10-K 1 pentr_20171231-10k.htm 10-K Document
 
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 10-K
 
(Mark One)
x    ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017
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 000-54691
 
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PHILLIPS EDISON & COMPANY, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
 
Maryland
27-1106076
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
 
 
11501 Northlake Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio
45249
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)
(513) 554-1110
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class
 
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
None
 
None
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share
 
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.     Yes  ¨    No  þ  
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ¨    No  þ  
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  þ    No  ¨  
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 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  þ    No  ¨  
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of the Form 10-K or any amendment of this Form 10-K.  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). (Check one):    
Large Accelerated Filer
¨
Accelerated Filer
¨
 
 
 
 
Non-Accelerated Filer
þ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
Smaller reporting company
¨
 
 
 
 
Emerging growth company
¨
 
 
 
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the Registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   o



Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act).    Yes  ¨    No  þ  
There is no established public market for the Registrant’s shares of common stock. On November 8, 2017, the board of directors of the Registrant approved an estimated value per share of the Registrant’s common stock of $11.00 based substantially on the estimated market value of its portfolio of real estate properties as of October 5, 2017. Prior to November 8, 2017, the estimated value per share was $10.20. For a full description of the methodologies used to establish the estimated value per share, see Part II, Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities - Market Information, of this Form 10-K. As of June 30, 2017, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, there were approximately 182.7 million shares of common stock held by non-affiliates.
As of March 15, 2018, there were approximately 186.2 million outstanding shares of common stock of the Registrant.
Documents Incorporated by Reference: None




PHILLIPS EDISON & COMPANY, INC.
FORM 10-K
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
ITEM 2.    
ITEM 3.    
 
 
 
 
ITEM 7.    
ITEM 9.    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PART IV           
 
 
 
 



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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (“we,” the “Company,” “our,” or “us”), formerly known as Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT I, Inc., other than historical facts may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We intend for all such forward-looking statements to be covered by the applicable safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in those acts. Such statements include, in particular, statements about our plans, strategies, and prospects and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including known and unknown risks, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. These risks include, without limitation, (i) changes in national, regional, or local economic climates; (ii) local market conditions, including an oversupply of space in, or a reduction in demand for, properties similar to those in our portfolio; (iii) vacancies, changes in market rental rates, and the need to periodically repair, renovate, and re-let space; (iv) changes in interest rates and the availability of permanent mortgage financing; (v) competition from other available properties and the attractiveness of properties in our portfolio to our tenants; (vi) the financial stability of tenants, including the ability of tenants to pay rent; (vii) changes in tax, real estate, environmental, and zoning laws; (viii) the concentration of our portfolio in a limited number of industries, geographies, or investments; and (ix) any of the other risks included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including those set forth in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors. Therefore, such statements are not intended to be a guarantee of our performance in future periods.
Such forward-looking statements can generally be identified by our use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” or other similar words. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date this report is filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). We make no representations or warranties (expressed or implied) about the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and we do not intend to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Any such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors and are based on a number of assumptions involving judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive, and market conditions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately. To the extent that our assumptions differ from actual conditions, our ability to accurately anticipate results expressed in such forward-looking statements, including our ability to generate positive cash flows from operations, make distributions to stockholders, and maintain the value of our real estate properties, may be significantly hindered. See Item 1A. Risk Factors, herein, for a discussion of some of the risks and uncertainties, although not all of the risks and uncertainties, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those presented in our forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements are disclosed in Item 1A. Risk Factors, Item 1. Business, and Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
All references to “Notes” throughout this document refer to the footnotes to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.


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w PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Overview
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (“we,” the “Company,” “our,” or “us”), formerly known as Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT I, Inc., is an internally-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”) and one of the nation’s largest owners and operators of grocery-anchored shopping centers. The majority of our revenues are lease revenues derived from our owned real estate investments. Additionally, we operate a third-party investment management business providing property management and advisory services to $2.1 billion of assets under management.
We primarily own and manage well-occupied, grocery-anchored neighborhood and community shopping centers having a mix of creditworthy national and regional retailers selling necessity-based goods and services in strong demographic markets throughout the United States. As of December 31, 2017, we managed a diversified portfolio of over 340 shopping centers; we directly owned 236 centers comprising approximately 26.3 million square feet located in 32 states.
We were formed as a Maryland corporation in October 2009 and have elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Substantially all of our business is conducted through Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P. (“Operating Partnership”), a Delaware limited partnership formed in December 2009. We are a limited partner of the Operating Partnership, and our wholly owned subsidiary, Phillips Edison Grocery Center OP GP I LLC, is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership.
On October 4, 2017, we completed a transaction to acquire certain real estate assets, the third-party investment management business, and the captive insurance company of Phillips Edison Limited Partnership (“PELP”) in exchange for stock and cash (“PELP transaction”). Prior to that date, our advisor was Phillips Edison NTR LLC (“PE-NTR”), which was directly or indirectly owned by PELP. Under the terms of the advisory agreement between PE-NTR and us (“PE-NTR Agreement”), PE-NTR was responsible for the management of our day-to-day activities and the implementation of our investment strategy. Our relationship with PE-NTR was acquired as part of the PELP transaction.
Business Objectives and Strategies
Owned Real Estate
Our business objective is to own and operate well-occupied, grocery-anchored shopping centers that generate cash flows to support distributions to our shareholders with the potential for capital appreciation.
We typically invest in neighborhood shopping centers (generally containing less than 125,000 leasable square feet) located in attractive demographic markets throughout the United States where our management believes our fully integrated operating platform can add value through the following strategies:
Acquisitions—Our acquisitions team takes a disciplined, targeted approach to acquisitions as it reviews thousands of properties each year. After a thorough financial review, comprehensive underwriting analysis, and exhaustive due diligence process, only the most financially attractive grocery-anchored properties are ultimately added to our portfolio.
Leasing—Our national footprint of experienced leasing professionals is dedicated to increasing rental income by capitalizing on our portfolio’s below-market leases and increasing the occupancy at our centers through the lease-up of property vacancies by leveraging national and regional tenant relationships.
Portfolio Management—Our portfolio management team seeks to add value by overseeing all aspects of operations at our properties, as well as optimizing the centers’ merchandising mix, and identifying opportunities for redevelopment or repositioning.
Property Management—Our national footprint of property managers strives to develop and maintain a pleasant, clean, and safe environment where retailers can be successful and customers can enjoy their shopping experience. Property management is committed to effectively managing operating costs at the property level in order to maximize cash flows and improve profitability.
Capital Markets—Our capital markets team is dedicated to maintaining a conservative balance sheet with an appropriately staggered debt maturity profile that is well positioned for long-term growth.
Legal, Finance, Accounting, Tax, Marketing, Risk Management, IT, Human Resources, etc.—Our other in-house teams add value by utilizing technology and broad processes to create efficiencies through scale, creating a better experience for our tenants while reducing costs. Our associates are dedicated to the company’s long-term commitment of being the leading owner and operator of grocery-anchored shopping centers.
Third-Party Investment Management Business
In addition to managing our shopping centers, our third-party investment management business provides comprehensive real estate and asset management services to five non-traded, publicly registered REITS and private funds with assets under management of approximately $2.1 billion as of December 31, 2017.
For each of these programs, we raise equity capital through either public or private offerings, invest those funds, and manage their assets in return for fee revenue as specified in our advisory agreements with them.

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Strategic Alternatives
We are continuously evaluating strategic alternatives to create liquidity for our investors. In conjunction with the PELP transaction, we brought on an experienced management team that allows us to fully consider all alternatives. We are focused on maximizing the value for our shareholders while seeking to provide liquidity for our shareholders.
Segment Data
As of December 31, 2017, we operated through two business segments: Owned Real Estate and Investment Management. Prior to the completion of the PELP transaction on October 4, 2017, we were externally-managed and our only reportable segment was the aggregated operating results of our owned real estate. Therefore, we did not report any segment disclosures for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015. For a more detailed discussion regarding these segments, including operating data for the year ended December 31, 2017, see Note 18.
Tax Status
As a result of the PELP transaction, we hold, and plan to continue to hold, our non-qualifying REIT assets and conduct certain of our non-qualifying REIT income activities in or through a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”). A TRS is a corporation other than a REIT in which a REIT directly or indirectly holds stock, and that has made a joint election with such REIT to be treated as a TRS. A TRS also includes any corporation other than a REIT with respect to which a TRS owns securities possessing more than 35% of the total voting power or value of the outstanding securities of such corporation. A TRS is subject to income tax as a C-corporation.
The net income of our TRS is not required to be distributed to us and income that is not distributed to us will generally not be subject to the REIT income distribution requirement. However, our TRS may pay dividends. Such dividend income should qualify under the 95%, but not the 75%, gross income test. We will monitor the amount of dividend and other income from our TRS and will take actions that are intended to keep this income, and any other non-qualifying income, within the limitations of the REIT income tests. While we expect these actions will prevent a violation of the REIT income tests, we cannot guarantee that such actions will, in all cases, prevent such a violation.
Competition
We are subject to significant competition in seeking real estate investments and tenants. We compete with many third parties engaged in real estate investment activities including other REITs, specialty finance companies, savings and loan associations, banks, mortgage bankers, insurance companies, mutual funds, institutional investors, investment banking firms, lenders, hedge funds, governmental bodies, and other entities. Some of these competitors, including larger REITs, have substantially greater financial resources than we do and generally enjoy significant competitive advantages that result from, among other things, increased access to capital, lower cost of capital, and enhanced operating efficiencies.
Employees
As of December 31, 2017, we had 304 employees. Prior to the completion of the PELP transaction, we did not have any employees. However, PELP’s employees and executive officers were compensated, in part, for their services rendered to us.
Environmental Matters
As an owner of real estate, we are subject to various environmental laws of federal, state, and local governments. Compliance with federal, state, and local environmental laws has not had a material, adverse effect on our business, assets, results of operations, financial condition, and ability to pay distributions, and we do not believe that our existing portfolio will require us to incur material expenditures to comply with these laws and regulations.
Access to Company Information
We electronically file our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, Proxy and Information statements, and all amendments to those reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The public may read and copy any of the reports that are filed with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549, on official business days during the hours of 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at (800) SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site at www.sec.gov that contains the reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, including ours that are filed electronically. The contents of our website are not incorporated by reference.
We make available, free of charge, by responding to requests addressed to our investor relations group, the Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports on our website, www.phillipsedison.com. These reports are available as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed or furnished to the SEC.


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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
You should specifically consider the following material risks in addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The occurrence of any of the following risks might have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. The risks and uncertainties discussed below are not the only ones we face, but do represent those risks and uncertainties that we believe are most significant to our business, operating results, financial condition, prospects and forward-looking statements.
Risks Related to Our Structure and an Investment in Us
Because no public trading market for our shares currently exists, it is difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares and, if our stockholders are able to sell their shares, it may be at a discount to the public offering price.
There is no public market for our shares. Until our shares are listed, if ever, stockholders may not sell their shares unless the buyer meets the applicable suitability and minimum purchase standards. Under the share repurchase program (“SRP”), we repurchase shares at a price in place at the time of the repurchase and not based on the price at which you initially purchased your shares. It is likely we will repurchase fewer shares than have been requested to be repurchased due to lack of readily available funds under the SRP. While we have a limited SRP, in its sole discretion, our board of directors (“Board”) could amend, suspend or terminate our SRP upon 30 days’ notice. Further, the SRP includes numerous restrictions that would limit a stockholder’s ability to sell his or her shares to us. These restrictions have limited us from repurchasing shares submitted to us under the SRP in the past and may do so again in the future.
Therefore, it is difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares promptly or at all. If a stockholder is able to sell his or her shares, it may be at a discount to the public offering price of such shares. It is also likely that our shares would not be accepted as the primary collateral for a loan.
Because of the illiquid nature of our shares, investors should purchase our shares only as a long-term investment and be prepared to hold them for an indefinite period of time.
Our stockholders may not be able to sell their shares under our SRP and, if they are able to sell their shares under the program, they may not be able to recover the amount of their investment in our shares.
Our SRP includes numerous restrictions that limit our stockholders’ ability to sell their shares. During any calendar year, we may repurchase no more than 5% of the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the prior calendar year. Our stockholders must hold their shares for at least one year in order to participate in the SRP, except for repurchases sought upon a stockholder’s death or “qualifying disability”. The cash available for redemption on any particular date is generally limited to the proceeds from the dividend reinvestment plan (“DRIP”) during the period consisting of the preceding four fiscal quarters, less any cash already used for redemptions since the start of the same period; however, subject to the limitations described above, we may use other sources of cash at the discretion of our Board. These limitations do not, however, apply to repurchases sought upon a stockholder’s death or “qualifying disability.” Only those stockholders who purchased their shares from us or received their shares from us (directly or indirectly) through one or more non-cash transactions may be able to participate in the SRP. In other words, once our shares are transferred for value by a stockholder, the transferee and all subsequent holders of the shares are not eligible to participate in the SRP. These limits may prevent us from accommodating all repurchase requests made in any year. For example, in 2017 repurchase requests exceeded the funding limits provided under the SRP, and we were unable to repurchase all of the shares submitted to us. These restrictions would severely limit our stockholders’ ability to sell their shares should they require liquidity and would limit their ability to recover the value they invested. Our board is free to amend, suspend or terminate the SRP upon 30 days’ notice.
In addition, the repurchase price per share for all stockholders under the SRP is equal to the estimated value per share as determined periodically by our Board. The actual value per share as of the date on which an investor makes a repurchase request may be significantly different than the repurchase price such investor receives.
We use an estimated value of our shares that is based on a number of assumptions that may not be accurate or complete and is also subject to a number of limitations.
To assist members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and their associated persons that participated in our initial public offering, pursuant to applicable FINRA and National Association Security Dealers (“NASD”) conduct rules, we disclose in each annual report distributed to stockholders a per share estimated value of our shares, the method by which it was developed, and the date of the data used to develop the estimated value. For this purpose, we initially estimated the value of our common shares as $10.00 per share based on the offering price of our shares of common stock in our initial public offering of $10.00 per share (ignoring purchase price discounts for certain categories of purchasers). Effective November 1, 2017, our Board approved an estimated value per share of our common stock of $11.00 based on the estimated fair value range of our real estate portfolio as indicated in a third-party valuation report plus the value of our cash and cash equivalents less the value of our mortgages and loans payable as of October 5, 2017.
Our estimated value per share is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not be accurate or complete. Different parties with different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated value per share, and this difference could be significant. The estimated value per share is not audited and does not represent a determination of the fair value of our assets or liabilities based on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), nor does it represent a liquidation value of our assets and liabilities or the amount at which our shares of common stock would trade if they were listed on a national securities exchange. Accordingly, with respect to the estimated value per share, there can be no assurance that:
a stockholder would be able to resell his or her shares at the estimated value per share;
a stockholder would ultimately realize distributions per share equal to our estimated value per share upon liquidation of our assets and settlement of our liabilities or a sale of our company;
our shares of common stock would trade at the estimated value per share on a national securities exchange;

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a third party would offer the estimated value per share in an arm’s-length transaction to purchase all or substantially all of our shares of common stock;
an independent third-party appraiser or third-party valuation firm would agree with our estimated value per share; or
the methodology used to calculate our estimated value per share would be acceptable to FINRA or for compliance with Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) reporting requirements.
Furthermore, we have not made any adjustments to the valuation of our estimated value per share for the impact of other transactions occurring subsequent to October 5, 2017, including, but not limited to, (1) the issuance of common stock under the DRIP, (2) net operating income earned and dividends declared, (3) the repurchase of shares and (4) changes in leases, tenancy or other business or operational changes. The value of our shares will fluctuate over time in response to developments related to individual real estate assets, the management of those assets and changes in the real estate and finance markets. Because of, among other factors, the high concentration of our total assets in real estate and the number of shares of our common stock outstanding, changes in the value of individual real estate assets or changes in valuation assumptions could have a very significant impact on the value of our shares. In addition, the estimated value per share reflects a real estate portfolio premium as opposed to the sum of the individual property values. The estimated value per share also does not take into account any disposition costs or fees for real estate properties, debt prepayment penalties that could apply upon the prepayment of certain of our debt obligations or the impact of restrictions on the assumption of debt. Accordingly, the estimated value per share of our common stock may or may not be an accurate reflection of the fair market value of our stockholders’ investments and will not likely represent the amount of net proceeds that would result from an immediate sale of our assets.
If a Liquidity Event, as defined in our Charter, does not occur by the fifth anniversary of the termination of our initial primary public offering, we may be required to adopt a plan of liquidation of our properties and assets.
Our charter provides that we must effect a Liquidity Event which includes a sale of all or substantially all of our assets, a sale or merger of our company, a listing of our common stock on a national securities exchange, or other similar transaction, on or before the fifth anniversary of the termination of the initial primary public offering. If we do not begin the process of achieving a Liquidity Event by that date, our charter requires that we seek approval from our stockholders to amend the charter to extend the deadline. If we sought and failed to obtain stockholder approval of a charter amendment extending the deadline, our charter requires us to submit a plan of liquidation for the approval of our stockholders. If we sought and failed to obtain stockholder approval of both the charter amendment and our liquidation, we would continue our business. If we sought and obtained stockholder approval of our liquidation, we would begin an orderly sale of our properties and other assets.
The precise timing of any such sales would consider the prevailing real estate and financial markets, the economic conditions in the submarkets where our properties are located and the U.S. federal income tax consequences to our stockholders. The actual amount that we would distribute to stockholders in the liquidation would depend upon the actual amount of our liabilities, the actual proceeds from the sale of our properties, the actual fees and expenses incurred in connection with the sale of our properties, the actual expenses incurred in the administration of our properties prior to disposition, our actual general and administrative expenses, our ability to continue to meet the requirements necessary to retain our status as a REIT throughout the liquidation process, our ability to avoid U.S. federal income and excise taxes throughout the period of the liquidation process and other factors. If our liabilities (including, without limitation, tax liabilities and compliance costs) are greater than we currently expect or if the sales prices of our assets are less than we expect, stockholders will receive less in total liquidating distribution. Additionally, our Board will have discretion as to the timing of distributions of net sales proceeds.
If we are unable to find buyers for our assets on a timely basis or at our expected sales prices, our liquidating distributions may be delayed or reduced.
If we pay distributions from sources other than our cash flows from operations, we may not be able to sustain our distribution rate, we may have fewer funds available for investment in properties and other assets, and our stockholders’ overall returns may be reduced.
Our organizational documents permit us to pay distributions from any source without limit. To the extent we fund distributions from borrowings or the net proceeds from the issuance of securities, as we have done, we will have fewer funds available for investment in real estate properties and other real estate-related assets, and our stockholders’ overall returns may be reduced.
At times, we may be forced to borrow funds to pay distributions during unfavorable market conditions or during periods when funds from operations are needed to make capital expenditures and pay other expenses, which could increase our operating costs. Furthermore, if we cannot cover our distributions with cash flows from operations, we may be unable to sustain our distribution rate. For the year ended December 31, 2017, we paid gross distributions to our common stockholders of $123.3 million, including distributions reinvested through the DRIP of $49.1 million. For the year ended December 31, 2017, our net cash provided by operating activities was $108.9 million, which represents a shortfall of $14.4 million, or 11.7%, of our distributions paid, while our funds from operations (“FFO”) Attributable to Stockholders and Convertible Noncontrolling Interests were $84.2 million, which represents a shortfall of $39.1 million, or 31.7%, of the distributions paid. The shortfall was funded by proceeds from borrowings. For the year ended December 31, 2016, we paid distributions of $123.1 million, including distributions reinvested through the DRIP of $58.9 million. For the year ended December 31, 2016, our net cash provided by operating activities was $103.1 million, which represents a shortfall of $20.0 million, or 16.3%, of our distributions paid, while our FFO was $110.4 million, which represents a shortfall of $14.3 million, or 11.6% of our distributions paid. The shortfall was funded by proceeds from borrowings.
The actual value of shares that we repurchase under our SRP may be less than what we pay.
We repurchase shares under our SRP at the estimated value per share of our common stock. This value is likely to differ from the price at which a stockholder could resell his or her shares. Thus, when we repurchase shares of our common stock, the repurchase may be dilutive to our remaining stockholders.

