INNOVATIVE INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES INC (IIPR)
SIC breadcrumb: Finance, Insurance, And Real Estate > Real Estate > SIC 6500 Real Estate
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1677576. Latest filing source: 0001677576-26-000001.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read IIPR's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 265,955,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-24 |
| Net income | 118,247,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-24 |
| Assets | 2,370,858,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-24 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-24. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001677576.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 6,420,000 | 14,787,000 | 44,667,000 | 116,896,000 | 204,551,000 | 276,359,000 | 309,506,000 | 308,517,000 | 265,955,000 | |
| Net income | -72,000 | 6,985,000 | 23,475,000 | 65,730,000 | 113,990,000 | 154,386,000 | 165,588,000 | 161,661,000 | 118,247,000 | |
| Operating income | -223,000 | 5,338,000 | 24,935,000 | 69,737,000 | 135,371,000 | 169,617,000 | 174,587,000 | 168,345,000 | 124,122,000 | |
| Diluted EPS | -0.13 | 0.75 | 2.03 | 3.27 | 4.55 | 5.52 | 5.77 | 5.52 | 3.93 | |
| Operating cash flow | 5,015,000 | 15,693,000 | 44,934,000 | 110,814,000 | 188,747,000 | 234,130,000 | 255,543,000 | 258,446,000 | 198,189,000 | |
| Dividends paid | 1,050,000 | 6,642,000 | 22,584,000 | 75,464,000 | 130,954,000 | 183,943,000 | 202,711,000 | 211,953,000 | 216,275,000 | |
| Share buybacks | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 20,108,000 | ||||||
| Assets | 63,327,000 | 80,028,000 | 281,466,000 | 745,857,000 | 1,768,081,000 | 2,084,602,000 | 2,414,836,000 | 2,391,090,000 | 2,378,047,000 | 2,370,858,000 |
| Liabilities | 2,888,000 | 6,479,000 | 17,174,000 | 197,847,000 | 243,109,000 | 472,903,000 | 452,943,000 | 438,118,000 | 441,987,000 | 522,854,000 |
| Stockholders' equity | 60,439,000 | 73,549,000 | 264,292,000 | 548,010,000 | 1,524,972,000 | 1,611,699,000 | 1,961,893,000 | 1,952,972,000 | 1,936,060,000 | 1,848,004,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 33,003,000 | 11,758,000 | 13,050,000 | 82,244,000 | 126,006,000 | 81,096,000 | 87,122,000 | 140,249,000 | 146,245,000 | 47,597,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | -1.12% | 47.24% | 52.56% | 56.23% | 55.73% | 55.86% | 53.50% | 52.40% | 44.46% | |
| Operating margin | -3.47% | 36.10% | 55.82% | 59.66% | 66.18% | 61.38% | 56.41% | 54.57% | 46.67% | |
| Return on equity | -0.10% | 2.64% | 4.28% | 4.31% | 7.07% | 7.87% | 8.48% | 8.35% | 6.40% | |
| Return on assets | -0.09% | 2.48% | 3.15% | 3.72% | 5.47% | 6.39% | 6.93% | 6.80% | 4.99% | |
| Liabilities / equity | 0.05 | 0.09 | 0.06 | 0.36 | 0.16 | 0.29 | 0.23 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.28 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001677576-26-000001; filed 2026-02-24. Concept: Revenues. Source concepts: us-gaap:Revenues.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001677576-26-000001; filed 2026-02-24. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001677576-26-000001; filed 2026-02-24. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001677576-26-000001; filed 2026-02-24. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001677576-26-000001; filed 2026-02-24. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001677576-26-000001; filed 2026-02-24. Concept: PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001677576-26-000001; filed 2026-02-24. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001677576-26-000001; filed 2026-02-24. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001677576-26-000001; filed 2026-02-24. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001677576-26-000001; filed 2026-02-24. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001677576-26-000001; filed 2026-02-24. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-05. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001677576.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q2 | 2022-06-30 | 1.42 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | 1.32 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | 1.43 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 76,457,000 | 41,269,000 | 1.44 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 77,826,000 | 41,594,000 | 1.45 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 79,156,000 | 41,633,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 75,454,000 | 39,428,000 | 1.36 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 79,793,000 | 41,993,000 | 1.44 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 76,526,000 | 40,215,000 | 1.37 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 76,744,000 | 40,025,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 71,722,000 | 31,077,000 | 1.03 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 62,891,000 | 26,024,000 | 0.86 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 64,685,000 | 29,305,000 | 0.97 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 66,657,000 | 31,841,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 68,996,000 | 32,809,000 | 1.02 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001677576-26-000002; filed 2026-05-05. Concept: Revenues. Source concepts: us-gaap:Revenues.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001677576-26-000002; filed 2026-05-05. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001677576-26-000002; filed 2026-05-05. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001677576-26-000002.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. We make statements in this report that are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, statements pertaining to our capital resources, portfolio performance and results of operations contain forward-looking statements. Likewise, our statements regarding anticipated growth in our funds from operations and anticipated market and regulatory conditions, our strategic direction, demographics, results of operations, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, and you should not rely on them as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements depend on assumptions, data or methods which may be incorrect or imprecise, and we may not be able to realize them. We do not guarantee that the transactions and events described will happen as described (or that they will happen at all). You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates” or “anticipates” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those set forth or contemplated in the forward-looking statements: rates of default on leases for our assets; our ability to re-lease properties upon tenant defaults or lease terminations for the rent we currently receive, or at all; concentration of our portfolio of assets and limited number of tenants; the estimated growth in and evolving market dynamics of the regulated cannabis market; the demand for regulated cannabis cultivation and processing facilities; anticipated funding sources for our investment in IQHQ Preferred Stock (as defined in Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements); defaults on our investments in real estate-related assets, such as the IQHQ Credit Facility and IQHQ Preferred Stock (as defined in Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements); our ability to identify, acquire, or profitably operate life science properties; market dynamics in the life science sector; decreased economic activity due to fluctuations in trade policies, tariffs, and related government actions; inflation dynamics; the impact of pandemics on us, our business, our tenants, or the economy generally; war and other hostilities, including the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel; our business and investment strategy; our projected operating results; actions and initiatives of the U.S. or state governments and changes to government policies and the execution and impact of these actions, initiatives and policies, including the fact that cannabis remains illegal under federal law; the timing, scope and impact of the April 23, 2026 final order issued by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration regarding the federal scheduling status of certain marijuana activities; availability of suitable investment opportunities in the regulated cannabis industry; our understanding of our competition and our potential tenants’ alternative financing sources; the expected medical-use or adult-use cannabis legalization in certain states; shifts in public opinion regarding regulated cannabis; the potential impact on us from litigation matters, including rising liability and insurance costs; the additional risks that may be associated with certain of our tenants cultivating, processing and/or dispensing adult-use cannabis in our facilities; the state of the U.S. economy generally or in specific geographic areas; economic trends and economic recoveries; our ability to access equity or debt capital; financing rates for our target assets; our level of indebtedness, which could reduce funds available for other business purposes and reduce our operational flexibility; covenants in our debt instruments, which may limit our flexibility and adversely affect our financial condition; our ability to maintain our investment grade credit rating; changes in the values of our assets; our expected portfolio of assets; our expected investments; interest rate mismatches between our assets and our borrowings used to fund such investments; changes in interest rates and the market value of our assets; the degree to which any interest rate or other hedging strategies may or may not protect us from interest rate volatility; the impact of and changes in governmental regulations, tax law and rates, accounting guidance and similar matters; how and when any forward equity sales may settle; our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes; our ability to maintain our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940; availability of qualified personnel; and market trends in our industry, interest rates, real estate values, the securities markets or the general economy.
The risks included here are not exhaustive, and additional factors could adversely affect our business and financial performance, including factors and risks included in other sections of this report. In addition, we discussed a number of material risks in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and in Part II, "Item 1A. Risk Factors" included in this report. Those risks continue to be relevant to our performance and financial condition. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors, nor can it assess the impact of all such risk factors on our Company’s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us speaks only of the date on which we make it. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. Stockholders and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on such forward-looking statements when evaluating the information presented in the Company’s filings and reports.
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Table of Contents
The purpose of this Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) is to provide an understanding of the Company’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. MD&A is provided as a supplement to, and should be read in conjunction with, the Company’s consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.
Overview
As used herein, the terms “we”, “us”, “our” or the “Company” refer to Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc., a Maryland corporation, and any of our subsidiaries, including IIP Operating Partnership, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”).
We are an internally-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”) focused on the acquisition, ownership and management of specialized industrial and investments in the life science industry. Our properties are primarily leased to experienced, state-licensed operators for their regulated cannabis facilities. We have acquired and intend to continue to acquire our cannabis properties through sale-leaseback transactions and third-party purchases. We have leased and expect to continue to primarily lease our properties on a triple-net lease basis, where the tenant is responsible for all aspects of and costs related to the property and its operation during the lease term, including structural repairs, maintenance, real estate taxes and insurance. Outside of the cannabis sector, our leases may include different lease structures that do not require tenants to assume all property-related expenses. In addition to our cannabis-related real estate portfolio, we also have investments in the life science industry and intend to actively pursue acquisitions of properties within that sector as a key component of our growth strategy. We may continue expanding our investment activities to include joint ventures, debt or mezzanine financing, preferred or joint venture equity interests, and interests in other real estate funds or REITs.
We were incorporated in Maryland on June 15, 2016. We conduct our business through a traditional umbrella partnership real estate investment trust, or UPREIT structure, in which our properties are owned by our Operating Partnership, directly or through subsidiaries. We are the sole general partner of our Operating Partnership and own, directly or through subsidiaries, 100% of the limited partnership interests in our Operating Partnership. As of March 31, 2026, we had 23 full-time employees.
As of March 31, 2026, we owned 110 properties comprising 8.9 million square feet (including 303,000 rentable square feet under development/redevelopment) in 19 states. As of March 31, 2026, we had invested $2.5 billion in the aggregate (consisting of purchase price and funding of draws for construction and improvements submitted by tenants, if any, but excluding transaction costs) and had committed an additional $4.4 million to fund draws to certain tenants and vendors for improvements at our properties. Of the $4.4 million committed to fund draws to certain tenants and vendors for improvements at our properties, $0.9 million was incurred but not funded as of March 31, 2026.
Of these 110 properties, we include 108 properties in our operating portfolio, which were 97.8% leased as of March 31, 2026, with a weighted-average remaining lease term of 12.4 years. We do not include in our operating portfolio the following properties (all of which were under development/redevelopment as of March 31, 2026, and together are expected to comprise 255,000 rentable square feet upon completion of development/redevelopment):
•Inland Center Drive in San Bernardino, California; and
•Leah Avenue in San Marcos, Texas.
As previously disclosed, we entered into leases with PharmaCann Inc. and its affiliates for eleven properties. Effective February 1, 2025, rent under two cultivation facility leases in Michigan and Massachusetts, representing aggregate monthly base rent of approximately $1.3 million, was fully abated pursuant to lease amendments entered into in January 2025. In April 2025, we re-leased the approximately 205,000 square foot Michigan property to Berry Green, and we have also leased the former PharmaCann cultivation facility in Holliston, Massachusetts to a third party.
We regained possession of one retail property in Colorado through a default judgment and the property was subsequently sold in December 2025. PharmaCann has paid, and continues to pay, full rent on the remaining four retail properties in Colorado. In December 2025, we obtained a judgment in our favor in an eviction action relating to the Dwight, Illinois facility and regained possession of that property. The property was re-leased to Grown Rogue in March 2026. PharmaCann defaulted on its rent obligations under three out of seven the remaining leases, covering properties in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio. As of March 31, 2026, amounts due under these leases for base rent, property management fees, and estimated tax and insurance payments totaled $38.5 million, including the balance related to the Illinois property. We have commenced litigation and are actively seeking possession of the remaining properties in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. As of March 31, 2026, the seven properties leased to Phar
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. We make statements in this section that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For a complete discussion of forward-looking statements, see the section above entitled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Certain risk factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the following discussion. For a discussion of such risk factors, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
Overview
We are an internally-managed REIT focused on the acquisition, ownership and management of specialized industrial and commercial properties in the United States. Our properties are primarily leased to experienced, state-licensed operators for their regulated cannabis facilities. We have acquired and expect to continue to acquire our cannabis properties through sale-leaseback transactions and third-party purchases. These properties are generally leased, and we expect to continue leasing them, on a triple-net lease basis, pursuant to which the tenant is responsible for all aspects of and costs related to the property and its operation during the lease term, including structural repairs, maintenance, real estate taxes and insurance. Outside of the cannabis sector, our leases may include different lease structures that do not require tenants to assume all property-related expenses. In addition to our cannabis-related real estate portfolio, we also have financial investments in the life science industry and intend to actively pursue acquisitions of properties within that sector as a key component of our growth strategy. We may continue expanding our investment activities to include joint ventures, debt or mezzanine financing, preferred or joint venture equity interests, and interests in other real estate funds or REITs.
