STAG Industrial, Inc. - Quarter Report: 2015 March (Form 10-Q)

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

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FORM 10-Q

 

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☒QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the Quarterly Period Ended March 31, 2015

 

OR

 

☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from              to              .

 

Commission file number 1-34907

 

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STAG INDUSTRIAL, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

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(617) 574-4777

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☒  No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes ☒  No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.  Check one:

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes ☐  No ☒

 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common and preferred stock as of the latest practicable date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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STAG INDUSTRIAL, INC.

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

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Part I. Financial Information

Item 1. Financial Statements

STAG Industrial, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(unaudited, in thousands, except share data)

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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STAG Industrial, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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STAG Industrial, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)

(unaudited, in thousands)

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements

 

 

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STAG Industrial, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Equity

(unaudited, in thousands, except share data)

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.                                                                        

 

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STAG Industrial, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(unaudited, in thousands)

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

 

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STAG Industrial, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(unaudited)

 

1. Organization and Description of Business

 

STAG Industrial, Inc. (the “Company”) is an industrial real estate operating company focused on the acquisition and management of single-tenant industrial properties throughout the United States. The Company was formed as a Maryland corporation on July 21, 2010 and has elected to be treated as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and intends to continue to qualify as a REIT.  The Company is structured as an umbrella partnership REIT, commonly called an UPREIT, and owns substantially all of its assets and conducts substantially all of its business through its operating partnership, STAG Industrial Operating Partnership, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”). As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company owned a 94.93% and 96.36%, respectively, equity interest in the Operating Partnership. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership.  As used herein, the “Company” refers to STAG Industrial, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries and partnerships except where context otherwise requires.

 

As of March 31, 2015, the Company owned 253 buildings in 36 states with approximately 48.5 million square feet, consisting of 183 warehouse/distribution buildings, 50 light manufacturing buildings and 20 flex/office buildings.  The Company also owned three vacant developable land parcels adjacent to three of the Company’s buildings.  The Company’s buildings were 94.4% leased to 231 tenants as of March 31, 2015.

 

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Interim Financial Information

 

The accompanying interim financial statements have been presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X for interim financial information.  Accordingly, these statements do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, the accompanying interim financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring items, necessary for their fair presentation in conformity with GAAP.  Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. The year-end consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The Company’s consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their subsidiaries. The equity interests of other limited partners in the Operating Partnership held in the form of common units and long term incentive plan units issued pursuant to the 2011 equity incentive plan; herein together referred to as Noncontrolling Common Units are reflected as noncontrolling interest.  The equity interests of the Company along with the Noncontrolling Common Units in the Operating Partnership are common units (“Common Units”).  All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in the consolidation of entities. The financial statements of the Company are presented on a consolidated basis, for all periods presented.

 

Reclassifications and New Accounting Pronouncements

 

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.

 

In April of 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. ASU 2015-03 requires incremental debt issuance costs paid

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to third parties other than the lender to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the associated debt liability. Prior to this standard, debt issuance costs paid to third parties other than the lender were presented as an asset on the balance sheet. ASU 2015-03 is effective for the annual period ended December 31, 2016 and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter with early adoption permitted. Upon the adoption of ASU 2014-15, the Company will present debt issuance costs paid to third parties other than the lender as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the associated debt liability.

In August of 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern. ASU 2014-15 requires management to evaluate whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, and to provide certain disclosures when it is probable that the entity will be unable to meet its obligations as they become due within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. ASU 2014-15 is effective for the annual period ended December 31, 2016 and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU 2014-15 is not expected to materially impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In May of 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). ASU 2014-09 is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model requiring a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount reflecting the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. Revenue from a lease contract with a tenant is not within the scope of this revenue standard. In adopting ASU 2014-09, companies may use either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach. Additionally, this guidance requires improved disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. ASU 2014-09 is effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2014-09 will have on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

Tenant Accounts Receivable, net

 

Tenant accounts receivable, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, includes both tenant accounts receivable, net and accrued rental income, net. The Company provides an allowance for doubtful accounts against the portion of tenant accounts receivable that is estimated to be uncollectible. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had an allowance for doubtful accounts of $0.3 million and $0.1 million, respectively.

 

The Company accrues rental revenue earned, but not yet receivable, in accordance with GAAP. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had accrued rental revenue of $14.1 million and $12.8 million, respectively. The Company maintains an allowance for estimated losses that may result from those revenues. If a tenant fails to make contractual payments beyond any allowance, the Company may recognize additional bad debt expense in future periods equal to the amount of unpaid rent and accrued rental revenue. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had an allowance for estimated losses on accrued rental revenue of $0.1 million and $0, respectively.

 

As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had a total of approximately $6.3 million and $6.7 million, respectively, of total lease security deposits available in existing letters of credit, which are not reflected on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets; and $3.5 million and $3.5 million, respectively, of lease security deposits available in cash, which are included in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash on the accompanying Statements of Consolidated Balance Sheets.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

By the terms of their leases, certain tenants are obligated to pay directly the costs of their properties’ insurance, real estate taxes, ground lease payments, and certain other expenses, and these costs are not reflected on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. To the extent any tenant responsible for these costs under its respective lease defaults on its lease or it is deemed probable that the tenant will fail to pay for such costs, the Company would record a liability for such obligation. The Company estimates that real estate taxes, which are the responsibility of these certain tenants, was approximately $2.5 million and $2.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, respectively. This would have been the maximum liability of the Company had the tenants not met their contractual obligations. The Company does not

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recognize recovery revenue related to leases where the tenant has assumed the cost for real estate taxes, insurance, ground lease payments and certain other expenses.

