Recently Issued Accounting Literature (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Accounting Standards Update and Change in Accounting Principle [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are unaudited and include the accounts of Vornado and the Operating Partnership and their consolidated subsidiaries. All adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and changes in cash flows have been made. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted. These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as filed with the SEC.

We have made estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year. In addition, certain prior year balances have been reclassified in order to conform to the current period presentation.

Recently Issued Accounting Literature

Recently Issued Accounting Literature

In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2020-04 establishing Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 848, Reference Rate Reform, and in January 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-01, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope (collectively, "ASC 848"). ASC 848 contains practical expedients for reference rate reform related activities that impact debt, leases, derivatives and other contracts. The guidance in ASC 848 is optional and may be elected over time as reference rate reform activities occur. We have elected to apply the hedge accounting expedients related to probability and the assessments of effectiveness for future LIBOR-indexed cash flows to assume that the index upon which future hedged transactions will be based matches the index on the corresponding derivatives. Application of these expedients preserves the presentation of derivatives consistent with past presentation. In December 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-06, Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 848 (“ASU 2022-06”) which was issued to defer the sunset date of ASC 848 to December 31, 2024. ASU 2022-06 is effective immediately for all companies. For our derivatives in hedge accounting relationships, we have utilized the elective relief in ASC 848, allowing for the continuation of hedge accounting through the transition process. As of September 30, 2023, we have transitioned all of our LIBOR-indexed debt and derivatives to SOFR, except for the $500,000,000 mortgage loan on the office condominium of 731 Lexington Avenue, owned by Alexander’s Inc. (in which we have a 32.4% interest), which transitioned to the Prime Rate.

In August 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-05, Business Combinations — Joint Venture Formations (Subtopic 805-60): Recognition and Initial Measurement (“ASU 2023-05”). ASU 2023-05 addresses the accounting for contributions made to a joint venture, upon formation, in a joint venture’s separate financial statements. Prior to the amendment, the FASB did not provide specific authoritative guidance on the initial measurement of assets and liabilities assumed by a joint venture upon its formation. ASU 2023-05 requires a joint venture to recognize and initially measure its assets and liabilities at fair value (with exceptions to fair value measurement that are consistent with the business combinations guidance). ASU 2023-05 is effective for all joint venture formations with a formation date on or after January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. During the current reporting period, we adopted ASU 2023-05 for newly formed entities meeting the definition of a joint venture. Historically, our joint ventures have recognized net assets contributed at formation at fair value. Adoption of ASU 2023-05 did not have an impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Real Estate Fund Investments

The Fund is accounted for under ASC Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies (“ASC 946”) and its investments are reported on its balance sheet at fair value, with changes in value each period recognized in earnings. We consolidate the accounts of the Fund into our consolidated financial statements, retaining the fair value basis of accounting.

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests

Redeemable noncontrolling partnership units are primarily comprised of Class A Operating Partnership units held by third parties and are recorded at the greater of their carrying amount or redemption value at the end of each reporting period. Changes in the value from period to period are charged to “additional capital” in Vornado’s consolidated statements of changes in equity and to “partners’ capital” on the consolidated balance sheets of the Operating Partnership.Redeemable noncontrolling partnership units exclude our Series G-1 through G-4 convertible preferred units and Series D-13 cumulative redeemable preferred units, as they are accounted for as liabilities in accordance with ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities and Equity.

Fair Value Measurement

ASC 820 defines fair value and establishes a framework for measuring fair value. The objective of fair value is to determine the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (the exit price). ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes observable and unobservable inputs used to measure fair value into three levels: Level 1 – quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for assets or liabilities as well as certain U.S. Treasury securities that are highly liquid and are actively traded in secondary markets; Level 2 – observable prices that are based on inputs not quoted in active markets, but corroborated by market data; and Level 3 – unobservable inputs that are used when little or no market data is available. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs and the lowest priority to Level 3 inputs. In determining fair value, we utilize valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible, as well as consider counterparty credit risk in our assessment of fair value. Considerable judgment is necessary to interpret Level 2 and 3 inputs in determining the fair value of our financial and non-financial assets and liabilities. Accordingly, our fair value estimates, which are made at the end of each reporting period, may be different than the amounts that may ultimately be realized upon sale or disposition of these assets.

Loans Receivable

Loans receivable consist of loan investments in real estate related assets for which we have elected the fair value option under ASC 825-10. These investments are classified as Level 3.

Stock-based Compensation

We account for all equity-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. Stock-based compensation expense, a component of "general and administrative" expense on our consolidated statements of income, was $9,665,000 and $3,886,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $33,247,000 and $22,887,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Derivatives and Hedging

Derivatives and Hedging

We recognize the fair values of all derivatives in "other assets" or "other liabilities" on our consolidated balance sheets. Derivatives that are not hedges are adjusted to fair value through earnings. If a derivative is a hedge, depending on the nature of the hedge, changes in the fair value of the derivative will either be offset against the change in fair value of the hedged asset, liability, or firm commitment through earnings, or recognized in other comprehensive income until the hedged item is recognized in earnings. Reported net income and equity may increase or decrease prospectively, depending on future levels of interest rates and other variables affecting the fair values of hedging instruments and hedged items, but will have no effect on cash flows. Cash payments and receipts related to our derivatives are classified as operating activities and included within our disclosure of cash paid for interest on our consolidated statements of cash flows, consistent with the classification of the hedged interest payments.