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We recently transitioned to a self-managed real estate investment trust and have limited operating experience being self-managed.
Effective October 4, 2017, we transitioned to a self-managed real estate investment trust following the closing of the PELP transaction. While we no longer bear the costs of the various fees and expense reimbursements previously paid to our former external advisor and its affiliates, our expenses now include the compensation and benefits of our officers, employees and consultants, as well as overhead previously paid by our former external advisor or their affiliates. Our employees now provide us services historically provided by our former external advisor and its affiliates. We are also now subject to potential liabilities that are commonly faced by employers, such as workers' disability and compensation claims, potential labor disputes, and other employee-related liabilities and grievances, and we bear the costs of the establishment and maintenance of any employee compensation plans. In addition, we have limited experience operating as a self-managed REIT and we may encounter unforeseen costs, expenses, and difficulties associated with providing those services on a self-advised basis. If we incur unexpected expenses as a result of our self-management, our results of operations could be lower than they otherwise would have been. Furthermore, our results of operations following our transition to self-management may not be comparable to our results prior to the transition.
The loss of or the inability to obtain key real estate professionals could delay or hinder implementation of our investment strategies, which could limit our ability to make distributions and decrease the value of our stockholders’ investments.
Our success depends to a significant degree upon the contributions of Jeffrey S. Edison, Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of our Board; R. Mark Addy, Executive Vice President; Robert Myers, Chief Operating Officer; and Devin I. Murphy, Chief Financial Officer. We do not have employment agreements with these individuals, and they may not remain associated with us. If any of these persons were to cease their association with us, our operating results could suffer. We do not intend to maintain key person life insurance on any person. We believe that our future success depends, in large part, upon our ability to hire and retain highly skilled managerial, operational and marketing professionals. The market for such professionals is competitive, and we may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining such skilled individuals. Further, we intend to establish strategic relationships with firms, as needed, which have special expertise in certain services or detailed knowledge regarding real properties in certain geographic regions. Maintaining such relationships will be important for us to effectively compete with other investors for properties and tenants in such regions. We may be unsuccessful in establishing and retaining such relationships. If we lose or are unable to obtain the services of highly skilled professionals or do not establish or maintain appropriate strategic relationships, our ability to implement our investment strategies could be delayed or hindered, and the value of our stockholders’ investments may decline.
We have agreed to nominate Mr. Edison to our Board for each of the next ten succeeding annual meetings and for Mr. Edison to continue serving as Chairman of the Board until the third anniversary of the closing of the PELP transaction.
As part of the PELP transaction, we have agreed to nominate Jeffrey S. Edison, our Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of our Board, to the Board for each of the ten succeeding annual meetings, subject to certain terminating events. As a result, it is possible that Mr. Edison may continue to be nominated as a director in circumstances when the independent directors would not otherwise have done so.
Our bylaws provide that Mr. Edison will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board until the third anniversary of the closing of the PELP transaction, subject to certain terminating events, including the listing of our common stock on a national securities exchange. As a result, Mr. Edison may continue to serve as Chairman of the Board in circumstances when the independent directors would not otherwise have selected him.
We are subject to conflicts of interest relating to the management of multiple REITs by our officers.
We and our management team serve as the sponsor and advisor of Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT II, Inc. (“REIT II”), and Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT III, Inc. (“REIT III”). We and REIT II and REIT III have overlapping investment objectives and investment strategies. As a result, we may be seeking to acquire properties and real estate-related investments at the same time as REIT II and/or REIT III. We have implemented certain procedures to help manage any perceived or actual conflicts among us and the REIT II and REIT III, including adopting an allocation policy to allocate property acquisitions among the three companies.
If we determine that an investment opportunity may be equally appropriate for more than one entity, then the entity that has had the longest period of time elapse since it was allocated an investment opportunity will be allocated such investment opportunity, subject to an expected right of first offer to be provided to REIT III. There can be no assurance that these policies will be adequate to address all of the conflicts that may arise or will address such conflicts in a manner that is favorable to us. Further, under our advisory agreements with REIT II and REIT III, we receive fees for various services, including, but not limited to, the day-to-day management of the Phillips Edison-sponsored REITs and transaction-related services. The terms of these advisory agreements were not the result of arm’s-length negotiations between independent parties and, as a result, the terms of these agreements may not be as favorable to us as they would have been if we had negotiated these agreements with unaffiliated third parties.
The Operating Partnership’s limited partnership agreement grants certain rights and protections to the limited partners, which may prevent or delay a change of control transaction that might involve a premium price for our shares of common stock.
In connection with the PELP transaction, we amended and restated the Operating Partnership’s limited partnership agreement to, among other things, grant certain rights and protections to the limited partners, including granting limited partners the right to consent to a change of control transaction. Furthermore, Mr. Edison currently has voting control over approximately 9.6% of the Operating Partnership’s operating partnership units (inclusive of those owned by us) and therefore could have a significant influence over votes on change of control transactions.

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Our future results will suffer if we do not effectively manage our expanded portfolio and operations.
With the closing of the PELP transaction, we have an expanded portfolio and operations, and likely will continue to expand our operations through additional acquisitions and other strategic transactions, some of which may involve complex challenges. Our future success will depend, in part, upon our ability to manage expansion opportunities, integrate new operations into our existing business in an efficient and timely manner, successfully monitor our operations, costs, regulatory compliance and service quality and maintain other necessary internal controls.
There can be no assurance, however, regarding when or to what extent we will be able to realize the benefits of the PELP transaction, which may be difficult, unpredictable and subject to delays. We will be required to devote significant management attention and resources to integrating our business practices and operations with the newly acquired companies. It is possible that the integration process could result in the distraction of our management, the disruption of our ongoing business or inconsistencies in our operations, services, standards, controls, procedures and policies, any of which could adversely affect our ability to maintain relationships with operators, vendors and employees or to fully achieve the anticipated benefits of the PELP transaction. There may also be potential unknown or unforeseen liabilities, increased expenses, or delays associated with integrating the companies we acquired in the PELP transaction.
There can be no assurance that our expansion or acquisition opportunities will be successful, or that it will realize our expected operating efficiencies, cost savings, revenue enhancements, synergies or other benefits.
We cannot assure stockholders that we will be able to continue paying distributions at the rate currently paid.
We expect to continue our current distribution practices following the closing of the PELP transaction. Stockholders however may not receive distributions following the closing of the PELP transaction equivalent to those previously paid by us for various reasons, including the following:
as a result of the PELP transaction and the issuance of OP Units in connection with the PELP transaction, the total amount of cash required for us to pay distributions at our current rate has increased;
we may not have enough cash to pay such distributions due to changes in our cash requirements, indebtedness, capital spending plans, cash flows or financial position or as a result of unknown or unforeseen liabilities incurred in connection with the PELP transaction;
decisions on whether, when and in what amounts to make any future distributions will remain at all times entirely at the discretion of the Board, which reserves the right to change our distribution practices at any time and for any reason; and
our Board may elect to retain cash to maintain or improve our credit ratings and financial position.
Existing and future stockholders have no contractual or other legal right to distributions that have not been declared.
We may be liable for potentially large, unanticipated costs arising from our acquisition of companies contributed in the PELP transaction.
Prior to completing the PELP transaction, we performed certain due diligence reviews of the business of PELP. Our due diligence review may not have adequately uncovered all of the contingent or undisclosed liabilities we may incur as a consequence of the PELP transaction. Any such liabilities could cause us to experience potentially significant losses, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, we have agreed to honor and fulfill, following the closing, the rights to indemnification and exculpation from liabilities for acts or omissions occurring at or prior to the closing now existing in favor of a manager, director, officer, trustee, agent or fiduciary of any company contributed under the PELP transaction or subsidiary contained in (i) the organizational documents of such company or subsidiary and (ii) all existing indemnification agreements of such companies and their subsidiaries. For six years after the closing, we may not amend, modify or repeal the organizational documents of companies contributed under the PELP transaction and their subsidiaries in any way that would adversely affect such rights. We may incur substantial costs to address such claims and are limited in our ability to modify such indemnification obligations.
The tax protection agreement, during its term, could limit the Operating Partnership’s ability to sell or otherwise dispose of certain properties and may require the Operating Partnership to maintain certain debt levels that otherwise would not be required to operate its business.
We and the Operating Partnership entered into a tax protection agreement at closing of the PELP transaction, pursuant to which if the Operating Partnership (i) sells, exchanges, transfers, conveys or otherwise disposes of certain properties in a taxable transaction for a period of ten years commencing on the closing, or (ii) fails, prior to the expiration of such period, to maintain minimum levels of indebtedness that would be allocable to each protected partner for tax purposes or, alternatively, fails to offer such protected partners the opportunity to guarantee specific types of the Operating Partnership s indebtedness in order to enable such partners to continue to defer certain tax liabilities, the Operating Partnership will indemnify each affected protected partner against certain resulting tax liabilities. Therefore, although it may be in the stockholders’ best interest for us to cause the Operating Partnership to sell, exchange, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of one of these properties, it may be economically prohibitive for us to do so during the 10-year protection period because of these indemnity obligations. Moreover, these obligations may require us to cause the Operating Partnership to maintain more or different indebtedness than we would otherwise require for our business. As a result, the tax protection agreement will, during its term, restrict our ability to take actions or make decisions that otherwise would be in our best interests.
General Risks Related to Investments in Real Estate
Economic and regulatory changes that impact the real estate market generally may decrease the value of our investments and weaken our operating results.
Our properties and their performance are subject to the risks typically associated with real estate, including:
downturns in national, regional, and local economic conditions;

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increased competition for real estate assets targeted by our investment strategy;
adverse local conditions, such as oversupply or reduction in demand for similar properties in an area and changes in real estate zoning laws that may reduce the desirability of real estate in an area;
vacancies, changes in market rental rates and the need to periodically repair, renovate and re-let space;
changes in interest rates and the availability of permanent mortgage financing, which may render the sale of a property or loan difficult or unattractive;
changes in tax, real estate, environmental, and zoning laws;
periods of high interest rates and tight money supply; and
the illiquidity of real estate investments generally.
Any of the above factors, or a combination thereof, could result in a decrease in the value of our investments, which would have an adverse effect on our operations, on our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and on the value of our stockholders’ investments.
We depend on our tenants for revenue, and, accordingly, our revenue and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders is dependent upon the success and economic viability of our tenants.
We depend upon tenants for revenue. Rising vacancies across commercial real estate result in increased pressure on real estate investors and their property managers to find new tenants and keep existing tenants. A property may incur vacancies either by the expiration of a tenant lease, the continued default of a tenant under its lease or the early termination of a lease by a tenant. If vacancies continue for a long period of time, we may suffer reduced revenues resulting in less cash available to distribute to stockholders. In order to maintain tenants, we may have to offer inducements, such as free rent and tenant improvements, to compete for attractive tenants. In addition, if we are unable to attract additional or replacement tenants, the resale value of the property could be diminished, even below our cost to acquire the property, because the market value of a particular property depends principally upon the value of the cash flow generated by the leases associated with that property. Such a reduction on the resale value of a property could also reduce the value of our stockholders’ investments.
Our revenue will be affected by the success and economic viability of our anchor retail tenants. Our reliance on single or significant tenants in certain buildings may decrease our ability to lease vacated space and adversely affect the returns on our stockholders’ investments.
In the retail sector, a tenant occupying all or a large portion of the gross leasable area of a retail center, commonly referred to as an anchor tenant, may become insolvent, may suffer a downturn in business, may decide not to renew its lease, or may decide to cease its operations at the retail center but continue to pay rent. Any of these events could result in a reduction or cessation in rental payments to us and could adversely affect our financial condition. A lease termination or cessation of operations by an anchor tenant could result in lease terminations or reductions in rent by other tenants whose leases may permit cancellation or rent reduction if another tenant terminates its lease or ceases its operations at that shopping center. In such event, we may be unable to re-lease the vacated space. Similarly, the leases of some anchor tenants may permit the anchor tenant to transfer its lease to another retailer. The transfer to a new anchor tenant could cause customer traffic in the retail center to decrease and thereby reduce the income generated by that retail center. A lease transfer to a new anchor tenant could also allow other tenants to make reduced rental payments or to terminate their leases. In the event that we are unable to re-lease the vacated space to a new anchor tenant, we may incur additional expenses in order to re-model the space to be able to re-lease the space to more than one tenant.
E-commerce can have a negative impact on our business.
The use of the internet by consumers continues to gain popularity and the migration towards e-commerce is expected to continue. This increase in internet sales could result in a downturn in the business of our current tenants in their “brick and mortar” locations and could affect the way future tenants lease space. While we devote considerable effort and resources to analyze and respond to tenant trends, preferences and consumer spending patterns, we cannot predict with certainty what future tenants will want, what future retail spaces will look like and how much revenue will be generated at traditional “brick and mortar” locations. If we are unable to anticipate and respond promptly to trends in the market, our occupancy levels and rental amounts may decline.
If we enter into long-term leases with retail tenants, those leases may not result in fair value over time.
Long-term leases do not typically allow for significant changes in rental payments and do not expire in the near term. If we do not accurately judge the potential for increases in market rental rates when negotiating these long-term leases, significant increases in future property operating costs could result in receiving less than fair value from these leases. Such circumstances would adversely affect our revenues and funds available for distribution.
The bankruptcy or insolvency of a major tenant may adversely impact our operations and our ability to pay distributions to stockholders.
The bankruptcy or insolvency of a significant tenant or a number of smaller tenants may have an adverse impact on financial condition and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders. Generally, under bankruptcy law, a debtor tenant has 120 days to exercise the option of assuming or rejecting the obligations under any unexpired lease for nonresidential real property, which period may be extended once by the bankruptcy court. If the tenant assumes its lease, the tenant must cure all defaults under the lease and may be required to provide adequate assurance of its future performance under the lease. If the tenant rejects the lease, we will have a claim against the tenant’s bankruptcy estate. Although rent owing for the period between filing for bankruptcy and rejection of the lease may be afforded administrative expense priority and paid in full, pre- bankruptcy arrears and amounts owing under the remaining term of the lease will be afforded general unsecured claim status (absent collateral securing the claim). Moreover, amounts owing under the remaining term of the lease will be capped. Other than equity and subordinated claims, general unsecured claims are the last claims paid in a bankruptcy, and therefore, funds may not be available to pay such claims in full. See Item 2. Properties, for information related to concentration of our tenants.