We were incorporated in Maryland on June 15, 2016. We conduct our business through a traditional umbrella partnership real estate investment trust, or UPREIT structure, in which our properties are owned by our Operating Partnership, directly or through subsidiaries. We are the sole general partner of our Operating Partnership and own, directly or through subsidiaries, 100% of the limited partnership interests in our Operating Partnership. As of December 31, 2025, we had 23 full-time employees.
As of December 31, 2025, we owned 111 properties comprising 8.9 million square feet (including 303,000 rentable square feet under development/redevelopment) in 19 states. As of December 31, 2025, we had invested $2.5 billion in the aggregate (consisting of purchase price and funding of draws for improvements submitted by tenants, if any, but excluding transaction costs) and had committed an additional $6.5 million to fund draws to certain tenants and vendors for improvements at our properties. Of the $6.5 million committed to fund draws to certain tenants and vendors for improvements at our properties, $3.0 million was incurred but not funded as of December 31, 2025.
Of these properties, we include 109 properties in our operating portfolio, which were 96.7% leased as of December 31, 2025, with a weighted-average remaining lease term of 12.8 years. We define our “operating portfolio” as the portion of our property portfolio consisting of properties that are leased or are not leased but ready for their intended use. The operating portfolio excludes properties under development or redevelopment that are not yet available for tenant occupancy. Properties are added to the operating portfolio upon substantial completion and availability for occupancy and may be removed if they become vacant and we elect to redevelop them, pursue alternative uses, or market them for sale rather than re-lease them.
We do not include in our operating portfolio the following two properties (all of which were under development/redevelopment as of December 31, 2025, and together are expected to comprise 255,000 rentable square feet upon completion of development/redevelopment):
•Inland Center Drive in San Bernardino, California; and
•Leah Avenue in San Marcos, Texas.
Factors Impacting Our Operating Results
Our results of operations are affected by a number of factors and depend on the rental revenue we receive from the properties that we acquire, the timing of lease expirations, general market conditions, the regulatory environment in the cannabis industry, the regulatory and market conditions applicable to the life science industry, and the competitive environment for real estate assets supporting regulated cannabis operators and life science tenants.
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Rental Revenues
We receive income primarily from rental revenue generated by the properties that we acquire. The amount of rental revenue depends upon a number of factors, including:
•our ability to enter into leases with increasing or market value rents for the properties that we acquire; and
•rent collection, which primarily relates to each of our current and future tenant’s financial condition and ability to make rent payments to us on time.
The properties that we acquire consist of primarily real estate assets that support the regulated cannabis industry. Most states where we own properties issue licenses for cannabis operations for a limited period. If one or more of our tenants are unable to renew or otherwise maintain their licenses or other state and local authorizations necessary to continue its cannabis operations, such tenants may default on their lease payments to us. Current unfavorable market dynamics in the regulated cannabis industry have adversely affected our ability to re-lease properties upon tenant defaults at the rental rates we currently receive and, in some cases, for prolonged periods. See the section entitled “Business – Tenant Concentration” for a discussion of our recent tenant defaults. Furthermore, changes in federal law and current favorable state or local laws in the cannabis industry may impair our ability to renew or re-lease properties and the ability of our tenants to fulfill their lease obligations and could materially and adversely affect our ability to maintain or increase rental rates for our properties.
Conditions in Our Markets
Conditions in the markets in which we operate, including regulatory, economic and industry-specific developments, influence tenant performance and the performance of our life science investments and, in turn, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our tenants primarily operate in the regulated cannabis industry and continue to be affected by a combination of macroeconomic, industry-specific and regulatory factors. These include federal, state and local taxation burdens; competitive pressure from illicit, unlicensed cannabis operations; declines in unit pricing for regulated cannabis products; constrained access to capital; inflationary pressures; elevated interest rates; significant debt maturities; labor market constraints; supply chain disruptions; evolving trade policies; and broader U.S. consumer financial conditions. Market dynamics and regulatory frameworks vary by state and may influence tenant profitability and demand for regulated cannabis cultivation and production facilities. These conditions have already adversely affected the ability of certain tenants to meet their lease obligations and have had a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. If these challenges persist or worsen, additional tenants may default under their leases and we may be unable to re-lease affected properties on favorable terms, or at all. The extent and duration of these impacts depend on developments in the regulated cannabis markets in which we operate and remain subject to significant uncertainty.
In addition to the regulated cannabis industry, we have investments and strategic objectives related to the life science industry. Conditions in the life science sector, including capital availability, interest rate trends, new supply, valuation levels and sector consolidation may affect the performance of our life science investments and any life science properties that we may acquire.
See “Item 1A. Risk factors” in this annual report on Form 10-K for a discussion of additional risks we face.
Market Dynamics in Regulated Cannabis State Programs
Regulated cannabis markets differ significantly by state, reflecting variations in regulatory structures, taxation and licensing regimes, and enforcement practices related to illicit cannabis activity. In certain states, including California, the illicit market continues to represent a substantial portion of overall cannabis sales, and high state and local taxes on regulated cannabis products have impacted operator profitability. In markets where enforcement against illicit sales is limited or inconsistent, regulated operators may face additional competitive pressure, which can affect demand for regulated cannabis facilities.
In addition, many states have experienced sustained declines in unit pricing for regulated cannabis products, with pricing pressure more pronounced in certain markets. These trends have compressed margins for operators and, in some cases, led to consolidation of operations or the closure of certain facilities. These developments have influenced tenant demand for space and capital investment decisions and may continue to affect leasing activity.
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Reduced Capital Availability and Significant Debt Maturities for Cannabis Operators
Capital availability for regulated cannabis operators remains constrained due to a combination of higher interest rates, increased market volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and the continued federal illegality of cannabis in the United States, which limits access to traditional bank financing and public capital markets. As a result, many operators rely on alternative sources of capital that are generally more expensive and restrictive. Since 2021, capital availability for the regulated cannabis industry has declined, in part due to broader macroeconomic conditions. According to Viridian Capital Advisors (“Viridian”), worldwide cannabis capital raises in 2025 decreased modestly to $2.1 billion, compared to $2.3 billion in 2024, but remained well below levels observed in prior years, including over $4.3 billion in 2022. In contrast, Viridian reports that mergers and acquisitions activity in the North American regulated cannabis industry increased to approximately $2.1 billion in 2025, up from $1.2 billion in 2024.
At the same time, a number of operators have reached or are approaching the maturity of debt incurred in prior periods. Limited refinancing options, often at higher interest rates and with restrictive covenants, have increased financial pressure on some tenants and may lead to balance sheet restructurings, asset sales or reductions in operations. These factors may affect tenant credit profiles and leasing decisions and could influence future rental income and property utilization.
Inflation, Tariffs and Supply Chain Disruption
Inflationary pressures, changes in trade policy and ongoing supply chain challenges have contributed to higher operating and capital costs for cannabis operators and, in certain cases, for the development or redevelopment of our properties. Changes in tariff policies may increase the cost of equipment, construction materials and other inputs used in cultivation and production facilities. These higher costs may further affect tenant capital expenditure plans and operating margins.
In addition, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical developments have resulted in longer lead times and increased costs for certain capital projects, which may delay development or redevelopment activities and the commencement or expansion of tenant operations. The extent of these impacts will continue to depend on broader economic conditions, regulatory developments and future changes in trade and tariff policies.
Unit Pricing for Regulated Cannabis Products
Many states have experienced declines in unit pricing for regulated cannabis products, with that decline more pronounced in certain states than in others, which compresses operating margins for operators. As a result, certain regulated cannabis operators have consolidated operations or shuttered certain operations to reduce costs, which could have a negative impact on operators’ demand for regulated cannabis facilities, including our existing tenants.
Significant Tenants and Concentrations of Risk
As of December 31, 2025, we owned 111 properties located in 19 states. Many of our tenants are tenants at multiple properties. We seek to manage our portfolio-level risk through geographic diversification and by minimizing dependence on any single property or tenant. At December 31, 2025, our largest property was located in New York and accounted for 5.5% of our net real estate held for investment. No other properties accounted for more than 5% of our net real estate held for investment at December 31, 2025. See Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and Recent Accounting Pronouncements” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the tenants in our portfolio that represented the largest percentage of our total rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Competitive Environment
We face competition from a diverse mix of market participants, including but not limited to, other companies with similar business models, independent investors, hedge funds, lenders and other real estate investors, as well as potential tenants (cannabis operators themselves), all of whom may compete with us in our efforts to acquire real estate zoned for regulated cannabis operations. Competition from others may diminish our opportunities to acquire a desired property on favorable terms or at all. In addition, this competition may put pressure on us to reduce the rental rates below those that we expect to charge for the properties that we acquire, which would adversely affect our financial results.
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Operating Expenses
Our operating expenses include general and administrative expenses, including personnel costs, stock-based compensation, and legal, accounting and other expenses related to corporate governance, public reporting and compliance with the various provisions of U.S. securities laws. Our operating expenses also include costs that we incur for properties, including taxes, insurance, maintenance, security, utilities and other property-specific costs. We generally expect to structure our leases so that the tenant is responsible for real estate taxes, maintenance, insurance, and structural repairs with respect to the premises throughout the lease term. Increases or decreases in such operating expenses will impact our overall financial performance.
Our Qualification as a REIT
We have been organized and operate our business so as to qualify, to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Shares of our common stock and Series A Preferred Stock are subject to restrictions on ownership and transfer that are intended, among other purposes, to assist us in qualifying and maintaining our qualification as a REIT. In order for us to qualify as a REIT under the Code, the relevant sections of our charter provide that, subject to certain exceptions, no person or entity may own, or be deemed to own, by virtue of the applicable constructive ownership provisions of the Code, more than 9.8% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of our outstanding shares of stock or Series A Preferred Stock or more than 9.8% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of our outstanding common stock or any class or series of our outstanding preferred stock.
Results of Operations
Investments in Real Estate
See Note 6 “Investments in Real Estate” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for information regarding our investments in real estate and property portfolio activity during the year ended December 31, 2025. Additionally, the Company declared a default under a secured promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $16.1 million (the “MIH Note”). The MIH Note was issued to the Company by the purchaser of four properties in California and was secured by such four properties. In September 2025, due to borrower's continued default and voluntary surrender, the Company took back possession and ownership of the four properties through a deed in lieu of foreclosure.
Investment in Life Science
See Note 7 "Life Science Investments" in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for information regarding our life science investment activity for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
See Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on February 21, 2025, for a comparison of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
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Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 (in thousands)
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | ||||||||
| Cannabis Portfolio Segment: | ||||||||||
| Rental revenues (including tenant reimbursements) | $ | 265,486 | $ | 306,936 | $ | (41,450) | ||||
| Other revenues | 469 | 1,581 | (1,112) | |||||||
| Property expenses | (30,177) | (28,472) | (1,705) | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization expense | (74,068) | (70,807) | (3,261) | |||||||
| Impairment loss on real estate | (3,527) | — | (3,527) | |||||||
| Gain (loss) on sale of real estate | (326) | (3,449) | 3,123 | |||||||
| Interest and other income | 6,413 | 4,388 | 2,025 | |||||||
| Cannabis Portfolio Segment net income | 164,270 | 210,177 | (45,907) | |||||||
| Life Science Portfolio Segment: | ||||||||||
| Interest and other income | 5,047 | — | 5,047 | |||||||
| Life Science Portfolio Segment net income | 5,047 | — | 5,047 | |||||||
| Unallocated: | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expense | (33,735) | (37,444) | 3,709 | |||||||
| Interest and other income | 2,860 | 6,600 | (3,740) | |||||||
| Interest expense | (20,195) | (17,672) | (2,523) | |||||||
| Net income | 118,247 | 161,661 | (43,414) | |||||||
| Preferred stock dividends | (3,812) | (1,804) | (2,008) | |||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | $ | 114,435 | $ | 159,857 | $ | (45,422) |
Cannabis Portfolio Segment
Rental Revenues. Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $265.5 million, compared to $306.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, reflecting a decrease of $41.5 million, or 14%, year over year. The decrease was primarily driven by tenant defaults, resulting in a decrease of $46.9 million related to properties leased to PharmaCann, Gold Flora, TILT, and 4Front. In addition, there was a decrease of $3.1 million related to properties that have been taken back or sold, a $3.9 million decrease from a one-time disposition-contingent lease termination fee that was collected during the year ended December 31, 2024 in connection with the sale of property in Los Angeles, California, and a $3.1 million decrease in tenant reimbursement revenue primarily due to tenant defaults. These decreases were partially offset by a $5.4 million increase from two properties acquired in 2024 and one property acquired in 2025, a $5.1 million increase from new leases executed on existing properties, and a $6.0 million increase from annual contractual rent escalations.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, we applied $6.6 million of security deposits for payment of contractual rent on properties leased to seven tenants. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we applied $7.7 million of security deposits for payment of contractual rent on properties leased to six tenants.
