Item 1B.
Unresolved SEC Comments
None.
General
At December 31, 2018, we owned 447 in-service industrial properties containing an aggregate of approximately 60.7 million square feet of GLA in 21 states, with a diverse base of more than 1,150 tenants engaged in a wide variety of businesses, including distribution, wholesale trade, professional services, manufacturing and retail. The average annual base rent per square foot on a portfolio basis, calculated at December 31, 2018, was $5.22. The properties are generally located in business parks that have convenient access to interstate highways and/or rail and air transportation. We maintain insurance on our properties that we believe is adequate.
We classify our properties into four industrial categories: bulk warehouse, regional warehouse, light industrial and R&D/flex. While some properties may have characteristics which fall under more than one property type, we use what we believe is the most dominant characteristic to categorize the property. Individual properties may be reclassified over time due to changes in building characteristics such as tenant use and office space build-out.
The following describes, generally, the different industrial categories:
•
Bulk warehouse buildings are of more than 100,000 square feet, have a ceiling height of at least 22 feet and are comprised of 5%-15% of office space;
•
Regional warehouses are of less than 100,000 square feet, have a ceiling height of at least 22 feet and are comprised of 5%-15% of office space;
•
Light industrial properties are of less than 100,000 square feet, have a ceiling height of 16-21 feet and are comprised of 5%-50% of office space; and
•
R&D/flex buildings are of less than 100,000 square feet, have a ceiling height of less than 16 feet and are comprised of 50% or more of office space.
The following tables summarize, by market, certain information as of December 31, 2018, with respect to the in-service properties.
In-Service Property Summary Totals
_______________
(A)
Central/Eastern PA includes the markets of Central Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. New Jersey includes the markets of Northern and Southern New Jersey. Southern California includes the markets of Los Angeles, the Inland Empire and San Diego.
(B)
Properties are located in Kansas City, MO; Jefferson County, KY; Greenville, KY; Winchester, VA; and Salt Lake City, UT.
Indebtedness
As of December 31, 2018, 102 of our 447 in-service industrial properties, with a net carrying value of $459.2 million, are pledged as collateral under our mortgage financings, totaling $297.7 million, excluding unamortized debt issuance costs. See Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying Schedule III beginning on page S-1 for additional information.
Property Acquisitions
During the year ended December 31, 2018, we acquired ten industrial properties and several land parcels for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $167.5 million. The industrial properties were acquired at an expected stabilized capitalization rate of approximately 5.7%. The capitalization rate for these industrial property acquisitions was calculated using the estimated stabilized net operating income (excluding straight-line rent and above and below market lease amortization) and dividing it by the sum of the purchase price plus closing costs and estimated costs to stabilize the properties. The acquired industrial properties have the following characteristics:
(A) As of December 31, 2018, percentage leased was 92%.
Development Activity
During the year ended December 31, 2018, we completed and placed in-service eight developments totaling approximately 3.5 million square feet of GLA at a total cost of approximately $226.6 million. Included in the total cost is $11.7 million of leasing commissions. The capitalization rate for these development projects, calculated using the estimated stabilized net operating income (excluding straight-line rent adjustments) divided by the total investment in the developed property is 7.9%. The placed in-service development projects have the following characteristics:
As of December 31, 2018, we substantially completed six developments totaling approximately 1.8 million square feet of GLA. The estimated total investment for the six developments is approximately $129.2 million, of which $115.3 million has been incurred as of December 31, 2018. There can be no assurance that the actual completion cost for these developments will not exceed the estimated completion cost. The substantially completed developments have the following characteristics:
As of December 31, 2018, we have seven development projects that are under construction totaling approximately 2.8 million square feet of GLA. The estimated total investment for the seven development projects under construction is $189.4 million, of which $61.0 million has been incurred as of December 31, 2018. There can be no assurance that the actual completion cost for these developments will not exceed the estimated completion cost. The development projects under construction have the following characteristics:
Property Sales
During the year ended December 31, 2018, we sold 53 industrial properties comprising approximately 2.6 million square feet of GLA, at a weighted average capitalization rate of 6.3%, and several land parcels for total gross sales proceeds of approximately $192.0 million. The capitalization rate for the 53 industrial property sales is calculated by taking revenues of the property (excluding straight-line rent, lease inducement amortization, above and below market lease amortization and insurance proceeds, other than business interruption insurance proceeds) less operating expenses of the property for a period of the last twelve full months prior to sale and dividing the sum by the sales price of the property. The sold industrial properties have the following characteristics:
(A) Partial sale of a 0.1 million square-foot industrial property.
Tenant and Lease Information
We have a diverse base of more than 1,150 tenants engaged in a wide variety of businesses including distribution, wholesale trade, professional services, manufacturing and retail. At December 31, 2018, our leases have a weighted average lease length of 6.8 years and the majority provide for periodic rent increases that are either fixed or based on changes in the Consumer Price Index. Industrial tenants typically have net or semi-net leases and pay as additional rent their percentage of the property's operating costs, including the costs of common area maintenance, utilities, property taxes and insurance. As of December 31, 2018, approximately 98.5% of the GLA of our in-service properties was leased, and no single tenant or group of related tenants accounted for more than 2.6% of our rent revenues, nor did any single tenant or group of related tenants occupy more than 2.3% of the total GLA of our in-service properties.
Leasing Activity
The following table provides a summary of our leasing activity for the year ended December 31, 2018. The table does not include month-to-month leases or leases with terms less than twelve months.
_______________
(A)
Net rent is the average base rent calculated in accordance with GAAP, over the term of the lease.
(B)
Straight Line basis rent growth is a ratio of the change in net rent (including straight-line rent adjustments) on a new or renewal lease compared to the net rent (including straight-line rent adjustments) of the comparable lease. New leases where there were no prior comparable leases are excluded.
(C)
The lease term is expressed in years. Assumes no exercise of lease renewal options, if any.
(D)
Lease costs are comprised of the costs incurred or capitalized for improvements of vacant and renewal spaces, as well as the commissions paid and costs capitalized for leasing transactions. Lease costs per square foot represent the total turnover costs expected to be incurred on the leases signed during the period and do not reflect actual expenditures for the period.
(E)
Represents the weighted average square feet of tenants renewing their respective leases.
The following table provides a summary of our leases that commenced during the year ended December 31, 2018, which included rent concessions during the lease term.
Lease Expirations
Fundamentals for the United States industrial real estate market remained favorable in 2018, as continued growth in the general economy, including e-commerce supply chain activity, drove additional demand for space. New industrial space continued to be developed in response to this growth in demand. Incremental demand exceeded new supply in 2018, with net absorption exceeding 200 million square feet nationally for the sixth consecutive year. National vacancy levels remained low and the overall industry conditions resulted in environments supportive of rental rate growth in virtually all of our markets. Based on our recent experience, a new supply/demand environment near equilibrium, and the 2019 forecast from a leading national research company, we expect our average net rental rates for renewal leases on a cash basis to be higher than the expiring rates. For 2019, net rental rates for new leases on a cash basis on average are also expected to be higher than the comparative prior leases, primarily due to the improvement in market conditions as compared to the conditions prevailing when the comparative leases were structured. The following table shows scheduled lease expirations for all leases for our in-service properties as of December 31, 2018.
_______________
(A)
Includes leases that expire on or after January 1, 2019 and assumes tenants do not exercise existing renewal, termination or purchase options.
(B)
Does not include existing vacancies of 931,314 aggregate square feet and December 31, 2018 move outs of 618,032 aggregate square feet.
(C)
Annualized base rent is calculated as monthly base rent (cash basis) per the terms of the lease, as of December 31, 2018, multiplied by 12. If free rent is granted, then the first positive rent value is used.
Item 3.
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings
We are involved in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. All such proceedings, taken together, are not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or liquidity.
Item 4.
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
None.
PART II
Item 5.
Item 5.
Market for Registrant's Common Equity / Partners' Capital, Related Stockholder / Unitholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Information
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low closing prices per share of the Company's common stock, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "FR" and the dividends declared per share for the Company's common stock and the distributions declared per Unit for the Operating Partnership's Units. There is no established public trading market for the Units.
As of February 15, 2019, the Company had 397 common stockholders of record. The number of holders does not include individuals or entities who beneficially own shares but whose shares are held of record by a broker or clearing agency, but does include each such broker or clearing agency as one record holder. The Operating Partnership had 117 holders of record of Units registered with our transfer agent.
In order to comply with the REIT requirements of the Code, the Company is generally required to make common share distributions and preferred share distributions (other than capital gain distributions) to its shareholders in amounts that together at least equal i) the sum of a) 90% of the Company's "REIT taxable income" computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and net capital gains and b) 90% of net income (after tax), if any, from foreclosure property, minus ii) certain excess non-cash income.
Our dividend/distribution policy is determined by the Company's Board of Directors and is dependent on multiple factors, including cash flow and capital expenditure requirements, as well as ensuring that the Company meets the minimum distribution requirements set forth in the Code. The Company met the minimum distribution requirements with respect to 2018.
Holders of Units are entitled to receive distributions when, as and if declared by the Company's Board of Directors, after the priority distributions required under the Operating Partnership's partnership agreement have been made with respect to preferred partnership interests in the Operating Partnership out of any funds legally available for that purpose.
During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Operating Partnership did not issue any Limited Partner Units.
Subject to certain lock-up periods, holders of Limited Partner Units can redeem their Units by providing written notification to the General Partner of the Operating Partnership. Unless the General Partner provides notice of a redemption restriction to the holder, redemption must be made within seven business days after receipt of the holder's notice. The redemption can be effectuated, as determined by the General Partner, either by exchanging the Limited Partner Units for shares of common stock of the Company on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, or by paying cash equal to the fair market value of such shares. Prior requests for redemption have generally been fulfilled with shares of common stock of the Company, and the Operating Partnership intends to continue this practice. If each Limited Partner Unit of the Operating Partnership were redeemed as of December 31, 2018, the Operating Partnership could satisfy its redemption obligations by making an aggregate cash payment of approximately $75.7 million or by issuing 2,624,167 shares of the Company's common stock.
Performance Graph
The following graph provides a comparison of the cumulative total stockholder return among the Company, the FTSE NAREIT Equity REIT Total Return Index (the "NAREIT Index") and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index ("S&P 500"). The NAREIT Index represents the performance of our publicly traded industrial REIT peers. The historical information set forth below is not necessarily indicative of future performance.
_______________
*
The information provided in this performance graph shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material,” to be “filed” or to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 unless specifically treated as such.
Item 6.
Item 6.
Selected Financial Data
The following tables set forth the selected financial and operating data for the Company and the Operating Partnership on a consolidated basis. The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
The Company
_______________
(A)
Funds from operations ("FFO") is a non-GAAP measure used in the real estate industry. See definition and a complete reconciliation of FFO to Net Income Available to First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.'s Common Stockholders and Participating Securities under the caption "Supplemental Earnings Measure" under Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."
The Operating Partnership
Item 7.
Item 7.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the sections of this Form 10-K titled "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Selected Financial Data" and the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
Business Overview
The Company is a self-administered and fully integrated real estate company which owns, manages, acquires, sells, develops and redevelops industrial real estate. The Company is a Maryland corporation organized on August 10, 1993 and a real estate investment trust as defined in the Code.
We believe our financial condition and results of operations are, primarily, a function of our performance in four key areas: leasing of industrial properties, acquisition and development of additional industrial properties, disposition of industrial properties and access to external capital.