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We may be restricted from re-leasing space at our retail properties.
Leases with retail tenants may contain provisions giving the particular tenant the exclusive right to sell particular types of merchandise or provide specific types of services within the particular retail center. These provisions may limit the number and types of prospective tenants interested in leasing space in a particular retail property.
Competition with third parties in acquiring properties and other investments may reduce our profitability and the return on our stockholders’ investments.
We face competition from various entities for investment opportunities in retail properties, including other REITs, pension funds, insurance companies, investment funds and companies, partnerships, and developers. Many of these entities have substantially greater financial resources than we do and may be able to accept more risk than we can prudently manage, including risks with respect to the creditworthiness of a tenant or the geographic location of its investments. Competition from these entities may reduce the number of suitable investment opportunities offered to us or increase the bargaining power of property owners seeking to sell.
In our due diligence review of potential investments, we may rely on third-party consultants and advisors and representations made by sellers of potential portfolio properties, and we may not identify all relevant facts that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating potential investments.
Before making investments, we will typically conduct due diligence that we deem reasonable and appropriate based on the facts and circumstances applicable to each investment. Due diligence may entail evaluation of important and complex business, financial, tax, accounting, environmental and legal issues. Outside consultants, legal advisors, accountants, investment banks and other third parties may be involved in the due diligence process to varying degrees depending on the type of investment, the costs of which will be borne by us. Such involvement of third-party advisors or consultants may present a number of risks primarily relating to our reduced control of the functions that are outsourced. In addition, if we are unable to timely engage third-party providers, the ability to evaluate and acquire more complex targets could be adversely affected. When conducting due diligence and making an assessment regarding a potential investment, we will rely on the resources available to us, including information provided by the target of the investment and, in some circumstances, third-party investigations. The due diligence investigation that the we carry out with respect to any investment opportunity may not reveal or highlight all relevant facts that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating such investment opportunity. Moreover, such an investigation will not necessarily result in the investment being successful. There can be no assurance that attempts to provide downside protection with respect to investments, including pursuant to risk management procedures described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, will achieve their desired effect and potential investors should regard an investment in us as being speculative and having a high degree of risk.
There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect or prevent irregular accounting, employee misconduct or other fraudulent practices during the due diligence phase or during our efforts to monitor the investment on an ongoing basis or that any risk management procedures implemented by us will be adequate. In the event of fraud by the seller of any portfolio property, we may suffer a partial or total loss of capital invested in that property. An additional concern is the possibility of material misrepresentation or omission on the part of the seller. Such inaccuracy or incompleteness may adversely affect the value of our investments in such portfolio property. We will rely upon the accuracy and completeness of representations made by sellers of portfolio properties in the due diligence process to the extent reasonable when we make our investments, but cannot guarantee such accuracy or completeness.
We may be unable to successfully integrate and operate acquired properties, which may have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.
Even if we are able to make acquisitions on favorable terms, we may not be able to successfully integrate and operate them. We may be required to invest significant capital and resources after an acquisition to maintain or grow the properties that we acquire. In addition, we may need to adapt our management, administrative, accounting, and operational systems, or hire and retain sufficient operational staff, to integrate and manage successfully any future acquisitions of additional assets. These and other integration efforts may disrupt our operations, divert management’s attention away from day-to-day operations and cause us to incur unanticipated costs. The difficulties of integration may be increased by the necessity of coordinating operations in geographically dispersed locations. Our failure to integrate successfully any acquisitions into our portfolio could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results. Further, acquired properties may have liabilities or adverse operating issues that we fail to discover through due diligence prior to the acquisition. The failure to discover such issues prior to such acquisition could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our properties may be subject to impairment charges.
We routinely evaluate our real estate investments for impairment indicators. The judgment regarding the existence of impairment indicators is based on factors such as market conditions, tenant performance and lease structure. For example, the early termination of, or default under, a lease by a tenant may lead to an impairment charge. Since our investment focus is on properties net leased to a single tenant, the financial failure of, or other default by, a single tenant under its lease may result in a significant impairment loss. If we determine that an impairment has occurred, we would be required to make a downward adjustment to the net carrying value of the property, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which the impairment charge is recorded. Negative developments in the real estate market may cause us to reevaluate the business and macro-economic assumptions used in its impairment analysis. Changes in our assumptions based on actual results may have a material impact on our financial statements.
We may obtain only limited warranties when we purchase a property and would have only limited recourse in the event our due diligence did not identify any issues that lower the value of our property.
The seller of a property often sells the property in its “as is” condition on a “where is” basis and “with all faults,” without any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular use or purpose. In addition, purchase agreements may contain only limited warranties, representations and indemnifications that will only survive for a limited period after the closing. The

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purchase of properties with limited warranties increases the risk that we may lose some or all of our invested capital in the property, as well as the loss of rental income from that property.
Changes in supply of or demand for similar real properties in a particular area may increase the price of real properties we seek to purchase and decrease the price of real properties when we seek to sell them.
The real estate industry is subject to market forces. We are unable to predict certain market changes, including changes in supply of, or demand for, similar real properties in a particular area. Any potential purchase of an overpriced asset could decrease our rate of return on these investments and result in lower operating results and overall returns to our stockholders.
Our portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of industries, geographies or investments.
Our portfolio may be heavily concentrated at any time in only a limited number of industries, geographies or investments, and, as a consequence, our aggregate return may be substantially affected by the unfavorable performance of even a single investment. As of December 31, 2017, approximately 14.8% and 10.2% of our properties were located in Florida and Georgia, respectively. To the extent we concentrate our investments in a particular type of asset or geography, our portfolio may become more susceptible to fluctuations in value resulting from adverse economic or business conditions affecting that particular type of asset or geography. For investments that we plan to finance (directly or by selling assets), there is a risk that such financing may not be completed, which could result in us holding a larger percentage of our assets in a single investment and asset type than desired. Investors have no assurance as to the degree of diversification in our investments, either by geographic region or asset type.
We may be unable to adjust our portfolio in response to changes in economic or other conditions or sell a property if or when we decide to do so, limiting our ability to pay cash distributions to our stockholders.
Many factors that are beyond our control affect the real estate market and could affect our ability to sell properties on the terms that we desire. These factors include general economic conditions, the availability of financing, interest rates and other factors, including supply and demand. Because real estate investments are relatively illiquid, we have a limited ability to vary our portfolio in response to changes in economic or other conditions. Further, before we can sell a property on the terms we want, it may be necessary to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements. However, we can give no assurance that we will have the funds available to correct such defects or to make such improvements. We may be unable to sell our properties at a profit. Our inability to sell properties on the terms we want could reduce our cash flow and limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and could reduce the value of our stockholders’ investments. Moreover, in acquiring a property, we may agree to restrictions that prohibit the sale of that property for a period of time or impose other restrictions, such as a limitation on the amount of debt that can be placed or repaid on that property. We cannot predict the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to close the sale of a property. Our inability to sell a property when we desire to do so may cause us to reduce our selling price for the property. Any delay in our receipt of proceeds, or diminishment of proceeds, from the sale of a property could adversely affect our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
We have acquired, and may continue to acquire or finance, properties with lock-out provisions, which may prohibit us from selling a property, or may require us to maintain specified debt levels for a period of years on some properties.
A lock-out provision is a provision that prohibits the prepayment of a loan during a specified period of time. Lock-out provisions may include terms that provide strong financial disincentives for borrowers to prepay their outstanding loan balance and exist in order to protect the yield expectations of lenders. We currently own properties, and may acquire additional properties in the future, that are subject to lock-out provisions. Lock-out provisions could materially restrict us from selling or otherwise disposing of or refinancing properties when we may desire to do so. Lock-out provisions may prohibit us from reducing the outstanding indebtedness with respect to any properties, refinancing such indebtedness on a non-recourse basis at maturity, or increasing the amount of indebtedness with respect to such properties. Lock-out provisions could impair our ability to take other actions during the lock-out period that could be in the best interests of our stockholders and, therefore, may have an adverse impact on the value of our shares relative to the value that would result if the lock-out provisions did not exist. In particular, lock-out provisions could preclude us from participating in major transactions that could result in a disposition of our assets or a change in control even though that disposition or change in control might be in the best interests of our stockholders.
If we set aside insufficient capital reserves, we may be required to defer necessary capital improvements.
If we do not have enough reserves for capital to supply needed funds for capital improvements throughout the life of the investment in a property and there is insufficient cash available from our operations, we may be required to defer necessary improvements to a property, which may cause that property to suffer from a greater risk of obsolescence or a decline in value, or a greater risk of decreased cash flow as a result of fewer potential tenants being attracted to the property. If this happens, we may not be able to maintain projected rental rates for affected properties, and our results of operations may be negatively impacted.
If we are unable to obtain funding for future capital needs, cash distributions to our stockholders and the value of our investments could decline.
When tenants do not renew their leases or otherwise vacate their space, we will often need to expend substantial funds for improvements to the vacated space in order to attract replacement tenants. Even when tenants do renew their leases, we may agree to make improvements to their space as part of our negotiation. If we need additional capital in the future to improve or maintain our properties or for any other reason, we may have to obtain financing from sources, beyond our funds from operations, such as borrowings or future equity offerings. These sources of funding may not be available on attractive terms or at all. If we cannot procure additional funding for capital improvements, our investments may generate lower cash flows or decline in value, or both, which would limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and could reduce the value of your investment.

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Our operating expenses may increase in the future, and, to the extent such increases cannot be passed on to tenants, our cash flow and our operating results would decrease.
Operating expenses, such as expenses for fuel, utilities, labor and insurance, are not fixed and may increase in the future. There is no guarantee that we will be able to pass such increases on to our tenants. To the extent such increases cannot be passed on to tenants, any such increase would cause our cash flow and our operating results to decrease.
Our real properties are subject to property and other taxes that may increase in the future, which could adversely affect our cash flow.
Our real properties are subject to property and other taxes that may increase as tax rates change and as the real properties are assessed or reassessed by taxing authorities. We anticipate that certain of our leases will generally provide that the property taxes, or increases therein, are charged to the lessees as an expense related to the real properties that they occupy, while other leases will generally provide that we are responsible for such taxes. In any case, as the owner of the properties, we are ultimately responsible for payment of the taxes to the applicable government authorities. If real property taxes increase, our tenants may be unable to make the required tax payments, ultimately requiring us to pay the taxes even if otherwise stated under the terms of the lease. If we fail to pay any such taxes, the applicable taxing authority may place a lien on the real property and the real property may be subject to a tax sale. In addition, we are generally responsible for real property taxes related to any vacant space.
Uninsured losses relating to real property or excessively expensive premiums for insurance coverage could reduce our cash flows and the return on our stockholders’ investments.
We will attempt to adequately insure all of our real properties against casualty losses. There are types of losses, generally catastrophic in nature, such as losses due to wars, acts of terrorism, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, pollution or environmental matters, that are uninsurable or not economically insurable, or may be insured subject to limitations, such as large deductibles or co-payments. Insurance risks associated with potential acts of terrorism could sharply increase the premiums we pay for coverage against property and casualty claims. Additionally, mortgage lenders in some cases have begun to insist that commercial property owners purchase coverage against terrorism as a condition for providing mortgage loans. Such insurance policies may not be available at reasonable costs, if at all, which could inhibit our ability to finance or refinance our properties. In such instances, we may be required to provide other financial support, either through financial assurances or self-insurance, to cover potential losses. We may not have adequate, or any, coverage for such losses. Changes in the cost or availability of insurance could expose us to uninsured casualty losses. If any of our properties incur a casualty loss that is not fully insured, the value of our assets will be reduced by any such uninsured loss, which may reduce the value of our stockholders’ investments. In addition, other than any working capital reserve or other reserves we may establish, we have no source of funding to repair or reconstruct any uninsured property. Also, to the extent we must pay unexpectedly large amounts for insurance, we could suffer reduced earnings that would result in lower distributions to stockholders. The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 is designed for a sharing of terrorism losses between insurance companies and the federal government.
Costs of complying with governmental laws and regulations related to environmental protection and human health and safety may reduce our net income and the cash available for distributions to our stockholders.
Real property and the operations conducted on real property are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to protection of the environment and human health. We could be subject to liability in the form of fines, penalties or damages for noncompliance with these laws and regulations. These laws and regulations generally govern wastewater discharges, air emissions, the operation and removal of underground and above-ground storage tanks, the use, storage, treatment, transportation and disposal of solid and hazardous materials, the remediation of contamination associated with the release or disposal of solid and hazardous materials, the presence of toxic building materials, and other health and safety- related concerns.
Some of these laws and regulations may impose joint and several liability on the tenants, owners or operators of real property for the costs to investigate or remediate contaminated properties, regardless of fault, whether the contamination occurred prior to purchase, or whether the acts causing the contamination were legal. Our tenants’ operations, the condition of properties at the time we buy them, operations in the vicinity of our properties, such as the presence of underground storage tanks, or activities of unrelated third parties may affect our properties.
The presence of hazardous substances, or the failure to properly manage or remediate these substances, may hinder our ability to sell, rent or pledge such property as collateral for future borrowings. Environmental laws also may impose liens on property or restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures or prevent us from entering into leases with prospective tenants that may be impacted by such laws. Some of these laws and regulations have been amended so as to require compliance with new or more stringent standards as of future dates. Compliance with new or more stringent laws or regulations or stricter interpretation of existing laws may require us to incur material expenditures. Future laws, ordinances or regulations may impose material environmental liability. Any material expenditures, fines, penalties, or damages we must pay will reduce our ability to make distributions and may reduce the value of our stockholders’ investments.
The costs of defending against claims of environmental or personal injury liability, or of paying such claims could reduce the amounts available for distribution to our stockholders.
Environmental laws provide for sanctions for noncompliance and may be enforced by governmental agencies or, in certain circumstances, by private parties. Certain environmental laws and common law principles could be used to impose liability for the release of and exposure to hazardous substances, including asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paint. Third parties may seek recovery from real property owners or operators for personal injury or property damage associated with exposure to released hazardous substances. The costs of defending against claims of environmental or personal injury liability or of paying such claims could reduce the amounts available for distribution to our stockholders. Generally, we expect that the real estate properties that we acquire will have been subject to Phase I environmental assessments at the time they were

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acquired. A Phase I environmental assessment or site assessment is an initial environmental investigation to identify potential environmental liabilities associated with the current and past uses of a given property.
We could become subject to liability for environmental violations, regardless of whether we caused such violations.
We could become subject to liability in the form of fines or damages for noncompliance with environmental laws and regulations. These laws and regulations generally govern wastewater discharges, air emissions, the operation and removal of underground and above-ground storage tanks, the use, storage, treatment, transportation and disposal of solid hazardous materials, the remediation of contaminated property associated with the disposal of solid and hazardous materials and other health and safety-related concerns. Some of these laws and regulations may impose joint and several liability on tenants, owners or managers for the costs of investigation or remediation of contaminated properties, regardless of fault or the legality of the original disposal. Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances, and regulations, a current or former owner or manager of real property may be liable for the cost to remove or remediate hazardous or toxic substances, wastes, or petroleum products on, under, from, or in such property. These costs could be substantial and liability under these laws may attach whether or not the owner or manager knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such contamination.
Even if more than one person may have been responsible for the contamination, each liable party may be held entirely responsible for all of the clean-up costs incurred.
In addition, third parties may sue the owner or manager of a property for damages based on personal injury, natural resources, or property damage and/or for other costs, including investigation and clean-up costs, resulting from the environmental contamination. The presence of contamination on one of our properties, or the failure to properly remediate a contaminated property, could give rise to a lien in favor of the government for costs it may incur to address the contamination, or otherwise adversely affect our ability to sell or lease the property or borrow using the property as collateral. In addition, if contamination is discovered on our properties, environmental laws may impose restrictions on the manner in which the property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures or prevent us from entering into leases with prospective tenants. There can be no assurance that future laws, ordinances or regulations will not impose any material environmental liability, or that the environmental condition of our properties will not be affected by the operations of the tenants, by the existing condition of the land, by operations in the vicinity of the properties. There can be no assurance that these laws, or changes in these laws, will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Compliance or failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act could result in substantial costs and may decrease cash available for distributions.
Our properties are, or may become subject to, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (the “Disabilities Act”). Under the Disabilities Act, all places of public accommodation are required to comply with federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. The Disabilities Act has separate compliance requirements for “public accommodations” and “commercial facilities” that generally require that buildings and services be made accessible and available to people with disabilities. We may be required to make substantial capital expenditures to make upgrades at our properties or otherwise comply with Disabilities Act requirements. We are currently, and may be in the future, subject to third party and/or class action litigation with respect to Disabilities Act requirements, which could result in the imposition of injunctive relief, monetary penalties, or, in some cases, an award of damages. While we attempt to acquire properties that are already in compliance with the Disabilities Act or place the burden of compliance on the seller or other third party, such as a tenant, we cannot assure you that we will be able to acquire properties or allocate responsibilities in this manner. Any of our funds used for Disabilities Act compliance will reduce our net income and the amount of cash available for distributions to our stockholders.
Our business and operations would suffer in the event of system failures.
Despite system redundancy, the implementation of security measures and the existence of a disaster recovery plan for our internal information technology systems, our systems are vulnerable to damages from any number of sources, including computer viruses, unauthorized access, energy blackouts, natural disasters, terrorism, war, and telecommunication failures. Any system failure that causes interruptions in our operations could result in a material disruption to our business. We may also incur additional costs to remedy damages caused by such disruptions.
The occurrence of cyber incidents, or a deficiency in our cybersecurity, could negatively impact our business by causing a disruption to our operations, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information, and/or damage to our business relationships, all of which could negatively impact our financial results.
A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of our information resources. More specifically, a cyber incident is an intentional attack or an unintentional event that can include gaining unauthorized access to systems to disrupt operations, corrupt data, or steal confidential information. As our reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to our systems, both internal and those we have outsourced. Our three primary risks that could directly result from the occurrence of a cyber incident include operational interruption, damage to our relationship with our tenants, and private data exposure. We have implemented processes, procedures and controls to help mitigate these risks, but these measures, as well as our increased awareness of a risk of a cyber incident, do not guarantee that our financial results will not be negatively impacted by such an incident.