 

On December 17, 2014, the Company entered into the first amendment to the lease with the tenant located at the Belfast, ME buildings. The terms of the amendment renewed 90,051 square feet of the premise and early terminated the remaining 228,928 square feet effective November 30, 2015. The tenant is required to pay a termination fee for the returned premise on or before October 31, 2015 in the amount of $2.1 million.  The Company continues to recognize this termination fee over the shortened lease life of the returned premise. The termination fee of $0.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 is included in rental income on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.

 

Taxes

 

The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Code commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2011 and intends to continue to qualify as a REIT. As a REIT, the Company is required to distribute at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders and meet the various other requirements imposed by the Code relating to such matters as operating results, asset holdings, distribution levels and diversity of stock ownership. The Company is generally not subject to corporate level income tax on the earnings distributed currently to its stockholders that it derives from its REIT qualifying activities. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, and is unable to avail itself of certain savings provisions set forth in the Code, all of the Company’s taxable income would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates, including any applicable alternative minimum tax. In addition, we would generally be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the next four taxable years following the year in which we failed to qualify as a REIT.

 

The Company will not be required to make distributions with respect to income derived from the activities conducted through subsidiaries that the Company elects to treat as taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”) for federal income tax purposes. Certain activities that the Company undertakes must or should be conducted by a TRS, such as performing non-customary services for its tenants and holding assets that it cannot hold directly. A TRS is subject to federal and state income taxes.  The Company’s TRS did not have any activity during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014.

 

The Company and certain of its subsidiaries are subject to certain state and local income, excise and franchise taxes. Taxes in the amount of $0.2 million and $0.2 million have been recorded in other expenses in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, respectively.

 

Tax benefits of uncertain tax positions are recognized only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained based solely on its technical merits, with the taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. The measurement of a tax benefit for an uncertain tax position that meets the “more likely than not” threshold is based on a cumulative probability model under which the largest amount of tax benefit recognized is the amount with a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the taxing authority having full knowledge of all the relevant information.  As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, there were no liabilities for uncertain tax positions.

 

3. Rental Property

 

The following table summarizes the components of rental property as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in thousands):

 

 

 

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Acquisitions

 

The following table summarizes the acquisitions of the Company during the three months ended March 31, 2015:

 

 

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The following table summarizes the allocation of the consideration paid at the date of acquisition during the three months ended March 31, 2015 for the acquired assets and liabilities in connection with the acquisitions of buildings identified in the table above.

 

 

On January 22, 2015, the Company acquired a property located in Burlington, NJ. As partial consideration for the property acquired, the Company granted 812,676 Noncontrolling Common Units in the Operating Partnership with a fair value of approximately $21.9 million based on the Company’s New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) closing stock price on January 22, 2015. The number of Noncontrolling Common Units granted was calculated based on the trailing 10-day average common stock price ending on the business day that immediately preceded the grant date. The fair value of the shares of the Noncontrolling Common Units granted was calculated based on the closing stock price per the NYSE on the grant date multiplied by the number of Noncontrolling Common Units granted. The issuance of the Noncontrolling Common Units was effected in reliance upon an exemption from registration provided by Section 4(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company relied on the exemption based on representations given by the holders of the Noncontrolling Common Units. The remaining purchase price of approximately $13.0 million was paid by $1.2 million in cash and the assumption of an $11.8 million mortgage note. The mortgage note was immediately paid in full in conjunction with the acquisition.

The table below sets forth the results of operations during the three months ended March 31, 2015 for the properties acquired during the three months ended March 31, 2015 included in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations from the date of acquisition:

 

 

 

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The following tables set forth pro forma information for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, respectively.  The below pro forma information does not represent what the actual results of operations of the Company would have been had the acquisitions outlined above occurred on the first day of the applicable reporting period, nor do they predict the results of operations of future periods.  The pro forma information has not been adjusted for property sales.

 

 

 

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Deferred Leasing Intangibles

 

For all acquisitions of property that are accounted for as a business combination, the Company allocates the purchase price of the property based upon the fair value of the assets and liabilities acquired, which generally consist of land, buildings, tenant improvements, mortgage debt assumed, and deferred leasing intangibles including in‑place leases, above market and below market leases, and tenant relationships. The portion of the purchase price that is allocated to above and below market leases is 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 the initial term plus the term of any below market lease bargain renewal options. The above market lease values are amortized as a reduction of rental income over the remaining term of the respective leases, and the below market lease values are amortized as an increase to rental income over the remaining term plus the terms of bargain renewal options of the respective leases. The purchase price is further allocated to in‑place lease values and tenant relationships based on the Company’s evaluation of the specific characteristics of each tenant’s lease and its overall relationship with the respective tenant. The value of in‑place lease intangibles and tenant relationships, which are included as components of deferred leasing intangibles, are amortized over the remaining lease term (and expected renewal periods of the respective lease for tenant relationships) as adjustments to depreciation and amortization expense. If a tenant terminates its lease, the unamortized portion of above and below market leases, the in‑place lease value and tenant relationships are immediately written off.

The purchase price allocated to deferred leasing intangible assets are included in rental property on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets and the purchase price allocated to deferred leasing intangible liabilities are included in the deferred leasing intangibles on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets under the liabilities section.

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Deferred leasing intangibles on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets consist of the following (in thousands):

   

 

 

The following table sets forth the amortization expense and the net decrease to rental revenue for deferred leasing intangible amortization for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, respectively (in millions):

 

 

The amortization of deferred leasing intangibles over the next five years is as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

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4. Debt

 

The following table sets forth a summary of the Company’s outstanding indebtedness, including borrowings under the Company’s unsecured credit facility, unsecured term loans, unsecured notes and mortgage notes payable as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

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The borrowing capacity for the Wells Fargo, National Association (“Wells Fargo”) unsecured credit facility as of March 31, 2015, was $227.0 million. As of March 31, 2015 there was no remaining borrowing capacity for the Wells Fargo unsecured term loan A. The remaining borrowing capacity for the Wells Fargo unsecured term loan B as of

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March 31, 2015 was $150.0 million. The total borrowing capacity on the combined unsecured credit facility and unsecured term loan as of March 31, 2015 was $377.0 million.