Other Revenues. Other revenues for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 primarily consist of interest revenue related to leases for property acquisitions that did not satisfy the requirements for sale-leaseback accounting. The $1.1 million decrease in other revenue for the year ended December 31, 2025 was primarily due to non-collection of rent related to one property leased to 4Front.
Property Expenses. Property expenses for the year ended December 31, 2025 increased by $1.7 million, or 6%, to $30.2 million, compared to $28.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily driven by additional investment in existing properties, resulting in a $2.1 million increase in property tax expense, as well as a $0.8 million increase in expenses associated with properties that we took back possession of from defaulted tenants but not yet re-leased. These increases were partially offset by a $1.2 million decrease in insurance expense due to lower premiums on
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the master property insurance policy renewed in August 2024 and 2025. Property expenses related to leased properties are generally reimbursable to us by the tenants under the terms of the leases.
Depreciation and Amortization Expense. Depreciation and amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2025 increased by $3.3 million, or 5%, to $74.1 million, compared to $70.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in depreciation and amortization expense was primarily related to depreciation on the two properties we acquired in 2024, one property acquired in 2025 and the placement into service of construction and improvements at certain of our properties.
Impairment loss on real estate. Impairment loss on real estate of $3.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 is related to one of our properties located in Palm Springs, California which was sold in June 2025.
Loss on Sale of Real Estate. Loss on sale of real estate for the year ended December 31, 2025 related to the sale of a property located in Mancos, Colorado, which was sold in December 2025. Loss on sale of real estate for the year ended December 31, 2024 related to the sale of a property located in Los Angeles, California, which was sold in May 2024. See Note 6 “Investments in Real Estate” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information.
Interest and Other Income. Interest and other income for the year ended December 31, 2025 increased by $2.0 million, or 46%, to $6.4 million, compared to $4.4 million for year ended December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily due to interest payments on the MIH Note, which were previously recognized as a deposit liability on our consolidated balance sheets but was recognized as interest and other income in September 2025 in connection with the termination of the note.
Life Science Portfolio Segment
Interest and Other Income. Interest and other income was $5.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 and represented interest and dividend income earned on our investments in the IQHQ Credit Facility and IQHQ Preferred Stock.
Unallocated Items
General and Administrative Expense. General and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2025 decreased by $3.7 million, or 10%, to $33.7 million, compared to $37.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower non-cash stock-based compensation expense, which decreased by $7.2 million from $17.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $10.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, driven by the expiration of the performance share units (“PSUs”) granted in 2022 on December 31, 2024. The decrease was partially offset by higher legal, consultant and payroll expenses during the year ended December 31, 2025.
Interest and Other Income. Interest and other income decreased by $3.7 million, or 57%, to $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $6.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease was due to lower interest-bearing investments and lower rates earned on those investments.
Interest Expense. Interest expense primarily consists of interest on our Notes due 2026 and interest on our Credit Facilities. Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2025 increased by $2.5 million, or 14%, to $20.2 million, compared to $17.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily driven by interest incurred on borrowings under our Credit Facilities beginning in September 2025.
Preferred Stock Dividends. Preferred stock dividends increased by $2.0 million, or 111%, to $3.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 due to issuance of 1,016,852 shares of preferred stock during the year ended December 31, 2025.
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Cash Flows
The following summary discussion of our cash flows is based on the consolidated statements of cash flows in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and is not meant to be an all-inclusive discussion of the changes in our cash flows for the periods presented below (in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | ||||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities | $ | 198,189 | $ | 258,446 | $ | (60,257) | ||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | (174,301) | (55,996) | (118,305) | |||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | (122,536) | (197,904) | 75,368 | |||||||
| Ending cash and cash equivalents | 47,597 | 146,245 | (98,648) |
Operating Activities
Cash flows provided by operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 were $198.2 million and $258.4 million, respectively. Cash flows provided by operating activities were primarily from contractual rent and tenant reimbursements from our properties, partially offset by our general and administrative expense, interest expense, property expenses in excess of tenant reimbursements and property expenses at properties that were not leased. The decrease in cash flows provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily due to lower net income and the application of $6.6 million of security deposits for contractual rent due to tenant defaults. Cash flows provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 also included a one-time $3.9 million disposition-contingent lease termination fee that was received concurrently with the sale of our property in Los Angeles, California.
Investing Activities
Cash flows used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $174.3 million, of which $150.3 million was related to investments in life science financial instruments, $31.2 million was related to investments in real estate and funding of draws for improvements and construction funding at our properties, partially offset by $2.2 million in net proceeds related to the sale of two real estate properties and $5.0 million in proceeds related to the net purchases and maturities of short-term investments.
Cash flows used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $56.0 million, of which $82.6 million was related to the purchases of investments in real estate, funding of draws for improvements and construction, and funding of construction loan and other investments in the aggregate, partially offset by $9.1 million in net proceeds related to the sale of our Los Angeles, California property and $17.5 million of net maturities of short-term investments.
The year-over-year decrease in purchases of investments in real estate, funding of draws for improvements and construction, and funding of construction loan and other investments was due to smaller acquisitions and lower development activities as certain projects were completed during 2025.
Financing Activities
Cash flows used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $122.5 million, primarily related to dividend payments of $219.5 million to common and preferred stockholders, $20.1 million related to repurchase of common stock and partial principal payments on the Notes due 2026 of $8.7 million, partially offset by net total draws on our two revolving credit facilities of $102.5 million and $24.1 million in net proceeds from the issuance of our Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to our ATM program.
Cash flows used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $197.9 million, primarily related to dividend payments of $213.5 million to common and preferred stockholders and principal payment on the Exchangeable Senior Notes of $4.4 million, partially offset by $11.8 million in net proceeds from the issuance of our common stock and $9.6 million in net proceeds from the issuance of our Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to our ATM program.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources and Uses of Cash
Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements. We expect to use significant cash to acquire additional properties and other investments (including the completion of our investment in IQHQ Preferred Stock), associated acquisition and improvement costs, non-reimbursed expenses associated with unleased properties, operating and administrative expenses, scheduled debt service and repayments, and the payment of dividends to holders of our Common Stock and Preferred Stock, as well as any future series of preferred stock we may issue. As of December 31, 2025, we had cash and cash equivalents of $47.6 million.
We derive substantially all of our revenues from leasing our properties and collecting rental income, which includes operating expense reimbursements, based on contractual arrangements with our tenants. This source of revenue represents our primary source of liquidity to fund the acquisition of additional properties, the development and redevelopment of existing properties, the funding of our remaining investment in IQHQ Preferred Stock, dividends to our stockholders, scheduled debt service under our Notes due 2026, repayment of borrowings and interest payments under our Credit Facilities, general and administrative expenses, property development and redevelopment activities, property operating expenses and other expenses incurred related to managing our existing portfolio and investing in additional properties. Because substantially all of our leases are triple net, our tenants are generally responsible for the maintenance, insurance and property taxes associated with the properties they lease from us. If a tenant defaults on one of our leases or the lease term expires with no tenant renewal, we would incur property costs not paid by the tenant during the time it takes to re-lease or sell the property.
We expect to meet our liquidity needs through a combination of rental income from our properties, cash and investments on hand, borrowings under our Credit Facilities, and access to capital markets, including potential note issuances, equity offerings (of both common stock and preferred stock), including under our ATM Program, or other financing arrangements.
At December 31, 2025, the outstanding principal balance on the Notes due 2026 was $291.2 million, which matures in May 2026. The maturity of the Notes due 2026 within one year from the date of issuance of the Company’s financial statements, together with the Company’s current liquidity position, raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the financial statements are issued.
Management is actively evaluating alternatives to address the maturity of the Notes due 2026, which may include refinancing the existing indebtedness or raising additional capital combined with existing cash resources to retire the obligation. Although management believes that it is more likely than not that the Company will be able to address the maturity of the Notes due 2026, guidance issued under Accounting Standard Codification ("ASC") 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern, requires that management not conclude that such an outcome is "probable" if, among other factors, the outcome is not within control of the Company. Because no such refinancing or capital transactions have closed, such outcomes are not solely within the control of the Company and therefore, management is unable to conclude that such an outcome is probable. Accordingly, management has concluded that there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year following the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements. The failure to retire or refinance the Notes due 2026 could lead to an event of default, which would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition.
In recent years, financial markets have been volatile in general. If sustained, this could also have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including our ability to refinance our existing indebtedness, fund our obligations to purchase IQHQ Preferred Stock, and continue to make acquisitions of new properties and fund investments for improvements at existing properties. Our investment guidelines also provide that our aggregate borrowings (secured and unsecured) will not exceed 50% of the cost of our tangible assets at the time of any new borrowing, subject to our board of directors’ discretion.
IQHQ Investments
We have made a long-term capital commitment to fund investments in IQHQ REIT through both purchases of preferred equity and secured credit instruments. These investments represent a strategic expansion of our portfolio and are expected to be funded over an extended period through a combination of available cash on hand, operating cash flows, our Credit Facilities, and potential future financing activities.
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On September 30, 2025, IIP Life Science completed the initial closing of the Company’s investment in preferred equity of IQHQ REIT pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, acquiring 5,000 shares of IQHQ Preferred Stock for an aggregate purchase price of $5.0 million. On October 31, 2025, the Company purchased an additional 45,000 shares of IQHQ Preferred Stock for $45.0 million, resulting in a total investment of 50,000 shares with an aggregate purchase price of $50.0 million. Under the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement, IIP Life Science holds the right and obligation to purchase up to an aggregate of $170.0 million of IQHQ Preferred Stock, subject to the exercise of preemptive rights by existing IQHQ investors and certain other conditions. Our remaining investment in IQHQ Preferred Stock pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement is expected to be funded in multiple tranches commencing the second quarter of 2026 and continuing through the second quarter of 2027. IQHQ REIT may elect to delay or cancel scheduled funding dates under the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement, which could affect the timing or total amount of our investment. We expect to fund the additional investments in IQHQ Preferred Stock with cash on hand, draws on our IIP Life Science Credit Facility and potential proceeds from future financing activities.
In connection with the initial closing of our investment in IQHQ Preferred Stock, we also became a lender under the IQHQ Revolving Credit Facility and funded our $100.0 million loan commitment using available cash on hand and borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility. See the section above entitled “Business - 2025 Business Update - Life Science Investments” for a discussion of the terms of the IQHQ Credit Facility.
Notes Due 2026
In May 2021, we received an investment grade rating from a ratings agency. We sought to obtain an investment grade rating to facilitate access to the investment grade unsecured debt market as part of our overall strategy to maximize our financial flexibility and manage our overall cost of capital. In May 2021, our Operating Partnership issued $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of Notes due 2026. The Notes due 2026 are the Operating Partnership’s general unsecured and unsubordinated obligations, and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Operating Partnership’s future senior unsecured indebtedness. The terms of the Notes due 2026 are governed by an indenture, which requires compliance with various financial covenants including limits on the amount of total leverage and secured debt maintained by the Operating Partnership and which require the Operating Partnership to maintain minimum levels of debt service coverage. Management believes that it was in compliance with those covenants as of December 31, 2025. In addition, the terms of the indenture provide that if the debt rating on the Notes due 2026 is downgraded or withdrawn entirely, interest on the Notes due 2026 will increase to a range of 6.0% to 6.5% based on such debt rating. As of December 31, 2025, the outstanding principal balance on our Notes due 2026 was $291.2 million and we plan to refinance these notes prior to maturity in May 2026.
ATM Program
We have an “at the market” equity offering program (“ATM Program”), pursuant to which we may offer and sell from time to time, including on a forward basis, shares of our common stock and 9.00% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), up to an aggregate offering price of $500.0 million. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we sold 1,016,852 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock for net proceeds of $24.1 million. As of December 31, 2025, shares of the Company’s common stock and Series A Preferred Stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $464.9 million remain available for offer and sale pursuant to the ATM Program.