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Risks Associated with Debt Financing
We have incurred mortgage indebtedness, and we are likely to incur other indebtedness, which increases our business risks, could hinder our ability to pay distributions, and could decrease the value of your investment.
We have obtained, and are likely to continue to obtain, lines of credit and other long-term financing that are secured by our properties and other assets. Our charter does not limit the amount of funds that we may borrow. In some instances, we may acquire real properties by financing a portion of the price of the properties and mortgaging or pledging some or all of the properties purchased as security for that debt. We may also incur mortgage debt on properties that we already own in order to obtain funds to acquire additional properties. In addition, we may borrow as necessary or advisable to ensure that we maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including borrowings to satisfy the REIT requirement that we distribute at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income to our stockholders (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and excluding net capital gain). We, however, can give our stockholders no assurance that we will be able to obtain such borrowings on satisfactory terms.
High debt levels will cause us to incur higher interest charges, which would result in higher debt service payments and could be accompanied by restrictive covenants. If we do mortgage a property and there is a shortfall between the cash flow from that property and the cash flow needed to service mortgage debt on that property, then the amount of cash available for distributions to stockholders may be reduced. In addition, incurring mortgage debt increases the risk of loss of a property since defaults on indebtedness secured by a property may result in lenders initiating foreclosure actions. In that case, we could lose the property securing the loan that is in default, reducing the value of our stockholders’ investments. For tax purposes, a foreclosure of any of our properties would be treated as a sale of the property for a purchase price equal to the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage. If the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage exceeds our tax basis in the property, we would recognize taxable income on foreclosure even though we would not necessarily receive any cash proceeds. We may give full or partial guaranties to lenders of mortgage debt on behalf of the entities that own our properties. When we give a guaranty on behalf of an entity that owns one of our properties, we will be responsible to the lender for satisfaction of the debt if it is not paid by such entity. If any mortgages contain cross- collateralization or cross-default provisions, a default on a single property could affect multiple properties.
We may also obtain recourse debt to finance our acquisitions and meet our REIT distribution requirements. If we have insufficient income to service our recourse debt obligations, our lenders could institute proceedings against us to foreclose upon our assets. If a lender successfully forecloses upon any of our assets, our ability to pay cash distributions to our stockholders will be limited, and our stockholders could lose all or part of their investment.
Increases in interest rates could increase the amount of our loan payments and adversely affect our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
Interest we pay on our loan obligations will reduce cash available for distributions. If we obtain variable rate loans, increases in interest rates would increase our interest costs, which would reduce our cash flows and our ability to pay distributions to stockholders. In addition, if we need to repay existing loans during periods of rising interest rates, we could be required to liquidate one or more of our investments in properties at times which may not permit realization of the maximum return on such investments.
If mortgage debt is unavailable at reasonable rates, we may not be able to finance the purchase of properties. If we place mortgage debt on properties, we run the risk of being unable to refinance the properties when the debt becomes due or of being unable to refinance on favorable terms. If interest rates are higher when we refinance the properties, our income could be reduced. We may be unable to refinance properties. If any of these events occurs, our cash flow would be reduced. This, in turn, would reduce cash available for distribution to our stockholders and may hinder our ability to raise capital by issuing more stock or borrowing more money.
We may not be able to access financing or refinancing sources on attractive terms, which could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.
We may finance our assets over the long-term through a variety of means, including repurchase agreements, credit facilities, issuance of commercial mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations and other structured financings. Our ability to execute this strategy will depend on various conditions in the markets for financing in this manner that are beyond our control, including lack of liquidity and greater credit spreads. We cannot be certain that these markets will remain an efficient source of long-term financing for our assets. If our strategy is not viable, we will have to find alternative forms of long-term financing for our assets, as secured revolving credit facilities and repurchase facilities may not accommodate long-term financing. This could subject us to more recourse indebtedness and the risk that debt service on less efficient forms of financing would require a larger portion of our cash flows, thereby reducing cash available for distribution to our stockholders and funds available for operations as well as for future business opportunities.
Lenders may require us to enter into restrictive covenants relating to our operations, which could limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
When providing financing, a lender may impose restrictions on us that affect our distribution and operating policies and our ability to incur additional debt. Loan agreements into which we enter may contain covenants that limit our ability to further mortgage a property, discontinue insurance coverage or replace PE-NTR. In addition, loan documents may limit our ability to replace a property’s property manager or terminate certain operating or lease agreements related to a property. These or other limitations would decrease our operating flexibility and our ability to achieve our operating objectives, which may adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

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Our derivative financial instruments that we use to hedge against interest rate fluctuations may not be successful in mitigating our risks associated with interest rates and could reduce the overall returns on our stockholders’ investment.
We use derivative financial instruments to hedge exposures to changes in interest rates on loans secured by our assets, but no hedging strategy can protect us completely. We cannot assure our stockholders that our hedging strategy and the derivatives that we use will adequately offset the risk of interest rate volatility or that our hedging transactions will not result in losses. In addition, the use of such instruments may reduce the overall return on our investments. These instruments may also generate income that may not be treated as qualifying REIT income for purposes of the 75% or 95% REIT income test.
Interest-only indebtedness may increase our risk of default and ultimately may reduce our funds available for distribution to our stockholders.
We have financed certain of our property acquisitions using interest-only mortgage indebtedness. During the interest-only period, the amount of each scheduled payment is less than that of a traditional amortizing mortgage loan. The principal balance of the mortgage loan will not be reduced (except in the case of prepayments) because there are no scheduled monthly payments of principal during this period. After the interest-only period, we will be required either to make scheduled payments of amortized principal and interest or to make a lump-sum or balloon payment at maturity. These required principal or balloon payments will increase the amount of our scheduled payments and may increase our risk of default under the related mortgage loan. If the mortgage loan has an adjustable interest rate, the amount of our scheduled payments also may increase at a time of rising interest rates. Increased payments and substantial principal or balloon maturity payments will reduce the funds available for distribution to our stockholders because cash otherwise available for distribution will be required to pay principal and interest associated with these mortgage loans.
If we enter into financing arrangements involving balloon payment obligations, it may adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
Some of our financing arrangements may require us to make a lump-sum or “balloon” payment at maturity. Our ability to make a balloon payment at maturity is uncertain and may depend upon our ability to obtain additional financing or our ability to sell the property. At the time the balloon payment is due, we may or may not be able to refinance the balloon payment on terms as favorable as the original loan or sell the property at a price sufficient to make the balloon payment. The effect of a refinancing or sale could affect the rate of return to stockholders and the projected time of disposition of our assets. In addition, payments of principal and interest made to service our debts may leave us with insufficient cash to pay the distributions that we are required to pay to maintain our qualification as a REIT. Any of these results would have a significant, negative impact on our stockholders’ investments.
Risks Related to our Organization and Qualification as a REIT
Our stockholders have limited control over changes in our policies and operations, which increases the uncertainty and risks our stockholders face.
Our Board determines our major policies, including our policies regarding financing, growth, debt capitalization, REIT qualification and distributions. Our Board may amend or revise these and other policies without a vote of the stockholders. Under the Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter, our stockholders have a right to vote only on limited matters. Our board’s broad discretion in setting policies and our stockholders’ inability to exert control over those policies increases the uncertainty and risks our stockholders face.
We may change our targeted investments without stockholder consent.
Our portfolio is primarily invested in well-occupied, grocery-anchored neighborhood and community shopping centers leased to a mix of national, creditworthy retailers selling necessity-based goods and services in strong demographic markets throughout the United States. Though this is our current target portfolio, we may make adjustments to our target portfolio based on real estate market conditions and investment opportunities, and we may change our targeted investments and investment guidelines at any time without the consent of our stockholders, which could result in our making investments that are different from, and possibly riskier than, our current targeted investments. A change in our targeted investments or investment guidelines may increase our exposure to interest rate risk, default risk and real estate market fluctuations, all of which could adversely affect the value of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
Our stockholders’ interests in us will be diluted if we issue additional shares, which could reduce the overall value of our stockholders’ investment.
Our common stockholders do not have preemptive rights to any shares we issue in the future. Our charter authorizes us to issue 1.01 billion shares of capital stock, of which 1 billion shares are designated as common stock and 0.01 billion shares are designated as preferred stock. Our Board may amend our charter to increase or decrease the number of authorized shares of capital stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue without stockholder approval. Additionally, our board may elect to (1) sell additional shares in the DRIP and future public offerings, (2) issue equity interests in private offerings, (3) issue share-based awards to our independent directors or to our officers or employees, or (4) issue shares of our common stock to sellers of properties or assets we acquire in connection with an exchange of limited partnership interests of the Operating Partnership. To the extent we issue additional equity interests, our stockholders’ ownership interest in us will be diluted. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any additional offerings and the value of our real estate investments, our investors may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of their shares.

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Although we are not currently afforded the protection of the Maryland General Corporation Law relating to deterring or defending hostile takeovers, our Board could opt into these provisions of Maryland law in the future, which may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and may prevent our stockholders from receiving a premium price for their stock in connection with a business combination.
Under Maryland law, “business combinations” between a Maryland corporation and certain interested stockholders or affiliates of interested stockholders are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange, or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. Also under Maryland law, control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by stockholders by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Should our board opt into these provisions of Maryland law, it may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer. Similarly, provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the Maryland General Corporation Law could provide similar anti-takeover protection.
Our charter limits the number of shares a person may own, which may discourage a takeover that could otherwise result in a premium price to our stockholders.
Our charter, with certain exceptions, authorizes our directors to take such actions as are necessary and desirable to preserve our qualification as a REIT. To help us comply with the REIT ownership requirements of the Code, among other purposes, our charter prohibits a person from directly or constructively owning more than 9.8% in value of our aggregate outstanding stock or more than 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of our aggregate outstanding common stock, unless exempted by our Board. This restriction may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets) that might provide a premium price for holders of our common stock.
Our charter permits our Board to issue stock with terms that may subordinate the rights of our common stockholders or discourage a third party from acquiring us in a manner that could result in a premium price to our stockholders.
Our Board may classify or reclassify any unissued common stock or preferred stock and establish the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to distributions, qualifications, and terms or conditions of redemption of any such stock. Thus, our Board could authorize the issuance of preferred stock with priority as to distributions and amounts payable upon liquidation over the rights of the holders of our common stock. Such preferred stock could also have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets) that might provide a premium price to holders of our common stock.
Because Maryland law permits our board to adopt certain anti-takeover measures without stockholder approval, investors may be less likely to receive a “control premium” for their shares.
In 1999, the State of Maryland enacted legislation that enhances the power of Maryland corporations to protect themselves from unsolicited takeovers. Among other things, the legislation permits our board, without stockholder approval, to amend our charter to:
stagger our Board into three classes;
require a two-thirds stockholder vote for removal of directors;
provide that only the board can fix the size of the board; and
require that special stockholder meetings may only be called by holders of a majority of the voting shares entitled to be cast at the meeting.
Under Maryland law, a corporation can opt to be governed by some or all of these provisions if it has a class of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act, and has at least three independent directors. Our charter does not prohibit our Board from opting into any of the above provisions permitted under Maryland law. Becoming governed by any of these provisions could discourage an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets) that might provide a premium price for holders of our securities.
Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to recover claims against our officers and directors are limited, which could reduce our stockholders' and our recovery against them if they cause us to incur losses.
Maryland law provides that a director has no liability in that capacity if he or she performs his or her duties in good faith, in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the corporation's best interests and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. Our charter, in the case of our directors, officers, employees and agents, requires us to indemnify our directors, officers, employees and agents for actions taken by them in good faith and without negligence or misconduct. Additionally, our charter limits the liability of our directors and officers for monetary damages to the maximum extent permitted under Maryland law. As a result, we and our stockholders may have more limited rights against our directors, officers, employees and agents, than might otherwise exist under common law, which could reduce our stockholders' and our recovery against them. In addition, we may be obligated to fund the defense costs incurred by our directors, officers, employees and agents in some cases which would decrease the cash otherwise available for distribution to stockholders.
If the Operating Partnership fails to qualify as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would fail to qualify as a REIT and suffer other adverse consequences.
We believe that the Operating Partnership is organized and will be operated in a manner so as to be treated as a partnership, and not an association or publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a partnership, the Operating Partnership will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its income. Instead, each of its partners, including us, will be allocated that partner’s share of the Operating Partnership’s income. No assurance can be

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provided, however, that the Internal Revenue Service will not challenge the Operating Partnership’s status as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, or that a court would not sustain such a challenge. If the Internal Revenue Service were successful in treating the Operating Partnership as an association or publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would fail to meet the gross income tests and certain of the asset tests applicable to REITs and, accordingly, would cease to qualify as a REIT. Also, the failure of the Operating Partnership to qualify as a partnership would cause it to become subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax, which would reduce significantly the amount of its cash available for debt service and for distribution to its partners, including us.
The Operating Partnership has a carryover tax basis on certain of its assets as a result of the PELP transaction, and the amount that we have to distribute to stockholders therefore may be higher.
As a result of the PELP transaction, certain of the Operating Partnership’s properties have carryover tax bases that are lower than the fair market values of these properties at the time of the acquisition. As a result of this lower aggregate tax basis, the Operating Partnership will recognize higher taxable gain upon the sale of these assets, and the Operating Partnership will be entitled to lower depreciation deductions on these assets than if it had purchased these properties in taxable transactions at the time of the acquisition. Such lower depreciation deductions and increased gains on sales allocated to us generally will increase the amount of our required distribution under the REIT rules, and will decrease the portion of any distribution that otherwise would have been treated as a “return of capital” distribution.
We intend to use TRSs, which may cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT.
To qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we hold, and plan to continue to hold, our non-qualifying REIT assets and conduct our non-qualifying REIT income activities in or through one or more TRSs. A TRS is a corporation other than a REIT in which a REIT directly or indirectly holds stock, and that has made a joint election with such REIT to be treated as a TRS. A TRS also includes any corporation other than a REIT with respect to which a TRS owns securities possessing more than 35% of the total voting power or value of the outstanding securities of such corporation. Other than some activities relating to lodging and health care facilities, a TRS may generally engage in any business, including the provision of customary or non- customary services to tenants of its parent REIT. A TRS is subject to income tax as a regular C-corporation.
The net income of our TRSs is not required to be distributed to us and income that is not distributed to us will generally not be subject to the REIT income distribution requirement. However, our TRS may pay dividends. Such dividend income should qualify under the 95%, but not the 75%, gross income test. We will monitor the amount of the dividend and other income from our TRS and will take actions intended to keep this income, and any other non-qualifying income, within the limitations of the REIT income tests. While we expect these actions will prevent a violation of the REIT income tests, we cannot guarantee that such actions will in all cases prevent such a violation.
Our ownership of TRSs will be subject to limitations that could prevent us from growing our management business and our transactions with our TRSs could cause us to be subject to a 100% penalty tax on certain income or deductions if those transactions are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis.
Overall, (i) for taxable years beginning prior to January 1, 2018, no more than 25% of the value of a REIT’s gross assets, and (ii) for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, no more than 20% of the value of a REIT’s gross assets, may consist of interests in TRSs; compliance with this limitation could limit our ability to grow our management business. In addition, the Internal Revenue Code limits the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a TRS to its parent REIT to assure that the TRS is subject to an appropriate level of corporate taxation. The Internal Revenue Code also imposes a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis. We will monitor the value of investments in our TRSs in order to ensure compliance with TRS ownership limitations and will structure our transactions with our TRSs on terms that we believe are arm’s-length to avoid incurring the 100% excise tax described above. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to comply with the TRS ownership limitation or be able to avoid application of the 100% excise tax.
Our failure to continue to qualify as a REIT would subject us to federal income tax and reduce cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
We elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Code commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2010. We intend to continue to operate in a manner so as to continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. Qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Code provisions for which only a limited number of judicial and administrative interpretations exist. Even an inadvertent or technical mistake could jeopardize our REIT status. Our continued qualification as a REIT will depend on our satisfaction of certain asset, income, organizational, distribution, stockholder ownership and other requirements on a continuing basis. Moreover, new tax legislation, administrative guidance or court decisions, in each instance potentially with retroactive effect, could make it more difficult or impossible for us to continue to qualify as a REIT. If we fail to continue to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we would be subject to federal and applicable state and local income tax on our taxable income at corporate rates, in which case we might be required to borrow or liquidate some investments in order to pay the applicable tax. Losing our REIT status would reduce our net income available for investment or distribution to you because of the additional tax liability. In addition, distributions to our stockholders would no longer qualify for the dividends-paid deduction and we would no longer be required to make distributions. Furthermore, if we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year for which we have elected to be taxed as a REIT, we would generally be unable to elect REIT status for the four taxable years following the year in which our REIT status is lost.
Complying with REIT requirements may force us to borrow funds to make distributions to you or otherwise depend on external sources of capital to fund such distributions.
To continue to qualify as a REIT, we are required to distribute annually at least 90% of our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments, to our stockholders. To the extent that we satisfy the distribution requirement, but distribute less than 100% of our taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on our undistributed taxable income. In addition, we may elect to retain and pay income tax on our net long-term capital gain. In that case, if we so elect, a stockholder would be taxed on its proportionate share of our undistributed long-term gain and would receive a credit or refund for its proportionate

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share of the tax we paid. A stockholder, including a tax-exempt or foreign stockholder, would have to file a federal income tax return to claim that credit or refund. Furthermore, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax if the actual amount that we distribute to our stockholders in a calendar year is less than a minimum amount specified under federal tax laws.
From time-to-time, we may generate taxable income greater than our net income (loss) for GAAP. In addition, our taxable income may be greater than our cash flow available for distribution to you as a result of, among other things, investments in assets that generate taxable income in advance of the corresponding cash flow from the assets (for instance, if a borrower defers the payment of interest in cash pursuant to a contractual right or otherwise).
If we do not have other funds available in the situations described in the preceding paragraphs, we could be required to borrow funds on unfavorable terms, sell investments at disadvantageous prices or find another alternative source of funds to make distributions sufficient to enable us to distribute enough of our taxable income to satisfy the REIT distribution requirement and to avoid corporate income tax and the 4% excise tax in a particular year. These alternatives could increase our costs or reduce our equity.
Because of the distribution requirement, it is unlikely that we will be able to fund all future capital needs, including capital needs in connection with investments, from cash retained from operations. As a result, to fund future capital needs, we likely will have to rely on third-party sources of capital, including both debt and equity financing, which may or may not be available on favorable terms or at all. Our access to third-party sources of capital will depend upon a number of factors, including our current and potential future earnings and cash distributions.
Despite our qualification for taxation as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to other tax liabilities that reduce our cash flow and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
Despite our qualification for taxation as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to certain federal, state and local taxes on our income and assets, including taxes on any undistributed income or property. Any of these taxes would decrease cash available for distribution to our stockholders. For instance:
In order to continue to qualify as a REIT, we must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which is determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction or net capital gain for this purpose) to our stockholders.
To the extent that we satisfy the distribution requirement but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on the undistributed income.
We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount, if any, by which distributions we pay in any calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of our ordinary income, 95% of our capital gain net income and 100% of our undistributed income from prior years.
If we have net income from the sale of foreclosure property that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business or other non-qualifying income from foreclosure property, we must pay a tax on that income at the highest corporate income tax rate.
If we sell an asset, other than foreclosure property, that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business and do not qualify for a safe harbor in the Code, our gain would be subject to the 100% “prohibited transaction” tax.
Any domestic taxable REIT subsidiary, or TRS, of ours will be subject to federal corporate income tax on its income, and on any non-arm’s-length transactions between us and any TRS, for instance, excessive rents charged to a TRS could be subject to a 100% tax.
We may be subject to tax on income from certain activities conducted as a result of taking title to collateral.
We may be subject to state or local income, property and transfer taxes, such as mortgage recording taxes.
Complying with REIT requirements may cause us to forego otherwise attractive opportunities or liquidate otherwise attractive investments.
To continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we must continually satisfy tests concerning, among other things, the sources of our income, the nature and diversification of our assets, the amounts we distribute to stockholders and the ownership of our stock. As discussed above, we may be required to make distributions to you at disadvantageous times or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. Additionally, we may be unable to pursue investments that would be otherwise attractive to us in order to satisfy the requirements for qualifying as a REIT.
We must also ensure that at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified real estate assets, including certain mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities. The remainder of our investment in securities (other than government securities and qualified real estate assets) generally cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer. In addition, in general, no more than 5% of the value of our assets can consist of the securities of any one issuer (other than government securities and qualified real estate assets) and no more than 25% of the value of our gross assets (20% for tax years after 2017) may be represented by securities of one or more TRSs. Finally, for the taxable years after 2015, no more than 25% of our assets may consist of debt investments that are issued by “publicly offered REITs” and would not otherwise be treated as qualifying real estate assets. If we fail to comply with these requirements at the end of any calendar quarter, we must correct such failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter to avoid losing our REIT status and suffering adverse tax consequences, unless certain relief provisions apply. As a result, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of profit maximization and may require us to liquidate investments from our portfolio, or refrain from making, otherwise attractive investments. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amounts available for distribution to stockholders.