 

On January 22, 2015, the Company assumed a mortgage note of approximately $11.8 million in connection with the acquisition of the Burlington, NJ property. The mortgage note was immediately paid in full at par in conjunction with the acquisition.

 

On February 20, 2015, the Company issued the $100 million 4.32% Series D 10-year unsecured notes and the $20 million 4.42% Series E 12-year unsecured notes in the amount of $100 million and $20 million, respectively.

 

The Company incurred $1.0 million of deferred financing fees during the three months ended March 31, 2015. Deferred financing fees, net of accumulated amortization were $8.4 million and $7.8 million as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, and are included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. During the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, amortization of deferred financing fees included in interest expense was $0.3 million and $0.3 million, respectively.

 

Financial Covenant Considerations

 

The Company’s unsecured credit facility, unsecured term loans, unsecured notes, and mortgage notes are subject to ongoing compliance with a number of customary financial covenants. The Company was in compliance with all financial covenants as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

 

Fair Value of Debt

 

The fair value of the Company’s debt was determined by discounting the future cash flows using the current rates at which loans would be made to borrowers with similar credit ratings for loans with similar remaining maturities, similar terms, and similar loan-to-value ratios. The discount rates ranged from 1.33% to 3.89% and 1.32% to 4.27% at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, and were applied to each individual debt instrument. The fair value of the Company’s debt is based on Level 3 inputs. Level 3 is defined as unobservable inputs. The following table presents the aggregate carrying value of the Company’s debt and the corresponding estimate of fair value as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in thousands):

 

 

 

 

 

5. Use of Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Risk Management Objective of Using Derivatives

 

The Company’s use of derivative instruments is limited to the utilization of interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk exposure on existing and future liabilities and not for speculative purposes. The principal objective of such arrangements is to minimize the risks and/or costs associated with the Company’s operating and financial structure.

 

On January 8, 2015, the Company entered in to seven interest rate swaps, thereby fixing the interest rates of all of the Company’s outstanding variable rate debt as of March 31, 2015. 

 

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The following table details the Company’s outstanding interest rate swaps as of March 31, 2015 (collectively, the “Unsecured Debt Swaps”) (in thousands):

 

 

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The fair value of the interest rate swaps outstanding as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 was as follows (in thousands):

 

 

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Cash Flow Hedges of Interest Rate Risk

 

The Company’s objectives in using interest rate swaps are to add stability to interest expense and to manage its exposure to interest rate movements.  The Company uses interest rate swaps to fix the rate of its long term floating rate liabilities. Interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount.

 

The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives designated and qualified as cash flow hedges is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and is subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. The ineffective portion of the change in fair value of the derivatives is recognized directly in earnings. During the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, the Company did not record any hedge ineffectiveness related to the hedged derivatives.

 

Amounts reported in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) related to derivatives will be reclassified to interest expense in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings on the Company’s variable-rate debt. The

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Company estimates that an additional $3.2 million will be reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as an increase to interest expense over the next 12 months.

 

The table below details the location in the financial statements of the gain or loss recognized on interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, respectively (in thousands):

 

 

 

Credit-risk-related Contingent Features

 

As of March 31, 2015, the fair values of eight of the Company’s 18 interest rate swaps were in an asset position of $0.1 million and ten interest rate swaps were in a liability position of $4.1 million, excluding any adjustment for nonperformance risk related to these agreements.  The adjustment for nonperformance risk included in the fair value of the Company’s net asset position and net liability position was $(17,000) and $27,000, respectively, as of March 31, 2015. Accrued interest expense for all interest rate swaps was $0.2 million as of March 31, 2015.  As of March 31, 2015, the Company has not posted any collateral related to these agreements.  If the Company had breached any of its provisions at March 31, 2015, it could have been required to settle its obligations under the agreement of the interest rate swap in a liability position at its termination value of $4.2 million.

 

Fair Value of Interest Rate Swaps

 

The valuation of the interest rate swaps is determined using widely accepted valuation techniques including discounted cash flow analysis on the expected cash flows of each derivative. This analysis reflects the contractual terms of the derivatives, including the period to maturity, and uses observable market-based inputs including interest rate curves. The fair values of interest rate swaps are determined by using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted future fixed cash payments and the discounted expected variable cash receipts. The variable cash receipts are based on an expectation of future interest rates (forward curves) derived from observable market interest rate curves. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company applied the provisions of this standard to the valuation of its interest rate swaps.

 

The following sets forth the Company’s financial instruments that are accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in thousands):

 

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6. Stockholders’ Equity

 

Preferred Stock

 

Pursuant to its charter, the Company is authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share.

 

The table below sets forth the Company’s two outstanding preferred stock issuances:

 

 

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Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock are payable quarterly in arrears on or about the last day of March, June, September and December of each year. The Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock rank on parity with each other and both rank senior to the Company’s common stock with respect to dividend rights and rights upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company.  The Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock have no stated maturity date and are not subject to mandatory redemption or any sinking fund. Generally, the Company is not permitted to redeem the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock prior to November 2, 2016 and April 16, 2018, respectively, except in limited circumstances relating to the Company’s ability to qualify as a REIT and in certain other circumstances related to a change of control.

 

The table below sets forth the dividends attributable to the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock, respectively, during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014:

 

 

 

 

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On May 4, 2015, the Company’s board of directors declared the Series A Preferred Stock and the Series B Preferred Stock dividend for the quarter ending June 30, 2015 at a quarterly rate of $0.5625 per share and $0.4140625 per share of preferred stock, respectively.