We generate revenue primarily from rental income and tenant recoveries from operating leases of our industrial properties. Such revenue is offset by certain property specific operating expenses, such as real estate taxes, repairs and maintenance, property management, utilities and insurance expenses, along with certain other costs and expenses, such as depreciation and amortization costs and general and administrative and interest expenses. Our revenue growth is dependent, in part, on our ability to: (i) increase rental income, through increasing either or both occupancy rates and rental rates at our properties; (ii) maximize tenant recoveries; and (iii) minimize operating and certain other expenses. Revenues generated from rental income and tenant recoveries are a significant source of funds, in addition to income generated from gains on the sale of our properties (as discussed below), for our liquidity. The leasing of property, in general, and occupancy rates, rental rates, operating expenses and certain non-operating expenses, in particular, are impacted, variously, by property specific, market specific, general economic and other conditions, many of which are beyond our control. The leasing of property also entails various risks, including the risk of tenant default. If we were unable to maintain or increase occupancy rates and rental rates at our properties or to maintain tenant recoveries and operating and certain other expenses consistent with historical levels and proportions, our revenue would decline. Further, if a significant number of our tenants were unable to pay rent (including tenant recoveries) or if we were unable to rent our properties on favorable terms, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to our stockholders and Unitholders, the market price of the Company's common stock and the market value of the Units would be adversely affected.
Our revenue growth is also dependent, in part, on our ability to acquire existing, and develop new industrial properties on favorable terms. We seek to identify opportunities to acquire existing industrial properties on favorable terms, and, when conditions permit, also seek to acquire and develop new industrial properties on favorable terms. Existing properties, as they are acquired, and acquired and developed properties, as they are leased, generate revenue from rental income, tenant recoveries and fees, income from which, as discussed above, is a source of funds for our distributions to our stockholders and Unitholders. The acquisition and development of properties is impacted, variously, by property specific, market specific, general economic and other conditions, many of which are beyond our control. The acquisition and development of properties also entails various risks, including the risk that our investments may not perform as expected. For example, acquired existing and acquired and developed new properties may not sustain and/or achieve anticipated occupancy and rental rate levels. With respect to acquired and developed new properties, we may not be able to complete construction on schedule or within budget, resulting in increased debt service expense and construction costs and delays in leasing the properties. Also, we face significant competition for attractive acquisition and development opportunities from other well-capitalized real estate investors, including publicly-traded REITs and private investors. Further, as discussed below, we may not be able to finance the acquisition and development opportunities we identify. If we were unable to acquire and develop sufficient additional properties on favorable terms, or if such investments did not perform as expected, our revenue growth would be limited and our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to our stockholders and Unitholders, the market price of the Company's common stock and the market value of the Units would be adversely affected.
We also generate income from the sale of our properties (including existing buildings, buildings which we have developed or re-developed on a merchant basis and land). The gain or loss on, and fees from, the sale of such properties are included in our income and can be a significant source of funds, in addition to revenues generated from rental income and tenant recoveries. Proceeds from sales are used to repay outstanding debt and, market conditions permitting, may be used to fund the acquisition of existing industrial properties, and the acquisition and development of new industrial properties. The sale of properties is impacted, variously, by property specific, market specific, general economic and other conditions, many of which are beyond our control. The sale of properties also entails various risks, including competition from other sellers and the availability of attractive financing for potential buyers of our properties. Further, our ability to sell properties is limited by safe harbor rules applying to REITs under the Code which relate to the number of properties that may be disposed of in a year, their tax bases and the cost of improvements made to the properties, along with other tests which enable a REIT to avoid punitive taxation on the sale of assets. If we are unable to sell properties on favorable terms, our income growth would be limited and our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to our stockholders and Unitholders, the market price of the Company's common stock and the market value of the Units could be adversely affected.
We utilize a portion of the net sales proceeds from property sales, borrowings under our Unsecured Credit Facility and proceeds from the issuance, when and as warranted, of additional debt and equity securities to refinance debt and finance future acquisitions and developments. Access to external capital on favorable terms plays a key role in our financial condition and results of operations, as it impacts our cost of capital and our ability and cost to refinance existing indebtedness as it matures and our ability to fund acquisitions and developments. Our ability to access external capital on favorable terms is dependent on various factors, including general market conditions, interest rates, credit ratings on our debt, the market's perception of our growth potential, our current and potential future earnings and cash distributions and the market price of the Company's common stock. If we were unable to access external capital on favorable terms, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to our stockholders and Unitholders, the market price of the Company's common stock and the market value of the Units could be adversely affected.
Summary of Significant Transactions During 2018
During 2018, we completed the following significant transactions and financing activities:
•
We acquired 10 industrial properties comprised of approximately 1.0 million square feet of GLA located in our Seattle, Orlando, Southern California, New Jersey and Houston markets for an aggregate purchase price of $124.9 million.
•
We acquired 271.7 acres of land for development located in our Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Southern California, New Jersey and Miami markets for an aggregate purchase price of $42.6 million.
•
We developed, placed in-service and leased at 100%, 8 industrial properties comprising approximately 3.5 million square feet of GLA located in Southern California, Chicago and Phoenix at an estimated total cost of $226.6 million.
•
We sold 53 industrial properties comprised of approximately 2.6 million square feet of GLA and several land parcels for total gross sales proceeds of $192.0 million.
•
We entered into the Joint Venture with a third party and acquired, for a purchase price of $49.0 million, approximately 532 net developable acres of land located in Phoenix for the purpose of developing, selling, leasing and operating industrial properties.
•
We issued $150.0 million of ten-year private placement notes at a rate of 3.86% and $150.0 million of twelve-year private placement notes at a rate of 3.96%.
•
We issued 4,800,000 shares of the Company's common stock in an underwritten public offering. Proceeds to the Company, net of the underwriter's discount, were $145.6 million.
•
We paid off $157.8 million in mortgage loans payable.
•
We declared an annual cash dividend of $0.87 per common share or Unit, an increase of 3.6% from 2017.
Results of Operations
Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2018 to Year Ended December 31, 2017
Our net income was $167.3 million and $208.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
The tables below summarize our revenues, property expenses and depreciation and other amortization by various categories for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. Same store properties are properties owned prior to January 1, 2017 and held as an in-service property through December 31, 2018 and developments and redevelopments that were placed in service prior to January 1, 2017 or were substantially completed for the 12 months prior to January 1, 2017. Properties which are at least 75% occupied at acquisition are placed in service, unless we anticipate the tenants to move out within the first two years of ownership. Acquisitions that are less than 75% occupied at the date of acquisition, developments and redevelopments are placed in service as they reach the earlier of a) stabilized occupancy (generally defined as 90% occupied), or b) one year subsequent to acquisition or development/redevelopment construction completion. Acquired properties with occupancy greater than 75% at acquisition, but with tenants that we anticipate will move out in the first year of ownership, will be placed in service upon the earlier of reaching 90% occupancy or twelve months after move out. Properties are moved from the same store classification to the redevelopment classification when capital expenditures for a project are estimated to exceed 25% of the undepreciated gross book value of the property. Acquired properties are properties that were acquired subsequent to December 31, 2016 and held as an operating property through December 31, 2018. Sold properties are properties that were sold subsequent to December 31, 2016. (Re)Developments include developments and redevelopments that were not: a) substantially complete 12 months prior to January 1, 2017; or b) stabilized prior to January 1, 2017. Other revenues are derived from the operations of properties not placed in service under one of the categories discussed above, the operations of our maintenance company and other miscellaneous revenues. Other property expenses are derived from the operations of properties not placed in service under one of the categories discussed above, the operations of our maintenance company, vacant land expenses and other miscellaneous regional expenses.
During the year ended December 31, 2018, one industrial property, comprising approximately 0.1 million square feet of GLA, was taken out of service for redevelopment. As a result of taking this industrial property out of service, the results of operations were reclassified from the same store property classification to the re(development) classification. During the year ended December 31, 2018, we completed the redevelopment of this property and the property is 100% occupied. This property will return to the same store classification in the first quarter 2020.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, one industrial property, comprising approximately 0.1 million square feet of GLA, was taken out of service due to a fire which caused major damage to the building. During the year ended December 31, 2018, we recognized $1.3 million of insurance proceeds, inclusive of business interruption proceeds, within other income. Also, during the year ended December 31, 2018, we sold the remaining property and as such, the results of this property are included in the sold classification.
During the year ended December 31, 2016, one industrial property, comprising approximately 28 thousand square feet of GLA, was taken out of service due to a fire which caused complete destruction of the building. The results of this property are included in the (re) development classification. We anticipate the rebuild of this property will be complete during the first quarter 2019 and as of December 31, 2018, the property is 100% pre-leased. This property will return to the same store classification in the first quarter 2021.
Our future financial condition and results of operations, including rental revenues, may be impacted by the future acquisition, (re)development and sale of properties. Our future revenues and expenses may vary materially from historical rates.
For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, the average occupancy rates of our same store properties were 97.5% and 96.2%, respectively.
Revenues from same store properties increased $16.7 million due primarily to an increase in occupancy and rental rates as well as tenant recoveries. Revenues from acquired properties increased $8.2 million due to the 18 industrial properties acquired subsequent to December 31, 2016 totaling approximately 2.1 million square feet of GLA. Revenues from sold properties decreased $25.1 million due to the 113 industrial properties sold subsequent to December 31, 2016 totaling approximately 7.2 million square feet of GLA. Revenues from (re)developments increased $6.8 million due to an increase in occupancy. Revenues from other increased $1.0 million primarily due to an increase in interest income earned on our cash equivalents, as well as an increase in occupancy related to one property acquired in 2016 and placed in service during 2017.
Property expenses include real estate taxes, repairs and maintenance, property management, utilities, insurance and other property related expenses. Property expenses from same store properties increased $5.6 million primarily due to an increase in real estate taxes, snow removal costs, and insurance expense. Property expenses from acquired properties increased $2.7 million due to properties acquired subsequent to December 31, 2016. Property expenses from sold properties decreased $8.2 million due to properties sold subsequent to December 31, 2016. Property expenses from (re)developments increased $2.7 million primarily due to the substantial completion of developments. Property expenses from other increased $0.5 million due to an increase in real estate taxes.
General and administrative expense remained relatively unchanged. However, during the three months ended March 31, 2018, we incurred $1.3 million of severance expense. The increase in severance expense is offset by an increase in the capitalization of compensation of certain development personnel due to an increase in development activities as well as a decrease in amortization of restricted stock, which decrease is primarily due to immediate recognition of $1.6 million of expense related to the issuance of restricted stock to our former CEO during the three months ended March 31, 2017.
Depreciation and other amortization from same store properties decreased by $1.2 million due to certain leasing intangibles becoming fully amortized during the year ended December 31, 2017 partially offset by accelerated depreciation and amortization taken during the year ended December 31, 2018 attributable to certain tenants who terminated their leases early. Depreciation and other amortization from acquired properties increased $4.8 million due to properties acquired subsequent to December 31, 2016. Depreciation and other amortization from sold properties decreased $6.7 million due to properties sold subsequent to December 31, 2016. Depreciation and other amortization from (re)developments increased $3.0 million primarily due to an increase in depreciation and amortization related to completed developments. Depreciation from corporate furniture, fixtures and equipment and other increased $0.2 million primarily due to capital expenditures incurred at one property that was acquired in 2016 and placed in service in 2017.
The impairment charge for the year ended December 31, 2018 of $2.8 million was due to marketing a property and a land parcel for sale and our assessment of the likelihood of potential sales transaction. The property and the land parcel for which impairment was recorded were sold later during the year ended December 31, 2018.
For the year ended December 31, 2018, we recognized $81.6 million of gain on sale of real estate related to the sale of 53 industrial properties comprising approximately 2.6 million square feet of GLA and several land parcels. For the year ended December 31, 2017, we recognized $131.3 million of gain on sale of real estate related to the sale of 60 industrial properties comprising approximately 4.6 million square feet of GLA and one land parcel.
Interest expense decreased $6.4 million, or 11.2%, primarily due to a decrease in the weighted average debt balance outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2018 ($1,334.8 million) as compared to the year ended December 31, 2017 ($1,392.2 million), a decrease in the weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2018 (4.24%) as compared to the year ended December 31, 2017 (4.42%), and an increase in capitalized interest of $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2017 due to an increase in development activities.