Credit Facilities
In October 2023, our Operating Partnership entered into a loan and security agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with a federally regulated commercial bank, as lender and as agent for lenders that become party thereto from time to time. The Loan Agreement matures on October 23, 2026, and was most recently amended in November 2024 to increase aggregate commitments for secured revolving loans to $87.5 million (the “Revolving Credit Facility”). The Loan Agreement also allows the Operating Partnership, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, to request additional revolving incremental loan commitments up to a specified amount. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at a variable rate based on the greater of (i) the prime rate plus an applicable margin based on deposits with the participating bank(s) ranging from 0.5% to 2.05% and (ii) 9.0%. At December 31, 2025, the interest rate was 9.0%. The Loan Agreement is subject to certain liquidity and operating covenants, including a debt service coverage ratio covenant, defined as the ratio of (i) consolidated EBITDA to (ii) debt service costs and required to be not less than 2.0 to 1.0, measured as of the end of each fiscal quarter. The Loan Agreement also includes customary representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants and events of default. Management believes it was in compliance with these covenants as of
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December 31, 2025. As of December 31, 2025, there were $27.5 million of borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility.
On October 3, 2025, our Operating Partnership and IIP Life Science entered into a loan agreement with a federally regulated commercial bank, as agent for the lenders that become party thereto from time to time (the “IIP Life Science Credit Facility” and together with the Revolving Credit Facility, the “Credit Facilities”). Under the IIP Life Science Credit Facility, our Operating Partnership has a revolving line of credit available up to $100.0 million until the maturity date on October 3, 2028. The IIP Life Science Credit Facility includes an accordion feature under which the revolving line of credit may be increased up to an aggregate of $135.0 million, under certain conditions, including obtaining additional lender commitments. The availability of credit at any given time under the IIP Life Science Credit Facility is subject to, among other things, the amount of collateral available and a borrowing base formula based upon the value of eligible investments in certain securities and an eligible loan receivable. All obligations under the IIP Life Science Credit Facility are secured by substantial assets of the loan parties, including the Company’s investment through IIP Life Science in IQHQ Preferred Stock, the IQHQ Warrant, and the IQHQ Credit Facility. Borrowings under the IIP Life Science Credit Facility will bear interest on the outstanding daily balance at a rate of interest per annum equal to the greater of (i) the one-month Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"), as administered by CME Group Benchmark Administration, plus 2.0% and (ii) 6.10%. At December 31, 2025, the interest rate was 6.1%. The IIP Life Science Credit Facility contains a liquidity covenant and a debt service coverage ratio covenant, which requires that the ratio of the Company’s consolidated EBITDA to debt service costs not be less than 2.0 to 1.0, measured as of the end of each fiscal quarter. Management believes it was in compliance with these covenants as of December 31, 2025. As of December 31, 2025, outstanding borrowings under our IIP Life Science Credit Facility were $75.0 million.
Share Repurchase Program
We may voluntarily repurchase our outstanding debt or equity securities (depending on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity, contractual restrictions and other factors) through cash purchases, open-market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, tender offers or otherwise. In March of 2025, our Board of Directors authorized the purchase of up to $100.0 million in shares of our common stock. The timing, volume and nature of the repurchases will be at the discretion of management based on its evaluation of the capital needs of the Company, market conditions, applicable legal requirements and other factors. There is no guarantee as to the number of shares that will be repurchased. Repurchases under the share repurchase plan are expected to be funded from existing cash balances and proceeds from the sale of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock under its ATM Program. During the year ended December 31, 2025, 371,538 shares of common stock were repurchased and retired for $20.1 million under the share repurchase plan. The repurchase plan expires on March 17, 2026, and may be extended, suspended, modified or discontinued at any time at the Company’s discretion.
We have filed a registration statement with the SEC allowing us, from time to time, to offer and sell common stock, preferred stock, warrants, debt securities of our Operating Partnership and other securities to the extent necessary or advisable to meet our liquidity needs.
Dividends
The Company is required to pay dividends to its stockholders at least equal to 90% of its taxable income in order to qualify and maintain its qualification as a REIT. As a result of this distribution requirement, our Operating Partnership cannot rely on retained earnings to fund its ongoing operations to the same extent that other companies whose parent companies are not REITs can. During 2025, we declared cash dividends on our common stock totaling $7.60 per share, and cash dividends on our Series A Preferred Stock totaling $2.25 per share. Our ability to continue to pay dividends is dependent upon our ability to continue to generate cash flows, service any debt obligations we have, including our Notes due 2026, and make accretive new investments.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Ordinary income distributions | $ | 6.143200 | $ | 7.440000 | $ | 7.700000 | ||||
| Return of capital | 0.626800 | — | — | |||||||
| Total | $ | 6.770000 | $ | 7.440000 | $ | 7.700000 |
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The common stock distribution with a record date of December 31, 2024 was a split-year distribution, with $0.83 allocable to 2024 for federal income tax purposes and $1.07 allocable to 2025 for federal income tax purposes. The common stock distribution with a record date of December 29, 2023 was a split-year distribution, with $0.83 allocable to 2023 for federal income tax purposes and $0.99 allocable to 2024 for federal income tax purposes.
Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2025 (in thousands):
| Payments Due by Year | Notes due 2026 | Credit Facilities | Interest | Office Rent | Total | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $ | 291,215 | $ | 27,500 | $ | 13,132 | $ | 543 | $ | 332,390 | |||||||||
| 2027 | — | — | 4,639 | 45 | 4,684 | ||||||||||||||
| 2028 | — | 75,000 | 3,517 | — | 78,517 | ||||||||||||||
| 2029 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 2030 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Thereafter | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 291,215 | $ | 102,500 | $ | 21,288 | $ | 588 | $ | 415,591 |
As of December 31, 2025, we had (1) $120 million remaining on our commitment to purchase up to $170 million of IQHQ Preferred Stock which is scheduled to be funded in various installments by June 30, 2027, subject to extension options exercisable by IQHQ; (2) $6.5 million outstanding in commitments related to improvement allowances, which generally may be requested by the tenants at any time up until a date that is near the expiration of the initial term of the applicable lease; and (3) $0.2 million outstanding in commitments to fund the Construction Loan. The commitments discussed in this paragraph are excluded from the table of contractual obligations above as there is no explicit time frame for incurring the obligations, which generally may be requested from time to time, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions.
Non-GAAP Financial Information and Other Metrics
In addition to the required GAAP presentations, we use certain non-GAAP performance measures as we believe these measures improve the understanding of our operational results. We continually evaluate the usefulness, relevance, limitations, and calculation of our reported non-GAAP performance measures to determine how best to provide relevant information to the public and thus such reported measures could change.
Funds from Operations, Normalized Funds from Operations and Adjusted Funds from Operations
Funds from operations (“FFO”) and FFO per share are operating performance measures adopted by NAREIT. NAREIT defines FFO as the most commonly accepted and reported non-GAAP measure of a REIT’s operating performance equal to net income (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, depreciation and amortization and impairment related to real estate properties, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. The Company also excludes the disposition-contingent lease termination fee relating to the sale of our property in Los Angeles, California.
Management believes that net income, as defined by GAAP, is the most appropriate earnings measurement. However, management believes FFO and FFO per share to be supplemental measures of a REIT’s performance because they provide an understanding of the operating performance of our properties without giving effect to certain significant non-cash items, primarily depreciation expense. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with GAAP assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. However, real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions. We believe that by excluding the effect of depreciation, FFO and FFO per share can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods. We report FFO and FFO per share because these measures are observed by management to also be the predominant measures used by the REIT industry and by industry analysts to evaluate REITs and because FFO per share is consistently reported, discussed, and compared by research analysts in their notes and publications about REITs. For these reasons, management has deemed it appropriate to disclose and discuss FFO and FFO per share.
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We compute normalized funds from operations (“Normalized FFO”) by adjusting FFO, as defined by NAREIT, to exclude certain GAAP income and expense amounts that we believe are infrequent and unusual in nature and/or not related to our core real estate operations. Exclusion of these items from similar FFO-type metrics is common within the equity REIT industry, and management believes that presentation of Normalized FFO and Normalized FFO per share provides investors with a metric to assist in their evaluation of our operating performance across multiple periods and in comparison to the operating performance of other companies, because it removes the effect of unusual items that are not expected to impact our operating performance on an ongoing basis. Normalized FFO is used by management in evaluating the performance of our core business operations. Items included in calculating FFO that may be excluded in calculating Normalized FFO include certain transaction-related gains, losses, income or expense or other non-core amounts as they occur.
During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company revised its presentation of Normalized FFO to include two adjustments related to income on seller-financed notes and deferred lease payments received on sales-type leases that were previously reflected in adjusted funds from operations (“AFFO”), which has been reflected for all periods presented. Management believes this change better aligns the Company’s presentation with its assessment of core operating performance and improves comparability with industry peers. Items included in calculating FFO that may be excluded in calculating Normalized FFO include certain transaction-related gains, losses, income or expense or other non-core amounts as they occur.
Management believes that adjusted funds from operations (“AFFO”) and AFFO per share are also appropriate supplemental measures of a REIT’s operating performance. We calculate AFFO by adjusting Normalized FFO for certain cash and non-cash items.
For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, and for the three months ended March 31, 2024, FFO (diluted), Normalized FFO, AFFO and FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO per diluted share include the dilutive impact of the assumed full exchange of the Exchangeable Senior Notes for shares of common stock.
For the three months ended September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024, 25,352 shares and 20,713 shares, respectively, issuable upon vesting of the PSUs were dilutive, as the performance thresholds for vesting of these PSUs were met as measured as of the respective periods. No shares were issuable upon vesting of the PSUs for all other periods presented, as the performance thresholds for vesting of the PSUs were not met as measured as of the end of those respective periods.
Our computation of FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO may differ from the methodology for calculating FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO utilized by other equity REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such REITs. Further, FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO do not represent cash flow available for management’s discretionary use. FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our financial performance or to cash flow from operating activities (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our liquidity, nor is it indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to pay dividends or make distributions. FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO should be considered only as supplements to net income computed in accordance with GAAP as measures of operations.
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The table below is a reconciliation of net income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | $ | 114,435 | $ | 159,857 | $ | 164,236 | ||||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | 74,068 | 70,807 | 67,194 | |||||||
| Impairment loss on real estate | 3,527 | — | — | |||||||
| Loss on sale of real estate/(Disposition-contingent lease termination fee, net of loss on sale of real estate)(1) | 326 | (451) | — | |||||||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | 192,356 | 230,213 | 231,430 | |||||||
| Cash and non-cash interest expense on Exchangeable Senior Notes | — | 28 | 219 | |||||||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | 192,356 | 230,241 | 231,649 | |||||||
| Litigation-related expense | 2,008 | 788 | 2,480 | |||||||
| Loss (gain) on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | — | — | (22) | |||||||
| Loss (gain) on partial repayment of Notes due 2026 | (32) | — | — | |||||||
| Income on seller-financed notes(2) | (835) | 1,104 | 1,342 | |||||||
| Deferred lease payments received on sales-type leases(3) | 25 | 4,938 | — | |||||||
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | 193,522 | 237,071 | 235,449 | |||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 10,132 | 17,317 | 19,581 | |||||||
| Non-cash interest expense | 1,999 | 1,664 | 1,375 | |||||||
| Non-cash accretion of life science investments | (333) | — | — | |||||||
| Above-market lease amortization | 92 | 92 | 92 | |||||||
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | $ | 205,412 | $ | 256,144 | $ | 256,497 | ||||
| FFO per common share – diluted | $ | 6.78 | $ | 8.07 | $ | 8.20 | ||||
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | $ | 6.82 | $ | 8.31 | $ | 8.33 | ||||
| AFFO per common share – diluted | $ | 7.24 | $ | 8.98 | $ | 9.08 | ||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic | 28,005,228 | 28,226,402 | 27,977,807 | |||||||
| Restricted stock and RSUs | 371,999 | 294,780 | 196,821 | |||||||
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | — | 9,468 | 81,169 | |||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted | 28,377,227 | 28,530,650 | 28,255,797 |
________________________________________________________
(1)For the year ended December 31, 2024, amount reflects the $3.9 million disposition-contingent lease termination fee received concurrently with the sale of our property in Los Angeles, California, net of the loss on sale of real estate of $3.4 million (see Note 6 “Investments in Real Estate” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information).
(2)Positive amounts represent non-refundable cash payments received pursuant to two seller-financed notes issued by us in connection with our disposition of certain properties. As the transactions did not qualify for recognition as completed sales under GAAP, the payments were initially recorded as a deposit liability and included in other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet. For the year ended December 31, 2025, the negative amount resulted from the recognition of $2.6 million of non-refundable cash payments received on the MIH Note as interest and other income in connection with the termination of the seller-financed note.
(3)Amount reflects the non-refundable lease payments received on two sales-type leases which are recognized as a deposit liability starting on January 1, 2024, and is included in other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, as the transaction did not qualify for recognition as a completed sale (see Note 2 “Lease Accounting” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information). Prior to the lease modifications on January 1, 2024, which extended the initial lease terms, the leases were classified as operating leases and the lease payments received were recognized as rental revenue and therefore, included in net income attributable to common stockholders.