 

Common Stock

 

The Company continues to utilize its “at the market” (“ATM”) program as its primary source of equity capital.  As a supplement to the ATM activity, the Company has executed marketed overnight common stock offerings.  The Company will continue to rely on the ATM in the future as its primary source of equity.

The following sets forth the Company’s ATM common stock offering programs as of March 31, 2015, from which it may from time to time sell its common stock through sales agents (in thousands):

 

 

 

The table below sets forth the activity for the ATM common stock offering programs during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014, respectively (in millions, except share data):

 

 

 

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Dividends

 

The table below sets forth the dividends attributable to the common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014, respectively:

 

 

 

 

 

On February 20, 2015, the Company’s board of directors declared the common stock dividend for the months ending April 30, 2015, May 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015 at a monthly rate of $0.1125 per share of common stock. On May 4, 2015, the Company’s board of directors declared the common stock dividend for the months ending July 31, 2015, August 30, 2015, and September 30, 2015 at a monthly rate of $0.1150 per share of common stock.

 

Board of Director’s Compensation

 

The Company’s independent directors are paid annual fees for serving as members of the Company’s board of directors, plus certain additional committee fees. All of the Company’s independent directors elected to receive shares of common stock in lieu of cash for their fees for serving as members of the board and/or serving on various committees during 2015 and 2014. The shares of common stock are issued to the independent directors pursuant to the STAG Industrial, Inc. 2011 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2011 Plan”).  The number of shares of common stock granted is calculated based on the trailing 10-day average common stock price ending on the third business day preceding the grant date. The fair value of the shares of the common stock granted is calculated based on the closing stock price per the NYSE on the grant date multiplied by the number of shares of common stock granted. The table below sets forth the grants of common stock for the members’ service during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014:

 

 

 

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Restricted Stock-Based Compensation

 

Pursuant to the 2011 Plan, the Company grants shares of restricted common stock to certain employees of the Company.  The shares of restricted common stock are subject to time-based vesting. Shares of restricted common stock granted on January 12, 2015, subject to the recipient’s continued employment, will vest in three equal installments on each anniversary date of the grant. Holders of restricted stock have voting rights and rights to receive dividends. Restricted stock may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of and is subject to a risk of forfeiture prior to the expiration of the applicable vesting period. The following table summarizes activity related to the Company’s unvested restricted common stock:

 

 

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The unrecognized compensation expense associated with the Company’s restricted common stock at March 31, 2015 was $5.3 million.

 

The following table summarizes the fair value at vesting date for the restricted common stock vested during the period (in millions, except share data):  

 

 

 

 

7. Noncontrolling Interest

 

The Company is structured as an umbrella partnership REIT, commonly called an UPREIT, and owns substantially all of its assets and conducts substantially all of its business through its Operating Partnership. The Company’s consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their subsidiaries. Noncontrolling interests in the Company are interests in the Operating Partnership that are not owned by the Company and long-term incentive plan units in the Operating Partnership (“LTIP units”).  The table below summarizes the activity:

 

 

 

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The Company adjusts the carrying value of noncontrolling interest to reflect its share of the book value of the Operating Partnership when there has been a change in the Company’s ownership of the Operating Partnership. Such adjustments are recorded to additional paid-in capital as a rebalancing of noncontrolling interest on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Equity.

 

Noncontrolling Common Units

 

Common Units and shares of the Company’s common stock have essentially the same economic characteristics in that Common Units directly and shares of the Company’s common stock indirectly, through the Company’s interest in the Operating Partnership, share equally in the total net income or loss distributions of the Operating Partnership. Subject to certain restrictions, investors who own Noncontrolling Common Units have the right to cause the Operating Partnership to redeem any or all of their Noncontrolling Common Units for cash equal to the then-current market value of one share of the Company’s common stock, or, at the Company’s election, shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis. Each Noncontrolling Common Unit will receive the same monthly distribution as a share of common stock.

 

As partial consideration for the building acquired on January 22, 2015, the Company granted 812,676 Noncontrolling Common Units in the Operating Partnership with a fair value of approximately $21.9 million based on the Company’s NYSE closing stock price on January 22, 2015. The number of Noncontrolling Common Units granted was calculated based on the trailing 10-day average common stock price ending on the business day that immediately preceded the grant date. The fair value of the shares of the Noncontrolling Common Units granted was calculated based on the closing stock price per the NYSE on the grant date multiplied by the number of Noncontrolling Common Units granted. The issuance of the Noncontrolling Common Units was effected in reliance upon an exemption from registration provided by Section 4(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company relied on the exemption based on representations given by the holders of the Noncontrolling Common Units.

 

LTIP Units

 

Pursuant to the 2011 Plan, the Company may grant LTIP units in the Operating Partnership.  LTIP units are granted to certain executive officers and senior employees of the Company as part of their compensation, and to independent directors for their service. LTIP units are valued by reference to the value of the Company’s common stock and are subject to such conditions and restrictions as the compensation committee of the board of directors may determine, including continued employment or service, computation of financial metrics and achievement of pre-established performance goals and objectives. LTIP units granted on January 12, 2015 to certain executive officers and senior employees, subject to the recipient’s continued employment, will vest quarterly over three years. LTIP units granted on January 12, 2015 to independent directors, subject to the recipient’s continued service, will vest on the one year anniversary date of the grant.

 

Vested LTIP units can be converted to Common Units in the Operating Partnership on a one-for-one basis once a material equity transaction has occurred that results in the accretion of the members’ capital account to the economic equivalent of the Common Unit. As of March 31, 2015, 1,307,036 of the 1,530,105 outstanding LTIP units have met the aforementioned criteria and holders have the ability to convert the LTIP units to Common Units. All LTIP units, whether vested or not, will receive the same monthly per unit distributions as Common Units, which equal per share dividends on common stock.