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Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively.
The REIT provisions of the Code may limit our ability to hedge our operations effectively. Our aggregate gross income from non-qualifying hedges, fees and certain other non-qualifying sources cannot exceed 5% of our annual gross income. As a result, we might have to limit our use of advantageous hedging techniques or implement those hedges through a TRS. Any hedging income earned by a TRS would be subject to federal, state and local income tax at regular corporate rates. This could increase the cost of our hedging activities or expose us to greater risks associated with interest rate or other changes than we would otherwise incur.
Liquidation of assets may jeopardize our REIT qualification.
To continue to qualify as a REIT, we must comply with requirements regarding our assets and our sources of income. If we are compelled to liquidate our investments to satisfy our obligations to our lenders, we may be unable to comply with these requirements, ultimately jeopardizing our qualification as a REIT, or we may be subject to a 100% prohibited transaction tax on any resulting gain if we sell assets that are treated as dealer property or inventory.
The prohibited transactions tax may limit our ability to engage in transactions, including disposition of assets and certain methods of securitizing loans, which would be treated as sales for federal income tax purposes.
A REIT’s net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of dealer property, other than foreclosure property, but including loans held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. We might be subject to the prohibited transaction tax if we were to dispose of or securitize loans in a manner that is treated as a sale of the loans, for federal income tax purposes. In order to avoid the prohibited transactions tax, we may choose not to engage in certain sales of loans and may limit the structures we use for any securitization financing transactions, even though such sales or structures might otherwise be beneficial to us. Additionally, we may be subject to the prohibited transaction tax upon a disposition of real property. Although a safe-harbor exception to prohibited transaction treatment is available, we cannot assure you that we can comply with such safe harbor or that we will avoid owning property that may be characterized as held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our trade or business. Consequently, we may choose not to engage in certain sales of real property or may conduct such sales through a TRS.
It may be possible to reduce the impact of the prohibited transaction tax by conducting certain activities through a TRS. However, to the extent that we engage in such activities through a TRS, the income associated with such activities will be subject to a corporate income tax. In addition, the IRS may attempt to ignore or otherwise recast such activities in order to impose a prohibited transaction tax on us, and there can be no assurance that such recast will not be successful.
We also may not be able to use secured financing structures that would create taxable mortgage pools, other than in a TRS or through a subsidiary REIT.
We may recognize substantial amounts of REIT taxable income, which we would be required to distribute to our stockholders, in a year in which we are not profitable under GAAP principles or other economic measures.
We may recognize substantial amounts of REIT taxable income in years in which we are not profitable under GAAP or other economic measures as a result of the differences between GAAP and tax accounting methods. For instance, certain of our assets will be marked-to-market for GAAP purposes but not for tax purposes, which could result in losses for GAAP purposes that are not recognized in computing our REIT taxable income. Additionally, we may deduct our capital losses only to the extent of our capital gains in computing our REIT taxable income for a given taxable year. Consequently, we could recognize substantial amounts of REIT taxable income and would be required to distribute such income to you, in a year in which we are not profitable under GAAP or other economic measures.
REIT distribution requirements could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.
We generally must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which is determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction or net capital gain for this purpose) in order to continue to qualify as a REIT. We intend to make distributions to our stockholders to comply with the REIT requirements of the Code and to avoid corporate income tax and the 4% excise tax. We may be required to make distributions to stockholders at times when it would be more advantageous to reinvest cash in our business or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.
Our qualification as a REIT could be jeopardized as a result of an interest in joint ventures or investment funds.
We may hold certain limited partner or non-managing member interests in partnerships or limited liability companies that are joint ventures or investment funds. If a partnership or limited liability company in which we own an interest takes or expects to take actions that could jeopardize our qualification as a REIT or require us to pay tax, we may be forced to dispose of our interest in such entity. In addition, it is possible that a partnership or limited liability company could take an action which could cause us to fail a REIT gross income or asset test, and that we would not become aware of such action in time to dispose of our interest in the partnership or limited liability company or take other corrective action on a timely basis. In that case, we could fail to continue to qualify as a REIT unless we are able to qualify for a statutory REIT “savings” provision, which may require us to pay a significant penalty tax to maintain our REIT qualification.
Distributions paid by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates that apply to other corporate distributions.
The maximum tax rate for “qualified dividends” paid by corporations to non-corporate stockholders is currently 20%. Distributions paid by REITs, however, generally are taxed at ordinary income rates (subject to a maximum rate of 39.6% for non-corporate stockholders), rather than the preferential rate applicable to qualified dividends.
Legislative or regulatory tax changes could adversely affect us or stockholders.
At any time, the federal income tax laws or regulations governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be amended. We cannot predict when or if any new federal income tax law, regulation or administrative

19



interpretation, or any amendment to any existing federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, will be adopted, promulgated or become effective and any such law, regulation or interpretation may take effect retroactively. Any such change could result in an increase in our, or our stockholders’, tax liability or require changes in the manner in which we operate in order to minimize increases in our tax liability. A shortfall in tax revenues for states and municipalities in which we operate may lead to an increase in the frequency and size of such changes. If such changes occur, we may be required to pay additional taxes on our assets or income or be subject to additional restrictions. These increased tax costs could, among other things, adversely affect our financial condition, the results of operations and the amount of cash available for the payment of dividends. We and our stockholders could be adversely affected by any such change in, or any new, federal income tax law, regulation, or administrative interpretation.
On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1, known as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (the “TCJA”). The TCJA is the most far-reaching tax legislation to be passed in over 30 years. The provisions of the TCJA generally apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Significant provisions of the TCJA that investors should be aware of include provisions that: (i) lower the corporate income tax rate to 21%, (ii) provide noncorporate taxpayers with a deduction of up to 20% of certain income earned through partnerships and REITs, (iii) limits the net operating loss deduction to 80% of taxable income, where taxable income is determined without regard to the net operating loss deduction itself, generally eliminates net operating loss carrybacks and allows unused net operating losses to be carried forward indefinitely, (iv) expand the ability of businesses to deduct the cost of certain property investments in the year in which the property is purchased, and (v) generally lower tax rates for individuals and other noncorporate taxpayers, while limiting deductions such as miscellaneous itemized deductions and state and local tax deductions. In addition, the TCJA limits the deduction for net interest expense incurred by a business to 30% of the “adjusted taxable income” of the taxpayer. However, the limitation on the interest expense deduction does not apply to certain small-business taxpayers or electing real property trades or businesses, such as any real property development, redevelopment, construction, reconstruction, acquisition, conversion, rental, operation, management, leasing, or brokerage trade or business. Making the election to be treated as a real property trade or business requires the electing real property trade or business to depreciate non-residential real property, residential rental property, and qualified improvement property over a longer period using the alternative depreciation system. We generally will decide whether to make any available election to treat as a real property trade or business any direct or indirect investment made through an entity that we control.
Stockholders are urged to consult with their own tax advisors with respect to the impact that the TCJA and other legislation may have on their investment and the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on their investment in our shares.
If the fiduciary of an employee benefit plan subject to ERISA (such as a profit sharing, Section 401(k) or pension plan) or an owner of a retirement arrangement subject to Section 4975 of the Code (such as an IRA) fails to meet the fiduciary and other standards under ERISA or the Code as a result of an investment in our stock, the fiduciary could be subject to penalties and other sanctions.
There are special considerations that apply to employee benefit plans subject to ERISA (such as profit sharing, Section 401(k) or pension plans) and other retirement plans or accounts subject to Section 4975 of the Code (such as an IRA) that are investing in our shares. Fiduciaries and IRA owners investing the assets of such a plan or account in our common stock should satisfy themselves that:
the investment is consistent with their fiduciary and other obligations under ERISA and the Code;
the investment is made in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the plan or IRA, including the plan’s or account’s investment policy;
the investment satisfies the prudence and diversification requirements of Sections 404(a)(1)(B) and 404(a)(1)(C) of ERISA and other applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code;
the investment in our shares, for which no public market currently exists, is consistent with the liquidity needs of the plan or IRA;
the investment will not produce an unacceptable amount of “unrelated business taxable income” for the plan or IRA;
our stockholders will be able to comply with the requirements under ERISA and the Code to value the assets of the plan or IRA annually; and
the investment will not constitute a prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
Failure to satisfy the fiduciary standards of conduct and other applicable requirements of ERISA and the Code may result in the imposition of civil and criminal penalties and could subject the fiduciary to claims for damages or for equitable remedies, including liability for investment losses. In addition, if an investment in our shares constitutes a prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Code, the fiduciary or IRA owner who authorized or directed the investment may be subject to the imposition of excise taxes with respect to the amount invested. In addition, the investment transaction must be undone. In the case of a prohibited transaction involving an IRA owner, the IRA may be disqualified as a tax-exempt account and all of the assets of the IRA may be deemed distributed and subjected to tax. ERISA plan fiduciaries and IRA owners should consult with counsel before making an investment in our common stock.
If our assets are deemed to be plan assets, we may be exposed to liabilities under Title I of ERISA and the Code.
In some circumstances where an ERISA plan holds an interest in an entity, the assets of the entity are deemed to be ERISA plan assets unless an exception applies. This is known as the “look-through rule.” Under those circumstances, the obligations and other responsibilities of plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries and plan administrators, and of parties in interest and disqualified persons, under Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, may be applicable, and there may be liability under these and other provisions of ERISA and the Code. We believe that our assets should not be treated as plan assets because the shares should qualify as “publicly-offered securities” that are exempt from the look-through rules under applicable Treasury Regulations. We note, however, that because certain limitations are imposed upon the transferability of shares so that we may qualify as a REIT, and perhaps for other reasons, it is possible that this exemption may not apply. If that is the case, and if we are exposed to liability under ERISA or the Code, our performance and results of operations could be adversely affected.

20



If stockholders invested in our shares through an IRA or other retirement plan, they may be limited in their ability to withdraw required minimum distributions.
If stockholders established an IRA or other retirement plan through which they invested in our shares, federal law may require them to withdraw required minimum distributions (“RMDs”) from such plan in the future. Our SRP limits the amount of repurchases (other than those repurchases as a result of a stockholder’s death or disability) that can be made in a given year. Additionally, our stockholders will not be eligible to have their shares repurchased until they have held their shares for at least one year. As a result, they may not be able to have their shares repurchased at a time in which they need liquidity to satisfy the RMD requirements under their IRA or other retirement plan. Even if they are able to have their shares repurchased, our share repurchase price is based on the estimated value per share of our common stock as determined by our Board, and this value is expected to fluctuate over time. As such, a repurchase may be at a price that is less than the price at which the shares were initially purchased. If stockholders fail to withdraw RMDs from their IRA or other retirement plan, they may be subject to certain tax penalties.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not applicable.
 

21



ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Real Estate Investments
As of December 31, 2017, we owned 236 properties throughout the United States. The following table presents information regarding the geographical location of our properties by annualized base rent (“ABR”) as of December 31, 2017 (dollars and square feet in thousands). For additional portfolio information, refer to Schedule III - Real Estate Assets and Accumulated Depreciation, herein.
State
 
ABR(1)
 
% ABR
 
ABR/Leased Square Foot
 
GLA(2)
 
% GLA
 
% Leased
 
Number of Properties
Florida
 
$
35,769

 
12.8
%
 
$
12.66

 
3,069

 
11.7
%
 
92.0
%
 
35

Georgia
 
24,369

 
8.7
%
 
11.19

 
2,266

 
8.6
%
 
96.1
%
 
24

Ohio
 
24,361

 
8.7
%
 
9.49

 
2,679

 
10.2
%
 
95.8
%
 
22

California
 
20,497

 
7.3
%
 
17.70

 
1,233

 
4.7
%
 
93.9
%
 
12

Texas
 
20,235

 
7.2
%
 
13.77

 
1,560

 
5.9
%
 
94.2
%
 
10

Illinois
 
14,833

 
5.3
%
 
12.15

 
1,334

 
5.1
%
 
91.5
%
 
9

Virginia
 
14,015

 
5.0
%
 
12.16

 
1,281

 
4.9
%
 
90.0
%
 
12

North Carolina
 
11,735

 
4.2
%
 
9.72

 
1,240

 
4.7
%
 
97.3
%
 
13

South Carolina
 
10,741

 
3.8
%
 
9.40

 
1,271

 
4.8
%
 
89.9
%
 
13

Pennsylvania
 
9,903

 
3.5
%
 
10.40

 
1,025

 
3.9
%
 
92.9
%
 
6

Massachusetts
 
9,651

 
3.5
%
 
12.87

 
767

 
2.9
%
 
97.8
%
 
6

Indiana
 
8,847

 
3.2
%
 
7.68

 
1,244

 
4.7
%
 
92.6
%
 
8

Tennessee
 
7,993

 
2.9
%
 
7.79

 
1,038

 
4.0
%
 
98.8
%
 
7

Arizona
 
7,594

 
2.7
%
 
11.13

 
797

 
3.0
%
 
85.6
%
 
7

Maryland
 
6,360

 
2.3
%
 
18.82

 
347

 
1.3
%
 
97.4
%
 
3

Colorado
 
6,266

 
2.2
%
 
12.87

 
504

 
1.9
%
 
96.6
%
 
5

Oregon
 
6,221

 
2.2
%
 
13.64

 
472

 
1.8
%
 
96.6
%
 
6

Minnesota
 
5,691

 
2.0
%
 
11.73

 
493

 
1.9
%
 
98.4
%
 
6

New Mexico
 
5,484

 
2.0
%
 
13.25

 
471

 
1.8
%
 
87.9
%
 
5

Michigan
 
5,252

 
1.9
%
 
7.87

 
701

 
2.7
%
 
95.1
%
 
4

Kentucky
 
4,868

 
1.8
%
 
8.57

 
598

 
2.3
%
 
95.0
%
 
4

Wisconsin
 
4,618

 
1.7
%
 
11.46

 
423

 
1.6
%
 
95.3
%
 
5

Iowa
 
2,888

 
1.0
%
 
8.32

 
360

 
1.4
%
 
96.4
%
 
3

Washington
 
2,419

 
0.9
%
 
14.93

 
171

 
0.6
%
 
94.7
%
 
2

Nevada
 
2,307

 
0.8
%
 
18.60

 
128

 
0.5
%
 
96.9
%
 
1

Connecticut
 
1,806

 
0.6
%
 
15.18

 
124

 
0.5
%
 
96.0
%
 
1

Kansas
 
1,392

 
0.5
%
 
10.01

 
153

 
0.6
%
 
90.8
%
 
2

Alabama
 
1,018

 
0.4
%
 
6.88

 
174

 
0.7
%
 
85.1
%
 
1

Missouri
 
861

 
0.3
%
 
7.69

 
112

 
0.4
%
 
100.0
%
 
1

New Jersey
 
838

 
0.3
%
 
8.06

 
111

 
0.4
%
 
93.7
%
 
1

Mississippi
 
628

 
0.2
%
 
5.66

 
112

 
0.4
%
 
99.1
%
 
1

Utah
 
237

 
0.1
%
 
16.93

 
14

 
0.1
%
 
100.0
%
 
1

Total
 
$
279,697

 
100.0
%
 
$
11.33

 
26,272

 
100.0
%
 
93.9
%
 
236

(1) 
We calculate ABR as monthly contractual rent as of December 31, 2017, multiplied by 12 months.
(2) 
Gross leasable area (“GLA”) is defined as the portion of the total square feet of a building that is available for tenant leasing.






22



Lease Expirations
The following chart shows, on an aggregate basis, all of the scheduled lease expirations after December 31, 2017, for each of the next ten years and thereafter for our 236 shopping centers. The chart shows the leased square feet and ABR represented by the applicable lease expiration year (dollars and square feet in thousands):chart-674b251432a458d0bac.jpg
Subsequent to December 31, 2017, we renewed approximately 455,000 total square feet and $6.2 million of total ABR of the leases expiring.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, rent per square foot for renewed leases increased 8.5% when compared to rent per square foot prior to renewal. See Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Results of Operations - Leasing Activity, for further discussion of leasing activity. Based on current market base rental rates, we believe we will achieve an overall positive increase in our average ABR for expiring leases. However, changes in base rental income associated with individual signed leases on comparable spaces may be positive or negative, and we can provide no assurance that the base rents on new leases will continue to increase from current levels.
Portfolio Tenancy
Prior to the acquisition of a property, we assess the suitability of the grocery-anchor tenant and other tenants in light of our investment objectives, namely, preserving capital and providing stable cash flows for distributions. Generally, we assess the strength of the tenant by consideration of company factors, such as its financial strength and market share in the geographic area of the shopping center, as well as location-specific factors, such as the store’s sales, local competition, and demographics. When assessing the tenancy of the non-anchor space at the shopping center, we consider the tenant mix at each shopping center in light of our portfolio, the proportion of national and national-franchise tenants, the creditworthiness of specific tenants, and the timing of lease expirations. When evaluating non-national tenancy, we attempt to obtain credit enhancements to leases, which typically come in the form of deposits and/or guarantees from one or more individuals.

