EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE

Basic earnings per common share is computed using the two-class method by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. All outstanding unvested restricted stock awards contain rights to non-forfeitable dividends and participate in undistributed earnings with common stockholders; accordingly, they are considered participating securities that are included in the two-class method. Diluted earnings per common share measures the performance of the Company over the reporting period while giving effect to all potential common shares that were dilutive and outstanding during the period. The denominator includes the weighted average number of basic shares and the number of additional common shares that would have been outstanding if the potential common shares that were dilutive had been issued, and is calculated using either the two-class, treasury stock or as if-converted method, whichever is most dilutive. Potential common shares are securities (such as options, convertible debt, Series A Participating Redeemable Preferred Units (“Series A Units”), Series B Redeemable Preferred Units (“Series B Units”), Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Units (“Series C Units”), Series D Redeemable Preferred Units (“Series D Units”) and common Operating Partnership units (“OP Units”)) that do not have a current right to participate in earnings of the Company but could do so in the future by virtue of their option, redemption or conversion right.

In computing the dilutive effect of convertible securities, net income is adjusted to add back any changes in earnings in the period associated with the convertible security. The numerator also is adjusted for the effects of any other non-discretionary changes in income or loss that would result from the assumed conversion of those potential common shares. In computing diluted earnings per common share, only potential common shares that are dilutive (those that reduce earnings per common share) are included. For the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, options to purchase approximately 95,031 and 82,571 shares of common stock, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, options to purchase approximately 84,919 and 50,144 shares of common stock, respectively, were excluded from the computation of earnings per share as their effect would have been anti-dilutive.

For the purposes of computing the diluted impact of the potential exchange of the Preferred Operating Partnership units for common shares upon redemption, where the Company has the option to redeem in cash or shares and where the Company has stated the intent and ability to settle the redemption in shares, the Company divided the total value of the Preferred Operating Partnership units by the average share price for the period presented. The average share price for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 was $84.41 and $73.24, respectively. The average share price for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 was $87.22 and $68.94, respectively. The following table presents the number of Preferred Operating Partnership units, and the potential common shares, that were excluded from the computation of earnings per share as their effect would have been anti-dilutive.



	For the Three Months Ended September 30,		For the Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2016	2015	2016	2015
	Equivalent Shares (if converted)	Equivalent Shares (if converted)	Equivalent Shares (if converted)	Equivalent Shares (if converted)
Series B Units	496,412	572,121	480,419	607,806
Series C Units	351,132	404,684	339,820	429,926
Series D Units	—	187,189	417,420	198,865
	847,544	1,163,994	1,237,659	1,236,597

The Operating Partnership had $63,172 of its 2.375% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2033 (the “2013 Notes”) issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2016. The 2013 Notes could potentially have a dilutive impact on the Company’s earnings per share calculations. The 2013 Notes are exchangeable by holders into shares of the Company’s common stock under certain circumstances per the terms of the indenture governing the 2013 Notes. The exchange price of the 2013 Notes was $54.37 per share as of September 30, 2016, and could change over time as described in the indenture. The Company has irrevocably agreed to pay only cash for the accreted principal amount of the 2013 Notes relative to its exchange obligations, but retained the right to satisfy the exchange obligation in excess of the accreted principal amount in cash and/or common stock.

The Operating Partnership had $575,000 of its 3.125% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2035 (the “2015 Notes”) issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2016. The 2015 Notes could potentially have a dilutive impact on the Company’s earnings per share calculations. The 2015 Notes are exchangeable by holders into shares of the Company’s common stock under certain circumstances per the terms of the indenture governing the 2015 Notes. The exchange price of the 2015 Notes was $94.96 per share as of September 30, 2016, and could change over time as described in the indenture. The Company has irrevocably agreed to pay only cash for the accreted principal amount of the 2015 Notes relative to its exchange obligations, but retained the right to satisfy the exchange obligation in excess of the accreted principal amount in cash and/or common stock.

Although the Company has retained the right to satisfy the exchange obligation in excess of the accreted principal amount of the 2013 Notes and 2015 Notes in cash and/or common stock, Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 260, “Earnings per Share,” requires an assumption that shares would be used to pay such exchange obligation, and requires that those shares be included in the Company’s calculation of weighted average common shares outstanding for the diluted earnings per share computation. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, 413,498 and 383,279 shares, respectively, related to the 2013 Notes were included in the computation for diluted earnings per share. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, no shares related to the 2015 Notes were included in the computation for diluted earnings per share as the exchange price exceeded the per share price of the Company’s common stock during these periods.

For the purposes of computing the diluted impact on earnings per share of the potential exchange of Series A Units for common shares upon redemption, where the Company has the option to redeem in cash or shares and where the Company has stated the positive intent and ability to settle at least $115,000 of the instrument in cash (or net settle a portion of the Series A Units against the related outstanding note receivable), only the amount of the instrument in excess of $115,000 is considered in the calculation of shares contingently issuable for the purposes of computing diluted earnings per share as allowed by ASC 260-10-45-46. Accordingly, the number of shares included in the computation for diluted earnings per share related to the Series A Units is equal to the number of Series A Units outstanding, with no additional shares included related to the fixed $115,000 amount.

The computation of earnings per common share was as follows for the periods presented:



	For the Three Months Ended September 30,						For the Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2016			2015			2016			2015
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$	118,088		$	71,718		$	283,724		$	180,799
Earnings and dividends allocated to participating securities	(248		)	(173		)	(616		)	(432		)
Earnings for basic computations	117,840			71,545			283,108			180,367
Earnings and dividends allocated to participating securities	—			173			—			—
Income allocated to noncontrolling interest - Preferred Operating Partnership (Series A Units) and Operating Partnership	7,776			5,151			17,926			13,062
Fixed component of income allocated to noncontrolling interest - Preferred Operating Partnership (Series A Units)	(1,271		)	(1,272		)	(3,814		)	(3,817		)
Net income for diluted computations	$	124,345		$	75,597		$	297,220		$	189,612

Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Average number of common shares outstanding - basic	125,752,291			122,644,837			125,244,761			118,564,872
OP Units	5,534,350			5,934,539			5,557,723			5,320,130
Series A Units	875,480			875,480			875,480			875,480
Series D Units	814,435			—			—			—
Unvested restricted stock awards included for treasury stock method	—			304,610			—			—
Shares related to exchangeable senior notes and dilutive stock options	786,916			638,645			798,727			645,831
Average number of common shares outstanding - diluted	133,763,472			130,398,111			132,476,691			125,406,313
Earnings per common share
Basic	$	0.94		$	0.58		$	2.26		$	1.52
Diluted	$	0.93		$	0.58		$	2.24		$	1.51