 

The LTIP units issued under the 2011 Plan were valued using the Monte Carlo lattice binomial option-pricing model at grant date.  The table below sets forth the assumptions used in valuing such LTIP units for the three months ended March 31, 2015:

 

 

 

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The following table summarizes activity related to the Company’s unvested LTIP units:

 

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The following table summarizes the fair value at vesting date for the LTIP units vested during the period (in millions, except unit data):

 

 

 

8.  Equity Incentive Plan

 

Outperformance Program

On January 12, 2015, the compensation committee of the board of directors of the Company approved the 2015 Outperformance Program (the “2015 OPP”) under the Company’s 2011 Plan, to provide certain key employees of the Company or its affiliates with incentives to contribute to the growth and financial success of the Company and its affiliates.

Recipients of awards under the 2015 OPP will share in an outperformance pool if the Company’s total stockholder return, including both share appreciation and dividends, exceeds an absolute hurdle over a three‑year measurement period from January 1, 2015 to January 1, 2018 (the “measurement period”), based on a beginning value of $24.49 per share of the Company’s common stock, as well as a relative hurdle based on the MSCI US REIT Index. Provided the Company’s increase in cumulative absolute total stockholder return over the measurement period equals or exceeds 25% (the “threshold percentage”), the outperformance pool consists of 10% of the excess total stockholder return above an absolute total stockholder return hurdle. The hurdle is equal to the total return of the MSCI US REIT Index plus five percentage points over the measurement period.

The aggregate reward for all recipients collectively is capped at the lesser of (i) 0.24% of the product of the total number of shares of common stock and Noncontrolling Common Units outstanding on January 1, 2018 and the average common stock price of the Company for the 20 trading days ending immediately prior to January 1, 2018, and (ii) $15.4 million.

Each participant’s award under the 2015 OPP is designated as a specified percentage of the aggregate outperformance pool. If the threshold percentage and return hurdle were achieved at the end of the measurement period, the outperformance pool will be calculated and then allocated to the award recipients. The 2015 OPP provides that awards will be paid in the form of fully vested shares of the Company’s common stock, or, with the award recipient’s consent, other securities or cash.

The 2015 OPP awards were valued at approximately $1.6 million utilizing a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the probability of the conditions being satisfied. The Monte Carlo simulation used a statistical formula underlying the Black‑Scholes and binomial formulas and such simulation was run approximately 500,000 times. For each simulation, the payoff is calculated at the settlement date, which is then discounted to the award date at a risk‑free interest rate. The average of the values over all simulations is the expected value of the award on the award date. Assumptions used in the valuations included (i) factors associated with the underlying performance of the Company’s stock price and total stockholder return over the term of the performance awards including total stock return volatility and risk‑free interest and (ii) factors

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associated with the relative performance of the Company’s stock price and total stockholder return when compared to the MSCI US REIT Index. The valuation was performed in a risk‑neutral framework, so no assumption was made with respect to an equity risk premium. The fair value of the 2015 OPP awards was estimated on the date of grant using the following assumptions in the Monte Carlo valuation: expected price volatility for the Company and the MSCI US REIT Index of 20% and 13.6%, respectively, and a risk free rate of 0.9814%. The expense associated with the value of the 2015 OPP awards will be amortized on a straight-line basis over the measurement period.

Equity Compensation Expense

The following table summarizes the amount recorded in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations for the amortization of restricted stock, LTIP units, the 2015 OPP, the 2011 Outperformance Program that concluded on September 19, 2014, and the Company’s board of directors’ compensation:

 

 

9. Earnings Per Share

 

The Company uses the two‑class method of computing earnings per common share, which is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings per share for common stock and any participating securities according to dividends declared (whether paid or unpaid) and participation rights in undistributed earnings. A participating security is defined by GAAP as an unvested stock-based payment award containing non-forfeitable rights to dividends and must be included in the computation of earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method. Unvested restricted stock awards are considered participating securities as these stock-based awards contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends, unless and until a forfeiture occurs, irrespective of whether the awards ultimately vest or expire. During the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, there were 290,280 and 279,659, respectively, unvested shares of restricted stock on a weighted average basis that were considered participating securities, which were not dilutive.

 

The following tables set forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per common share for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, respectively (in thousands, except share data).

 

 

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10. Commitments and Contingencies

 

The Company is subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. These matters are generally covered by insurance subject to deductible requirements. Management believes that the ultimate settlement of these actions will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

The Company is subject to a one-time incentive fee based on aggregate performance thresholds of the acquired buildings sourced by Columbus Nova Real Estate Acquisition Group, LLC.  At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the fair value of the incentive fee was zero.  The fair value was calculated using the following key Level 3 inputs: discount rate of approximately 9.5%, exit capitalization rate of 9.8%, and annual market rent and expense growth rates of 1% to 3%.

 

11. Concentrations of Credit Risk

 

Concentrations of credit risk relevant to the Company may arise when a number of financing arrangements, including revolving credit facilities or derivatives, are entered into with the same lenders or counterparties, and have similar economic features that would cause their inability to meet contractual obligations. Concentration of credit risk may also arise when a number of tenants related to the Company’s investments or rental operations are engaged in similar business activities, are located in the same geographic region, or have similar economic features that would cause their inability to meet contractual obligations, including those to the Company, to be similarly affected.

 

The Company mitigates the concentration of credit risk as it relates to financing arrangements by entering into loan syndications with multiple, reputable financial institutions. The Company also reduces exposure by diversifying its derivatives across multiple counterparties who meet established credit and capital guidelines, with six different counterparties comprising the eight outstanding derivatives in an asset position as of March 31, 2015.  