Amortization of debt issuance costs increased $0.2 million, or 7.7%, primarily due to additional amortization from fees incurred related to the amendment to our credit facility and term loans in October 2017 and the issuance of the 2028 and 2030 Private Placement Notes in February 2018, offset by less amortization due to the payoffs of the 2017 Notes, the 2017 II Notes and certain mortgage loans.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, we recorded $1.9 million of settlement gain on derivative instruments. In September 2017, we entered into treasury locks (the "2017 Treasury Locks") in order to fix the interest rate on an anticipated unsecured debt offering. The 2017 Treasury Locks were settled during the fourth quarter of 2017. We did not elect to designate the Treasury Locks as hedges and, as such, we recorded the full change in the fair value of the 2017 Treasury Locks within the consolidated statement of operations.
For the year ended December 31, 2017, we recognized a loss from retirement of debt of $1.8 million due to prepayment penalties related to the early payoff of certain mortgage loans and the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs on these mortgage loans as well as the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs related to an exiting lender on our revolving line of credit and one of our unsecured term loans.
Equity in loss of Joint Venture was not significant.
For the year ended December 31, 2018, the income tax benefit was not significant. For the year ended December 31, 2017, we recognized a tax provision of $1.2 million primarily related to taxable gain from the sale of real estate from one of our TRSs.
Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2017 to Year Ended December 31, 2016
The Company's net income was $208.3 million and $125.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
The tables below summarize our revenues, property expenses and depreciation and other amortization by various categories for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. Same store properties are properties owned prior to January 1, 2016 and held as an in-service property through December 31, 2017 and developments and redevelopments that were placed in service prior to January 1, 2016 or were substantially completed for the 12 months prior to January 1, 2016. Properties which are at least 75% occupied at acquisition are placed in service, unless we anticipate the tenants to move out within the first two years of ownership. Acquisitions that are less than 75% occupied at the date of acquisition, developments and redevelopments are placed in service as they reach the earlier of a) stabilized occupancy (generally defined as 90% occupied), or b) one year subsequent to acquisition or development/redevelopment construction completion. Acquired properties with occupancy greater than 75% at acquisition, but with tenants that we anticipate will move out in the first year of ownership, will be placed in service upon the earlier of reaching 90% occupancy or twelve months after move out. Properties are moved from the same store classification to the redevelopment classification when capital expenditures for a project are estimated to exceed 25% of the undepreciated gross book value of the property. Acquired properties are properties that were acquired subsequent to December 31, 2015 and held as an operating property through December 31, 2017. Sold properties are properties that were sold subsequent to December 31, 2015. (Re)Developments include developments and redevelopments that were not: a) substantially complete 12 months prior to January 1, 2016; or b) stabilized prior to January 1, 2016. Other revenues are derived from the operations of properties not placed in service under one of the categories discussed above, the operations of our maintenance company and other miscellaneous revenues. Other property expenses are derived from the operations of properties not placed in service under one of the categories discussed above, the operations of our maintenance company, vacant land expenses and other miscellaneous regional expenses.
During the year ended December 31, 2016, one industrial property, comprising approximately 28 thousand square feet of GLA, was taken out of service due to a fire which caused complete destruction of the building. The results of this property are included in the (re) development classification. We anticipate the rebuild of this property will be complete during the first quarter 2019 and as of December 31, 2018, the property is 100% pre-leased. This property will return to the same store classification in the first quarter 2021.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, one industrial property, comprising approximately 0.1 million square feet of GLA, was taken out of service due to a fire which caused major damage to the building. The results of this property are included in the (re) development classification. During the year ended December 31, 2018, we sold the remaining land parcel.
Our future financial condition and results of operations, including rental revenues, may be impacted by the future acquisition, (re)development and sale of properties. Our future revenues and expenses may vary materially from historical rates.
For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, the average occupancy rates of our same store properties were 96.2% and 96.4%, respectively.
Revenues from same store properties increased $9.7 million due primarily to an increase in rental rates and tenant recoveries, slightly offset by a decrease in occupancy. Revenues from acquired properties increased $6.6 million due to the 14 industrial properties acquired subsequent to December 31, 2015 totaling approximately 1.8 million square feet of GLA. Revenues from sold properties decreased $16.3 million due to the 123 industrial properties sold subsequent to December 31, 2015 totaling approximately 8.6 million square feet of GLA. Revenues from (re)developments increased $16.8 million due to an increase in occupancy. Revenues from other increased $1.5 million primarily due to an increase in occupancy related to three properties acquired in the year ended December 31, 2015 that were placed in service during the year ended December 31, 2016.
Property expenses include real estate taxes, repairs and maintenance, property management, utilities, insurance and other property related expenses. Property expenses from same store properties increased $2.5 million primarily due to an increase in real estate tax expense caused by higher assessed values on our properties and real estate tax abatements expiring. Property expenses from acquired properties increased $1.9 million due to properties acquired subsequent to December 31, 2015. Property expenses from sold properties decreased $6.2 million due to properties sold subsequent to December 31, 2015. Property expenses from (re)developments increased $3.3 million primarily due to the substantial completion of developments. Property expenses from other decreased $0.4 million due to a decrease in certain miscellaneous expenses.
General and administrative expense increased $1.4 million, or 5.2%, primarily due to an increase in incentive compensation during the year ended December 31, 2017 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2016.
As discussed in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, on January 1, 2017 we adopted a new accounting standard relating to the definition of a business. As a result of this adoption, our acquisitions of real estate during the year ended December 31, 2017 did not meet the definition of a business combination and thus the closing costs, which historically have been expensed, were capitalized as part of the basis of the real estate assets acquired. For the year ended December 31, 2016, we recognized $0.5 million of expenses related to costs associated with acquiring industrial properties from third parties.
Depreciation and other amortization from same store properties decreased by $1.4 million due to accelerated depreciation and amortization taken during the year ended December 31, 2016 attributable to certain tenants who terminated their leases early. Depreciation and other amortization from acquired properties increased $3.5 million due to properties acquired subsequent to December 31, 2015. Depreciation and other amortization from sold properties decreased $5.0 million due to properties sold subsequent to December 31, 2015. Depreciation and other amortization from (re)developments increased $1.8 million primarily due to an increase in depreciation and amortization related to completed developments offset by accelerated depreciation on one property in Rancho Dominguez, CA which was razed during the year ended December 31, 2016. Depreciation from corporate furniture, fixtures and equipment and other increased $0.2 million due to higher depreciation related to incurred leasing costs at three properties acquired in the year ended December 31, 2015 that were placed in service during the year ended December 31, 2016.
For the year ended December 31, 2017, we recognized $131.3 million of gain on sale of real estate related to the sale of 60 industrial properties comprising approximately 4.6 million square feet of GLA and one land parcel. For the year ended December 31, 2016, we recognized $68.2 million of gain on sale of real estate related to the sale of 63 industrial properties comprising approximately 3.9 million square feet of GLA and several land parcels.
Interest expense decreased $2.2 million, or 3.8%, primarily due to a decrease in the weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2017 (4.42%) as compared to the year ended December 31, 2016 (4.50%), a decrease in the weighted average debt balance outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2017 ($1,392.2 million) as compared to the year ended December 31, 2016 ($1,400.5 million) and an increase in capitalized interest of $0.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2016 due to an increase in development activities.
Amortization of debt issuance costs remained relatively unchanged.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, we recorded $1.9 million of settlement gain on derivative instruments. In September 2017, we entered into the 2017 Treasury Locks in order to fix the interest rate on an anticipated unsecured debt offering. The 2017 Treasury Locks were settled during the fourth quarter of 2017.
For the year ended December 31, 2017, we recognized a loss from retirement of debt of $1.8 million due to prepayment penalties related to the early payoff of certain mortgage loans and the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs on these mortgage loans as well as the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs related to an exiting lender on our revolving line of credit and one of our unsecured term loans.
The income tax provision remained relatively unchanged.
Critical Accounting Policies
We believe the following critical accounting policies relate to the more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. Refer to Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further detail on our critical accounting policies, which are as follows:
•
Acquisitions of Real Estate Assets: We allocate the purchase price of acquired real estate, including real estate acquired as a portfolio, to the fair value of tangible assets (land, building, and improvements) by valuing the real estate as if it were vacant. The determination of fair value includes estimates such as discount rates, terminal capitalization rates and market rent assumptions. Above-market and below-market lease and below market ground lease obligation values are recorded based on the present value (using a discount rate which reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to each in-place lease and (ii) our estimate of fair market lease rents for each corresponding in-place lease. The purchase price is further allocated to leasing commissions, in-place lease and tenant relationship values based on our evaluation of the specific characteristics of each tenant's lease and our overall relationship with the respective tenant. The value allocated to tenant relationships is amortized to depreciation and amortization expense over the expected term of the relationship, which includes an estimate of the probability of lease renewal and its estimated term.
•
Impairment of Real Estate Assets: We review our real estate assets for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. The judgments regarding the existence of indicators of impairment are based on the operating performance, market conditions, as well as our ability to hold and our intent with regard to each property. The judgments regarding whether the carrying amounts of these assets may not be recoverable are based on estimates of future undiscounted cash flows from properties which include estimates of future operating performance and market conditions. If any real estate investment is considered impaired, a loss is recorded to reduce the carrying value of the property to its estimated fair value.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2018, our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash were approximately $43.1 million and $7.3 million, respectively. Restricted cash is comprised of gross proceeds from the sales of certain industrial properties. These sale proceeds will be disbursed as we exchange industrial properties under Section 1031 of the Code. We also had $720.6 million available for additional borrowings under our Unsecured Credit Facility as of December 31, 2018.
We have considered our short-term (through December 31, 2019) liquidity needs and the adequacy of our estimated cash flow from operations and other expected liquidity sources to meet these needs. We have $107.9 million in mortgage loans payable outstanding at December 31, 2018 that we anticipate prepaying prior to December 31, 2019. Historically, we have utilized various sources of capital to satisfy similar payment obligations, including borrowings under our Unsecured Credit Facility and issuances of debt and equity securities, and we expect to satisfy these payment obligations on or prior to the maturity dates using one or more of these sources of capital. With the exception of these payment obligations, we believe that our principal short-term liquidity needs are to fund normal recurring expenses, property acquisitions, developments, renovations, expansions and other nonrecurring capital improvements, debt service requirements, the minimum distributions required to maintain the Company's REIT qualification under the Code and distributions approved by the Company's Board of Directors. We anticipate that these needs will be met with cash flows provided by operating activities as well as the disposition of select assets. These needs may also be met by the issuance of additional equity or debt securities or long-term unsecured indebtedness, subject to market conditions and contractual restrictions or borrowings under our Unsecured Credit Facility.
We expect to meet long-term (after December 31, 2019) liquidity requirements such as property acquisitions, developments, scheduled debt maturities, major renovations, expansions and other nonrecurring capital improvements through the disposition of select assets, long-term unsecured and secured indebtedness and the issuance of additional equity or debt securities, subject to market conditions.
As of February 15, 2019 we had approximately $713.4 million available for additional borrowings under our Unsecured Credit Facility. Our Unsecured Credit Facility contains certain financial covenants including limitations on incurrence of debt and debt service coverage. Our access to borrowings may be limited if we fail to meet any of these covenants. We believe that we were in compliance with our financial covenants as of December 31, 2018, and we anticipate that we will be able to operate in compliance with our financial covenants in 2019.
As of December 31, 2018, our senior unsecured notes have been assigned credit ratings from Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch Ratings of BBB/Stable, Baa2/Stable and BBB/Stable, respectively. A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and is subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the rating organization. In the event of a downgrade, we believe we would continue to have access to sufficient capital; however, our cost of borrowing would increase and our ability to access certain financial markets may be limited.