23



We define national tenants as those tenants that operate in at least three states. Regional tenants are defined as those tenants that have at least three locations. The following charts present the composition of our portfolio by tenant type as of December 31, 2017:
chart-eec90816b3e924ec70c.jpgchart-d01a9ee650a4bd1c9e5.jpg

The following charts present the composition of our portfolio by tenant industry as of December 31, 2017:
chart-9331fdbee68c671d012.jpgchart-15c6ba87797936f58dc.jpg



24



The following table presents our top ten tenants, grouped according to parent company, by ABR as of December 31, 2017 (dollars and square feet in thousands):
Tenant  
 
ABR
 
% of ABR
 
Leased Square Feet
 
% of Leased Square Feet
 
Number of Locations(1)
Kroger
 
$
25,820

 
9.2
%
 
3,138

 
12.7
%
 
55

Publix
 
17,016

 
6.1
%
 
1,672

 
6.8
%
 
36

Ahold Delhaize
 
10,233

 
3.7
%
 
854

 
3.5
%
 
19

Albertsons-Safeway
 
9,461

 
3.4
%
 
924

 
3.7
%
 
17

Giant Eagle
 
6,797

 
2.4
%
 
700

 
2.8
%
 
9

Walmart
 
5,562

 
2.0
%
 
1,213

 
4.9
%
 
11

Dollar Tree
 
3,505

 
1.3
%
 
399

 
1.6
%
 
40

Raley's
 
3,422

 
1.2
%
 
193

 
0.8
%
 
3

Lowe's
 
3,020

 
1.1
%
 
474

 
1.9
%
 
4

SUPERVALU
 
2,844

 
1.0
%
 
371

 
1.5
%
 
9

   
 
$
87,680

 
31.4
%
 
9,938

 
40.2
%
 
203

(1) 
Number of locations excludes auxiliary leases with grocery anchors such as fuel stations, pharmacies, and liquor stores.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time, we are party to legal proceedings, which arise in the ordinary course of our business. We are not currently involved in any legal proceedings of which we are not covered by our liability insurance or the outcome is reasonably likely to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition, nor are we aware of any such legal proceedings contemplated by governmental authorities.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.

w PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
As of March 15, 2018, we had approximately 186.2 million shares of common stock outstanding, held by a total of 40,019 stockholders of record. The number of stockholders is based on the records of our registrar and transfer agent. Our common stock is not currently traded on any exchange, and there is no established trading market for our common stock. Therefore, there is a risk that a stockholder may not be able to sell our stock at a time or price acceptable to the stockholder, or at all.
Valuation Overview
On November 8, 2017, the independent directors of the board of directors (“Independent Directors”) of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (“we,” the “Company,” “our,” or “us”), formerly known as Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT I, Inc., established its estimated value per share of our common stock of $11.00. The valuation was based substantially on the estimated market value of our portfolio of real estate properties in various geographic locations in the United States (“Portfolio”) and our recently acquired third-party asset management business as of October 5, 2017. On October 4, 2017, we completed a transaction to acquire certain real estate assets, the third-party investment management business, and the captive insurance company of Phillips Edison Limited Partnership (“PELP”) in a stock and cash transaction (“PELP transaction”).
We provided the estimated value per share to assist broker-dealers that participated in our public offering in meeting their customer account statement reporting obligations under National Association of Securities Dealers Conduct Rule 2340 as required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). This valuation was performed in accordance with the provisions of Practice Guideline 2013-01, Valuations of Publicly Registered Non-Listed REITs, issued by the Investment Program Association (“IPA”) in April 2013 (“IPA Valuation Guidelines”).
We engaged Duff & Phelps, LLC (“Duff & Phelps”), an independent valuation expert which has expertise in appraising commercial real estate assets to provide a calculation of the range in estimated value per share of our common stock as of October 5, 2017, the date immediately following the PELP transaction. Duff & Phelps prepared a valuation report (“Valuation Report”) that provided this range based substantially on its estimate of the “as is” market values of the Portfolio and the

25



estimated value of in-place contracts of the third-party asset management business. Duff & Phelps made adjustments to the aggregate estimated value of our Portfolio to reflect pro forma balance sheet assets and liabilities provided by our management as of October 5, 2017, before calculating a range of estimated values based on the number of outstanding shares of our common stock as of October 5, 2017. These calculations produced an estimated value per share in the range of $10.34 to $11.70 as of October 5, 2017. The Independent Directors ultimately approved $11.00 as the estimated value per share of our common stock on November 8, 2017. We previously established an estimated value per share of $10.20 as of July 31, 2015, which was reaffirmed as of April 14, 2016 and March 31, 2017. We expect to review the estimated value per share as of March 31, 2018, and thereafter, at least annually.
The following table summarizes the material components of the estimated value per share of our common stock as of October 5, 2017 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
 
Low
 
High
Investment in Real Estate Assets:
 
 
 
Phillips Edison real estate valuation
$
3,972,120

 
$
4,284,420

Management company
90,202

 
90,202

Total market value
4,062,322

 
4,374,622

 
 
 
 
Other Assets:
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
13,068

 
13,068

Restricted cash
16,480

 
16,480

Accounts receivable
45,360

 
45,360

Prepaid expenses and other assets
26,701

 
26,701

Total other assets
101,609

 
101,609

 
 
 
 
Liabilities:
 
 
 
Notes payable and credit facility
1,776,636

 
1,776,636

Mark to market of debt
9,014

 
9,014

Accounts payable and accrued expenses
1,866

 
1,866

Security deposits
7,740

 
7,740

Total liabilities
1,795,256

 
1,795,256

 
 
 
 
Net Asset Value
$
2,368,675

 
$
2,680,975

 
 
 
 
Common stock and OP units outstanding
229,077

 
229,077

 
 
 
 
Net Asset Value Per Share
$
10.34

 
$
11.70

Our goal is to provide an estimate of the market value of our shares. However, the majority of our assets will consist of commercial real estate and, as with any valuation methodology, the methodologies used were based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that may not have been accurate or complete. Different parties with different assumptions and estimates could have derived a different estimated value per share, and those differences could have been significant. These limitations are discussed further under “Limitations of Estimated Value per Share” below.
Valuation Methodologies—Our goal in calculating an estimated value per share was to arrive at a value that was reasonable and based off of what we deemed to be appropriate valuation and appraisal methodologies and assumptions and a process that was in accordance with the IPA Valuation Guidelines. The following is a summary of the valuation methodologies and components used to calculate the estimated value per share.
Independent Valuation Firm—Duff & Phelps was retained by us on September 25, 2017, as authorized by the Conflicts Committee of the Board of Directors, to provide independent valuation services. The Conflicts Committee was composed of all of our Independent Directors. Duff & Phelps is a leading global valuation advisor with expertise in complex valuation work that is not affiliated with us. Duff & Phelps had previously provided services to us pertaining the allocation of acquisition purchase prices for financial reporting purposes in connection with the Portfolio for which it received usual and customary compensation. Duff & Phelps may be engaged to provide professional services to us in the future. The Duff & Phelps personnel who prepared the valuation had no present or prospective interest in the Portfolio and no personal interest with us.
Duff & Phelps’ engagement for its valuation services was not contingent upon developing or reporting predetermined results.
In addition, Duff & Phelps’ compensation for completing the valuation services was not contingent upon the development or reporting of a predetermined value or direction in value that favors the cause of us, the amount of the value opinion, the attainment of a stipulated result, or the occurrence of a subsequent event directly related to the intended use of its Valuation Report. We agreed to indemnify Duff & Phelps against certain liabilities arising out of this engagement.
Duff & Phelps’ analyses, opinions, or conclusions were developed, and the Valuation Report was prepared, in conformity with

26



the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. The Valuation Report was reviewed, approved and signed by individuals with the professional designation of MAI (“Member of the Appraisal Institute”). The use of the Valuation Report is subject to the requirements of the Appraisal Institute relating to review by its duly authorized representatives. Duff & Phelps did not inspect the properties that formed the Portfolio.
In preparing the Valuation Report, Duff & Phelps relied on information provided by us regarding the Portfolio. For example, we provided information regarding building size, year of construction, land size and other physical, financial, and economic characteristics. We also provided lease information, such as current rent amounts, rent commencement and expiration dates, and rent increase amounts and dates.
Duff & Phelps did not investigate the legal description or legal matters relating to the Portfolio, including title or encumbrances, and title to the properties was assumed to be good and marketable. The Portfolio was also assumed to be free and clear of liens, easements, encroachments and other encumbrances, and to be in full compliance with zoning, use, occupancy, environmental and similar laws unless otherwise stated by us. The Valuation Report contains other assumptions, qualifications and limitations that qualify the analysis, opinions and conclusions set forth therein. Furthermore, the prices at which our real estate properties may actually be sold could differ from their appraised values.
The foregoing is a summary of the standard assumptions, qualifications and limitations that generally apply to the Valuation Report.
Real Estate Portfolio Valuation—Duff & Phelps estimated the “as is” market values of the Portfolio as of October 5, 2017, using various methodologies. Generally accepted valuation practice suggests assets may be valued using a range of methodologies. Duff & Phelps utilized the income capitalization approach with support from the sales comparison approach for each property. The income approach was the primary indicator of value, with secondary consideration given to the sales approach. Duff & Phelps performed a study of each market to measure current market conditions, supply and demand factors, growth patterns, and their effect on each of the subject properties.
The income capitalization approach simulates the reasoning of an investor who views the cash flows that would result from the anticipated revenue and expense on a property throughout its lifetime. Under the income capitalization approach, Duff & Phelps used an estimated net operating income (“NOI”) for each property, and then converted it to a value indication using a discounted cash flow analysis. The discounted cash flow analysis focuses on the operating cash flows expected from a property and the anticipated proceeds of a hypothetical sale at the end of an assumed holding period, with these amounts then being discounted to their present value. The discounted cash flow method is appropriate for the analysis of investment properties with multiple leases, particularly leases with cancellation clauses or renewal options, and especially in volatile markets.
The sales comparison approach estimates value based on what other purchasers and sellers in the market have agreed to as a price for comparable improved properties. This approach is based upon the principle of substitution, which states that the limits of prices, rents and rates tend to be set by the prevailing prices, rents and rates of equally desirable substitutes. Duff & Phelps gathered comparable sales data throughout various markets as secondary support for its valuation estimate.
The following summarizes the range of capitalization rates that were used to arrive at the estimated market values of our Portfolio:
 
Range in Values
Overall Capitalization Rate
6.23 - 6.72%
Terminal Capitalization Rate
6.96 - 7.46%
Discount Rate
7.55 - 8.05%
Management Company Valuation—Duff & Phelps estimated the aggregate market value associated with our third-party asset management business using various methodologies. Duff & Phelps considered various applications of the income approach, market approach, and underlying assets approach, with the income approach determined to be the most reliable method for purposes of the analysis. The income approach analysis considered the projected fee income earned for services provided pursuant to various management and advisory agreements over the expected duration of that contract, assuming normal and customary renewal provisions. Such services include property management services performed for the properties in the Portfolio, as well as property and asset management services for certain unaffiliated real estate investment portfolios. In performing this analysis, solely fee income related to properties owned as of October 5, 2017 was considered. The income approach also considered a reasonable level of expenses to support such activities, as well as other adjustments, and a discount rate that accounted for the time value of money and the risk of achieving the projected cash flows. The result of the income approach analysis was the aggregate market value of the third-party asset management business, from which an estimated market value of net tangible assets (liabilities) was subtracted (added), to result in the aggregate intangible value of the management company.
Sensitivity Analysis—While we believe that Duff & Phelps’ assumptions and inputs were reasonable, a change in these assumptions would have impacted the calculations of the estimated value of the Portfolio, the estimated value of its recently acquired third-party asset management business, and our estimated value per share. The table below illustrates the impact on Duff & Phelps’ range in estimated value per share if the terminal capitalization rates or discount rates were adjusted by 25 basis points and assumes all other factors remain unchanged. Additionally, the table illustrates the impact of a 5% change in these rates in accordance with the IPA Valuation Guidelines. The table illustrates hypothetical results if only one change in assumptions was made, with all other factors held constant. Further, each of these assumptions could change by more than 25 basis points or 5%.

27



 
Resulting Range in Estimated Value Per Share
 
Increase of 25 basis points ($)
 
Decrease of 25 basis points ($)
 
Increase of 5% ($)
 
Decrease of 5% ($)
Terminal Capitalization Rate
10.03 - 11.33
 
10.67 - 12.10
 
9.91 - 11.22
 
10.82 - 12.23
Discount Rate
10.01 - 11.34
 
10.66 - 12.05
 
9.83 - 11.18
 
10.84 - 12.22
Other Assets and Other Liabilities—Duff & Phelps made adjustments to the aggregate estimated values of our investments to reflect our other assets and other liabilities based on pro forma balance sheet information provided by us and the Advisor as of October 5, 2017.
Role of the Independent Directors—The Independent Directors received a copy of the Valuation Report and discussed the report with representatives of Duff & Phelps. The Independent Directors also discussed the Valuation Report, the Portfolio, the third-party asset management business, our other assets and liabilities and other matters with management. Management recommended to the Independent Directors that $11.00 per share be approved as the estimated value per share of our common stock. The Independent Directors discussed the rationale for this value with management.
Following the Independent Directors’ receipt and review of the Valuation Report, the recommendation of management, and in light of other factors considered by the Independent Directors, the Independent Directors concluded that the range in estimated value per share of $10.34 and $11.70 was appropriate. Management then recommended to our Independent Directors that it select $11.00 as the estimated value per share of our common stock. Our Independent Directors agreed to accept the recommendation of management and approved $11.00 as the estimated value per share of our common stock as of October 5, 2017, which determination was ultimately and solely the responsibility of the Independent Directors.
Limitations of Estimated Value per Share—We provided this estimated value per share to assist broker-dealers that participated in our public offering in meeting our customer account statement reporting obligations. This valuation was performed in accordance with the provisions of the IPA Valuation Guidelines. As with any valuation methodology, the methodologies used were based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not have been accurate or complete. Different parties with different assumptions and estimates could have derived a different estimated value per share, and this difference could have been significant. The estimated value per share is not audited and does not represent a determination of the fair value of our assets or liabilities based on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), nor does it represent a liquidation value of our assets and liabilities or the amount at which our shares of common stock would trade on a national securities exchange.
Accordingly, with respect to the estimated value per share, we can give no assurance that:
a stockholder would be able to resell his or her shares at the estimated value per share;
a stockholder would ultimately realize distributions per share equal to our estimated value per share upon liquidation of our assets and settlement of our liabilities or a sale of us;
our shares of common stock would trade at the estimated value per share on a national securities exchange;
a third party would offer the estimated value per share in an arm’s-length transaction to purchase all or substantially all of our shares of common stock;
another independent third-party appraiser or third-party valuation firm would agree with our estimated value per share; or
the methodologies used to calculate our estimated value per share would be acceptable to FINRA or for compliance with ERISA reporting requirements.
We did not make any adjustments to the valuation for the impact of other transactions occurring subsequent to October 5, 2017, including, but not limited to, (1) the issuance of common stock under the distribution reinvestment plan, (2) net operating income earned and dividends declared, (3) the repurchase of shares, (4) asset acquisitions, and (5) changes in leases, tenancy or other business or operational changes. The value of our shares will fluctuate over time in response to developments related to individual assets in the Portfolio, the management of those assets and changes in the real estate and finance markets. Because of, among other factors, the high concentration of our total assets in real estate and the number of shares of our common stock outstanding, changes in the value of individual assets in the Portfolio or changes in valuation assumptions could have a very significant impact on the value of our shares. The estimated value per share does not reflect a portfolio premium or the fact that we are internally-managed. The estimated value per share also does not take into account any disposition costs or fees for real estate properties, debt prepayment penalties that could apply upon the prepayment of certain of our debt obligations or the impact of restrictions on the assumption of debt.
Amended and Restated Dividend Reinvestment Plan
We have adopted the dividend reinvestment program (“DRIP”), through which stockholders may elect to reinvest an amount equal to the dividends declared on their shares of common stock into shares of our common stock in lieu of receiving cash dividends. In accordance with the DRIP, participants in the DRIP acquire shares of common stock at a price equal to the estimated value per share. Participants in the DRIP may purchase fractional shares so that 100% of the dividends may be used to acquire additional shares of our common stock. For the year ended December 31, 2017, 4.8 million shares were issued through the DRIP, resulting in proceeds of approximately $49.1 million. For the year ended December 31, 2016, 5.8 million shares were issued through the DRIP, resulting in proceeds of approximately $58.9 million.
Distributions—We elected to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2010. As a REIT, we have made, and intend to continue to make, distributions each taxable year equal to at least 90% of our taxable income (excluding capital gains and computing without regard to the dividends paid deduction). One of our primary goals is to pay regular monthly distributions to our stockholders. During the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, our Board of Directors (“Board”) authorized distributions equal to a daily amount of $0.00183562 and

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$0.00183060, respectively, per share of common stock outstanding based on daily record dates. Beginning January 1, 2018, we pay distributions to stockholders based on monthly record dates. The 2018 monthly distribution rate is currently at the same annual distribution rate as 2017.
The total gross distributions declared to stockholders for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, were as follows (in thousands):
 
2017
 
2016
Distributions declared
$
123,363

 
$
123,141

All distributions declared during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, have been funded by a combination of cash generated through operations and borrowings.
Distributions declared to common stockholders subsequent to December 31, 2017, were as follows (in thousands):
Month(1)
Date of Record
Distribution Rate
Date Distributions Paid
 
Gross Amount of Distributions Paid
 
Distributions Reinvested through the DRIP
 
Net Cash Distributions
December
12/1/2017 - 12/31/2017
$
0.00183562

1/2/2018
 
$
10,544

 
$
4,354

 
$
6,190

January
1/16/2018
0.05583344

2/1/2018
 
10,363

 
4,228

 
6,135

February
2/15/2018
0.05583344

3/1/2018
 
10,381

 
4,186

 
6,195

(1) 
The distribution for March, payable to shareholders of record as of March 15, 2018, will be paid on April 2, 2018.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
During 2017, we did not sell any equity securities that were not registered under the Securities Act.
Share Repurchases
Our Share Repurchase Program (“SRP”) may provide a limited opportunity for stockholders to have shares of common stock repurchased, subject to certain restrictions and limitations that are discussed below:
During any calendar year, we may repurchase no more than 5% of the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the prior calendar year.
We have no obligation to repurchase shares if the repurchase would violate the restrictions on distributions under Maryland law, which prohibits distributions that would cause a corporation to fail to meet statutory tests of solvency.
The cash available for repurchases on any particular date will generally be limited to the proceeds from the DRIP during the preceding four fiscal quarters, less any cash already used for repurchases since the beginning of the same period; however, subject to the limitations described above, we may use other sources of cash at the discretion of the Board. The limitations described above do not apply to shares repurchased due to a stockholder’s death, “qualifying disability,” or “determination of incompetence.”
Only those stockholders who purchased their shares from us or received their shares from us (directly or indirectly) through one or more non-cash transactions may be able to participate in the SRP. In other words, once our shares are transferred for value by a stockholder, the transferee and all subsequent holders of the shares are not eligible to participate in the SRP.
The Board reserves the right, in its sole discretion, at any time and from time to time, to reject any request for repurchase.
The repurchase price per share for all stockholders is equal to the estimated value per share. Repurchases of shares of common stock will be made monthly upon written notice received by us at least five days prior to the end of the applicable month, assuming no limitations, as noted above, exist. Stockholders may withdraw their repurchase request at any time up to five business days prior to the repurchase date. Unfulfilled repurchase requests are treated as requests for repurchase during future months until satisfied or withdrawn.
Our Board may amend, suspend, or terminate the program upon 30 days’ notice. We may provide notice by including such information (a) in a current report on Form 8-K or in our annual or quarterly reports, all publicly filed with the SEC, or (b) in a separate mailing to the stockholders. In connection with the May 2017 announcement of the PELP transaction (see Note 3), the SRP was suspended in May 2017 and resumed in June 2017.