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The tables below are reconciliations of quarterly net income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
| Three Months Ended(1) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | September 30, 2025 | June 30, 2025 | March 31, 2025 | |||||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | $ | 30,705 | $ | 28,288 | $ | 25,146 | $ | 30,296 | ||||||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | 18,538 | 18,639 | 18,500 | 18,391 | ||||||||||
| Impairment loss on real estate | — | — | — | 3,527 | ||||||||||
| Loss on sale of real estate | 326 | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic and diluted) | 49,569 | 46,927 | 43,646 | 52,214 | ||||||||||
| Litigation-related expense | 585 | 604 | 413 | 406 | ||||||||||
| Loss (gain) on partial repayment of Notes due 2026 | — | — | — | (32) | ||||||||||
| Income on seller-financed notes(2) | 223 | (2,375) | 1,164 | 153 | ||||||||||
| Deferred lease payments received on sales-type leases(3) | — | — | 5 | 20 | ||||||||||
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | 50,377 | 45,156 | 45,228 | 52,761 | ||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 2,698 | 2,684 | 2,672 | 2,078 | ||||||||||
| Non-cash interest expense | 568 | 485 | 476 | 470 | ||||||||||
| Non-cash accretion of life science investments | (333) | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| Above-market lease amortization | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | ||||||||||
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | $ | 53,333 | $ | 48,348 | $ | 48,399 | $ | 55,332 | ||||||
| FFO per common share – diluted | $ | 1.75 | $ | 1.66 | $ | 1.54 | $ | 1.83 | ||||||
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | $ | 1.78 | $ | 1.60 | $ | 1.60 | $ | 1.85 | ||||||
| AFFO per common share – diluted | $ | 1.88 | $ | 1.71 | $ | 1.71 | $ | 1.94 | ||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic | 27,913,384 | 27,912,881 | 27,924,092 | 28,275,549 | ||||||||||
| Restricted stock and RSUs | 390,146 | 390,719 | 393,601 | 312,473 | ||||||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted | 28,303,530 | 28,303,600 | 28,317,693 | 28,588,022 |
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| Three Months Ended(1) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2024 | September 30, 2024 | June 30, 2024 | March 31, 2024 | |||||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | $ | 39,461 | $ | 39,651 | $ | 41,655 | $ | 39,090 | ||||||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | 18,240 | 17,944 | 17,473 | 17,150 | ||||||||||
| Disposition-contingent lease termination fee, net of loss on sale of real estate(4) | — | — | (451) | — | ||||||||||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | 57,701 | 57,595 | 58,677 | 56,240 | ||||||||||
| Cash and non-cash interest expense on Exchangeable Senior Notes | — | — | — | 28 | ||||||||||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | 57,701 | 57,595 | 58,677 | 56,268 | ||||||||||
| Litigation-related expense | 268 | 210 | 164 | 146 | ||||||||||
| Income on seller-financed notes(2) | 30 | 268 | 403 | 403 | ||||||||||
| Deferred lease payments received on sales-type leases(3) | 568 | 1,452 | 1,462 | 1,456 | ||||||||||
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | 58,567 | 59,525 | 60,706 | 58,273 | ||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 4,315 | 4,316 | 4,371 | 4,315 | ||||||||||
| Non-cash interest expense | 456 | 419 | 401 | 388 | ||||||||||
| Above-market lease amortization | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | ||||||||||
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | $ | 63,361 | $ | 64,283 | $ | 65,501 | $ | 62,999 | ||||||
| FFO per common share – diluted | $ | 2.02 | $ | 2.02 | $ | 2.05 | $ | 1.98 | ||||||
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | $ | 2.05 | $ | 2.08 | $ | 2.12 | $ | 2.05 | ||||||
| AFFO per common share – diluted | $ | 2.22 | $ | 2.25 | $ | 2.29 | $ | 2.21 | ||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic | 28,254,565 | 28,254,565 | 28,250,843 | 28,145,017 | ||||||||||
| Restricted stock and RSUs | 299,770 | 299,770 | 300,582 | 278,890 | ||||||||||
| PSUs | — | 25,352 | 20,713 | — | ||||||||||
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | — | — | — | 38,079 | ||||||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted | 28,554,335 | 28,579,687 | 28,572,138 | 28,461,986 |
________________________________________________________
(1)The sum of quarterly financial data may vary from annual data due to rounding and differences in the dilutive effect of potentially issuable shares of each reporting period.
(2)Positive amounts represent non-refundable cash payments received pursuant to two seller-financed notes issued by us in connection with our disposition of certain properties. As the transactions did not qualify for recognition as completed sales under GAAP, the payments were initially recorded as a deposit liability and included in other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet. For the three months ended September 30, 2025, the negative amounts resulted from the recognition of $2.6 million of non-refundable cash payments received on the MIH Note as interest and other income in connection with the termination of the seller-financed note.
(3)Amount reflects the non-refundable lease payments received on two sales-type leases which are recognized as a deposit liability starting on January 1, 2024, and is included in other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, as the transaction did not qualify for recognition as a completed sale (see Note 2 “Lease Accounting” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information). Prior to the lease modifications on January 1, 2024, which extended the initial lease terms, the leases were classified as operating leases and the lease payments received were recognized as rental revenue and therefore, included in net income attributable to common stockholders.
(4)Amount reflects the $3.9 million disposition-contingent lease termination fee received concurrently with the sale of our property in Los Angeles, California, net of the loss on sale of real estate of $3.4 million (see Note 6 “Investments in Real Estate” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information)
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and 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 materially from those estimates and assumptions.
We continually evaluate the estimates and assumptions we use to prepare our consolidated financial statements. Our critical accounting estimates are defined as accounting estimates or assumptions made in accordance with GAAP, which involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty or subjectivity and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material
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impact on our financial condition or results of operations. The following critical accounting estimates discussion reflects what we believe are the most significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. This discussion of our critical accounting estimates is intended to supplement the description of our accounting policies in the footnotes to our consolidated financial statements and to provide additional insight into the information used by management when evaluating significant estimates and assumptions. For further discussion of our significant accounting policies, see Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and Recent Accounting Pronouncements” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report.
Lease Accounting
We account for our leases as lessor under ASC 842, Leases, which requires significant estimates and judgments by management in its application. Upon lease inception or lease modification, we assess the lease classification of both the land and building components of the property. The determination of lease classification requires the calculation of the rate implicit in the lease, which is driven by significant estimates relating to the unguaranteed residual value of the assets at the end of the non-cancelable lease term. A decrease of 5% in the estimated unguaranteed residual value of our properties would not change the lease classification of any new leases or leases that were modified during the year ended December 31, 2025.
Acquisition of Rental Property, Depreciation and Impairment
All of our acquisitions of rental properties to date were accounted for as asset acquisitions and not business combinations because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e., land, buildings, and related intangible assets). The accounting model for asset acquisitions requires that the acquisition consideration (including acquisition costs) be allocated to the individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed on a relative fair value basis.
We exercise judgment to determine key assumptions used in each valuation technique (cost, income, and sales approaches). For example, we are required to use judgment and make a number of assumptions, including those related to projected growth in rental rates and operating expenses, anticipated trends and market/economic conditions. The use of different assumptions can affect the amount of consideration allocated to the acquired depreciable/amortizable asset, which in turn can impact our net income due to the recognition of the related depreciation/amortization expense in our consolidated statements of operations.
We depreciate buildings and improvements where we are considered the owner for accounting purposes based on our evaluation of the estimated useful life of each specific asset, not to exceed 40 years. Determining whether expenditures meet the criteria for capitalization and the assignment of depreciable lives requires management to exercise judgment.
The determination of whether we are or the tenant is the owner of improvements for accounting purposes is subject to judgment. In making that determination, we consider numerous factors and perform a detailed evaluation of each individual lease. No one factor is determinative in reaching a conclusion. The factors we evaluate include but are not limited to the following:
•whether the lease agreement requires landlord approval of how the improvement allowance is spent prior to installation of the improvements;
•whether the lease agreement requires the tenant to provide evidence to the landlord supporting the cost and what the improvement allowance was spent on prior to payment by the landlord for such improvements;
•whether the improvements are unique to the tenant or reusable by other tenants;
•whether the tenant is permitted to alter or remove the improvements without the consent of the landlord or without compensating the landlord for any lost utility or diminution in fair value; and
•whether the ownership of the improvements remains with the landlord or remains with the tenant at the end of the lease term.
When we conclude that we are the owner of improvements for accounting purposes using the factors discussed above, we record the cost to construct the improvements as our capital asset.
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We evaluate our real estate assets for potential impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a given asset may not be recoverable. We evaluate our real estate assets for impairment on a property-by-property basis. Indicators we use to determine whether an impairment evaluation is necessary include:
•deterioration in rental rates for a specific property;
•deterioration of a given rental submarket;
•significant change in strategy or use of a specific property or any other event that could result in a decreased holding period, including classifying a property as held for sale, or significant development delay;
•evidence of material physical damage to the property; and
•default by a significant tenant when any of the other indicators above are present.
When we evaluate for potential impairment our real estate assets to be held and used, we first evaluate whether there are any indicators of impairment. If any impairment indicators are present for a specific real estate asset, we then perform an undiscounted cash flow analysis and compare the net carrying amount of the real estate asset to the real estate asset’s estimated undiscounted future cash flow over the anticipated holding period. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flow is less than the net carrying amount of the real estate asset, we perform an impairment loss calculation to determine if the fair value of the real estate asset is less than the net carrying value of the real estate asset. Our impairment loss calculation compares the net carrying amount of the real estate asset to the real estate asset’s estimated fair value, which may be based on estimated discounted future cash flow calculations or third-party valuations or appraisals. We recognize an impairment loss if the amount of the asset’s net carrying amount exceeds the asset’s estimated fair value. If we recognize an impairment loss, the estimated fair value of the asset becomes its new cost basis. For a depreciable long-lived asset, the new cost basis would be depreciated (amortized) over the remaining useful life of that asset. If a real estate asset is designated as real estate held-for-sale, it is carried at the lower of the net carrying value or estimated fair value less costs to sell, and depreciation ceases.
Our undiscounted cash flow and fair value calculations contain uncertainties because they require management to make assumptions and to apply judgment to estimate future cash flow and property fair values, including determining our estimated holding period. We are also required to make a number of assumptions relating to future economic and market events and prospective operating trends.
For each property where such an indicator occurred, we completed an impairment evaluation. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we recognized an impairment loss on real estate of $3.5 million related to one of our properties in Palm Springs, California which was under contract for sale. We completed the sale of the property in June 2025. For all other operating properties that were evaluated, we determined that the undiscounted cash flows over the holding period were in excess of carrying value and, therefore, we did not record any impairment losses for these properties for the year ended December 31, 2025. Significant adverse changes in the critical accounting estimates used in the impairment evaluation are required for the undiscounted cash flows over the holding period to be less than the carrying value of these properties as of December 31, 2025. No impairment losses were recognized for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Impact of Real Estate and Credit Markets
In the commercial real estate market, property prices generally continue to fluctuate. Likewise, during certain periods, the U.S. credit markets have experienced significant price volatility, dislocations, and liquidity disruptions, which may impact our access to and cost of capital. We continually monitor the commercial real estate and U.S. credit markets carefully and, if required, will make decisions to adjust our business strategy accordingly.
Interest Rate Risk
We are exposed to interest rate risk primarily through our variable-rate indebtedness, including amounts outstanding under our Revolving Credit Facility and our IIP Life Science Credit Facility. Borrowings under these facilities bear interest at variable rates based on the greater of prime rate or SOFR, as applicable, plus an applicable margin and stipulated rate. As a result, increases in market interest rates may increase our borrowing costs and adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.
Our Notes due 2026 bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.50% per annum and therefore are not subject to variability in interest payments due to changes in market interest rates.
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Our investments in IQHQ Preferred Stock and the IQHQ Credit Facility provide fixed cash and PIK returns and are not directly exposed to changes in prevailing market interest rates. However, to the extent these investments are funded with variable-rate indebtedness or other interest-sensitive capital sources, increases in interest rates may increase our cost of capital and reduce investment spreads.
We monitor our exposure to interest rate risk and may use a mix of fixed- and variable-rate debt to manage such exposure over time.
See “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” for additional information regarding our interest rate sensitivity.
Our investments in short-term money market funds, certificates of deposit and short-term investments in obligations of the U.S. government with an original maturity at the time of purchase of greater than 90 days are less sensitive to market fluctuations than a portfolio of long-term securities. Accordingly, we believe that a significant change in interest rates would not have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.