Cash Flow Activity
The following table summarizes our cash flow activity for the Company for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017:
The following table summarizes our cash flow activity for the Operating Partnership for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017:
Changes in cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to the prior year are described as follows:
Operating Activities: Cash provided by operating activities increased $17.9 million for the Company (increased by $17.6 million for the Operating Partnership), primarily due to the following:
•
Decrease in interest expense of $6.4 million;
•
Increase in cash NOI from same store properties, acquired properties, and recently developed properties offset by decreases in cash NOI due to building disposals for a net total increase of approximately $6.8 million;
•
Increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities as well as a decrease in other assets due to timing of cash payments and cash receipts.
Investing Activities: Cash used in investing activities increased $140.9 million, primarily due to the following:
•
Increase in cash used of $78.5 million related to non-acquisition additions and improvements to real estate primarily due to an increase in development expenditures in 2018;
•
Increase in cash used of $23.4 million related to our net contributions to the Joint Venture in 2018;
•
Decrease in cash received of $43.3 million related to the disposition of real estate in 2018;
•
Decrease in cash received of $9.2 million related to insurance proceeds on casualty losses;
Offset by:
•
Decrease in cash used to acquire real estate in 2018 of $17.5 million.
Financing Activities: Cash provided by financing activities increased $101.8 million for the Company (increased $102.2 million for the Operating Partnership), primarily due to the following:
•
Increase in cash provided of $100.0 million related to the issuance of unsecured notes in a private placement in 2018;
•
Increase in cash provided of $70.7 million related to the proceeds received from the issuance of common stock in an underwritten public offering in 2018 compared to 2017;
•
The payoff of senior unsecured notes during 2017 in the amount of $156.9 million;
Offset by:
•
Increase in repayments of mortgage loans payable of $118.8 million;
•
Increase in net repayments of our Unsecured Credit Facility of $99.5 million; and
•
Increase in dividend and unit distributions of $9.1 million primarily due to the Company raising the dividend rate in 2018.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
The following table lists our contractual obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2018:
_______________
(A)
Not on balance sheet.
(B)
Represents estimated remaining costs on the completion of development projects under construction. Estimated remaining costs include costs for leasing the building and could extend beyond one year.
(C)
Includes interest expense on our unsecured term loans, inclusive of the impact of interest rate swaps which effectively swap the variable interest rate to a fixed interest rate. Excludes interest expense on our Unsecured Credit Facility.
(D)
Represents fees on our Unsecured Credit Facility which has a contractual maturity in October 2021.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
At December 31, 2018, we had letters of credit and performance bonds outstanding amounting to $18.6 million in the aggregate. The letters of credit and performance bonds are not reflected as liabilities on our balance sheet. We have no other off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in Item 303 of Regulation S-K, other than those disclosed on the Contractual Obligations and Commitments table above that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, results of operation or liquidity and capital resources.
Environmental
We paid approximately $0.4 million and $0.4 million during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, related to environmental expenditures. We estimate 2019 expenditures of approximately $0.3 million. We estimate that the aggregate expenditures which need to be expended in 2019 and beyond with regard to currently identified environmental issues will not exceed approximately $0.9 million.
Inflation
For the last several years, inflation has not had a significant impact on us because of the relatively low inflation rates in our markets of operation. Most of our leases require the tenants to pay their share of operating expenses, including common area maintenance, real estate taxes and insurance, thereby reducing our exposure to increases in costs and operating expenses resulting from inflation. In addition, our leases have a weighted average lease length of 6.8 years which may enable us to replace existing leases with new leases at higher base rentals if rents of existing leases are below the then-existing market rate.
Market Risk
The following discussion about our risk-management activities includes "forward-looking statements" that involve risk and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Our business subjects us to market risk from interest rates, as described below.
Interest Rate Risk
The following analysis presents the hypothetical gain or loss in earnings, cash flows or fair value of the financial instruments and derivative instruments which are held by us at December 31, 2018 that are sensitive to changes in interest rates. While this analysis may have some use as a benchmark, it should not be viewed as a forecast.
In the normal course of business, we also face risks that are either non-financial or non-quantifiable. Such risks principally include credit risk and legal risk and are not represented in the following analysis.
At December 31, 2018, 100.0% of our total debt was fixed rate debt. This includes $460.0 million of variable-rate debt that has been effectively swapped to a fixed rate through the use of derivative instruments. At December 31, 2017, $1,160.3 million or 88.9% of our total debt, excluding unamortized debt issuance costs, was fixed rate debt. This includes $460.0 million of variable-rate debt that has been effectively swapped to a fixed rate through the use of derivative instruments. As of the same date, $144.5 million or 11.1% of our total debt, excluding unamortized debt issuance costs, was variable rate debt.
For fixed rate debt, changes in interest rates generally affect the fair value of the debt, but not our earnings or cash flows. Conversely, for variable rate debt, changes in the base interest rate used to calculate the all-in interest rate generally do not impact the fair value of the debt, but would affect our future earnings and cash flows. The interest rate risk and changes in fair market value of fixed rate debt generally do not have a significant impact on us until we are required to refinance such debt. See Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of the maturity dates of our various fixed rate debt.
Our variable rate debt is subject to risk based upon prevailing market interest rates. If the LIBOR rates relevant to our variable rate debt were to have increased 10%, we estimate that our interest expense during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 would have increased by approximately $0.07 million and $0.26 million, respectively, based on our average outstanding floating-rate debt during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. Additionally, if weighted average interest rates on our fixed rate debt were to have increased by 10% due to refinancing, interest expense would have increased by approximately $5.6 million and $5.8 million during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.
As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the estimated fair value of our debt was approximately $1,312.4 million and $1,341.5 million, respectively, based on our estimate of the then-current market interest rates.
The use of derivative financial instruments allows us to manage risks of increases in interest rates with respect to the effect these fluctuations would have on our earnings and cash flows. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, we had derivative instruments with a notional aggregate amount outstanding of $460.0 million which mitigate our exposure to our unsecured term loans' variable interest rates, which are based upon LIBOR ("Term Loan Swaps"). Additionally, during December 2018 in anticipation of issuing long term debt in the future, we entered into two treasury locks with an aggregate notional value of $100.0 million to manage our exposure to changes in the ten year U.S. Treasury rate (the "2018 Treasury Locks"). The 2018 Treasury Locks fix the ten year U.S. Treasury rate at a weighted average of 2.93% and cash settle on or before April 30, 2019. We designated both the Term Loan Swaps and the 2018 Treasury Locks as cash flow hedges. During the year ended December 31, 2017, we settled certain derivative instruments, which were entered into in September 2017, to maintain our flexibility to pursue an offering of unsecured debt ("2017 Treasury Locks"). We did not designate the 2017 Treasury Locks as cash flow hedges. We received a settlement payment of $1.9 million from our derivative counterparties and recognized such payment as settlement gain on derivative instruments. See Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a more detailed discussion of these derivative instruments. Currently, we do not enter into financial instruments for trading or other speculative purposes.
Supplemental Earnings Measure
Investors in and industry analysts following the real estate industry utilize funds from operations ("FFO") and net operating income ("NOI") as supplemental operating performance measures of an equity REIT. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time through depreciation. Since real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, many industry analysts and investors prefer to supplement operating results that use historical cost accounting with measures such as FFO and NOI, among others. We provide information related to FFO and same store NOI ("SS NOI") both because such industry analysts are interested in such information, and because our management believes FFO and SS NOI are important performance measures. FFO and SS NOI are factors used by management in measuring our performance, including for purposes of determining the compensation of our executive officers under our 2018 incentive compensation plan.
Neither FFO nor SS NOI should be considered as a substitute for net income, or any other measures derived in accordance with GAAP. Neither FFO nor SS NOI represents cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP and neither should be considered as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of our liquidity, nor is either indicative of funds available for our cash needs, including our ability to make cash distributions.
Funds From Operations
The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT") has recognized and defined for the real estate industry a supplemental measure of REIT operating performance, FFO, that excludes historical cost depreciation, among other items, from net income determined in accordance with GAAP. FFO is a non-GAAP financial measure. FFO is calculated by us in accordance with the definition adopted by the Board of Governors of NAREIT and therefore may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies.
Management believes that the use of FFO available to common stockholders and participating securities, combined with net income (which remains the primary measure of performance), improves the understanding of operating results of REITs among the investing public and makes comparisons of REIT operating results more meaningful. Management believes that, by excluding gains or losses related to sales of previously depreciated real estate assets, real estate asset depreciation and amortization and impairment of depreciable real estate, investors and analysts are able to identify the operating results of the long-term assets that form the core of a REIT's activity and use these operating results for assistance in comparing these operating results between periods or to those of different companies.
The following table shows a reconciliation of net income available to common stockholders and participating securities to the calculation of FFO available to common stockholders and participating securities for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014.
In December 2018, NAREIT issued a white paper restating the definition of FFO. The purpose of the restatement was not to change the fundamental definition of FFO, but to clarify existing NAREIT guidance. The restated definition of FFO is as follows: Net Income (calculated in accordance with GAAP), excluding: (i) Depreciation and amortization related to real estate, (ii) Gains and losses from the sale of certain real estate assets, (iii) Gain and losses from change in control, and (iv) 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. This restated definition provides an option to include or exclude gains and losses as well as impairment of non-depreciable real estate if the sales are deemed incidental. We currently include gains and losses on sales and impairment of our non-depreciable real estate in our calculation of NAREIT FFO. Commencing on January 1, 2019 we will adopt the restated definition of NAREIT FFO on a prospective basis and will exclude gains and losses on sales and impairment of our non-depreciable real estate that we deem incidental.
Same Store Net Operating Income
SS NOI is a non-GAAP financial measure that provides a measure of rental operations and, as calculated by us, that does not factor in depreciation and amortization, general and administrative expense, acquisition costs, interest expense, impairment charges, equity in income and loss from joint venture, income tax benefit and expense, gains and losses on retirement of debt, gains and losses on the sale of real estate and settlement gain on derivative instruments. We define SS NOI as revenues minus property expenses such as real estate taxes, repairs and maintenance, property management, utilities, insurance and other expenses, minus the NOI of properties that are not same store properties and minus the impact of straight-line rent, the amortization of lease inducements, the amortization of above/below market rent and lease termination fees. As so defined, SS NOI may not be comparable to same store net operating income or similar measures reported by other REITs that define same store properties or NOI differently. The major factors influencing SS NOI are occupancy levels, rental rate increases or decreases and tenant recoveries increases or decreases. Our success depends largely upon our ability to lease space and to recover the operating costs associated with those leases from our tenants.
The following table shows a reconciliation of the same store revenues and property expenses disclosed in the results of operations (and reconciled to revenues and expenses reflected on the statements of operations) to SS NOI for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.
Subsequent Events
On January 25, 2019 we acquired one land parcel for a purchase price of $1.8 million, excluding costs incurred in conjunction with the acquisition.
On February 4, 2019 we acquired one industrial property for a purchase price of $12.3 million, excluding costs incurred in conjunction with the acquisition.
Item 7A.
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Response to this item is included in Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" above.
Item 8.
Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
See Index to Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedule included in Item 15.
Item 9.
Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A.
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures
First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its periodic reports pursuant to the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required financial disclosure.
The Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(b) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon this evaluation, the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that its disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. The Company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Management has assessed the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018. In making its assessment of internal control over financial reporting, management used the Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
Management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2018, the Company's internal control over financial reporting was effective.
The effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears herein within Item 15. See Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There has been no change in the Company's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2018 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting.
First Industrial, L.P.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Operating Partnership maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its periodic reports pursuant to the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, on behalf of the Company in its capacity as the general partner of the Operating Partnership, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required financial disclosure.
The Operating Partnership carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, on behalf of the Company in its capacity as the general partner of the Operating Partnership, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Operating Partnership's disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(b) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon this evaluation, the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, on behalf of the Company in its capacity as the general partner of the Operating Partnership, concluded that the Operating Partnership's disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. The Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Management has assessed the effectiveness of the Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018. In making its assessment of internal control over financial reporting, management used the Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
Management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2018, the Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting was effective.
The effectiveness of the Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears herein within Item 15. See Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There has been no change in the Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2018 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B.
Item 9B.
Other Information
None.