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The following table presents all share repurchases for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
 
 
2017
 
2016
Shares repurchased
 
4,617

 
2,019

Cost of repurchases
 
$
47,157

 
$
20,301

Average repurchase price
 
$
10.21

 
$
10.05

During the quarter ended December 31, 2017, we repurchased shares as follows (shares in thousands):
Period
 
Total Number of Shares 
Redeemed
 
Average Price Paid per Share (1)
 
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of a Publicly Announced Plan or Program(2)
 
Approximate Dollar Value of Shares Available That May Yet Be Redeemed Under the Program
October 2017
 
68

 
$
10.20

 
68

 
(3) 
November 2017
 
22

 
10.98

 
22

 
(3) 
December 2017
 
56

 
11.00

 
56

 
(3) 
(1) 
On November 8, 2017, our Board increased the estimated value per share of our common stock to $11.00 based substantially on the estimated market value of our portfolio of real estate properties and our recently acquired third-party investment management business as of October 5, 2017, the first full business day after the closing of the PELP transaction. Prior to November 8, 2017, the estimated value per share was $10.20 (see Note 13). The repurchase price per share for all stockholders is equal to the estimated value per share on the date of the repurchase.
(2) 
We announced the commencement of the SRP on August 12, 2010, and it was subsequently amended on September 29, 2011, and on April 14, 2016.
(3) 
We currently limit the dollar value and number of shares that may yet be repurchased under the SRP as described above.
In 2017 and 2016, repurchase requests surpassed the funding limits under the SRP. Due to the program’s funding limits, no funds were available for repurchases during the fourth quarter of 2017 and no funds will be available for the the first quarter of 2018. Additionally, repurchases during the remainder of 2018 are expected to be limited. When we are unable to fulfill all repurchase requests in any month, we will honor requests on a pro rata basis to the extent possible. As of December 31, 2017, we had 10.8 million shares of unfulfilled repurchase requests. We will continue to fulfill repurchases sought upon a stockholder’s death, “qualifying disability,” or “determination of incompetence” in accordance with the terms of the SRP.


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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
As of and for the years ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
2017(1)

2016

2015

2014

2013
Balance Sheet Data:(2)
  

  

  

  


Investment in real estate assets at cost
$
3,751,927

 
$
2,584,005

 
$
2,350,033

 
$
2,201,235

 
$
1,136,074

Cash and cash equivalents
5,716


8,224


40,680


15,649


460,250

Total assets
3,526,082

 
2,380,188

 
2,226,248

 
2,141,196

 
1,716,256

Debt obligations, net
1,806,998


1,056,156


845,515


640,889


195,601

Operating Data:
  

  

  

  


Total revenues
$
311,543


$
257,730


$
242,099


$
188,215


$
73,165

Property operating expenses
(53,824
)

(41,890
)

(38,399
)

(32,919
)

(11,896
)
Real estate tax expenses
(43,456
)

(36,627
)

(35,285
)

(25,262
)

(9,658
)
General and administrative expenses
(36,348
)

(31,804
)

(15,829
)

(8,632
)

(4,346
)
Interest expense, net
(45,661
)

(32,458
)

(32,390
)

(20,360
)

(10,511
)
Net (loss) income
(41,718
)
 
9,043

 
13,561


(22,635
)
 
(12,350
)
Net (loss) income attributable to stockholders
(38,391
)
 
8,932

 
13,360


(22,635
)
 
(12,404
)
Other Operational Data:(3)(4)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Owned Real Estate NOI
$
204,519

 
$
173,910

 
$
163,017

 
$
125,816

 
$
50,152

Funds from operations (“FFO”) attributable to stock-
   holders and convertible noncontrolling interests
84,150

 
110,406

 
115,040

 
56,513

 
12,769

Modified funds from operations (“MFFO”)
125,183

 
107,862

 
114,344

 
94,552

 
28,982

Cash Flow Data:
  

  

  

  


Cash flows provided by operating activities
$
108,861


$
103,076


$
106,073


$
75,671


$
18,540

Cash flows used in investing activities
(620,749
)

(226,217
)

(110,774
)

(715,772
)

(776,219
)
Cash flows provided by financing activities
509,380


90,685


29,732


195,500


1,210,275

Per Share Data:
  

  

  

  


Net (loss) income per share—basic and diluted
$
(0.21
)

$
0.05


$
0.07


$
(0.13
)

$
(0.18
)
Common stock distributions declared
$
0.67


$
0.67


$
0.67


$
0.67


$
0.67

Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic
183,784


183,876


183,678


179,280


70,227

Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted
183,784

 
186,665

 
186,394

 
179,280

 
70,227

(1) 
Includes the impact of the PELP transaction (see Note 3).
(2) 
Certain prior period balance sheet amounts have been restated to conform with our adoption in 2016 of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs.
(3) 
See Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Non-GAAP Measures, for further discussion and for a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to Net (Loss) Income.
(4) 
Certain prior period amounts have been restated to conform with current year presentation.
The selected financial data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. See also “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” preceding Part I.
Overview
We were formed as a Maryland corporation in 2009, and elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2010. We are one of the nation’s largest owners and operators of market-leading, grocery-anchored shopping centers. The majority of our revenues are lease revenues derived from our owned real estate investments. Additionally, we operate a third-party investment management business providing property management and advisory services to $2.0 billion of assets under management. This business provides comprehensive real estate and asset management services to certain non-traded, publicly registered REITS and private funds (“Managed Funds”).
Below are statistical highlights of our portfolio:
 
Total Portfolio as of December 31, 2017
 
Property Acquisitions During the Year Ended December 31, 2017(1)
Number of properties(2)
236

 
84

Number of states
32

 
25

Total square feet (in thousands)
26,272

 
9,595

Leased % of rentable square feet
93.9
%
 
89.6
%
Average remaining lease term (in years)(3)
5.0

 
4.6

(1) 
Property acquisitions include the 76 properties acquired as part of the PELP transaction.
(2) 
The number of properties does not include additional real estate purchased adjacent to previously acquired centers.
(3) 
The average remaining lease term in years excludes future options to extend the term of the lease.

Market Outlook—Real Estate and Real Estate Finance Markets
Management reviews a number of economic forecasts and market commentaries in order to evaluate general economic conditions and to formulate a view of the current environment’s effect on the real estate markets in which we operate.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. economy’s real gross domestic product (“GDP”) increased 2.3% in 2017 compared to 1.5% in 2016, according to preliminary estimates. The increase in real GDP in 2017 reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (“PCE”), nonresidential fixed investment, and exports. These upturns were partially offset by decelerations in residential fixed investment and in state and local government spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.
According to J.P. Morgan’s Global Economic Outlook Summary and 2018 REIT Outlook, real GDP is expected to grow approximately 2.5% in 2018. The U.S. retail real estate market displayed positive but decelerating fundamentals in 2017, with vacancy rates rising and increased emphasis on redevelopment pipelines.
Overall, retail real estate fundamentals remain strong but are expected to decelerate relative to previous years. Short-term interest rates are expected to increase in 2018 more than long-term interest rates. There is less occupancy to be gained in portfolios, new supply levels are below historical averages, and job growth is expected to be 1% monthly in 2018. Reductions to the corporate tax rate will add to economic growth, although commercial real estate is expected to benefit to a lesser extent than other sectors. Tax reform passed by Congress in 2017 is expected to have a minimal to slightly negative impact on REITs, although retailers should benefit from increased consumer spending. Stronger retailers should be better for shopping center owners as tenants can invest more to grow and improve their credit quality, reducing turnover.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Below is a discussion of our critical accounting policies and estimates. Our accounting policies have been established to conform with GAAP. We consider these policies critical because they involve significant management judgments and assumptions, require estimates about matters that are inherently uncertain, and are important for understanding and evaluating our reported financial results. These judgments affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and our disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the consolidated financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. With different estimates or assumptions, materially different amounts could be reported in our consolidated financial statements. Additionally, other companies may utilize different estimates that may impact the comparability of our results of operations to those of companies in similar businesses. 
Real Estate Acquisition Accounting—In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. This update amended existing guidance in order to clarify when an integrated set of assets and activities is considered a business. We adopted ASU 2017-01 on January 1, 2017, and applied it prospectively. Under this new guidance, most of our real estate acquisition activity is no longer considered a business combination and instead is classified as an asset acquisition. As a result, most acquisition-related costs that would have been recorded on our consolidated statements of operations prior to adoption have been capitalized and will be amortized over the life of the related assets. However, the PELP transaction is considered a business combination, and

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therefore the associated transaction expenses were expensed as incurred. The treatment of acquisition-related costs and the recognition of goodwill are the primary differences between how we account for business combinations and asset acquisitions. Regardless of whether an acquisition is considered a business combination or an asset acquisition, we record the costs of the business or assets acquired as tangible and intangible assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date.
We assess the acquisition-date fair values of all tangible assets, identifiable intangibles, and assumed liabilities using methods similar to those used by independent appraisers (e.g., discounted cash flow analysis and replacement cost) and that utilize appropriate discount and/or capitalization rates and available market information. Estimates of future cash flows are based on a number of factors including historical operating results, known and anticipated trends, and market and economic conditions. The fair value of tangible assets of an acquired property considers the value of the property as if it were vacant.
We generally determine the value of construction in progress based upon the replacement cost. However, for certain acquired properties that are part of a new development, we determine fair value by using the same valuation approach as for all other properties and deducting the estimated cost to complete the development. During the remaining construction period, we capitalize interest expense until the development has reached substantial completion. Construction in progress, including capitalized interest, is not depreciated until the development has reached substantial completion.
We record above-market and below-market lease values for acquired properties based on the present value (using an discount rate that reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to the in-place leases and (ii) management’s estimate of market lease rates for the corresponding in-place leases, measured over a period equal to the remaining non-cancelable term of the lease. We amortize any recorded above-market or below-market lease values as a reduction or increase, respectively, to rental income over the remaining non-cancelable terms of the respective lease. We also include fixed-rate renewal options in our calculation of the fair value of below-market leases and the periods over which such leases are amortized. If a tenant has a unilateral option to renew a below-market lease, we include such an option in the calculation of the fair value of such lease and the period over which the lease is amortized if we determine that the tenant has a financial incentive and wherewithal to exercise such option.
Intangible assets also include the value of in-place leases, which represents the estimated value of the net cash flows of the in-place leases to be realized, as compared to the net cash flows that would have occurred had the property been vacant at the time of acquisition and subject to lease-up. Acquired in-place lease value is amortized to depreciation and amortization expense over the average remaining non-cancelable terms of the respective in-place leases.
We estimate the value of tenant origination and absorption costs by considering the estimated carrying costs during hypothetical expected lease-up periods, considering current market conditions. In estimating carrying costs, management includes real estate taxes, insurance and other operating expenses, and estimates of lost rentals at market rates during the expected lease-up periods.
Estimates of the fair values of the tangible assets, identifiable intangibles, and assumed liabilities require us to estimate market lease rates, property operating expenses, carrying costs during lease-up periods, discount rates, market absorption periods, and the number of years the property will be held for investment. The use of inappropriate estimates would result in an incorrect valuation of our acquired tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities, which would impact the amount of our net income.
We calculate the fair value of assumed long-term debt by discounting the remaining contractual cash flows on each instrument at the current market rate for those borrowings, which we approximate based on the rate at which we would expect to incur a replacement instrument on the date of acquisition, and recognize any fair value adjustments related to long-term debt as effective yield adjustments over the remaining term of the instrument.
Impairment of Real Estate, Goodwill, and Intangible Assets—We monitor events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying amounts of our real estate or intangible assets may be impaired. When indicators of potential impairment suggest that the carrying value of real estate or intangible assets may be greater than fair value, we will assess the recoverability, considering recent operating results, expected net operating cash flow, and plans for future operations. If, based on this analysis of undiscounted cash flows, we do not believe that we will be able to recover the carrying value of the real estate and related intangible assets, we would record an impairment loss to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the real estate or intangible assets as defined by ASC 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment. Particular examples of events and changes in circumstances that could indicate potential impairments are significant decreases in occupancy, rental income, operating income, and market values, or changes in our property or asset management agreements.
We adopted ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, prospectively on January 1, 2018. Therefore, when we perform a quantitative test of goodwill for impairment we will compare the carrying value of net assets to the fair value of the reporting unit. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, we would not consider goodwill to be impaired and no further analysis would be required. If the fair value is determined to be less than its carrying value, the amount of goodwill impairment would be the amount by which the reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill.
Estimates of fair value used in our evaluation of real estate, goodwill, and intangible assets are based upon discounted future cash flow projections, relevant competitor multiples, or other acceptable valuation techniques. These techniques are based, in turn, upon all available evidence including level three inputs, such as revenue and expense growth rates, estimates of future cash flows, capitalization rates, discount rates, general economic conditions and trends, or other available market data. Our ability to accurately predict future operating results and cash flows and to estimate and determine fair values impacts the timing and recognition of impairments. While we believe our assumptions are reasonable, changes in these assumptions may have a material impact on our financial results.


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Revenue Recognition—We recognize minimum rent, including rental abatements and contractual fixed increases attributable to operating leases, on a straight-line basis over the terms of the related leases, and we include amounts expected to be received in later years in deferred rents receivable. Our policy for percentage rental income is to defer recognition of contingent rental income until the specified target (i.e., breakpoint) that triggers the contingent rental income is achieved.
We record property operating expense reimbursements due from tenants for common area maintenance, real estate taxes, and other recoverable costs in the period the related expenses are incurred. We make certain assumptions and judgments in estimating the reimbursements at the end of each reporting period. We do not expect the actual results to differ materially from the estimated reimbursement.
We make estimates of the collectability of our tenant receivables related to base rents, expense reimbursements, and other revenue or income. We specifically analyze accounts receivable and historical bad debts, customer creditworthiness, current economic trends, and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. In addition, with respect to tenants in bankruptcy, we will make estimates of the expected recovery of pre-petition and post-petition claims in assessing the estimated collectability of the related receivable. In some cases, the ultimate resolution of these claims can exceed one year. These estimates have a direct impact on our net income because a higher bad debt reserve results in less net income.
We record lease termination income if there is a signed termination letter agreement, all of the conditions of the agreement have been met, collectability is reasonably assured, and the tenant is no longer occupying the property. Upon early lease termination, we provide for losses related to unrecovered intangibles and other assets.
We recognize gains on sales of real estate pursuant to the provisions of ASC 605-976, Accounting for Sales of Real Estate. The specific timing of a sale will be measured against various criteria in ASC 605-976 related to the terms of the transaction and any continuing involvement associated with the property. If the criteria for profit recognition under the full-accrual method are not met, we will defer gain recognition and account for the continued operations of the property by applying the percentage-of-completion, reduced profit, deposit, installment, or cost recovery methods, as appropriate, until the appropriate criteria are met.
Revenues from management, leasing, and other fees charged in accordance with the various management agreements executed, are recognized in the period in which the services have been provided, the earnings process is complete, and collectability is reasonably assured.
On January 1, 2018, we adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). Our revenue-producing contracts are primarily leases that are not within the scope of this standard. As a result, we do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our rental revenue. However, the standard will apply to a majority of our fees and management income. We have evaluated the impact of this standard to fees and management income and do not expect a material impact on our revenue recognition, but we do expect to provide additional disclosures around fees and management revenue in our future filings. We are adopting this guidance on a modified retrospective basis.
Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements—Refer to Note 2 for discussion of the impact of recently issued accounting pronouncements.