 

The Company regularly monitors its tenant base to assess potential concentrations of credit risk. Management believes the current credit risk portfolio is reasonably well diversified and does not contain any unusual concentration of credit risk. No single tenant accounted for more than 2.2% of annualized base rental revenue, defined as the contractual monthly base rent as of March 31, 2015 multiplied by twelve, for the three months ended March 31, 2015. The Company has tenants concentrated in various industries that may experience adverse effects from certain economic conditions and the Company could be adversely affected if such tenants default on their leases. The Company has tenants concentrated in three industries, Automotive, Air Freight & Logistics, and Industrial Equipment, Component and Metals. There is no tenant industry in the Company’s portfolio that is greater than 11.6% of annualized base rental revenue as of March 31, 2015.

 

12.  Subsequent Events

 

GAAP requires an entity to disclose certain events that occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued (“subsequent events”). There are two types of subsequent events. The first type consists of events or transactions that provide additional evidence about conditions that existed at the date of the balance sheet, including the estimates inherent in the process of preparing financial statements (“recognized subsequent events”). No significant recognized subsequent events were noted.

 

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The second type consists of events that provide evidence about conditions that did not exist at the date of the balance sheet but arose subsequent to that date (“non-recognized subsequent events”).

 

The following non-recognized subsequent events are noted:

 

On May 4, 2015, the Company and the Operating Partnership and Benjamin S. Butcher, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board, entered into an amended and restated employment agreement.  The amended and restated agreement is similar to Mr. Butcher’s original employment agreement, provides for the same definitions of “cause” and “good reason” and the same severance structure and did not materially change Mr. Butcher’s annual base salary or bonus opportunity.  The amended and restated agreement is for an initial term of three years.  The agreement automatically extends for successive one-year terms unless, not fewer than 60 days before the term’s end, either party provides a notice of non-renewal to the other party.  In connection with the amended and restated agreement, the compensation committee of the board of directors granted Mr. Butcher a retention award of 100,000 LTIP units that vest one-half on the third anniversary of the grant and one-sixth on the fourth, fifth and sixth anniversaries.

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Item 2.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

You should read the following discussion with the financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in Item 1 of this report and the audited financial statements and related notes thereto included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

As used herein, except where the context otherwise requires, “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us,” refer to STAG Industrial, Inc. and our consolidated subsidiaries and partnerships, including our operating partnership, STAG Industrial Operating Partnership, L.P. (“Operating Partnership”). 

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This report contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor from civil liability provided for such statements by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (set forth in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)). You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” and variations of such words or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this report include, among others, statements about our future financial condition, results of operations, our business strategy and objectives, including our acquisition strategy, occupancy and leasing rates and trends, and expected liquidity needs and sources (including capital expenditures and the ability to obtain financing or raise capital).  Our forward-looking statements reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies or prospects will be attained or achieved and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and may be affected by a variety of risks and factors including, without limitation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties arise over time, and it is not possible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us. Except as required by law, we are not obligated to, and do not intend to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

Overview

 

We are a REIT focused on the acquisition and operation of single-tenant, industrial properties throughout the United States. We endeavor to (i) identify relative value investments across all locations, single tenant industrial property types, and tenants through the principled application of our proprietary risk assessment model, (ii) operate our properties in an institutional manner, and (iii) capitalize our business appropriately given the characteristics of our assets. We are a Maryland corporation and our common stock is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “STAG.” 

 

We own our interests in all of our properties and conduct substantially all of our business through our Operating Partnership. We are the sole member of the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. As of March 31, 2015, we owned approximately 94.93% of the common equity of our Operating Partnership, and our executive officers, directors and their affiliates, and third parties who contributed properties to us in exchange for common equity in our Operating Partnership, owned the remaining 5.07%.

 

We are organized and conduct our operations to qualify as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and generally are not subject to federal income tax to the extent we currently distribute our income to our stockholders and maintain our qualification as a REIT.  We remain subject to state and local taxes on our income and property and to U.S. federal income and excise taxes on our undistributed income.

 

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Portfolio Summary

 

The characteristics of the properties within our portfolio as of March 31, 2015 are shown in the table below:

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The following table sets forth information relating to diversification by property type in our portfolio based on total annualized base rental revenue as of March 31, 2015. As used herein, “annualized rent,” “annualized base rental revenue” and similar terms refer to the contractual monthly base rent as of March 31, 2015 (which differs from rent calculated in accordance with GAAP) multiplied by 12. If a tenant is in a free rent period as of March 31, 2015, the annualized rent is calculated based on the first contractual monthly base rent amount multiplied by 12.

 

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We are in the process of evaluating the potential future disposition of a portion of our flex/office portfolio. We will continue to dispose of these properties on an opportunistic basis from time to time.

Geographic Diversification

The following table sets forth information relating to geographic diversification by region and state, respectively, in our portfolio based on total annualized base rental revenue as of March 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

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The following map indicates the states in which we own properties as of March 31, 2015.

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Industry Diversification

The following table sets forth information relating to tenant diversification by industry in our portfolio based on total annualized base rental revenue as of March 31, 2015:

 

 

Building by Market

While we invest in properties in all locations, our proprietary risk assessment model typically identifies the best relative value in primary and secondary markets.

As of March 31, 2015, our investments in primary, secondary, and tertiary markets are as follows:

 

 

We define primary markets as the 29 largest industrial metropolitan areas, which each have approximately 200 million or more in net rentable square footage.  We define secondary industrial markets as markets with net rentable square footage ranging from 25 million to 200 million.  We define tertiary markets as markets with less than 25 million square feet of net rentable square footage.