PART III
Item 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance, Executive Compensation, Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters, Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence and Principal Accountant Fees and Services
The information required by Item 10, Item 11, Item 12, Item 13
Item 15.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(a) Financial Statements, Financial Statement Schedule and Exhibits
(1 & 2) See Index to Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedule.
(3) Exhibits: The Exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K are listed in the Exhibit Index on page 45 to 47 of this report, which is incorporated herein by reference.
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibits
Description
31.2*
Certification of Principal Financial Officer of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
31.3*
Certification of Principal Executive Officer of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., in its capacity as the sole general partner of First Industrial, L.P., pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
31.4*
Certification of Principal Financial Officer of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., in its capacity as the sole general partner of First Industrial, L.P., pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
32.1**
Certification of the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.2**
Certification of the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., in its capacity as the sole general partner of First Industrial, L.P., pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101.1*
The following financial statements from First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.'s and First Industrial L.P.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, formatted in XBRL: (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets (audited), (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations (audited), (iii) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (audited), (iv) Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders' Equity / Consolidated Statement of Changes in Partners' Capital (audited), (v) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (audited) and (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (audited)
_______________
*
Filed herewith.
**
Furnished herewith.
Not applicable.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL, L.P.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.:
Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the related consolidated statements of operations, of comprehensive income, of changes in stockholders' equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018, including the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the accompanying index (collectively referred to as the "consolidated financial statements"). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2018, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
Basis for Opinions
The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company's consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chicago, Illinois
February 19, 2019
We have served as the Company's auditor since 1993.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Partners of
First Industrial, L.P.:
Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of First Industrial, L.P. and its subsidiaries (the "Operating Partnership") as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 and the related consolidated statements of operations, of comprehensive income, of changes in partners' capital and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018, including the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the accompanying index (collectively referred to as the "consolidated financial statements"). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Operating Partnership as of December 31, 2018 and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Operating Partnership maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
Basis for Opinions
The Operating Partnership's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Operating Partnership's consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chicago, Illinois
February 19, 2019
We have served as the Operating Partnership's auditor since 1996.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL, L.P.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL L.P.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL L.P.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL, L.P.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS' CAPITAL
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC. AND FIRST INDUSTRIAL, L.P.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Dollars in thousands, except per share and Unit data)
1. Organization
First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (the "Company") is a self-administered and fully integrated real estate company which owns, manages, acquires, sells, develops and redevelops industrial real estate. The Company is a Maryland corporation organized on August 10, 1993 and a real estate investment trust ("REIT") as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code"). Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, the terms "we," "our" and "us" refer to the Company and its subsidiaries, including its operating partnership, First Industrial, L.P. (the "Operating Partnership"), and its consolidated subsidiaries.
We began operations on July 1, 1994. The Company's operations are conducted primarily through the Operating Partnership, of which the Company is the sole general partner (the "General Partner"), with an approximate 98.0% and 96.8% ownership interest ("General Partner Units") at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Operating Partnership also conducts operations through eight other limited partnerships (the "Other Real Estate Partnerships"), numerous limited liability companies ("LLCs") and certain taxable REIT subsidiaries ("TRSs"), the operating data of which, together with that of the Operating Partnership, is consolidated with that of the Company as presented herein. The Operating Partnership holds at least a 99% limited partnership interest in each of the Other Real Estate Partnerships. The general partners of the Other Real Estate Partnerships are separate corporations, wholly-owned by the Company, each with at least a .01% general partnership interest in the Other Real Estate Partnerships. The Company does not have any significant assets or liabilities other than its investment in the Operating Partnership and its 100% ownership interest in the general partners of the Other Real Estate Partnerships. Noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership of approximately 2.0% and 3.2% at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, represents the aggregate partnership interest held by the limited partners thereof ("Limited Partner Units" and together with the General Partner Units, the "Units") .
We also own a 49% equity interest in, and provide various services to, a joint venture (the "Joint Venture") through a wholly owned subsidiary of the Operating Partnership. The Joint Venture is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The operating data of the Joint Venture is not consolidated with that of the Company or the Operating Partnership as presented herein.
Profits, losses and distributions of the Operating Partnership, the LLCs, the Other Real Estate Partnerships and the TRSs are allocated to the general partner and the limited partners, the members or the shareholders, as applicable, of such entities in accordance with the provisions contained within their respective organizational documents.
As of December 31, 2018, we owned 458 industrial properties located in 21 states, containing an aggregate of approximately 63.1 million square feet of gross leasable area ("GLA"). Of the 458 properties owned on a consolidated basis, none of them are directly owned by the Company.
Any references to the number of industrial properties and square footage in the financial statement footnotes are unaudited.
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2018 and 2017 and for each of the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 include the accounts and operating results of the Company and the Operating Partnership. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
In order to conform with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), in preparation of our consolidated financial statements we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for each of the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include all cash and liquid investments with an initial maturity of three months or less. The carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short term maturity of these investments.
Restricted Cash
Restricted cash includes cash held in escrow in connection with gross proceeds from the sales of certain industrial properties. These sales proceeds will be disbursed as we exchange into properties under Section 1031 of the Code. The carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short term maturity of these investments. For purposes of our consolidated statements of cash flows, changes in restricted cash are aggregated with cash and cash equivalents.
Investment in Real Estate and Depreciation
Investment in real estate is carried at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. We review our properties on a quarterly basis for impairment and provide a provision if impairments exist. To determine if an impairment may exist, we review our properties and identify those that have had either an event of change or event of circumstances warranting further assessment of recoverability (such as a decrease in occupancy, a decline in general market conditions or a change in the expected hold period of an asset or asset group). If further assessment of recoverability is needed, we estimate the future net cash flows expected to result from the use of the property and its eventual disposition. If the sum of the expected future net cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) is less than the carrying amount of the property or group of properties, we will recognize an impairment loss based upon the estimated fair value of the property or group of properties. For properties we consider held for sale, we cease depreciating the properties and value the properties at the lower of depreciated cost or fair value, less costs to dispose. If circumstances arise that were previously considered unlikely, and, as a result, we decide not to sell a property or group of properties previously classified as held for sale, we will reclassify the properties as held and used. Properties are measured at the lower of their carrying amounts (adjusted for any depreciation and amortization expense that would have been recognized had the properties been continuously classified as held and used) or fair value at the date of the subsequent decision not to sell. We classify properties as held for sale when all criteria within the Financial Accounting Standards Board's (the "FASB") guidance on the impairment or disposal of long-lived assets are met.
Interest costs, real estate taxes, compensation costs of development personnel and other directly related costs incurred during construction periods are capitalized and depreciated commencing with the date the property is substantially completed. Upon substantial completion, we reclassify construction in progress to building, tenant improvements and leasing commissions. Such costs begin to be capitalized to the development projects from the point we are undergoing necessary activities to get the development ready for its intended use and cease when the development projects are substantially completed and held available for occupancy. Interest is capitalized using the weighted average borrowing rate during the period.
Depreciation expense is computed using the straight-line method based on the following useful lives:
Construction expenditures for tenant improvements, leasehold improvements and leasing commissions (inclusive of compensation costs of personnel attributable to leasing) are capitalized and amortized over the terms of each specific lease. Capitalized compensation costs of personnel attributable to leasing relate to time directly attributable to originating leases with tenants that result directly from and are essential to originating those leases and would not have been incurred had these leasing transactions not occurred. Repairs and maintenance are charged to expense when incurred. Expenditures for improvements are capitalized.
Upon acquisition of a property, we allocate the purchase price of the property based upon the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, which generally consists of land, buildings, tenant improvements, leasing commissions and intangible assets including in-place leases, above market and below market leases, below market ground lease obligations and tenant relationships. We allocate the purchase price to the fair value of the tangible assets of an acquired property by valuing the property as if it were vacant. Acquired above and below market leases and below market ground lease obligations are valued based on the present value of the difference between prevailing market rates and the in-place rates measured over a period equal to the remaining term of the lease for above market leases and below market ground lease obligations, and the initial term plus the term of any below market fixed rate renewal options for below market leases. The above market lease values are amortized as a reduction of rental revenue over the remaining term of the respective leases, and the below market lease values are amortized as an increase to base rental revenue over the remaining initial terms plus the terms of any below market fixed rate renewal options of the respective leases.
The purchase price is further allocated to in-place lease values and tenant relationships based on our evaluation of the specific characteristics of each tenant's lease and our overall relationship with the respective tenant. The value of in-place lease intangibles and tenant relationships, which are included in the line item Deferred Leasing Intangibles, Net are amortized over the remaining lease term (and expected renewal periods of the respective lease for tenant relationships) as adjustments to depreciation and other amortization expense. If a tenant terminates its lease early, the unamortized portion of the tenant improvements, leasing commissions, above and below market leases, the in-place lease value and tenant relationships is immediately accelerated and fully amortized on the date of the termination.
As defined by GAAP, a business is an integrated set of activities and assets that is capable of being conducted and managed for the purpose of providing a return in the form of dividends, lower costs or other economic benefits directly to investors or other owners, members or participants. We expect most acquisitions to be treated as asset acquisitions rather than business combinations as our typical acquisitions consist of properties whereby substantially all the fair value of gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single asset (land, building, and in-place leases), which is treated as an asset acquisition. Commencing January 1, 2017, acquisition costs related to asset acquisitions are capitalized to the basis of the acquired asset.
Deferred leasing intangibles, net of accumulated amortization, included in our total assets and total liabilities consist of the following:
Amortization expense related to in-place leases and tenant relationships was $6,267, $6,648 and $6,717 for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Rental revenues increased by $1,095, $1,116 and $996 related to net amortization of above and below market leases. We will recognize net amortization expense related to deferred leasing intangibles over the next five years, for properties owned as of December 31, 2018 as follows:
Debt Issuance Costs
Debt issuance costs include fees and costs incurred to obtain long-term financing. These fees and costs are being amortized over the terms of the respective loans. Unamortized debt issuance costs are written-off when debt is retired before the maturity date. Debt issuance costs are presented as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the respective debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The debt issuance costs related to the unsecured credit facility are included in the line item Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets, Net on the consolidated balance sheets.
Investment in Joint Venture
Investment in joint venture represents a noncontrolling equity interest in one joint venture. We account for our investment in this joint venture under the equity method of accounting, as we did not have a majority voting interest, operational control or financial control. Control is determined using accounting standards related to the consolidation of joint ventures and variable interest entities ("VIEs"). Under the equity method of accounting, our share of earnings or losses of a joint venture is reflected in income as earned and contributions or distributions increase or decrease our investment in joint venture as paid or received, respectively. Differences between our carrying value of our investment in this joint venture and our underlying equity in such joint venture are amortized and included as an adjustment to our equity in income (loss).
On a periodic basis, management assesses whether there are any indicators that the value of our investment in this joint venture may be impaired. An investment is impaired only if our estimate of the fair value of the investment is less than the carrying value of the investment, and such decline in value is deemed to be other than temporary. To the extent impairment has occurred, the loss shall be measured as the excess of the carrying value of the investment over the value of the investment.
Limited Partner Units
Limited Partner Units are reported within Partners' Capital in the Operating Partnership's balance sheet as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 because they are not redeemable for cash or other assets (a) at a fixed or determinable date, (b) at the option of the Unitholder or (c) upon the occurrence of an event that is not solely within the control of the Operating Partnership. Redemption can be effectuated, as determined by the General Partner, either by exchanging the Units for shares of common stock of the Company on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, or by paying cash equal to the fair market value of such shares.
The Operating Partnership is the only significant asset of the Company and economic, fiduciary and contractual means align the interests of the Company and the Operating Partnership. The Company's Board of Directors and officers of the Company direct the Company to act when acting in its capacity as sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. Because of this, the Operating Partnership is deemed to have effective control of the form of redemption consideration. As of December 31, 2018, all criteria were met for the Operating Partnership to control the actions or events necessary to issue the maximum number of the Company's common shares required to be delivered upon redemption of all remaining Limited Partner Units.