Impact of Inflation
The U.S. economy has experienced a sustained increase in inflation rates in recent years. We enter into leases that generally provide for fixed increases in rent. During times when inflation is greater than the fixed increases in rent, as provided for in the leases, rent increases may not keep up with the rate of inflation. See also the discussion under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” under the caption “Inflation may adversely affect our business and our tenants’ financial condition and results of operations.”
Seasonality
Our business has not been, and we do not expect our business in the future to be, subject to material seasonal fluctuations.
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001558370-25-001322.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. We make statements in this section that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For a complete discussion of forward-looking statements, see the section above entitled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Certain risk factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the following discussion. For a discussion of such risk factors, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
Overview
We are an internally-managed REIT focused on the acquisition, ownership and management of specialized industrial properties in the United States. Our properties are leased to experienced, state-licensed operators for their regulated cannabis facilities. We have leased and expect to continue to lease our properties on a triple-net lease basis, where the tenant is generally responsible for all aspects of and costs related to the property and its operation during the lease term, including structural repairs, maintenance, real estate taxes and insurance.
We were incorporated in Maryland on June 15, 2016. We conduct our business through a traditional umbrella partnership real estate investment trust, or UPREIT structure, in which our properties are owned by our Operating Partnership, directly or through subsidiaries. We are the sole general partner of our Operating Partnership and own, directly or through subsidiaries, 100% of the limited partnership interests in our Operating Partnership. As of December 31, 2024, we had 22 full-time employees.
As of December 31, 2024, we owned 109 properties comprising 9.0 million square feet (including 666,000 rentable square feet under development/redevelopment) in 19 states. As of December 31, 2024, we had invested $2.4 billion in the aggregate (consisting of purchase price and funding of draws for improvements submitted by tenants, if any, but excluding transaction costs) and had committed an additional $38.3 million to fund draws to certain tenants and vendors for improvements at our properties. Of the $38.3 million committed to fund draws to certain tenants and vendors for improvements at our properties, $11.4 million was incurred but not funded as of December 31, 2024.
Of these properties, we include 106 properties in our operating portfolio, which were 98.3% leased as of December 31, 2024, with a weighted-average remaining lease term of 13.7 years.
We do not include in our operating portfolio the following properties (all of which were under development/redevelopment as of December 31, 2024, and together are expected to comprise 491,000 rentable square feet upon completion of development/redevelopment):
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | 63795 19th Avenue in Palm Springs, California (pre-leased); |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Inland Center Drive in San Bernardino, California; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Leah Avenue in San Marcos, Texas. |
Factors Impacting Our Operating Results
Our results of operations are affected by a number of factors and depend on the rental revenue we receive from the properties that we acquire, the timing of lease expirations, general market conditions, the regulatory environment in the cannabis industry, and the competitive environment for real estate assets that support the regulated cannabis industry.
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Rental Revenues
We receive income primarily from rental revenue generated by the properties that we acquire. The amount of rental revenue depends upon a number of factors, including:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | our ability to enter into leases with increasing or market value rents for the properties that we acquire; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | rent collection, which primarily relates to each of our current and future tenant’s financial condition and ability to make rent payments to us on time. |
The properties that we acquire consist of primarily real estate assets that support the regulated cannabis industry. Most states where we own properties issue licenses for cannabis operations for a limited period. If one or more of our tenants are unable to renew or otherwise maintain their licenses or other state and local authorizations necessary to continue its cannabis operations, such tenants may default on their lease payments to us. Current unfavorable market dynamics in the regulated cannabis industry have adversely affected our ability to re-lease properties upon tenant defaults at the rental rates we currently receive and, in some cases, for prolonged periods. See the section entitled “Business – Tenant Concentration” for a discussion of our recent tenant defaults. Furthermore, changes in federal law and current favorable state or local laws in the cannabis industry may impair our ability to renew or re-lease properties and the ability of our tenants to fulfill their lease obligations and could materially and adversely affect our ability to maintain or increase rental rates for our properties.
Conditions in Our Markets
Positive or negative changes in regulatory, economic or other conditions, drought, and natural disasters in the markets where we acquire properties may affect our overall financial performance.
Our tenants primarily operate in the regulated cannabis industry. Market dynamics and the regulatory regime in the states where they operate create challenges that impact our tenants’ businesses and may decrease future demand for regulated cannabis cultivation and production facilities. These challenges include federal, state and local taxation burdens; ineffective enforcement policies with respect to the illicit cannabis market; declines in unit pricing for regulated cannabis products; limited access to capital; and inflation and supply chain constraints. The resulting adverse impact on the Company’s and our tenants’ financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows depends on the extent and duration of these challenges in the regulated cannabis markets where we own properties, which are further described below.
Market Dynamics in Regulated Cannabis State Programs
States vary significantly in their market dynamics, driven by many factors, including, but not limited to, regulatory frameworks, enforcement policies with respect to illicit, unlicensed cannabis operations, taxation and licensing structures. Ineffective enforcement policies with respect to illicit cannabis sales in a particular state may significantly limit the growth and profitability of operators in that state’s regulated cannabis market.
Unit Pricing for Regulated Cannabis Products
Many states have experienced declines in unit pricing for regulated cannabis products, with that decline more pronounced in certain states than in others, which compresses operating margins for operators. As a result, certain regulated cannabis operators have consolidated operations or shuttered certain operations to reduce costs, which could have a negative impact on operators’ demand for regulated cannabis facilities, including our existing tenants.
Inflation and Supply Chain Constraints
The U.S. economy has experienced a sustained increase in inflation rates in recent years, which we believe is negatively impacting our tenants. This inflation has impacted costs for labor and production inputs for regulated cannabis operators, in addition to increasing costs of construction for development and redevelopment projects. Labor
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shortages and global supply chain issues also continue to adversely impact costs and timing for completion of these development and redevelopment projects, which are resulting in cost overruns and delays in commencing operations on certain of our tenants’ projects.
Capital Availability for Tenants
Recently, financial markets have been volatile, reflecting heightened geopolitical risks and material tightening of financial conditions since the U.S. Federal Reserve began increasing interest rates in spring of 2022 and continued uncertainty regarding monetary policy.
Driven in part by overall macroeconomic conditions, since 2021 capital availability has declined for regulated cannabis operators. According to Viridian Capital Advisors (“Viridian”), worldwide cannabis capital raises in 2024 increased slightly over 2023, with less than $2.3 billion in total capital raises, versus over $1.9 billion in 2023, $4.3 billion in 2022 and over $12.0 billion in 2021. Also, according to Viridian, mergers and acquisitions activity in the North American regulated cannabis industry declined in 2024 to $1.2 billion, down from $1.8 billion in 2023.
Capital raising activities by U.S. REITs continued to increase in 2024 with $85 billion of capital raised compared to $62 billion in 2023. According to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc. (“NAREIT”), U.S. REIT 2024 capital raising was higher than 2022 and 2023, but remained lower than 2019-2021 levels.
Significant Tenants and Concentrations of Risk
As of December 31, 2024, we owned 109 properties located in 19 states. Many of our tenants are tenants at multiple properties. We seek to manage our portfolio-level risk through geographic diversification and by minimizing dependence on any single property or tenant. At December 31, 2024, our largest property was located in New York and accounted for 5.5% of our net real estate held for investment. No other properties accounted for more than 5% of our net real estate held for investment at December 31, 2024. See Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the tenants in our portfolio that represented the largest percentage of our total rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Competitive Environment
We face competition from a diverse mix of market participants, including but not limited to, other companies with similar business models, independent investors, hedge funds, lenders and other real estate investors, as well as potential tenants (cannabis operators themselves), all of whom may compete with us in our efforts to acquire real estate zoned for regulated cannabis operations. Competition from others may diminish our opportunities to acquire a desired property on favorable terms or at all. In addition, this competition may put pressure on us to reduce the rental rates below those that we expect to charge for the properties that we acquire, which would adversely affect our financial results.
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Operating Expenses
Our operating expenses include general and administrative expenses, including personnel costs, stock-based compensation, and legal, accounting and other expenses related to corporate governance, public reporting and compliance with the various provisions of U.S. securities laws. Our operating expenses also include costs that we incur for properties, including taxes, insurance, maintenance, security, utilities and other property-specific costs. We generally expect to structure our leases so that the tenant is responsible for real estate taxes, maintenance, insurance, and structural repairs with respect to the premises throughout the lease term. Increases or decreases in such operating expenses will impact our overall financial performance.
Our Qualification as a REIT
We have been organized and operate our business so as to qualify, to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Shares of our common stock and Series A Preferred Stock are subject to restrictions on ownership and transfer that are intended, among other purposes, to assist us in qualifying and maintaining our qualification as a REIT. In order for us to qualify as a REIT under the Code, the relevant sections of our charter provide that, subject to certain exceptions, no person or entity may own, or be deemed to own, by virtue of the applicable constructive ownership provisions of the Code, more than 9.8% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of our outstanding shares of stock or Series A Preferred Stock or more than 9.8% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of our outstanding common stock or any class or series of our outstanding preferred stock.
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Results of Operations
Investments
See Note 6 “Investments in Real Estate” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for information regarding our investments in real estate and property portfolio activity during the year ended December 31, 2024. In March 2023, we sold the portfolio of four properties in California previously leased to affiliates of Vertical for $16.2 million (excluding transaction costs) with a secured loan for $16.1 million with the buyer of the properties. The transaction did not qualify for recognition as a completed sale since not all of the criteria were met. Accordingly, we have not derecognized the assets transferred. All consideration received, as well as any future payments, from the buyer is recognized as a deposit liability and is included in other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet until such time the criteria for recognition as a sale have been met. In addition, as we have not met all of the held-for-sale criteria, land and building and improvements with gross carrying values of $3.4 million and $13.9 million, respectively, and accumulated depreciation of $2.0 million as of December 31, 2024, remain on the consolidated balance sheets, and the buildings and improvements continue to be depreciated. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we received cash interest payments of $1.1 million, which has been recorded as a liability as of December 31, 2024.
See Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which was filed with the SEC on February 27, 2024, for a comparison of the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands)
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Years Ended December 31, | | | |||||
| | 2024 | 2023 | Change | ||||||
| Revenues: | | | | | | | |||
| Rental (including tenant reimbursements) | | $ | 306,936 | | $ | 307,349 | | $ | (413) |
| Other | | 1,581 | | 2,157 | | (576) | |||
| Total revenues | | 308,517 | | 309,506 | | (989) | |||
| | | | | | | | | | |
| Expenses: | | | | ||||||
| Property expenses | | 28,472 | | 24,893 | | 3,579 | |||
| General and administrative expense | | 37,444 | | 42,832 | | (5,388) | |||
| Depreciation and amortization expense | | 70,807 | | 67,194 | | 3,613 | |||
| Total expenses | | 136,723 | | 134,919 | | 1,804 | |||
| Gain (loss) on sale of real estate | | | (3,449) | | | — | | | (3,449) |
| Income from operations | | 168,345 | | 174,587 | | (6,242) | |||
| Interest income | | 10,988 | | 8,446 | | 2,542 | |||
| Interest expense | | | (17,672) | | | (17,467) | | | (205) |
| Gain (loss) on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | — | | 22 | | (22) | |||
| Net income | | 161,661 | | 165,588 | | (3,927) | |||
| Preferred stock dividends | | (1,804) | | (1,352) | | (452) | |||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 159,857 | | $ | 164,236 | | $ | (4,379) |
Revenues
Rental Revenues. Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $306.9 million, compared to $307.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting a decrease of $0.4 million or less than 1%. This decrease in rental revenues was primarily related to certain properties we took back possession of or sold since 2023, lease amendments that adjusted and deferred rent for certain properties, partial payment of rent by certain tenants and two leases that were classified as sale-type leases starting in January 2024 where rental revenue collected is recognized as a deposit liability and is included in other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2024. The decrease was partially offset by the $3.9 million disposition-contingent lease termination fee that was received in
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connection with the sale of our property in Los Angeles, California, amendments to leases for additional improvement allowances at existing properties that resulted in adjustments to rent, revenue from the two properties we acquired in 2024 and contractual rent escalations on our other existing properties.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we applied $7.7 million of security deposits for payment of contractual rent on properties leased to six tenants. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we applied $8.7 million of security deposits for payment of contractual rent on properties leased to five tenants.
Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024 were negatively impacted by non-collection of rent from properties in our operating portfolio totaling $5.5 million.
While we have re-leased several properties that we regained possession of, the rent commencement on certain of these properties is contingent on the tenants obtaining the requisite approvals to operate. We have also granted temporary rent abatements in certain instances as tenants transition into the properties and commence operations. As a result, we do not expect to recognize rental revenue from those properties until such events have occurred.
Other Revenues. Other revenues for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 consist of interest revenue related to leases for property acquisitions that did not satisfy the requirements for sale-leaseback accounting. The decrease in other revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily due to non-collection of $0.6 million in rent from one property, partially offset by the application of $0.2 million of security deposits.
