EQUITY

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

EQUITY

EQUITY

NOTE 14.       EQUITY

REIT CONVERSION MERGER

As a result of the Merger, as described in Note 1, “Organization”, the Company is authorized to issue 500,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, and 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share. Prior to the Merger, the Company’s common stock had a par value of $1.00 per share. Accordingly, a $7.2 million adjustment to reduce common stock with a corresponding increase to additional paid-in capital was made during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and is reflected in the accompanying consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity.

Additionally, as a result of the Merger and pursuant to Maryland state law, the Company’s treasury stock ceased to be outstanding and was returned to unissued status. Accordingly, a $77.5 million adjustment to eliminate treasury stock with a corresponding decrease to additional paid-in capital was made during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and is reflected in the accompanying consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity.

SHELF REGISTRATION

On April 1, 2021, the Company filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, relating to the registration and potential issuance of its common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, rights, and units with a maximum aggregate offering price of up to $350.0 million. The Securities and Exchange Commission declared the Form S-3 effective on April 19, 2021.

ATM PROGRAM

On April 30, 2021, the Company implemented a $150.0 million “at-the-market” equity offering program (the “ATM Program”) pursuant to which the Company may sell, from time to time, shares of the Company’s common stock.  The Company was not active under the ATM Program during the year ended December 31, 2021.

PREFERRED STOCK

On June 28, 2021, the Company priced a public offering of 3,000,000 shares of its 6.375% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) at a public offering price of $25.00 per share. The offering closed on July 6, 2021 and generated total net proceeds to the Company of $72.4 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and expenses. The Series A Preferred Stock ranks senior to the Company’s common stock with respect to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company. The Series A Preferred Stock has no maturity date and will remain outstanding unless redeemed.

The Series A Preferred Stock is not redeemable by the Company prior to July 6, 2026 except under limited circumstances intended to preserve the Company’s qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes or upon the occurrence of a change of control, as defined in the Articles Supplementary designating the Series A Preferred Stock (the “Articles Supplementary”). Upon such change in control, the Company may redeem, at its election, the Series A Preferred Stock at a redemption price of $25.00 per share plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends up to, but excluding

the date of redemption, and in limited circumstances, the holders of preferred stock shares may convert some or all of their Series A Preferred Stock into shares of the Company’s common stock at conversion rates set forth in the Articles Supplementary.

The following details the public offering (in thousands, except per share data):

Series	Dividend Rate	Issued	Shares Outstanding	Gross Proceeds		Net Proceeds		Dividend per Share		Earliest Redemption Date
Series A	6.375%	July 2021	3,000,000	$	75,000	$	72,428	$	0.3984	July 2026

DIVIDENDS

The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes under the Code commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2020. In order to maintain its qualification as a REIT, the Company must annually distribute, at a minimum, an amount equal to 90% of its taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains, and must distribute 100% of its taxable income (including net capital gains) to eliminate U.S. federal income taxes payable by the Company. Because taxable income differs from cash flow from operations due to non-cash revenues and expenses (such as depreciation and other items), in certain circumstances, the Company may generate operating cash flow in excess of its dividends, or alternatively, may need to make dividend payments in excess of operating cash flows.

In connection with the REIT conversion, on November 9, 2020, the Board declared a special distribution on its shares of common stock in an aggregate amount of $55.8 million (the “Special Distribution”), payable in cash and shares of the Company’s common stock, in order to distribute the Company’s previously undistributed earnings and profits attributable to taxable periods ended on or prior to December 31, 2019, as required in connection with the Company’s election to be taxable as a REIT. The Special Distribution was paid on December 21, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 19, 2020 through an aggregate of $5.6 million in cash and the issuance of 1,198,963 shares of the Company’s common stock.

The following table outlines dividends declared and paid for each issuance of CTO’s stock during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019 (in thousands, except per share data):

	Year Ended
	December 31, 2021		December 31, 2020			December 31, 2019
Series A Preferred Stock
Dividends	$	2,325	$	—		$	—
Per Share	$	0.77	$	—		$	—
Common Stock
Dividends	$	23,580	$	64,665	(1)	$	2,198
Per Share	$	4.00	$	13.88	(1)	$	0.44

⁽¹⁾ Represents the aggregate of (i) $1.90 per share of regular cash dividends totaling $8.9 million and (ii) $11.98 per share Special Distribution totaling $55.8 million, of which $5.6 million was paid in cash.