Stock Based Compensation
We measure compensation cost for all stock-based awards at fair value on the date of grant and recognize compensation expense over the service period for awards expected to vest.
Net income is allocated to common stockholders or Unitholders and participating securities based upon their proportionate share of weighted average shares or Units plus weighted average participating securities. Participating securities are unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents. Restricted stock or restricted Unit awards granted to employees and directors are considered participating securities as they receive non-forfeitable dividend or dividend equivalents at the same rate as common stock or Units.
Revenue Recognition
Rental income is recognized on a straight-line method under which contractual rent increases are recognized evenly over the lease term. Tenant recovery income includes payments from tenants for real estate taxes, insurance and other property operating expenses and is recognized as revenue in the same period the related expenses are incurred by us.
If the lease provides for tenant improvements, we determine whether the tenant improvements are owned by the tenant or us. When we are the owner of the tenant improvements, any tenant improvements funded by the tenant are treated as lease payments which are deferred and amortized into income over the lease term. When the tenant is the owner of the tenant improvements, we record any tenant improvement allowance funded as a lease inducement and amortize it as a reduction of revenue over the lease term.
Revenue is generally recognized on payments received from tenants for early lease terminations upon the effective termination of a tenant's lease and when we have no further obligations under the lease.
We provide an allowance for doubtful accounts against the portion of tenant accounts receivable including deferred rent receivable, which is estimated to be uncollectible. The Tenant Accounts Receivable line item is shown net of an allowance for doubtful accounts of $545 and $310 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Deferred Rent Receivable line item is shown net of an allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,444 and $1,557 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. For accounts receivable we deem uncollectible, we use the direct write-off method.
Gain on Sale of Real Estate
Asset sales are generally recognized when control of the asset being sold is transferred to the buyer. As the assets are sold, their costs and related accumulated depreciation, if any, are derecognized with resulting gains or losses reflected in net income. Estimated future costs to be incurred by us after completion of each sale are accrued and included in the determination of the gain on sales.
Income Taxes
The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Code. To qualify as a REIT, the Company must meet a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of its adjusted taxable income to its stockholders. Management intends to continue to adhere to these requirements and to maintain the Company's REIT status. As a REIT, the Company is entitled to a tax deduction for some or all of the dividends it pays to shareholders. Accordingly, the Company generally will not be subject to federal income taxes as long as it currently distributes to shareholders an amount equal to or in excess of the Company's taxable income. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, it will be subject to federal income taxes and may not be able to qualify as a REIT for four subsequent taxable years.
REIT qualification reduces, but does not eliminate, the amount of state and local taxes we pay. In addition, certain activities that we undertake may be conducted by entities which have elected to be treated as a TRS. TRSs are subject to both federal and state income taxes.
We may also be subject to certain federal excise and franchise taxes if we engage in certain types of transactions. A benefit or provision has been made for federal, state and local income taxes in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The provision for excise and franchise taxes has been reflected in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations and has not been separately stated due to its insignificance.
In accordance with partnership taxation, each of the partners of the Operating Partnership is responsible for reporting their share of taxable income or loss.
Earnings Per Share and Earnings Per Unit ("EPS" and "EPU")
Basic net income per common share or Unit is computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders or Unitholders by the weighted average number of common shares or Units outstanding for the period.
Diluted net income per common share or Unit is computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders or Unitholders by the sum of the weighted average number of common shares or Units outstanding and any dilutive non-participating securities for the period.
Derivative Financial Instruments
During the normal course of business, we have used derivative instruments for the purpose of managing interest rate risk on anticipated offerings of long term debt. Receipts or payments that result from the settlement of derivative instruments used to fix the interest rate on anticipated offerings of senior unsecured notes are amortized over the life of the derivative or the life of the debt and is included in interest expense. Receipts or payments resulting from derivative instruments used to convert floating rate debt to fixed rate debt are recognized as a component of interest expense.
To qualify for hedge accounting, derivative instruments used for risk management purposes must effectively reduce the risk exposure that they are designed to hedge. In addition, at inception of a qualifying cash flow hedging relationship, the underlying transaction or transactions, must be, and are expected to remain, probable of occurring in accordance with our related assertions. We recognize all derivative instruments in the line items Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets, Net or Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities at fair value. Changes in fair value of derivative instruments that are not designated in hedging relationships or that do not meet the criteria of hedge accounting are recognized in earnings. For derivative instruments designated in qualifying cash flow hedging relationships, changes in fair value related to the effective portion of the derivative instruments are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), whereas changes in fair value of the ineffective portion are recognized in earnings. If it is determined that a derivative instrument ceases to be highly effective as a hedge, or that it is probable the underlying forecasted transaction will not occur, we discontinue its cash flow hedge accounting prospectively and records the appropriate adjustment to earnings based on the current fair value of the derivative instrument. The credit risks associated with derivative instruments are controlled through the evaluation and monitoring of the creditworthiness of the counterparty. In the event that the counterparty fails to meet the terms of the derivative instruments, our exposure is limited to the fair value of agreements, not the notional amounts.
Fair Value
GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value and requires disclosures about fair value measurements. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants. The guidance establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value based on observable and unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are based on market data obtained from independent sources. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect our assumptions of pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. We estimate fair value using available market information and valuation methodologies we believe to be appropriate for these purposes. The fair value hierarchy consists of the following three broad levels:
•
Level 1 - quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the entity can access at the measurement date;
•
Level 2 - inputs other than quoted prices within Level 1 that are either directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability; and
•
Level 3 - unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists for the asset or liability.
Our assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to their fair value measurement. Considerable judgment and a high degree of subjectivity are involved in developing these estimates and, accordingly, they are not necessarily indicative of amounts that we would realize on disposition.
Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale
We report results of operations from real estate assets that are sold or classified as held for sale as discontinued operations provided the disposal represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on our operations and financial results.
We generally classify certain properties and related assets and liabilities as held for sale when the sale of an asset has been duly approved by management, a legally enforceable contract has been executed and the buyer's due diligence period, if any, has expired. At such time, the respective assets and liabilities are presented separately on the consolidated balance sheets. Assets held for sale are reported at the lower of carrying value or estimated fair value less estimated costs to sell.
Segment Reporting
Management views the Company, inclusive of the Operating Partnership, as a single segment based on its method of internal reporting.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
New Accounting Standards Adopted
In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" ("ASU 2014-09"). ASU 2014-09 requires entities to recognize revenue when they transfer promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We adopted the new standard effective January 1, 2018. The adoption of the standard did not impact our financial position or results of operations.
In August 2016 and November 2016, the FASB issued new ASUs impacting the statement of cash flows. ASU No. 2016-15, "Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments" intends to reduce the diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU No. 2016-18, "Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash" requires restricted cash be added to cash and cash equivalents on the consolidated statements of cash flows. We adopted both standards on January 1, 2018 on a retrospective basis. For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, $25,336 and $11,602 of restricted cash was included in "Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash" in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Also, we reclassified $1,453 of prepayment penalties relating to the payoff of certain mortgage loans from operating activities to financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2017.
The following table presents a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within our Consolidated Balance Sheets to amounts reported within our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017:
New Accounting Standards Issued but not yet Adopted
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, "Leases" ("ASU 2016-02"), which amends the existing accounting standards for lease accounting. ASU 2016-02 will require lessees, at lease commencement to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with terms longer than twelve months. We are a lessee on a limited number of ground and office leases. The expense pattern for these leases will be consistent with that of our historical recognition. The accounting for lessors will remain largely unchanged from existing GAAP standards with the underlying leased asset being reported and recognized as a real estate asset and rental income being recognized on a straight line basis over the lease term. However, ASU 2016-02 requires lessors to expense certain initial direct costs that are not incremental in negotiating a lease as incurred. We anticipate this change will reduce our EPS/EPU on an annual basis by approximately $0.01.
ASU 2016-02 is effective for us on January 1, 2019. We expect to adopt the practical expedients available for implementation under the standard. By adopting these practical expedients, we will not be required to reassess (1) whether an expired or existing contract meets the definition of a lease; (2) the lease classification for expired or existing leases; or (3) costs previously capitalized as initial direct costs. Furthermore, the FASB finalized an amendment to ASU 2016-02 which will allow us an optional election to not separate non-lease components from related lease components that otherwise would have been accounted for separately under the new standard. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, we will be required to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on our consolidated balance sheets equal to the present value of the minimum lease payments required under our ground and office leases, which we believe will be approximately $12,500. We are finalizing our discount rate analysis which is a key determinant in the measurement of the right-of-use asset and lease liability. Details of our future minimum rental payments under ground and office leases at December 31, 2018 are disclosed in Note 14. We plan to implement this guidance on a prospective basis.
In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeting Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities" ("ASU 2017-12"). ASU 2017-12 eliminates the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness and generally requires the entire change in the fair value of a hedging instrument to be presented in the same income statement line as the hedged item when the hedged item affects earnings. ASU 2017-12 is required to be adopted in 2019 using a modified retrospective approach. We do not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-12 to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.
3. Investment in Real Estate
Acquisitions
The following table summarizes our acquisition of industrial properties from third parties for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016. The revenue and net income associated with the acquisition of the industrial properties, since their respective acquisition dates, are not significant for years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 or 2016.
(A) Purchase price includes the acquisition of several land parcels for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 and excludes closing costs incurred with the acquisition of the industrial properties and land parcels.
The following table summarizes the fair value of amounts recognized for each major class of asset and liability for the industrial properties and land parcels acquired during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017:
Sales
The following table summarizes our property dispositions for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:
(A) The year ended December 31, 2018 includes a partial sale of a 0.1 million square-foot industrial property.
(B) Gross proceeds and gain on sale of real estate include the sale of several land parcels for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.
Impairment Charges
The impairment charges of $2,756 recorded during the year ended December 31, 2018 were due to marketing one industrial property and one land parcel for sale and our assessment of the likelihood and timing of a potential sale transaction. The fair market values were determined using third party offers. Valuations based on third party offers included bona fide contract prices and letter of intent amounts that we believe were indicative of fair value and fall into Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The property and the land parcel for which impairment was recorded were sold later during the year ended December 31, 2018.
4. Indebtedness
The following table discloses certain information regarding our indebtedness:
(A) During the year ended December 31, 2018, pursuant to the agreements for our unsecured term loans entered into in 2014 and 2015 (collectively, the "Unsecured Term Loans"), we elected to have the interest spread calculated based on our investment grade rating resulting in a 10 basis point reduction in the credit spread compared to the prior rate. The interest rate at December 31, 2018 also reflects the derivative instruments we entered into to effectively convert the variable rate to a fixed rate. See Note 12.
(B) The maturity date may be extended an additional year at our election, subject to certain restrictions. Amounts exclude unamortized debt issuance costs of $3,554 and $4,781 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, which are included in the line item Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets, Net.
Mortgage Loans Payable, Net
During the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, we paid off mortgage loans in the amount of $157,782 and $36,108, respectively. In connection with the mortgage loans paid off during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, we recognized $39 and $1,653 within the line item Loss from Retirement of Debt representing the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs offset by the write off of an unamortized premium.
During the year ended December 31, 2018, we assumed a mortgage loan in the amount of $11,654 in conjunction with the acquisition of three industrial properties, totaling approximately 0.2 million square feet of GLA. The mortgage loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.17%, principal payments are amortized over 30 years and the loan matures in August 2028.
As of December 31, 2018, mortgage loans payable are collateralized, and in some instances cross-collateralized, by industrial properties with a net carrying value of $459,225. We believe the Operating Partnership and the Company were in compliance with all covenants relating to mortgage loans as of December 31, 2018.