Expenses
Property Expenses. Property expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased by $3.6 million, or 14%, to $28.5 million, compared to $24.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to additional investment in existing properties, which resulted in higher property tax that we paid for our properties, as well as higher property expenses related to properties that we have regained possession of but not yet leased. Property expenses related to leased properties are generally reimbursable to us by the tenants under the terms of the leases.
General and Administrative Expense. General and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased by $5.4 million, or 13%, to $37.4 million, compared to $42.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in general and administrative expense was primarily due to lower tenant litigation-related expense incurred, which decreased by $1.8 million compared to 2023, and lower compensation to employees compared to the prior year. The lower compensation was primarily due to the expiration of the performance share units (“PSUs”) granted in 2021 on December 31, 2023 (which were forfeited in their entirety as they failed to meet the threshold for any payout as of that date) resulting in a decrease of $4.0 million in PSU related stock-based compensation, which was partially offset by an increase to non-PSU related stock-based compensation for employees and directors.
Compensation expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 included $17.3 million and $19.6 million, respectively, of non-cash stock-based compensation.
Depreciation and Amortization Expense. Depreciation and amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased by $3.6 million, or 5%, to $70.8 million, compared to $67.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in depreciation and amortization expense was primarily related to depreciation on the two properties we acquired in 2024 and the placement into service of construction and improvements at certain of our properties.
Loss on Sale of Real Estate. Amount relates to the sale of one property in Los Angeles, California (see Note 6 “Investments in Real Estate” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information).
Interest Income. Interest income for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased by $2.6 million, or 30%, to $11.0 million, compared to $8.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in interest income was primarily due to an additional $3.3 million of interest received on our construction loan, which was partially offset by a $0.7 million decrease to interest earned on our interest-bearing cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments.
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Interest Expense. Interest expense primarily consists of interest on our Notes due 2026. The increase to interest expense was due to a $0.3 million increase of non-cash interest expense related to the Revolving Credit Facility, which was partially offset by a decrease in interest expense on our Exchangeable Senior Notes as a result of their maturity in February 2024.
Cash Flows
The following summary discussion of our cash flows is based on the consolidated statements of cash flows in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and is not meant to be an all-inclusive discussion of the changes in our cash flows for the periods presented below (in thousands):
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year Ended December 31, | | | | ||||
| | 2024 | | 2023 | Change | |||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities | | $ | 258,446 | $ | 255,543 | | $ | 2,903 | |
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | | (55,996) | | (6,788) | | (49,208) | |||
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | | (197,904) | | (195,628) | | (2,276) | |||
| Ending cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | 146,245 | | 141,699 | | 4,546 |
Operating Activities
Cash flows provided by operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 were $258.4 million and $255.5 million, respectively. Cash flows provided by operating activities were generally from contractual rent and tenant reimbursements from our properties, partially offset by our general and administrative expense, interest expense, property expenses in excess of tenant reimbursements and property expenses at properties that were not leased. The increase in cash flows provided by operating activities from 2023 to 2024 was primarily due to the $3.9 million disposition-contingent lease termination fee that was received concurrently with the sale of our property in Los Angeles, California.
Investing Activities
Cash flows used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 included $82.6 million of purchases of investments in real estate, funding of draws for improvements and construction, and funding of construction loan and other investments in the aggregate, partially offset by $9.1 million in proceeds related to the sale of our Los Angeles, California property and $17.5 million of net maturities of short-term investments.
Cash flows used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 included $189.0 million of purchases of investments in real estate, funding of draws for improvements and construction, and funding of construction loan and other investments in the aggregate, partially offset by $182.2 million of net maturities of short-term investments.
The year-over-year decrease in purchases of investments in real estate, funding of draws for improvements and construction, and funding of construction loan and other investments was due to smaller acquisitions and lower development activities as certain projects were completed during 2024.
Financing Activities
Cash flows used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $197.9 million, primarily related to dividend payments of $213.5 million to common and preferred stockholders, principal payment on the Exchangeable Senior Notes of $4.4 million, and $1.4 million related to the net share settlement of equity awards to pay the required withholding taxes upon vesting of restricted stock for certain employees and payment of deferred financing costs, partially offset by $11.8 million in net proceeds from the issuance of our common stock and $9.6 million in net proceeds from the issuance of our Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to our ATM program.
Cash flows used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $195.6 million, primarily related to dividend payments of $204.1 million to common and preferred stockholders and $1.1 million related to the net share settlement of equity awards to pay the required withholding taxes upon vesting of restricted stock for certain employees
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and payment of deferred financing costs, partially offset by $9.6 million in net proceeds from the issuance of our common stock.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements. We expect to use significant cash to acquire additional properties, develop and redevelop existing properties, pay dividends to our stockholders, fund our operations, service our Notes due 2026 and meet other general business needs.
Sources and Uses of Cash
We derive substantially all of our revenues from the leasing of our properties and collecting rental income, which includes operating expense reimbursements, based on contractual arrangements with our tenants. This source of revenue represents our primary source of liquidity to fund our dividends, Notes due 2026 interest payments, repayments of borrowings and interest payments under our Revolving Credit Facility, general and administrative expenses, property development and redevelopment activities, property operating expenses and other expenses incurred related to managing our existing portfolio and investing in additional properties. Because substantially all of our leases are triple net, our tenants are generally responsible for the maintenance, insurance and property taxes associated with the properties they lease from us. If a tenant defaults on one of our leases or the lease term expires with no tenant renewal, we would incur property costs not paid by the tenant during the time it takes to re-lease or sell the property.
In July 2022, Kings Garden defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at all of the properties that Kings Garden leases from us. In September 2023, we regained possession of the four remaining properties that Kings Garden had occupied, where Kings Garden paid stipulated rent during its period of occupancy until September 20, 2023. In November 2022, Parallel defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at one of our properties in Pennsylvania, and we regained possession of that property in October 2023. Also in November 2022, Green Peak defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at one of our properties in Michigan. During 2023, a receiver was appointed over substantially all of Green Peak’s assets, and we regained possession of one property that was under redevelopment as a regulated cannabis cultivation and processing facility and three retail properties in Michigan. In February 2024, we regained possession of the remaining regulated cannabis cultivation and processing facility that was leased to Green Peak. In February 2023, Parallel also defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at one of our properties in Texas, and we regained possession of that property in March 2023.
In May 2024, Temescal Wellness defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at one of our properties in Massachusetts and we regained possession of that property in September 2024.
In December 2024, PharmaCann defaulted on its obligations to pay rent for the month of December under six of its eleven leases for properties located in Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. December rent, including base rent, property management fees and estimated tax and insurance payments, totaled $4.3 million for these six properties. In January 2025, we entered into lease amendments with PharmaCann with respect to nine of its leases for properties located in New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Colorado. Those amendments reduced cumulative total base rent from $2.8 million per month to $2.6 million per month, with cash rent payments commencing February 1, 2025, and provided for pro-rata replenishment of security deposits over thirty-six months commencing February 1, 2027. We also entered into amendments with PharmaCann with respect to two of its leases for cultivation properties in Michigan and Massachusetts. Those amendments provide that monthly base rent of $1.3 million for these two properties will be abated in full effective February 1, 2025 and, if the properties have not been transitioned to new tenant(s) by August 1, 2025, we will regain full control over the properties. We applied security deposits held by us pursuant to all of the PharmaCann leases for the payment in full of all defaulted rent for December 2024 and January 2025 and certain penalties. If PharmaCann is not able to refinance its existing senior secured credit facility maturing June 30, 2025, all modifications to our leases with PharmaCann described above will immediately be null and void and the leases will revert to the terms in effect as of January 1, 2025.
We directly pay for all property insurance and most property taxes, which are typically reimbursed to us by our tenants. Some tenants have elected to pay property taxes directly. From time to time, we incur non-reimbursed property-level operating costs when properties become vacant and are being re-marketed or re-positioned. These costs vary
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quarterly based on vacancy levels and underperforming properties. Additionally, for properties that are not leased and are under development or redevelopment, we may invest significant capital to prepare them for their intended use and re-leasing. For the year ended December 31, 2024, property expenses included $4.1 million in non-reimbursed costs related to vacant properties or non-payment.
To the extent additional resources are needed, we expect to fund our investment activity generally through equity or debt issuances either in the public or private markets along with draws on our Revolving Credit Facility. Where possible, we also may issue limited partnership interests in our Operating Partnership to acquire properties from existing owners seeking a tax-deferred transaction.
In May 2021, we received an investment grade rating from a ratings agency. We sought to obtain an investment grade rating to facilitate access to the investment grade unsecured debt market as part of our overall strategy to maximize our financial flexibility and manage our overall cost of capital. On May 25, 2021, our Operating Partnership issued $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of Notes due 2026. The Notes due 2026 are the Operating Partnership’s general unsecured obligations, and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Operating Partnership’s existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness, including the Exchangeable Senior Notes which matured in February 2024. The terms of the Notes due 2026 are governed by an indenture, which requires compliance with various financial covenants including limits on the amount of total leverage and secured debt maintained by the Operating Partnership and which require the Operating Partnership to maintain minimum levels of debt service coverage. Management believes that it was in compliance with those covenants as of December 31, 2024. In addition, the terms of the indenture provide that if the debt rating on the Notes due 2026 is downgraded or withdrawn entirely, interest on the Notes due 2026 will increase to a range of 6.0% to 6.5% based on such debt rating. We, or our affiliates, may at any time and from time to time, purchase our Notes due 2026 for cash through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, a tender offer or otherwise. Such purchases, if any, will be upon such terms and at such prices as we may determine, and will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors.
In February 2024, we issued 28,408 shares of our common stock and paid $4.3 million in cash upon exchange by holders of $4.3 million principal amount of Exchangeable Senior Notes and paid off the remaining $0.1 million principal amount, in accordance with terms of the indenture for the Exchangeable Senior Notes.
In May 2024, we terminated the previously existing “at-the-market” offering program (the “Prior ATM Program”) and entered into new equity distribution agreements with four sales agents, pursuant to which we may offer and sell from time to time through an “at-the-market” offering program (the “ATM Program”), including on a forward basis, shares of our common stock and 9.00% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), up to an aggregate offering price of $500.0 million. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we sold 123,224 shares of our common stock pursuant to the Prior ATM Program for net proceeds of $11.8 million. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we sold 402,673 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to the ATM Program for net proceeds of $9.6 million.
We intend to file an automatic shelf registration statement, which may permit us, from time to time, to offer and sell common stock, preferred stock, warrants, debt securities of our Operating Partnership and other securities to the extent necessary or advisable to meet our liquidity needs.
On October 23, 2023, our Operating Partnership entered into a loan and security agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with a federally regulated commercial bank, as lender and as agent for lenders that become party thereto from time to time. The Loan Agreement matures on October 23, 2026, and was most recently amended in November 2024 to increase aggregate commitments for secured revolving loans to $87.5 million (the “Revolving Credit Facility”). The Loan Agreement also allows the Operating Partnership, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, to request additional revolving incremental loan commitments up to a specified amount. The Loan Agreement is subject to certain liquidity and operating covenants and includes customary representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants and events of default. There were no amounts outstanding under the Loan Agreement as of December 31, 2024. See Note 7 “Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information.
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In May 2024, we sold a property in Los Angeles, California for $9.1 million (excluding closing costs), received a disposition-contingent lease termination fee from the tenant concurrently with the closing of $3.9 million and received tenant reimbursement of our closing and other costs related to the sale of the property.
We expect to meet our short-term and long-term liquidity needs through cash and short-term investments on hand, cash flows from operations and cash flows from sources discussed above. We believe that our liquidity and sources of capital are adequate to satisfy our cash requirements. We cannot, however, be certain that these sources of funds will be available at a time and upon terms acceptable to the Company in sufficient amounts to meet our liquidity needs. Our investment guidelines also provide that our aggregate borrowings (secured and unsecured) will not exceed 50% of the cost of our tangible assets at the time of any new borrowing, subject to our board of directors’ discretion.
In recent years, financial markets have been volatile in general, which has also significantly reduced our access to capital. If sustained, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including our ability to continue to make acquisitions of new properties and fund investments for improvements at existing properties.
Dividends
The Company is required to pay dividends to its stockholders at least equal to 90% of its taxable income in order to qualify and maintain its qualification as a REIT. As a result of this distribution requirement, our Operating Partnership cannot rely on retained earnings to fund its ongoing operations to the same extent that other companies whose parent companies are not REITs can. During 2024, we declared cash dividends on our common stock totaling $7.52 per share, and cash dividends on our Series A Preferred Stock totaling $2.25 per share. Our ability to continue to pay dividends is dependent upon our ability to continue to generate cash flows, service any debt obligations we have, including our Notes due 2026, and make accretive new investments.