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Results of Operations
Included in the PELP transaction was the acquisition of PELP’s third-party investment management business. Prior to the completion of the transaction, we were externally-managed, and our only reportable segment was related to the aggregated operating results of our owned real estate. Therefore, there is no data available prior to 2017 for the Investment Management segment for comparative purposes. For more detail regarding our segments, see Note 18.
Segment Profit, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, represents revenues less property operating, real estate tax, and general and administrative expenses that are attributable to our reportable segments. We use Segment Profit to evaluate the results of our segments and believe that this measure provides a useful comparison of our revenues based on the source of those revenues and the expenses that are directly related to them. However, Segment Profit should not be viewed as an alternative to results prepared in accordance with GAAP.
Summary of Operating Activities for the Years Ended December 31, 2017 and 2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
Favorable (Unfavorable) Change
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
 
2017
 
2016
 
$
 
%
Segment Profit:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Owned Real Estate
 
$
206,432

 
$
175,802

 
$
30,630

 
17.4
 %
Investment Management
 
1,553

 

 
1,553

 
NM

Total segment profit
 
207,985


175,802

 
32,183

 
18.3
 %
Corporate general and administrative expenses
 
(30,070
)
 
(28,393
)
 
(1,677
)
 
(5.9
)%
Vesting of Class B units
 
(24,037
)
 

 
(24,037
)
 
NM

Termination of affiliate arrangements
 
(5,454
)
 

 
(5,454
)
 
NM

Depreciation and amortization
 
(130,671
)
 
(106,095
)
 
(24,576
)
 
(23.2
)%
Interest expense, net
 
(45,661
)
 
(32,458
)
 
(13,203
)
 
(40.7
)%
Transaction and acquisition expenses
 
(16,243
)
 
(5,803
)
 
(10,440
)
 
(179.9
)%
Other income, net
 
2,433

 
5,990

 
(3,557
)
 
(59.4
)%
Net (loss) income
 
(41,718
)

9,043

 
(50,761
)
 
NM

Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests
 
3,327

 
(111
)
 
3,438

 
NM

Net (loss) income attributable to stockholders
 
$
(38,391
)
 
$
8,932

 
$
(47,323
)
 
NM

Owned Real Estate - Segment Profit
 
 
 
 
 
 
Favorable (Unfavorable) Change
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
 
2017
 
2016
 
$
 
%
Total revenues
 
$
303,410

 
$
257,730

 
$
45,680

 
17.7
 %
Property operating expenses
 
(50,328
)
 
(41,890
)
 
(8,438
)
 
(20.1
)%
Real estate tax expenses
 
(43,247
)
 
(36,627
)
 
(6,620
)
 
(18.1
)%
General and administrative expenses
 
(3,403
)
 
(3,411
)
 
8

 
0.2
 %
Segment profit
 
$
206,432


$
175,802

 
$
30,630

 
17.4
 %
Total revenues increased as follows:
$21.1 million was related to the 76 properties acquired in the PELP transaction.
$21.4 million was related to 15 properties acquired after December 31, 2015, exclusive of the PELP transaction, net of two properties disposed of during each reporting period.
The remaining $3.2 million increase was related to the properties acquired before January 1, 2016, outside of the PELP transaction (“same-center portfolio”). The increase was driven by a $0.23 increase in minimum rent per square foot and a 0.9% increase in occupancy.
Property operating expenses, which include (i) operating and maintenance expense, which consists of property-related costs including repairs and maintenance costs, landscaping, snow removal, utilities, property insurance costs, security, and various other property-related expenses; (ii) bad debt expense; and (iii) allocated property management costs prior to the PELP transaction, increased as follows:
$4.5 million was the impact of the PELP transaction, including additional costs related to the 76 properties acquired and the effect of internalizing our management structure.
$3.7 million was related to properties acquired or disposed of after December 31, 2015, excluding properties acquired in the PELP transaction.
Property operating costs increased by $0.3 million on our same-center portfolio.

35



Real estate tax expenses increased as follows:
$2.2 million was related to the 76 properties acquired in the PELP transaction.
$4.2 million was related to properties acquired or disposed of after December 31, 2015, excluding properties acquired in the PELP transaction.
General and administrative expenses were primarily attributed to costs to manage the administrative activities and implement the investment strategies of our Owned Real Estate.
Investment Management - Segment Profit
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
 
2017
Total revenues
 
$
8,133

Property operating expenses
 
(3,496
)
Corporate real estate tax expenses
 
(209
)
General and administrative expenses
 
(2,875
)
Segment profit
 
$
1,553

Total revenues were primarily compromised of the following:
$4.0 million was attributed to advisory agreements, including acquisition, disposition, and asset management fees, between us and the Managed Funds.
$3.8 million was attributed to property management agreements, including property management fees, leasing commissions, and construction management fees, between us and the Managed Funds.
For additional detail regarding our fees and management income, see Note 14.
The $3.5 million in property operating expenses was primarily related to employee compensation costs to manage the daily property operations of the Managed Funds, as well as insurance costs related to our captive insurance company.
General and administrative expenses were primarily attributed to employee compensation costs for managing the day-to-day affairs of the Managed Funds, identifying and making acquisitions and investments on their behalf, and recommending to the respective boards of directors an approach for providing investors of the Managed Funds with liquidity.
Corporate General and Administrative Expenses
The $1.7 million increase in corporate general and administrative expenses was related to additional expenses that were not directly attributable to the revenues generated by either of our segments, including adding personnel costs and other corporate expenses in the PELP transaction, offset by the elimination of the asset management fee.
Vesting of Class B Units
The $24.0 million expense resulted from the PELP transaction and was a combination of the vesting of 2.8 million Class B units as well as the reclassification of previous distributions on those Class B units to noncontrolling interests. The vesting of the Class B units was a noncash expense of $27.6 million for asset management services rendered between December 2014 and September 2017. Distributions paid on these units totaled $3.6 million over this time period and have been reclassified from the 2017 consolidated statement of operations and reflected as distributions from equity instead.
Termination of Affiliate Arrangements
The $5.5 million expense was related to the redemption of unvested Class B units at the estimated value per share on the date of termination, that had been earned by our former advisor for historical asset management services (see Note 11).
Depreciation and Amortization
The $24.6 million increase in depreciation and amortization included a $16.1 million increase related to the 76 properties and the management contracts acquired in the PELP transaction.
The increase included a $12.1 million increase related to properties acquired after December 31, 2015, excluding properties acquired in the PELP transaction, as well as properties classified as redevelopment.
The increase was offset by a $1.7 million decrease due to the disposition of two properties in December 2016 and October 2017.
The increase was also offset by a $1.8 million decrease attributed to certain intangible lease assets becoming fully amortized on our same-center portfolio.
Interest Expense, Net
The $13.2 million increase in interest expense was primarily due to additional borrowings on our revolving credit facility and new secured and unsecured term loan facilities entered into in 2017, including $485 million in loans that were entered into in order to extinguish the corporate debt assumed from PELP in the PELP transaction.
The increase was partially offset by a decrease in interest expense from refinancing certain mortgages and improving the associated interest rate.

36



Transaction and Acquisition Expenses
The transaction expenses incurred resulted from costs related to the PELP transaction (see Note 3), primarily third-party professional fees, such as financial advisor, consulting, accounting, legal, and tax fees, as well as fees associated with obtaining debt consents necessary to complete the transaction.
The transaction expenses incurred were partially offset by a decrease in acquisition expenses directly related to asset acquisitions that was attributed to the implementation of ASU 2017-01 on January 1, 2017, resulting in the capitalization of most acquisition-related costs. For a more detailed discussion of this adoption, see Note 2.
Other Income, Net
The $3.6 million decrease in other income was primarily due to a 2016 gain on real estate sold exceeding 2017 gains on sales of properties and land. It also decreased due to a 2016 gain related to hedging ineffectiveness that is no longer realized due to our adoption of ASU 2017-12 (see Note 8).

Summary of Operating Activities for the Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015
 
 
 
 
 
Favorable (Unfavorable) Change
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
2016
 
2015
 
$
 
%
Operating Data:
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
Total revenues
$
257,730

 
$
242,099

 
$
15,631

 
6.5
 %
Property operating expenses
(41,890
)
 
(38,399
)
 
(3,491
)
 
(9.1
)%
Real estate tax expenses
(36,627
)
 
(35,285
)
 
(1,342
)
 
(3.8
)%
General and administrative expenses
(31,804
)
 
(15,829
)
 
(15,975
)
 
(100.9
)%
Acquisition expenses
(5,803
)
 
(5,404
)
 
(399
)
 
(7.4
)%
Depreciation and amortization
(106,095
)
 
(101,479
)
 
(4,616
)
 
(4.5
)%
Interest expense, net
(32,458
)
 
(32,390
)
 
(68
)
 
(0.2
)%
Other income, net
5,990

 
248

 
5,742

 
NM

Net income
9,043


13,561


(4,518
)

(33.3
)%
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
(111
)
 
(201
)
 
90

 
44.8
 %
Net income attributable to stockholders
$
8,932

 
$
13,360

 
$
(4,428
)
 
(33.1
)%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Net income per share—basic and diluted
$
0.05

 
$
0.07

 
$
(0.02
)
 
(28.6
)%
Below are explanations of the significant fluctuations in our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.
Total revenues— Of the $15.6 million increase in total revenues, $5.6 million was from same-center properties, which were the 132 properties that were owned and operational for the entire portion of both comparable reporting periods, except for those properties classified as redevelopment as of December 31, 2016. The remaining $10.0 million was attributable to non-same-center properties, including the 16 properties that were acquired since the beginning of 2015. The increase in same-center revenue was due to a $3.5 million increase in rental income and a $2.4 million increase in tenant recovery income. The increase in same-center rental income was driven by a $0.20 increase in minimum rent per square foot and a 0.2% increase in occupancy since December 31, 2015. The increase in same-center tenant recovery income stemmed from a 2.3% increase in our overall recovery rate.
Property operating expenses—Of the $3.5 million increase in property operating expenses, $1.8 million was due to the acquisition of 16 properties in 2015 and 2016. The remaining $1.7 million was primarily a result of an increase in recoverable property maintenance expenses due to an increase in additional maintenance projects during 2016, as well as a $0.7 million increase in property management fees due to higher cash receipts from the increase in revenues.
General and administrative expenses—General and administrative expenses increased $16.0 million, which was primarily related to a $14.6 million increase in cash asset management fees as a result of the change to our advisory fee structure in October 2015. Prior to that date, the asset management fee had been deferred via the issuance of Class B units of our Operating Partnership, which did not result in the recognition of expense in accordance with GAAP. After that date, the asset management fee remained at 1% of the cost of our assets; however, 80% was paid in cash and therefore recognized on a current basis as expense under GAAP, with the remaining 20% paid in Class B units. The remaining $1.4 million increase resulted from both a $1.0 million increase in distributions paid on unvested Class B units as a result of an increase in outstanding Class B units, as well as additional administrative costs associated with managing a larger portfolio.
Acquisition expenses—Acquisition expenses increased $0.4 million due to an increase in the purchase price paid for the seven properties acquired in 2016 compared to the nine properties acquired in 2015.
Other income, net—The $5.7 million increase in other income primarily resulted from a gain of $4.7 million on the disposal of a property in December 2016, as well as an increase of $1.3 million stemming from gains recognized on a portion of our derivatives.

37



Leasing Activity—The average rent per square foot and cost of executing leases fluctuates based on the tenant mix, size of the space, and lease term. Leases with national and regional tenants generally require a higher cost per square foot than those with local tenants. However, such tenants will also pay for a longer term. As we continue to attract more of these national and regional tenants, our costs to lease may increase.
Below is a summary of leasing activity for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016:
 
 
Total Deals
 
Inline Deals(1)
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
New leases:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Number of leases
 
185

 
163

 
179

 
156

Square footage (in thousands)
 
547

 
690

 
382

 
379

First-year base rental revenue (in thousands)
 
$
8,108

 
$
8,469

 
$
6,762

 
$
6,337

Average rent per square foot (“PSF”)
 
$
14.81

 
$
12.27

 
$
17.69

 
$
16.70

Average cost PSF of executing new leases(2)(3)
 
$
27.03

 
$
22.53

 
$
28.11

 
$
33.09

Weighted average lease term (in years)
 
7.9

 
9.8

 
7.0

 
7.3

Renewals and options:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Number of leases
 
369

 
321

 
334

 
301

Square footage (in thousands)
 
1,977

 
1,639

 
676

 
593

First-year base rental revenue (in thousands)
 
$
25,196

 
$
19,581

 
$
14,664

 
$
12,686

Average rent PSF
 
$
12.75

 
$
11.95

 
$
21.68

 
$
21.39

Average rent PSF prior to renewals
 
$
11.74

 
$
10.87

 
$
19.42

 
$
18.94

Percentage increase in average rent PSF
 
8.5
%
 
9.9
%
 
11.6
%
 
12.9
%
Average cost PSF of executing renewals and options(2)(3)
 
$
3.12

 
$
2.67

 
$
4.80

 
$
4.70

Weighted average lease term (in years)
 
5.2

 
5.3

 
5.1

 
5.2

Portfolio retention rate(4)
 
93.8
%
 
86.7
%
 
85.9
%
 
78.7
%
(1) 
We consider an inline deal to be a lease for less than 10,000 square feet of gross leasable area (“GLA”).
(2) 
The cost of executing new leases, renewals, and options includes leasing commissions, tenant improvement costs, and tenant concessions.
(3) 
The costs associated with landlord improvements are excluded for repositioning and redevelopment projects.
(4) 
The portfolio retention rate is calculated by dividing (a) total square feet of retained tenants with current period lease expirations by (b) the square feet of leases expiring during the period.

Non-GAAP Measures
Pro Forma Same-Center Net Operating Income—Same-Center NOI represents the NOI for the properties that were owned and operational for the entire portion of both comparable reporting periods, except for the properties we currently classify as redevelopment. Redevelopment properties are being repositioned in the market and such repositioning is expected to have a significant impact on property operating income. As such, these properties have been classified as redevelopment and have been excluded from our same-center pool. For purposes of evaluating Same-Center NOI on a comparative basis, and in light of the PELP transaction, we are presenting Pro Forma Same-Center NOI, which is Same-Center NOI on a pro forma basis as if the transaction had occurred on January 1, 2016. This perspective allows us to evaluate Same-Center NOI growth over a comparable period. Pro Forma Same-Center NOI is not necessarily indicative of what actual Same-Center NOI and growth would have been if the PELP transaction had occurred on January 1, 2016, nor does it purport to represent Same-Center NOI and growth for future periods.
Pro Forma Same-Center NOI highlights operating trends such as occupancy rates, rental rates, and operating costs on properties that were operational for both comparable periods. Other REITs may use different methodologies for calculating Same-Center NOI, and accordingly, our Pro Forma Same-Center NOI may not be comparable to other REITs.
Pro Forma Same-Center NOI should not be viewed as an alternative measure of our financial performance since it does not reflect the operations of our entire portfolio, nor does it reflect the impact of general and administrative expenses, acquisition expenses, depreciation and amortization, interest expense, other income, or the level of capital expenditures and leasing costs necessary to maintain the operating performance of our properties that could materially impact our results from operations.

38



The table below compares Pro Forma Same-Center NOI for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):
 
2017
 
2016
 
$ Change
 
% Change
Revenues(1):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rental income(2)
$
220,081

 
$
215,398

 
$
4,683

 


Tenant recovery income
69,965

 
69,066

 
899

 


Other property income
1,565

 
1,048

 
517

 


Total revenues
291,611

 
285,512


6,099


2.1
 %
Operating expenses(1):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Property operating expenses
46,504

 
47,987

 
(1,483
)
 


Real estate taxes
40,275

 
39,569

 
706

 


Total operating expenses
86,779


87,556


(777
)

(0.9
)%
Total Pro Forma Same-Center NOI
$
204,832


$
197,956


$
6,876


3.5
 %
(1) 
Adjusted for PELP same-center operating results prior to the transaction for these periods. For additional information and details about PELP operating results included herein, refer to the PELP Same-Center NOI table below.
(2) 
Excludes straight-line rental income, net amortization of above- and below-market leases, and lease buyout income.
Below is a reconciliation of Net (Loss) Income to Owned Real Estate NOI and Pro Forma Same-Center NOI for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):
 
2017
 
2016
Net (loss) income
$
(41,718
)
 
$
9,043

Adjusted to exclude:
 
 
 
Fees and management income
(8,156
)
 

Straight-line rental income
(3,766
)
 
(3,512
)
Net amortization of above- and below-market leases
(1,984
)
 
(1,208
)
Lease buyout income
(1,321
)
 
(583
)
General and administrative expenses
36,348

 
31,804

Transaction expenses
15,713

 

Vesting of Class B units
24,037

 

Termination of affiliate arrangements
5,454

 

Acquisition expenses
530

 
5,803

Depreciation and amortization
130,671

 
106,095

Interest expense, net
45,661

 
32,458

Other
(2,336
)
 
(5,990
)
Property management allocations to third-party assets under management(1)
5,386

 

Owned Real Estate NOI(2)
204,519


173,910

Less: NOI from centers excluded from same-center
(34,443
)
 
(20,015
)
NOI prior to October 4, 2017, from same-center properties acquired in the
   PELP transaction
34,756

 
44,061

Total Pro Forma Same-Center NOI
$
204,832


$
197,956

(1) 
This represents property management expenses allocated to third-party owned properties based on the property management fee that is provided for in the individual management agreements under which our investment management business provides services.
(2) 
Segment Profit, presented in Results of Operations, differs from NOI primarily because of revenue exclusions made, including straight-line rental income, net amortization of above- and below market leases, and lease buyout income, when calculating NOI.
Below is a breakdown of our property count:
 
2017
Same-center properties(1)
200

Non-same-center properties
19

Redevelopment properties(2)
17

Total properties
236

(1) 
Property count includes 64 same-center properties acquired in the PELP transaction.
(2) 
Property count includes eight redevelopment properties acquired in the PELP transaction.

39



NOI from the PELP properties acquired prior to the PELP transaction was obtained from the accounting records of PELP without adjustment. The accounting records were subject to internal review by us. The table below provides Same-Center NOI detail for the non-ownership periods of PELP, which were the periods ended October 3, 2017, and the year ended December 31, 2016.
 
2017
 
2016
Revenues:
 
 
 
Rental income(1)
$
37,860

 
$
49,046

Tenant recovery income
10,537

 
13,781

Other property income
520

 
259

Total revenues
48,917

 
63,086

Operating expenses:
 
 
 
Property operating expenses
8,214

 
11,529

Real estate taxes
5,947

<