SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of EastGroup, its wholly owned subsidiaries and its investment in any joint ventures in which the Company has a controlling interest.

As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, EastGroup held a controlling interest in two joint venture arrangements. In 2019, the Company acquired 6.5 acres of land in San Diego, known by the Company as the Miramar land. Also in 2019, the Company acquired 41.6 acres of land in San Diego, known by the Company as the Otay Mesa land. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, EastGroup began construction of a 519,000 square foot building on the Otay Mesa land, known by the Company as Speed Distribution Center. As of both September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, EastGroup had a 95% controlling interest in the Miramar land and a 99% controlling interest in Speed Distribution Center.

The Company records 100% of the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of the buildings and land held in joint ventures with the noncontrolling interests provided for in accordance with the joint venture agreements. 

The equity method of accounting is used for the Company’s 50% undivided tenant-in-common interest in Industry Distribution Center II.  All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.

Discontinued Operations

The Company considers a real estate property to be held for sale when it meets the criteria established under ASC 360, Property, Plant and Equipment, including when it is probable that the property will be sold within a year.  Real estate properties held for sale are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less estimated costs to sell and are not depreciated while they are held for sale. The Company did not classify any properties as held for sale as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020.In accordance with FASB ASU 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360), Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, the Company would report a disposal of a component of an entity or a group of components of an entity in discontinued operations if the disposal represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results when the component or group of components meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale or when the component or group of components is disposed of by sale or other than by sale. In addition, the Company would provide additional disclosures about both discontinued operations and the disposal of an individually significant component of an entity that does not qualify for discontinued operations presentation in the financial statements. EastGroup performs an analysis of properties sold to determine whether the sales qualify for discontinued operations presentation.

Real Estate Property Acquisitions and Acquired Intangibles [Policy Text Block]

Upon acquisition of real estate properties, EastGroup applies the principles of FASB ASC 805, Business Combinations. The FASB Codification provides a framework for determining whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions of assets or businesses. Under the guidance, companies are required to utilize an initial screening test to determine whether substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets; if so, the set is not a business. EastGroup determined that its real estate property acquisitions in 2020 and the first nine months of 2021 are considered to be acquisitions of groups of similar identifiable assets; therefore, the acquisitions are not considered to be acquisitions of a business. As a result, the Company capitalized acquisition costs related to its 2020 and 2021 acquisitions.The FASB Codification also provides guidance on how to properly determine the allocation of the purchase price among the individual components of both the tangible and intangible assets based on their respective fair values.  The allocation to tangible assets (land, building and improvements) is based upon management’s determination of the value of the property as if it were vacant using discounted cash flow models. Land is valued using comparable land sales specific to the applicable market, provided by a third party. The Company determines whether any financing assumed is above or below market based upon comparison to similar financing terms for similar properties.  The cost of the properties acquired may be adjusted based on indebtedness assumed from the seller that is determined to be above or below market rates.  The purchase price is also allocated among the following categories of intangible assets:  the above or below market component of in-place leases, the value of in-place leases, and the value of customer relationships.  The value allocable to the above or below market component of an acquired in-place lease is determined based upon the present value (using a discount rate reflecting the risks associated with the acquired leases) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to the lease over its remaining term, and (ii) management’s estimate of the amounts that would be paid using current market rents over the remaining term of the lease.  The amounts allocated to above and below market lease intangibles are included in Other assets and Other liabilities, respectively, on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are amortized to rental income over the remaining terms of the respective leases. The total amount of intangible assets is further allocated to in-place lease values and customer relationship values based upon management’s assessment of their respective values.  Factors considered by management in the allocation include an estimate of carrying costs during the expected lease-up periods considering current market conditions and costs to execute similar leases.  These intangible assets are included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are amortized over the remaining term of the existing lease, or the anticipated life of the customer relationship, as applicable.

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The Company applies ASC 260, Earnings Per Share, which requires companies to present basic and diluted earnings per share (“EPS”).  Basic EPS represents the amount of earnings for the period attributable to each share of common stock outstanding during the reporting period.  The Company’s basic EPS is calculated by dividing Net Income Attributable to EastGroup Properties, Inc. Common Stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. The weighted average number of common shares outstanding does not include any potentially dilutive securities or any unvested restricted shares of common stock. These unvested restricted shares, although classified as issued and outstanding, are considered forfeitable until the restrictions lapse and will not be included in the basic EPS calculation until the shares are vested.

Diluted EPS represents the amount of earnings for the period attributable to each share of common stock outstanding during the reporting period and to each share that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares for all dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the reporting period.  The Company calculates diluted EPS by dividing Net Income Attributable to EastGroup Properties, Inc. Common Stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the dilutive effect of unvested restricted stock.  The dilutive effect of unvested restricted stock is determined using the treasury stock method.

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Policy Text Block]

EastGroup applies the provisions of ASC 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation, to account for its stock-based compensation awards. ASC 718 requires that the compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions be recognized in the financial statements and that the cost be measured on the fair value of the equity or liability instruments issued.

The Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Committee”) approves long-term and annual equity compensation awards for the Company’s executive officers. The long-term compensation awards include components based on the Company’s total shareholder return over the upcoming three-year period and the employee’s continued service as of the vesting dates. The total shareholder return component is subject to bright-line tests that compare the Company’s total shareholder return to the Nareit Equity Index and to the member companies of the Nareit industrial index. The Company

begins recognizing expense for these awards based on the grant date fair value of the awards which is determined using a simulation pricing model developed to specifically accommodate the unique features of the award. These market based awards are expensed on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period (75% vests at the end of the three-year performance period and 25% vests the following year). The long term awards subject only to continuing employment are expensed on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The annual equity compensation awards include components based on certain annual Company performance measures and individual annual performance goals over the upcoming year. The certain Company performance measures for 2021 are: (i) FFO per share, (ii) cash same property net operating income change, (iii) debt-to-EBITDAre ratio, and (iv) fixed charge coverage. The Company begins recognizing expense for its estimate of the shares that could be earned pursuant to these awards on the grant date; the expense is adjusted to estimated performance levels during the performance period and to actual upon the determination of the awards. The shares are expensed using the graded vesting attribution method which recognizes each separate vesting portion of the award as a separate award on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Any shares issued pursuant to the individual annual performance goals are determined by the Committee in its discretion following the performance period. The Company begins recognizing the expense for the shares on the grant date and will expense on a straight-line basis over the remaining service period. Equity compensation is also awarded to the Company’s non-executive officers and directors, which are subject to service only conditions and expensed on a straight-line basis over the required service period.

The Committee has adopted an Equity Award Retirement Policy (the “retirement policy”) which allows for accelerated vesting of unvested shares for retirement-eligible employees (defined as employees who meet certain age and years of service requirements). In order to qualify for accelerated vesting upon retirement, the eligible employees must provide required notification under the retirement policy and must retire from the Company. The Company has adjusted its stock-based compensation expense to accelerate the recognition of expense for retirement-eligible employees.

Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]

ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.  ASC 820 also provides guidance for using fair value to measure financial assets and liabilities.  The Codification requires disclosure of the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall, including measurements using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1), quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active (Level 2), and significant valuation assumptions that are not readily observable in the market (Level 3).