Nature of Business and Financial Statement Presentation (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2016

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

DDR Corp. and its related consolidated real estate subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company” or “DDR”) and unconsolidated joint ventures are primarily engaged in the business of acquiring, owning, developing, redeveloping, expanding, leasing and managing shopping centers. In addition, the Company engages in the origination and acquisition of loans and debt securities, which are generally collateralized directly or indirectly by shopping centers. Unless otherwise provided, references herein to the Company or DDR include DDR Corp., its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries and its consolidated joint ventures. The Company’s tenant base primarily includes national and regional retail chains and local retailers. Consequently, the Company’s credit risk is concentrated in the retail industry.

Use of Estimates in Preparation of Financial Statements

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the year. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Unaudited Interim Financial Statements

These financial statements have been prepared by the Company in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. However, in the opinion of management, the interim financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement of the results of the periods presented. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Principles of Consolidation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the results of the Company and all entities in which the Company has a controlling interest or has been determined to be the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity (“VIE”).

All significant inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Investments in real estate joint ventures and companies in which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence, but does not have financial or operating control, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Accordingly, the Company’s share of the earnings (or loss) of these joint ventures and companies is included in consolidated net income (loss).

The Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis on January 1, 2016, and reassessed its consolidated and unconsolidated joint ventures under the new standard. Based on the revised guidance, the Company identified three unconsolidated joint ventures included in the Company’s joint venture investments that, under the new standard, are considered VIEs for which the Company is not the primary beneficiary. These joint ventures were formed to invest in and own real estate assets. Each of these joint ventures was deemed to be a VIE under the new guidance as the Company (the non-managing member) does not have substantive kick-out or participating rights in these entities. The Company determined that it was not the primary beneficiary of these VIEs as the entities’ managing members have the power to direct the activities of the respective entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance. The Company’s maximum exposure to losses associated with these three VIEs is primarily limited to its aggregate investment, which was $416.6 million and $412.4 million as of June 30, 2016, and December 31, 2015, respectively. In addition, for one of the VIEs, the Company agreed to fund amounts due to the joint venture’s lender, under certain circumstances, if such amounts are not paid by the joint venture based on the Company’s pro rata share of such amount, aggregating $4.6 million at June 30, 2016.

Statements of Cash Flows and Supplemental Disclosure of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Information

Non-cash investing and financing activities are summarized as follows (in millions):

	Six Months
	Ended June 30,
	2016		2015
Accounts payable related to construction in progress	$	20.8	$	46.3
Dividends declared		75.1		67.9
Mortgages assumed from acquisitions		—		33.7
Elimination of a previously held equity interest		—		1.4

Fee and Other Income

Fee and other income was composed of the following (in millions):

	Three Months				Six Months
	Ended June 30,				Ended June 30,
	2016		2015		2016		2015
Management and other fee income	$	11.4	$	8.4	$	19.6	$	16.5
Ancillary and other property income		4.5		4.7		8.6		8.8
Lease termination fees		0.3		1.4		1.5		1.6
Other		—		0.1		—		0.3
Total fee and other income	$	16.2	$	14.6	$	29.7	$	27.2

New Accounting Standards To Be Adopted

Accounting for Leases

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic-842). The amendments in this update govern a number of areas including, but not limited to, accounting for leases, replacing the existing guidance in ASC Topic No. 840, Leases. Under this standard, among other changes in practice, a lessee’s rights and obligations under most leases, including existing and new arrangements, would be recognized as assets and liabilities, respectively, on the balance sheet. Other significant provisions of this standard include (i) defining the “lease term” to include the noncancellable period together with periods for which there is a significant economic incentive for the lessee to extend or not terminate the lease; (ii) defining the initial lease liability to be recorded on the balance sheet to contemplate only those variable lease payments that depend on an index or that are in substance “fixed”; and (iii) a dual approach for determining whether lease expense is recognized on a straight-line or accelerated basis, depending on whether the lessee is expected to consume more than an insignificant portion of the leased asset’s economic benefits. In addition, this standard impacts the lessor’s ability to capitalize costs related to the leasing of vacant space. The lease standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. This standard could have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements as the Company has ground lease agreements, in which it could be either a lessor or lessee, at many of its shopping centers. The Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and has not decided upon the method of adoption.

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The objective of ASU No. 2014-09 is to establish a single comprehensive five-step model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers that will supersede most of the existing revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The core principle of this standard is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU No. 2014-09 applies to all contracts with customers except those that are within the scope of other topics in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. Most significantly for the real estate industry, leasing transactions are not within the scope of the new standard. A majority of the Company’s tenant-related revenue is recognized pursuant to lease agreements. The new guidance is effective for public companies for annual reporting periods (including interim periods within those periods) beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or modified approach to adopt ASU No. 2014-09. The Company is assessing the impact, if any, the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and has not decided upon the method of adoption.

Business Combinations

In September 2015, the FASB issued guidance pertaining to entities that have reported provisional amounts for items in a business combination for which the accounting is incomplete by the end of the reporting period in which the combination occurs and during the measurement period have an adjustment to provisional amounts recognized. The guidance requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. Any adjustments should be calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The guidance is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. Application of the guidance is prospective. The Company is assessing the impact, if any, the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Derivatives and Hedging

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-05, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Effect of Derivative Contract Novations on Existing Hedge Accounting Relationships (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force). ASU No. 2016-05 clarifies that a change in the counterparty to a derivative instrument that has been designated as the hedging instrument under Topic 815 does not, in and of itself, require dedesignation of that hedging relationship, provided that all other hedge accounting criteria continue to be met. For public companies, ASU No. 2016-05 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Transition to Equity Method Accounting

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-07, Simplifying the Transition to the Equity Method of Accounting, which eliminates the requirement to apply the equity method of accounting retrospectively when a reporting entity obtains significant influence over a previously held investment. Instead, the equity method of accounting should be applied prospectively from the date significant influence is obtained. Investors should add the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee (if any) to the current basis of their previously held interest. For available-for-sale securities that become eligible for the equity method of accounting, any unrealized gain or loss previously recorded within accumulated other comprehensive income should be recognized in earnings at the date the investment initially qualifies for the use of the equity method. The new standard should be applied prospectively for investments that qualify for the equity method of accounting in interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have any material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Share-Based Compensation

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. ASU No. 2016-09 impacts certain aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statements of cash flows. ASU No. 2016-09 is effective for public companies for annual reporting periods and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is assessing the impact, if any, the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.