Senior Unsecured Notes, Net
During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Operating Partnership issued $150,000 of 3.86% Series C Guaranteed Senior Notes due February 15, 2028 (the "2028 Private Placement Notes") and $150,000 of 3.96% Series D Guaranteed Senior Notes due February 15, 2030 (the "2030 Private Placement Notes") in a private placement pursuant to a Note and Guaranty Agreement dated December 12, 2017.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Operating Partnership issued $125,000 of 4.30% Series A Guaranteed Senior Notes due April 20, 2027 (the "2027 Private Placement Notes") and $75,000 of 4.40% Series B Guaranteed Senior Notes due April 20, 2029 (the "2029 Private Placement Notes") in private placement pursuant to a Note and Guaranty Agreement dated February 21, 2017.
The 2028 Private Placement Notes, the 2030 Private Placement Notes, the 2027 Private Placement Notes and the 2029 Private Placement Notes (collectively, the "Private Placement Notes") are unsecured obligations of the Operating Partnership that are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Company and require semi-annual interest payments.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, we paid off and retired our 2017 II and 2017 Notes, at maturity, in the amounts of $101,871 and $54,981, respectively.
Unsecured Term Loans, Net
On January 29, 2014, we entered into a seven-year, $200,000 unsecured loan (the "2014 Unsecured Term Loan") with a syndicate of financial institutions. At December 31, 2018, the 2014 Unsecured Term Loan requires interest only payments and bears interest at a variable rate based on LIBOR plus 110 basis points. During the year ended December 31, 2017, we recognized $51 within the line item Loss from Retirement of Debt related to the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs related to a lender that opted out of its position and whose position was replaced by other lenders.
On September 11, 2015, we entered into a seven-year, $260,000 unsecured loan (the "2015 Unsecured Term Loan"; together with the 2014 Unsecured Term Loan, the "Unsecured Term Loans") with a syndicate of financial institutions. At December 31, 2018, the 2015 Unsecured Term Loan requires interest only payments and bears interest at a variable rate based on LIBOR plus 110 basis points. The interest rates on the Unsecured Term Loans vary based on the Company's leverage ratio or, at our election, the Company's credit ratings.
Unsecured Credit Facility
On October 31, 2017, we amended and restated our $625,000 revolving credit agreement (the "Old Credit Facility") with a new $725,000 revolving credit agreement (as amended and restated, the "Unsecured Credit Facility"). We may request that the borrowing capacity under the Unsecured Credit Facility be increased to $1,000,000, subject to certain restrictions. The Unsecured Credit Facility matures on October 29, 2021, with an option to extend an additional one year at our election, subject to certain restrictions. At December 31, 2017, the Unsecured Credit Facility provides for interest only payments at LIBOR plus 110 basis points. The interest rate on the Unsecured Credit Facility varies based on our leverage ratio. During the year ended December 31, 2017, in connection with the amendment, we recognized $71 within the line item Loss from Retirement of Debt related to the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs related to a lender that opted out of its position and whose position was replaced by other lenders.
Indebtedness
The following is a schedule of the stated maturities and scheduled principal payments of our indebtedness, exclusive of premiums, discounts and debt issuance costs, for the next five years as of December 31, and thereafter:
The Unsecured Credit Facility, the Unsecured Term Loans, the Private Placement Notes and the indentures governing our senior unsecured notes contain certain financial covenants, including limitations on incurrence of debt and debt service coverage. Under the Unsecured Credit Facility and the Unsecured Term Loans, an event of default can occur if the lenders, in their good faith judgment, determine that a material adverse change has occurred which could prevent timely repayment or materially impair our ability to perform our obligations under the loan agreements. We believe that the Operating Partnership and the Company were in compliance with all covenants relating to the Unsecured Credit Facility, the Unsecured Term Loans, the Private Placement Notes and indentures governing our senior unsecured notes as of December 31, 2018. However, these financial covenants are complex and there can be no assurance that these provisions would not be interpreted by our lenders and noteholders in a manner that could impose and cause us to incur material costs.
Fair Value
At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the fair value of our indebtedness was as follows:
(A) The carrying amounts include unamortized premiums and discounts and exclude unamortized debt issuance costs.
The fair values of our mortgage loans payable were determined by discounting the future cash flows using the current rates at which similar loans would be made based upon similar remaining maturities. The current market rates we utilized were internally estimated. The fair value of the senior unsecured notes were determined by using rates, as advised by our bankers, that are based upon recent trades within the same series of the senior unsecured notes, recent trades for senior unsecured notes with comparable maturities, recent trades for fixed rate unsecured notes from companies with profiles similar to ours, as well as overall economic conditions. The fair value of the Unsecured Credit Facility and the Unsecured Term Loans was determined by discounting the future cash flows using current rates at which similar loans would be made to borrowers with similar credit ratings and for the same remaining term, assuming no repayment until maturity. We have concluded that our determination of fair value for each of our mortgage loans payable, senior unsecured notes, the Unsecured Term Loans and the Unsecured Credit Facility was primarily based upon Level 3 inputs.
5. Variable Interest Entities
The Other Real Estate Partnerships are VIEs of the Operating Partnership and the Operating Partnership is the primary beneficiary, thus causing the Other Real Estate Partnerships to be consolidated by the Operating Partnership. In addition, the Operating Partnership is a VIE of the Company and the Company is the primary beneficiary.
The following table summarizes the assets and liabilities of the Other Real Estate Partnerships included in our consolidated balance sheets:
Joint Venture
During the second quarter of 2018, we entered into the Joint Venture with a third party partner for the purpose of developing, leasing, operating and potentially selling approximately 532 net developable acres of land located in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. The purchase price for the land was $49,000, which amount was funded by the Joint Venture via cash equity contributions from us and our joint venture partner. Through a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Operating Partnership, we own a 49% interest in the Joint Venture.
Under the Joint Venture's operating agreement, we act as the managing member of the Joint Venture and are entitled to receive fees for providing management, leasing, development, construction supervision, disposition and asset management services to the Joint Venture. In addition, the Joint Venture's operating agreement provides us the ability to earn an incentive fee based on the ultimate financial performance of the Joint Venture.
As part of our assessment of the appropriate accounting treatment for the Joint Venture, we reviewed the operating agreement of the Joint Venture in order to determine our rights and the rights of our joint venture partner, including whether those rights are protective or participating. The operating agreement contains certain protective rights, such as the requirement of member approval to sell, finance or refinance the property and to pay capital expenditures and operating expenditures outside of the approved budget. However, we and our Joint Venture partner jointly (i) approve the annual budget, (ii) approve certain expenditures, (iii) review and approve the Joint Venture's tax return before filing and (iv) approve each lease at a developed property. We consider the latter rights substantive participation rights that result in shared, joint power over the activities that most significantly impact the performance of the Joint Venture. As such, we concluded to account for our investment in the Joint Venture under the equity method of accounting.
6. Stockholders' Equity of the Company and Partners' Capital of the Operating Partnership
Operating Partnership Units
The Operating Partnership has issued General Partner Units, Limited Partner Units and preferred general partnership Units. The General Partner Units resulted from capital contributions from the Company. The Limited Partner Units are issued in conjunction with the acquisition of certain properties. Subject to certain lock-up periods, holders of Limited Partner Units can redeem their Units by providing written notification to the General Partner. Unless the General Partner provides notice of a redemption restriction to the holder, redemption must be made within seven business days after receipt of the holder's notice. The redemption can be effectuated, as determined by the General Partner, either by exchanging the Limited Partner Units for shares of common stock of the Company on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, or by paying cash equal to the fair market value
of such shares. Prior requests for redemption have generally been fulfilled with shares of common stock of the Company, and the Operating Partnership intends to continue this practice. If each Limited Partner Unit of the Operating Partnership were redeemed as of December 31, 2018, the Operating Partnership could satisfy its redemption obligations by making an aggregate cash payment of approximately $75,733 or by issuing 2,624,167 shares of the Company's common stock.
Preferred Stock or General Partner Preferred Units
The Company has 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock authorized. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, there were no preferred shares or general partner preferred Units outstanding.
Shares of Common Stock or Unit Contributions
The following table is a roll-forward of the Company's shares of common stock outstanding and the Operating Partnership's Units outstanding, including unvested restricted stock or restricted Unit awards (see Note 11), for the three years ended December 31, 2018:
(A) During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company issued 4,800,000, 2,560,000, and 5,600,000 shares of the Company's common stock in an underwritten public offering. Proceeds to the Company, net of the underwriter's discount, were $145,584, $74,880, and $124,936. The proceeds were contributed to the Operating Partnership in exchange for General Partner Units and are reflected in the Operating Partnership's financial statements as a general partner contribution.
(B) For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, 1,350,721, 31,154 and 266,332 Limited Partner Units, respectively, were converted into an equivalent number of shares of common stock of the Company, resulting in a reclassification of $16,605, $364 and $2,862, respectively, of noncontrolling interest to the Company's stockholders' equity.
(C) During the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, 33,333 Limited Partner Units were forfeited by a unitholder and were retired by the Operating Partnership.
ATM Program
On March 13, 2014, we entered into distribution agreements with sales agents to sell up to 13,300,000 shares of the Company's common stock, for up to $200,000 aggregate gross sales proceeds, from time to time in "at-the-market" offerings (the "2014 ATM Program"). The distribution agreements entered into with respect to the 2014 ATM Program expired by their terms on March 13, 2017 and, on March 16, 2017, we entered into distribution agreements with sales agents to sell up to 8,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock, for up to $200,000 aggregate gross sales proceeds, from time to time in "at-the-market" offerings (the "2017 ATM Program"). Under the terms of the 2014 ATM Program and the 2017 ATM Program, sales were or are to be made primarily in transactions that are deemed to be "at-the-market" offerings, including sales made directly on the New York Stock Exchange or sales made through a market maker other than on an exchange or by privately negotiated transactions. During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company did not issue any shares of common stock under the 2014 ATM Program or the 2017 ATM Program.
Dividends/Distributions
The following table summarizes dividends/distributions accrued during the past three years:
7. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
The following table summarizes the changes in accumulated other comprehensive income by component for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017:
The following table summarizes the reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:
The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives designated and that qualify as cash flow hedges is recorded in other comprehensive income and is subsequently reclassified to earnings through interest expense over the life of the derivative or over the life of the debt. In the next 12 months, we expect to amortize approximately $96 into net income by increasing interest expense for derivative instruments we settled in previous periods. Additionally, recurring settlement payments or receipts related to the 2014 Swaps and 2015 Swaps (as defined in Note 12) will also be reclassified to interest expense. See Note 12 for more information about our derivatives.
8. Earnings Per Share and Earnings Per Unit (EPS/EPU)
The computation of basic and diluted EPS of the Company is presented below:
The computation of basic and diluted EPU of the Operating Partnership is presented below:
Participating securities include 405,436, 408,248 and 406,855 of unvested restricted stock or restricted Unit awards outstanding at December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, which participate in non-forfeitable distributions. Under the two class method, participating security holders are allocated income, in proportion to total weighted average shares or Units outstanding, based upon the greater of net income or common stock dividends or Unit distributions declared.
9. Income Taxes
Our Consolidated Financial Statements include the operations of our TRSs, which are not entitled to the dividends paid deduction and are subject to federal, state and local income taxes on its taxable income. During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company qualified as a REIT and incurred no federal income tax expense; accordingly, the only federal income taxes included in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements relate to activities of our TRSs.
The components of the income tax benefit (provision) for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 are comprised of the following:
Deferred income taxes represent the tax effect of the temporary differences between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities include the following as of December 31, 2018 and 2017:
A valuation allowance is recorded if we believe it is more likely than not that all or some portion of our deferred income tax assets will not be realized. We do not have projections of future taxable income or other sources of taxable income in one of the TRSs significant enough to allow us to believe it is more likely than not that we will realize our deferred income tax assets. Therefore, we have recorded a valuation allowance against the deferred income tax assets within that TRS. An increase or decrease in the valuation allowance that results from a change in circumstances, and which causes a change in our judgment about the realizability of the related deferred income tax assets, is included in the current income tax provision.