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Portfolio Growth

The following tables summarize the acquisitions during the three months ended March 31, 2015:

 

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During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the weighted estimated average capitalization rate for properties acquired was 8.0%. The weighted estimated average capitalization rate was calculated by dividing (i) the Company’s estimate of year one net cash flow from operations, which does not include termination income, miscellaneous other income, credit loss, vacancy loss, or rental concessions by (ii) the acquisition price, as defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the Unites States of America (“GAAP”). These capitalization rate estimates are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions and are not guarantees of future performance, which may be affected by known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties, and factors that are beyond our control, including those risk factors contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Top Tenants

Our portfolio of properties has a stable and diversified tenant base. As of March 31, 2015, our properties were 94.4% leased to 231 tenants in a variety of industries, with no single tenant accounting for more than 2.2% and no single industry accounting for more than 11.6% of our total annualized base rental revenue. Our ten largest tenants account for approximately 15.5% of our annualized rent. We intend to continue to maintain a diversified mix of tenants to limit our exposure to any single tenant or industry. As of March 31, 2015, based upon our tenants’ most recently available public filings and our tenants’ internally prepared financial data, our tenants or their parents (including parents not guaranteeing any tenant lease obligations) had the following characteristics based on annualized base rent:

The following table sets forth information about the ten largest tenants in our portfolio based on total annualized base rental revenue as of March 31, 2015:

 

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Factors That May Influence Future Results of Operations

 

Our ability to increase revenues or cash flow will depend in part on our external growth, specifically acquisition activity and internal growth, specifically occupancy and rental rates on our portfolio.  A variety of other factors, including those noted below, also affect our results of operations.

Outlook

 

The outlook for our business remains positive. The combination of attractive capital markets and the availability of attractively priced properties has and should continue to allow us to deploy our capital on an attractive “spread investing” basis.  While not certain, many market participants believe that interest rates are likely to rise at some point during 2015.  If interest rates rise as a result of Federal Reserve policy action (short-term interest rates) or changes in market expectations and capital flows (long-term interest rates), we believe strengthening economic conditions are likely to accompany it.  This strengthening of economic conditions combined with the currently favorable industrial supply demand environment should translate to a net positive result for our business. Specifically, our existing portfolio should benefit from rising rental rates and our acquisition activity should benefit from higher yields. Furthermore, we believe certain characteristics of our business should position us well in a rising interest rate environment including the fact that we have minimal floating rate debt exposure and the fact that many of the firms who are competitors for the assets we purchase tend to be smaller local investors who are likely to be more heavily impacted by interest rate increases. 

 

Another notable development in recent months is the strengthening of the U.S. Dollar versus competing currencies including the Euro and Yen.  The combination of accommodative monetary policies from central banks globally, the completion of quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve, market expectations for future interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve and market views on underlying economic fundamentals have created a strengthening context for the U.S. Dollar.  The appreciation in the U.S. Dollar can be a headwind for U.S. exporters and U.S. multi-nationals, however, it can also be a benefit to foreign multi-nationals which support U.S. subsidiaries and operate U.S. industrial properties.  To date, we have not seen an immediate positive and/or negative impact on our business.  We will continue to watch this trend and its impact on our buildings and tenants. 

 

Several economic indicators and other factors provide insight into the United States economic environment and industrial demand.  Presently, we believe the key factors include GDP growth rate, unemployment rate, non-farm payrolls, manufacturing purchasing manager index (ISM), Conference Board consumer confidence index, the 10-year Treasury yield, US total vehicle sales, and durable goods new orders.  Below are recent trends in each of these factors:

 

 

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*Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Conference Board, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, U.S. Census Bureau, and Institute for Supply Management.  Each statistic is the latest revision available at the time of publishing this report.

 

*ISM is a composite index based on a survey of over 300 purchasing and supply executives from across the country who respond to a monthly questionnaire about changes in production, new orders, new export orders, imports, employment, inventories, prices, leadtimes, and timelines of supplier deliveries in their companies.  When the index is over 50, it indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 signals contraction.

 

Currently, the GDP growth rate, positive non-farm payrolls, strong consumer confidence, an expansionary ISM index level, solid United States total vehicle sales, and low interest rates are positive fundamental signs for industrial demand. 

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Expanding job count and increasing consumer confidence suggests consumers will be spending more money in the foreseeable future.  This is expected to lead to an increase in industrial activity and more demand for industrial space. 

 

The recovery of the United States economy and specifically the improving dynamic for United States industrial production is expected to continue to increase demand for industrial space in the United States.  Several trends and other factors contribute to the expected demand increase, including:

 

 

Furthermore, the lack of material speculative development in our markets and the more broad failure of supply to keep pace with demand in our markets may improve occupancy levels and rental rates in our owned portfolio. We believe, however, that industrial supply, more so than other real estate property types, has historically had a short lead time and can appear quickly. 

 

Conditions in Our Markets

 

The buildings in our portfolio are located in markets throughout the United States. Positive or negative changes in economic or other conditions, new supply, adverse weather conditions and natural disasters in these markets may affect our overall performance.

 

Rental Revenue

 

We receive income primarily in the form of rental revenue from the tenants who occupy our buildings. The amount of rental revenue generated by the buildings in our portfolio depends principally on occupancy and rental rates. As of March 31, 2015, our buildings were approximately 94.4% leased and our GAAP lease rates on new and renewal leases together grew 0.1% during the three months ended March 31, 2015. Future economic downturns or regional downturns affecting our submarkets that impair our ability to renew or re-lease space and the ability of our tenants to fulfill their lease commitments, as in the case of tenant bankruptcies, could adversely affect our ability to maintain or increase rental rates at our buildings. Our ability to lease our properties and the attendant rental rate is dependent upon, among other things, (i) the overall economy, the regional economy, and the local economy, (ii) the supply/demand dynamic in our markets, (iii) the quality of our properties, including age, clear height, and configuration, and (iv) our tenants’ ability to meet their contractual obligations to us.

 

Our direct relationships with our tenants and our in-house expertise in leasing, asset management, engineering, and credit help us allow to manage all operational aspects of our portfolio, maintain occupancy, and increase rental rates. The following table provides a summary of our historical retention since our initial public offering:

 

 

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The following table provides a summary of leases executed for the three months ended March 31, 2015.  The table does not include month to month leases or leases with terms less than 12 months.

