is secured, could immediately begin proceedings to take possession of the property securing the loan. Many of our debt arrangements, including our public notes and our revolving credit facility, are cross-defaulted, which means that the lenders under those debt arrangements can put us in default and require immediate repayment of their debt if we breach and fail to cure a default under certain of our other debt obligations. As a result, any default under our debt covenants could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, our results of operations, our ability to meet our obligations and the market value of our shares. Our organizational documents do not limit the level or amount of debt that we may incur.
The following is a summary of our scheduled principal repayments as of December 31, 2023:
Unsecured Secured Total
(In thousands)
2024 $ 1,200,674 (1) $ 3,262 $ 1,203,936
2025 490 247,630 (2) 248,120
2026 429,344 26,282 455,626
2027 515,079 (3) 178,282 693,361
2028 350,000 2,511 352,511
Thereafter 1,601,000 61,177 1,662,177
$ 4,096,587 $ 519,144 $ 4,615,731 (4)
_____________________
(1) Our $600.0 million term loan had an original maturity date of April 16, 2024. On February 6, 2024, we extended the term loan to April 16, 2025 with an additional one year extension at our option still available to further extend the loan to April 16, 2026.
(2) Our $200.0 million mortgage loan secured by Bethesda Row matures on December 28, 2025 plus two one-year extensions, at our option to December 28, 2027.
(3) Our $1.25 billion revolving credit facility matures on April 5, 2027, plus two six-month extensions at our option to April 5, 2028. As of December 31, 2023, there was no outstanding balance under this credit facility.
(4) The total debt maturities differ from the total reported on the consolidated balance sheet due to the unamortized net debt issuance costs and premium/discount on mortgage loans, notes payable, and senior notes as of December 31, 2023.
Interest Rate Hedging
We may use derivative instruments to manage exposure to variable interest rate risk. We generally enter into interest rate swaps to manage our exposure to variable interest rate risk and treasury locks to manage the risk of interest rates rising prior to the issuance of debt. We enter into derivative instruments that qualify as cash flow hedges and do not enter into derivative instruments for speculative purposes.
Interest rate swaps associated with cash flow hedges are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. Effectiveness of cash flow hedges is assessed both at inception and on an ongoing basis. The effective portion of changes in fair value of the interest rate swaps associated with cash flow hedges is recorded in other comprehensive income which is included in "accumulated other comprehensive income" on the balance sheets, statement of shareholders' equity, and statement of capital. Cash flow hedges become ineffective if critical terms of the hedging instrument and the debt instrument do not perfectly match such as notional amounts, settlement dates, reset dates, calculation period and SOFR rate. In addition, the default risk of the counterparty is evaluated by monitoring the credit worthiness of the counterparty which includes reviewing debt ratings and financial
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performance. If a cash flow hedge is deemed ineffective, the ineffective portion of changes in fair value of the interest rate swaps associated with cash flow hedges is recognized in earnings in the period affected.
As of December 31, 2023, we have two interest rate swap agreements that effectively fix the interest rate on a mortgage payable associated with our Hoboken portfolio at 3.67% and we have three interest rate swap agreements that effectively fix the interest rate on a mortgage payable associated with Bethesda Row at 5.03% through the initial maturity date. Our Assembly Row hotel joint venture is also a party to two interest rate swap agreements that effectively fix 100% of its outstanding $39.0 million of debt through May 2025 at 6.39% and 50% of its outstanding debt from June 2025 through May 2028 at 6.03%. All swaps were designated and qualify as cash flow hedges. Hedge ineffectiveness has not impacted our earnings in 2023, 2022 and 2021.
REIT Qualification
We intend to maintain our qualification as a REIT under Section 856(c) of the Code. As a REIT, we generally will not be subject to corporate federal income taxes on income we distribute to our shareholders as long as we satisfy certain technical requirements of the Code, including the requirement to distribute at least 90% of our taxable income to our shareholders.
Funds From Operations
Funds from operations (“FFO”) is a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure of real estate companies’ operating performance. The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”) defines FFO as follows: net income, computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP, plus real estate related depreciation and amortization, and excluding gains and losses on the sale of real estate or changes in control, net of tax, and impairment write-downs of certain real estate assets and investments in entities when the impairment is directly attributable to decreases in the value of depreciable real estate held by the entity. We compute FFO in accordance with the NAREIT definition, and we have historically reported our FFO available for common shareholders in addition to our net income and net cash provided by operating activities. It should be noted that FFO:
• does not represent cash flows from operating activities in accordance with GAAP (which, unlike FFO, generally reflects all cash effects of transactions and other events in the determination of net income);
• should not be considered an alternative to net income as an indication of our performance; and
• is not necessarily indicative of cash flow as a measure of liquidity or ability to fund cash needs, including the payment of dividends.
We consider FFO available for common shareholders a meaningful, additional measure of operating performance primarily because it excludes the assumption that the value of the real estate assets diminishes predictably over time, as implied by the historical cost convention of GAAP and the recording of depreciation. We use FFO primarily as one of several means of assessing our operating performance in comparison with other REITs. Comparison of our presentation of FFO to similarly titled measures for other REITs may not necessarily be meaningful due to possible differences in the application of the NAREIT definition used by such REITs.
An increase or decrease in FFO available for common shareholders does not necessarily result in an increase or decrease in aggregate distributions because our Board of Trustees is not required to increase distributions on a quarterly basis. However, we must distribute at least 90% of our annual taxable income to remain qualified as a REIT. Therefore, a significant increase in FFO will generally require an increase in distributions to shareholders although not necessarily on a proportionate basis.
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The reconciliation of net income to FFO available for common shareholders is as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2023 2022 2021
(In thousands, except per share data)
Net income $ 247,217 $ 395,661 $ 269,081
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (10,232) (10,170) (7,583)
Gain on deconsolidation of a VIE — (70,374) —
Gain on sale of real estate and change in control of interests, net (9,881) (93,483) (89,892)
Depreciation and amortization of real estate assets 285,689 266,741 243,711
Amortization of initial direct costs of leases 31,208 27,268 26,051
Funds from operations 544,001 515,643 441,368
Dividends on preferred shares (1) (7,500) (7,500) (8,042)
Income attributable to downREIT operating partnership units 2,767 2,810 2,998
Income attributable to unvested shares (1,955) (1,797) (1,581)
Funds from operations available for common shareholders $ 537,313 $ 509,156 $ 434,743
Weighted average number of common shares, diluted (1)(2) 82,044 80,603 78,072
Funds from operations available for common shareholders, per diluted share $ 6.55 $ 6.32 $ 5.57
_____________________
(1) For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, dividends on our Series 1 preferred stock were not deducted in the calculation of FFO available to common shareholders, as the related shares were dilutive and included in "weighted average number of common shares, diluted."
(2) The weighted average common shares used to compute FFO per diluted common share includes downREIT operating partnership units that were excluded from the computation of diluted EPS. Conversion of these operating partnership units is dilutive in the computation of FFO per diluted common share but is anti-dilutive for the computation of diluted EPS for 2023 and 2021.