The income tax benefit (provision) pertaining to income before taxes of the TRSs differs from the amounts computed by applying the applicable federal statutory rate as follows for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:
We evaluate tax positions taken in the financial statements on a quarterly basis under the interpretation for accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. As a result of this evaluation, we may recognize a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is "more-likely-than-not" that the tax position will be sustained on examination by taxing authorities. As of December 31, 2018, we do not have any unrecognized tax benefits.
We file income tax returns in the U.S. and various states. The statute of limitations for income tax returns is generally three years. As such, our tax returns that are subject to examination would be primarily from 2015 and thereafter.
Federal Income Tax Treatment of Common Dividends
For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the dividends paid to the Company's common shareholders per common share for income tax purposes were characterized as follows:
(A) For the year ended December 31, 2018, the Code Section 199A dividend is equal to the total ordinary income dividend.
The income tax characterization of dividends to common shareholders is based on the calculation of Taxable Earnings and Profits, as defined in the Code. Taxable Earnings and Profits differ from regular taxable income due primarily to differences in the estimated useful lives and methods used to compute depreciation and in the recognition of gains and losses on the sale of real estate assets.
10. Future Rental Revenues
Our properties are leased to tenants under net and semi-net operating leases. Future minimum rental receipts, excluding tenant reimbursements of expenses, under non-cancelable operating leases executed as of December 31, 2018 are approximately as follows:
11. Benefit Plans
Stock Based Compensation
The Company maintains a stock incentive plan (the "Stock Incentive Plan"), which is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Officers, certain employees and the Company's independent directors generally are eligible to participate in the Stock Incentive Plan. Awards made under the Stock Incentive Plan can be in the form of restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, performance share awards, dividend equivalent rights, non-statutory stock options and stock appreciation rights. Special provisions apply to awards granted under the Stock Incentive Plan in the event of a change in control in the Company. As of December 31, 2018, awards covering 1.6 million shares of common stock were available to be granted under the Stock Incentive Plan.
Restricted Stock or Restricted Unit Awards
For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company awarded 211,890, 260,685 and 308,373 shares, respectively, of restricted stock awards to certain employees, which had a fair value of $6,068, $6,871 and $6,047 on the date such awards were approved by either the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors or the Company's stockholders of the Stock Incentive Plan, as the case may be. These restricted stock awards were granted based upon the achievement of certain corporate performance goals and generally vest over a period of three years. Additionally, during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company awarded 15,169, 15,108 and 14,460 shares, respectively, of restricted stock to non-employee members of the Board of Directors, which had a fair value of $490, $420 and $350 on the date of approval. These restricted stock awards vest over a one-year period. The Operating Partnership issued restricted Unit awards to the Company in the same amount for both restricted stock awards.
Compensation expense is charged to earnings over the vesting periods for the restricted stock or restricted Unit awards expected to vest except if the recipient is not required to provide future service in exchange for vesting of such restricted stock or restricted Unit awards. If vesting of a recipient's restricted stock or restricted Unit awards is not contingent upon future service, the expense is recognized immediately at the date of grant. During the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, we recognized $1,590 and $1,710, respectively, of compensation expense related to restricted stock or restricted Unit awards granted to our former Chief Executive Officer for which future service was not required.
LTIP Unit Awards
For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company granted to certain employees 179,288 and 195,951 Long-Term Incentive Program ("LTIP") performance units ("LTIP Unit Awards"), which had a fair value of $2,381 and $2,473 on the grant date. The LTIP Unit Awards vest based upon the relative total shareholder return ("TSR") of the Company's common stock compared to the TSRs of the MSCI US REIT Index and the NAREIT Industrial Index over a performance period of three years. Compensation expense is charged to earnings on a straight-line basis over the respective performance periods. At the end of the respective performance periods each participant will be issued shares of the Company's common stock equal to the maximum shares issuable to the participant for the performance period multiplied by a percentage, ranging from 0% to 100%, based on the Company's TSR as compared to the TSRs of the MSCI US REIT Index and the NAREIT Industrial Index. The participant is also entitled to dividend equivalents for shares issued pursuant to vested LTIP Unit Awards. The Operating Partnership issues General Partner Units to the Company in the same amounts for vested LTIP Unit Awards.
The fair values of the LTIP Unit Awards at issuance were determined by a lattice-binomial option-pricing model based on Monte Carlo simulations using the following assumptions:
Outstanding Restricted Stock or Restricted Unit Awards and LTIP Unit Awards
For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, we recognized $7,586, $8,611 and $7,371, respectively, in amortization related to restricted stock or restricted Unit awards and LTIP Unit Awards. Restricted stock or restricted Unit award and LTIP Unit Award amortization capitalized in connection with development activities was $472 for the year ended December 31, 2018 and was not significant for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. At December 31, 2018, we had $8,306 in unrecognized compensation related to unvested restricted stock or restricted Unit awards and LTIP Unit Awards. The weighted average period that the unrecognized compensation is expected to be recognized is 0.88 years.
Restricted stock or restricted Unit award and LTIP Unit Award transactions for the year ended December 31, 2018 are summarized as follows:
401(k)/Profit Sharing Plan
Under the Company's 401(k)/Profit Sharing Plan, all eligible employees may participate by making voluntary contributions and the Company may make, but is not required to make, matching contributions, which are funded by the Operating Partnership. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, total expense related to matching contributions was $688, $518 and $509, respectively.
12. Derivative Instruments
Our objectives in using derivatives are to add stability to interest expense and to manage our cash flow volatility and exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish this objective, we primarily use derivative instruments as part of our interest rate risk management strategy. Derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount.
During December 2018, in anticipation of issuing long-term debt in the future, we entered into two treasury locks with an aggregate notional value of $100,000 to manage our exposure to changes in the ten year U.S. Treasury rate (the "2018 Treasury Locks"). The 2018 Treasury Locks fix the ten year U.S. Treasury rate at a weighted average of 2.93% and cash settle on or before April 30, 2019. We designated the 2018 Treasury Locks as cash flow hedges.
In connection with the originations of the Unsecured Term Loans (see Note 4), we entered into interest rate swaps to manage our exposure to changes in the one month LIBOR rate. The four interest rate swaps, which fix the variable rate of the 2014 Unsecured Term Loan, have an aggregate notional value of $200,000, mature on January 29, 2021 and fix the LIBOR rate at a weighted average rate of 2.29% (the "2014 Swaps"). The six interest rate swaps, which fix the variable rate of the 2015 Unsecured Term Loan, have an aggregate notional value of $260,000, mature on September 12, 2022 and fix the LIBOR rate at a weighted average rate of 1.79% (the "2015 Swaps"). We designated the 2014 Swaps and 2015 Swaps as cash flow hedges.
In September 2017, we entered into two treasury locks (the "2017 Treasury Locks"), with an aggregate notional value of $100,000, in order to fix the interest rate on an anticipated unsecured debt offering. The Treasury Locks fixed the ten year U.S. Treasury rate at a weighted average rate of approximately 2.18%. Since we did not designate the 2017 Treasury Locks as hedges the change in the fair value of the 2017 Treasury Locks was recorded within the consolidated statement of operations. During the year ended December 31, 2017 we settled the 2017 Treasury Locks and recognized $1,896 in the line item Settlement Gain on Derivative Instruments.
Our agreements with our derivative counterparties contain provisions where if we default on any of our indebtedness, then we could also be declared in default on our derivative obligations subject to certain thresholds. As of December 31, 2018, we had not posted any collateral related to these agreements and were not in breach of any of the provisions of these agreements. If we had breached these agreements, we could have been required to settle our obligations under the agreements at their termination value.
The following table sets forth our financial assets and liabilities related to the 2014 Swaps, the 2015 Swaps and the 2018 Treasury Locks, which are included in the line items Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets, Net or Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities and are accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2018:
There was no ineffectiveness recorded on the 2014 Swaps, the 2015 Swaps and the 2018 Treasury Locks during the year ended December 31, 2018.
The estimated fair value of the 2014 Swaps, the 2015 Swaps and the 2018 Treasury Locks was determined using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted fixed cash payments and the discounted expected variable cash receipts. The variable cash receipts are based on an expectation of interest rates (forward curves) derived from observable market interest rate curves. In addition, credit valuation adjustments are incorporated in the fair value to account for potential non-performance risk, including our own non-performance risk and the respective counterparty's non-performance risk. We determined that the significant inputs used to value the 2014 Swaps, the 2015 Swaps and the 2018 Treasury Locks fell within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
13. Related Party Transactions
During the year ended December 31, 2018, we recognized fees of $113 from the Joint Venture related to asset management services provided to the Joint Venture. At December 31, 2018, we had a receivable from the Joint Venture of $38.
At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Operating Partnership had receivable balances of $10,118 and $10,129, respectively, from a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.
14. Commitments and Contingencies
In the normal course of business, we are involved in legal actions arising from the ownership of our industrial properties. In our opinion, the liabilities, if any, that may ultimately result from such legal actions are not expected to have a materially adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, operations or liquidity.
Five properties have leases granting the tenants options to purchase the property. Such options are exercisable at various times at appraised fair market value or at a fixed purchase price. None of the tenant purchase options have been exercised.
At December 31, 2018, we had outstanding letters of credit and performance bonds in the aggregate amount of $18,573.
In conjunction with the development of industrial properties, we have entered into agreements with general contractors for the construction of industrial properties. At December 31, 2018, we had seven industrial properties totaling approximately 2.8 million square feet of GLA under construction. The estimated total investment as of December 31, 2018 is approximately $189,400 (unaudited). Of this amount, approximately $140,300 (unaudited) remains to be funded. There can be no assurance that the actual completion cost will not exceed the estimated total investment.
Ground and Operating Lease Commitments
For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, we recognized $1,566, $1,419 and $1,380, respectively, in operating and ground lease expense.
Future minimum rental payments under the terms of all non-cancelable ground and operating leases under which we are the lessee as of December 31, 2018 are as follows:
15. Subsequent Events
On January 25, 2019 we acquired one land parcel for a purchase price of $1,760, excluding costs incurred in conjunction with the acquisition.
On February 4, 2019 we acquired one industrial property for a purchase price of $12,258, excluding costs incurred in conjunction with the acquisition.
16. Quarterly Financial Information (unaudited)
The following tables summarize the Company's unaudited quarterly financial information for each of the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.
The following tables summarize the Operating Partnership's unaudited quarterly financial information for each of the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.
S-1
S-2
S-3
S-4
S-5
S-6
S-7
S-8
S-9
S-10
S-11
S-12
S-13
S-14
S-15
FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC. AND FIRST INDUSTRIAL, L.P.
SCHEDULE III: REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION
As of December 31, 2018
NOTES:
(a)
See description of encumbrances in Note 4 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. For purposes of this schedule the total principal balance of a mortgage loan payable that is collateralized by a pool of properties is allocated among the properties in the pool based on each property's carrying balance.
(b)
Depreciation is computed based upon the following estimated lives:
At December 31, 2018, the aggregate cost of land and buildings and equipment for federal income tax purpose was approximately $3.5 billion (excluding construction in progress).
The changes in investment in real estate for the three years ended December 31, are as follows:
S-16
The changes in accumulated depreciation for the three years ended December 31, are as follows:
S-17
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.
By:
/S/ PETER E. BACCILE
Peter E. Baccile
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
Date: February 19, 2019
By:
/S/ SCOTT A. MUSIL
Scott A. Musil
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
Date: February 19, 2019
By:
/S/ SARA E. NIEMIEC
Sara E. Niemiec
Chief Accounting Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer)
Date: February 19, 2019
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
S-18
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
FIRST INDUSTRIAL, L.P.
By:
FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST, INC.
as general partner
By:
/S/ PETER E. BACCILE
Peter E. Baccile
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
Date: February 19, 2019
By:
/S/ SCOTT A. MUSIL
Scott A. Musil
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
Date: February 19, 2019
By:
/S/ SARA E. NIEMIEC
Sara E. Niemiec
Chief Accounting Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer)
Date: February 19, 2019
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
S-19