 

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Certain leases entered into by us contain rental concessions. Any such rental concessions are accounted for on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. The following table provides a summary of leases with rental concessions executed for the three months ended March 31, 2015.   

 

 

Of the 1.5 million square feet of leases that expired during the three months ended March 31, 2015, we have renewed 1.0 million square feet of leases, resulting in a 64.1% tenant retention rate for the three months ended March 31, 2015. 

 

Subsequent to March 31, 2015, we executed three leases consisting of 65,540 square feet.

 

Scheduled Lease Expirations

 

Our ability to re-lease space subject to expiring leases will impact our results of operations and is affected by economic and competitive conditions in our markets and by the desirability of our individual buildings.  Leases that comprise approximately 8.0% of our annualized base rental revenue will expire during the period from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 (excluding month to month leases and leases expiring on March 31, 2016, which are considered occupied on that day).  We assume, based upon internal renewal probability estimates that some of our tenants will renew and others will vacate and the associated space will be re-let subject to downtime assumptions.  In the vacate and re-let cases, we did not assume that market rents would grow from our current property by property estimates.  Using the aforementioned assumptions, we expect that the rental rates on the respective new leases will generally be lower than the rates under existing leases, thereby resulting in lower revenue from the same space.

The following table and chart set forth a summary schedule of lease expirations for leases in place as of March 31, 2015, plus available space, for each of the ten calendar years beginning with 2015 and thereafter in our portfolio (dollars in thousands). The information in the table and chart assumes that tenants exercise no renewal options and no early termination rights.

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On December 17, 2014, Bank of America, N.A. signed an amendment which renewed 90,051 square feet and terminated 228,928 square feet of their premise effective November 30, 2015.  Pursuant to the lease amendment, on or before October 31, 2015, Bank of America N.A. will pay a termination fee in the amount of $2.1 million.  This termination fee amounts along with the reimbursement of certain miscellaneous costs per the lease amendment are recorded on a straight-line basis for GAAP purposes from December 17, 2014 through the relinquishment of the space on November 30, 2015.

 

As of March 31, 2015, for the period April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016, one  of our top ten leases based on March 31, 2015 annualized base rental revenue will be expiring.

 

Top Leases

 

The following table sets forth information about the ten largest leases in our portfolio based on total annualized base rental revenue as of March 31, 2015:

 

 

Rental Expenses

 

Our rental expenses generally consist of utilities, real estate taxes, management fees, insurance and site repair and maintenance costs. For the majority of our tenants, our rental expenses are controlled, in part, by the triple net provisions in tenant leases. In our triple net leases, the tenant is responsible for all aspects of and costs related to the building and its

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operation during the lease term, including utilities, taxes, insurance and maintenance costs. However, we also have modified gross leases and gross leases in our building portfolio. The terms of those leases vary and on some occasions we may absorb building related expenses of our tenants. In our modified gross leases, we are responsible for some building related expenses during the lease term, but the cost of most of the expenses is passed through to the tenant for reimbursement to us. In our gross leases, we are responsible for all aspects of and costs related to the building and its operation during the lease term. Our overall performance will be affected by the extent to which we are able to pass-through rental expenses to our tenants.

 

Results of Operations

 

Our results of operations are largely driven by our levels of occupancy as well as the rental rates we receive from tenants. From an occupancy standpoint, since we generally acquire assets that are 100% occupied and market occupancy is generally between 90% and 95%, we expect our assets to trend to market-based levels of occupancy over time. This trend puts negative, but anticipated, pressure on our same store (as defined below) results. From a rental rate standpoint, our Company has historically achieved overall rental increases in our tenant rollovers on a cash basis and GAAP basis.

 

The following discussion of our results of our same store net operating income should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying footnotes. For a detailed discussion of net operating income, including the reasons management believes net operating income is useful to investors, see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below. We consider our same store portfolio to consist of only those buildings owned and operated at the beginning and at the end of both of the applicable periods presented.  Same store results are considered to be useful to investors in evaluating our performance because they provide information relating to changes in building-level operating performance without taking into account the effects of acquisitions or dispositions.  However, because we have acquired 100% occupied properties and we have grown the portfolio significantly every year since our initial public offering, our same store results do not represent a market portfolio with market occupancy.  Because we have above market occupancy, our same store results may look unfavorable at times.  We encourage the reader to not only look at our same store results, but our total portfolio results as well, due to historic and future growth.

Comparison of three months ended March 31, 2015 to the three months ended March 31, 2014

 

Our results of operations are affected by the acquisition and disposition activity during the 2015 and 2014 periods as described below.  On January 1, 2014, we owned 209 buildings including 142 warehouse/distribution buildings, 47 light manufacturing buildings and 20 flex/office buildings.  Subsequent to January 1, 2014, we sold four buildings for which the results of operations are included in disposition or income (loss) from continuing operations and in the table below are not considered part of our same store portfolio.  Therefore, there are 205 buildings which are considered our same store portfolio (“three month same store”) in the analysis below.  Three month same store occupancy decreased 2.5% to 92.9% as of March 31, 2015 compared to 95.4% as of March 31, 2014.  The results of operations from acquisitions relates to the 48 buildings acquired after January 1, 2014 for an aggregate cost of approximately $522.1 million. 

 

The following table summarizes selected operating information for our three month same store portfolio and our total portfolio for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014 (dollars in thousands). This table includes a reconciliation from our same store portfolio to our total portfolio by also providing information for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014 with respect to the buildings acquired and disposed of after January 1, 2014.  In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, which prospectively changed the definition of a discontinued operation to the disposal of a component or group of components that is disposed of or is classified as held for sale and represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results.  We early adopted the provision effective January 1, 2014.  None of the properties sold in 2014 met the definition of a discontinued operation under this new definition and are therefore included within dispositions in the table below.