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||
| | 2024 | | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Ordinary income distributions | | $ | 7.440000 | $ | 7.700000 | | $ | 6.929636 | |
| Long-term capital gain distributions(1) | | — | | — | | 0.100364 | |||
| Total | | $ | 7.440000 | | $ | 7.700000 | | $ | 7.030000 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | Unrecaptured Section 1250 Gain of $0.058864 represents additional characterization of and is part of long-term capital gain distributions for the year ended December 31, 2022. |
The common stock distribution with a record date of December 31, 2024 was a split-year distribution, with $0.83 allocable to 2024 for federal income tax purposes and $1.07 allocable to 2025 for federal income tax purposes. The common stock distribution with a record date of December 29, 2023 was a split-year distribution, with $0.83 allocable to 2023 for federal income tax purposes and $0.99 allocable to 2024 for federal income tax purposes. The common stock distribution with a record date of December 30, 2022 was a split-year distribution, with $0.33 allocable to 2022 for federal income tax purposes and $1.47 allocable to 2023 for federal income tax purposes.
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Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2024 (in thousands):
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payments Due | | | | | | | | | ||||
| by Year | Notes due 2026 | Interest | Office Rent | Total | ||||||||
| 2025 | | $ | — | | $ | 16,500 | | $ | 526 | | $ | 17,026 |
| 2026 | | | 300,000 | | 6,646 | | 543 | | 307,189 | |||
| 2027 | | | — | | — | | 45 | | 45 | |||
| 2028 | | | — | | — | | — | | — | |||
| 2029 | | | — | | — | | — | | — | |||
| Thereafter | | | — | | — | | — | | — | |||
| Total | | $ | 300,000 | | $ | 23,146 | | $ | 1,114 | | $ | 324,260 |
As of December 31, 2024, we had (1) $37.1 million outstanding in commitments related to improvement allowances, which generally may be requested by the tenants at any time up until a date that is near the expiration of the initial term of the applicable lease; (2) $1.2 million outstanding in commitments related to contract with vendors for improvements at our properties; and (3) $0.2 million outstanding in commitments to fund a construction loan. The commitments discussed in this paragraph are excluded from the table of contractual obligations above, as improvement allowances generally may be requested by the tenants at any time up until a date that is near the expiration of the initial term of the applicable lease, there is no explicit time frame for incurring the obligations related to our contracts with vendors, and construction loan funding generally may be requested by the borrower from time to time, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions.
There were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility as of December 31, 2024. See Note 7 “Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information.
Non-GAAP Financial Information and Other Metrics
In addition to the required GAAP presentations, we use certain non-GAAP performance measures as we believe these measures improve the understanding of our operational results. We continually evaluate the usefulness, relevance, limitations, and calculation of our reported non-GAAP performance measures to determine how best to provide relevant information to the public and thus such reported measures could change.
Funds from Operations, Normalized Funds from Operations and Adjusted Funds from Operations
Funds from operations (“FFO”) and FFO per share are operating performance measures adopted by NAREIT. NAREIT defines FFO as the most commonly accepted and reported non-GAAP measure of a REIT’s operating performance equal to net income (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, depreciation and amortization and impairment related to real estate properties, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. The Company also excludes the disposition-contingent lease termination fee relating to the sale of our property in Los Angeles, California.
Management believes that net income, as defined by GAAP, is the most appropriate earnings measurement. However, management believes FFO and FFO per share to be supplemental measures of a REIT’s performance because they provide an understanding of the operating performance of our properties without giving effect to certain significant non-cash items, primarily depreciation expense. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with GAAP assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. However, real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions. We believe that by excluding the effect of depreciation, FFO and FFO per share can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods. We report FFO and FFO per share because these measures are observed by management to also be the predominant measures used by the REIT industry and by industry analysts to evaluate REITs and because FFO per share is consistently reported, discussed, and compared by research analysts in their notes and publications about REITs. For these reasons, management has deemed it appropriate to disclose and discuss FFO and FFO per share.
We compute normalized funds from operations (“Normalized FFO”) by adjusting FFO, as defined by NAREIT, to exclude certain GAAP income and expense amounts that we believe are infrequent and unusual in nature and/or not
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related to our core real estate operations. Exclusion of these items from similar FFO-type metrics is common within the equity REIT industry, and management believes that presentation of Normalized FFO and Normalized FFO per share provides investors with a metric to assist in their evaluation of our operating performance across multiple periods and in comparison to the operating performance of other companies, because it removes the effect of unusual items that are not expected to impact our operating performance on an ongoing basis. Normalized FFO is used by management in evaluating the performance of our core business operations. Items included in calculating FFO that may be excluded in calculating Normalized FFO include certain transaction-related gains, losses, income or expense or other non-core amounts as they occur.
Management believes that adjusted funds from operations (“AFFO”) and AFFO per share are also appropriate supplemental measures of a REIT’s operating performance. We calculate AFFO by adjusting Normalized FFO for certain cash and non-cash items.
Other than for the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024, FFO (diluted), Normalized FFO, AFFO and FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO per diluted share include the dilutive impact of the assumed full exchange of the Exchangeable Senior Notes for shares of common stock.
For the three months ended September 30 and June 30, 2024, 25,352 shares and 20,713 shares, respectively, issuable upon vesting of the PSUs were dilutive, as the performance thresholds for vesting of these PSUs were met as measured as of the respective periods. No shares were issuable upon vesting of the PSUs for all other periods presented, as the performance thresholds for vesting of the PSUs were not met as measured as of the end of those respective periods.
Our computation of FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO may differ from the methodology for calculating FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO utilized by other equity REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such REITs. Further, FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO do not represent cash flow available for management’s discretionary use. FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our financial performance or to cash flow from operating activities (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our liquidity, nor is it indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to pay dividends or make distributions. FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO should be considered only as supplements to net income computed in accordance with GAAP as measures of operations.
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The table below is a reconciliation of net income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
| | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 159,857 | $ | 164,236 | $ | 153,034 | ||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | | 70,807 | | 67,194 | | 61,303 | |||
| Loss (gain) on sale of real estate | | | — | | | — | | | (3,601) |
| Disposition-contingent lease termination fee, net of loss on sale of real estate(1) | | (451) | | — | | — | |||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | | 230,213 | | | 231,430 | | | 210,736 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense on Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 28 | | | 219 | | | 546 |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 230,241 | | | 231,649 | | | 211,282 |
| Financing expense | | | — | | | — | | | 367 |
| Litigation-related expense | | | 788 | | | 2,480 | | | 3,010 |
| Loss (gain) on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | — | | | (22) | | | 125 |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 231,029 | | | 234,107 | | | 214,784 |
| Interest income on seller-financed note(2) | | | 1,104 | | | 1,342 | | | — |
| Deferred lease payments received on sales-type leases(3) | | | 4,938 | | | — | | | — |
| Stock-based compensation | | 17,317 | | 19,581 | | 17,507 | |||
| Non-cash interest expense | | 1,664 | | 1,375 | | 1,255 | |||
| Above-market lease amortization | | | 92 | | | 92 | | | 91 |
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 256,144 | | $ | 256,497 | | $ | 233,637 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 8.07 | | $ | 8.20 | | $ | 7.64 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 8.10 | | $ | 8.29 | | $ | 7.76 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 8.98 | | $ | 9.08 | | $ | 8.45 |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic | | 28,226,402 | | 27,977,807 | | 27,345,047 | |||
| Restricted stock and RSUs | | | 294,780 | | | 196,821 | | | 116,046 |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 9,468 | | | 81,169 | | | 202,076 |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 28,530,650 | | 28,255,797 | | 27,663,169 |
(1)Amount reflects the $3.9 million disposition-contingent lease termination fee received concurrently with the sale of our property in Los Angeles, California, net of the loss on sale of real estate of $3.4 million (see Note 6 “Investments in Real Estate” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information).
(2)Amount reflects the non-refundable interest paid on the seller-financed note issued to us by the buyer in connection with our disposition of a portfolio of four properties in southern California previously leased to affiliates of Vertical, which is recognized as a deposit liability and is included in other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, as the transaction did not qualify for recognition as a completed sale.
(3)Amount reflects the non-refundable lease payments received on two sales-type leases which are recognized as a deposit liability starting on January 1, 2024, and is included in other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2024, as the transaction did not qualify for recognition as a completed sale (see Note 2 “Lease Accounting” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information). Prior to the lease modifications on January 1, 2024, which extended the initial lease terms, the leases were classified as operating leases and the lease payments received were recognized as rental revenue and therefore, included in net income attributable to common stockholder.
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The tables below are reconciliations of quarterly net income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Three Months Ended(1) | ||||||||||
| | December 31, 2024 | September 30, 2024 | June 30, 2024 | March 31, 2024 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 39,461 | $ | 39,651 | | $ | 41,655 | $ | 39,090 | ||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | | 18,240 | | 17,944 | | 17,473 | | 17,150 | ||||
| Disposition-contingent lease termination fee, net of loss on sale of real estate(2) | | — | | | — | | | (451) | | | — | |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | | 57,701 | | | 57,595 | | | 58,677 | | | 56,240 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense on Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 28 |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 57,701 | | | 57,595 | | | 58,677 | | | 56,268 |
| Litigation-related expense | | | 268 | | | 210 | | | 164 | | | 146 |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 57,969 | | | 57,805 | | | 58,841 | | | 56,414 |
| Interest income on seller-financed note(3) | | | 30 | | | 268 | | | 403 | | | 403 |
| Deferred lease payments received on sales-type leases(4) | | | 568 | | | 1,452 | | | 1,462 | | | 1,456 |
| Stock-based compensation | | 4,315 | | | 4,316 | | | 4,371 | | | 4,315 | |
| Non-cash interest expense | | | 456 | | | 419 | | | 401 | | | 388 |
| Above-market lease amortization | | 23 | | | 23 | | | 23 | | | 23 | |
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 63,361 | | $ | 64,283 | | $ | 65,501 | | $ | 62,999 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 2.02 | | $ | 2.02 | | | 2.06 | | | 1.98 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 2.03 | | $ | 2.02 | | | 2.06 | | | 1.98 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 2.22 | | $ | 2.25 | | | 2.29 | | | 2.21 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic | | 28,254,565 | | | 28,254,565 | | | 28,250,843 | | | 28,145,017 | |
| Restricted stock and RSUs | | | 299,770 | | | 299,770 | | | 300,582 | | | 278,890 |
| PSUs | | | — | | | 25,352 | | | 20,713 | | | — |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 38,079 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 28,554,335 | | 28,579,687 | | 28,572,138 | | 28,461,986 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Three Months Ended(1) | ||||||||||
| | December 31, 2023 | September 30, 2023 | June 30, 2023 | March 31, 2023 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 41,295 | $ | 41,256 | | $ | 40,931 | $ | 40,754 | ||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | | | 17,098 | | | 16,678 | | | 16,704 | | | 16,714 |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | | 58,393 | | | 57,934 | | | 57,635 | | | 57,468 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense on Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 50 | | | 50 | | | 50 | | | 69 |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 58,443 | | | 57,984 | | | 57,685 | | | 57,537 |
| Litigation-related expense | | | 152 | | | 1,112 | | | 670 | | | 546 |
| Loss (gain) on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (22) |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 58,595 | | | 59,096 | | | 58,355 | | | 58,061 |
| Interest income on seller-financed note(3) | | | 403 | | | 402 | | | 403 | | | 134 |
| Stock-based compensation | | | 4,934 | | | 4,934 | | | 4,884 | | | 4,829 |
| Non-cash interest expense | | | 383 | | | 335 | | | 331 | | | 326 |
| Above-market lease amortization | | | 23 | | | 23 | | | 23 | | | 23 |
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 64,338 | | $ | 64,790 | | $ | 63,996 | | $ | 63,373 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 2.07 | | | 2.05 | | | 2.04 | | | 2.04 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 2.07 | | | 2.09 | | | 2.07 | | | 2.06 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 2.28 | | | 2.29 | | | 2.26 | | | 2.25 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic | | 27,996,393 | | | 27,983,004 | | | 27,981,517 | | | 27,949,747 | |
| Restricted stock and RSUs | | | 206,667 | | | 206,919 | | | 201,462 | | | 171,741 |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 76,774 | | | 75,682 | | | 74,260 | | | 102,210 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 28,279,834 | | 28,265,605 | | 28,257,239 | | 28,223,698 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | The sum of quarterly financial data may vary from annual data due to rounding and differences in the dilutive effect of potentially issuable shares of each reporting period. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Amount reflects the $3.9 million disposition-contingent lease termination fee received concurrently with the sale of our property in Los Angeles, California, net of the loss on sale of real estate of $3.4 million (see Note 6 “Investments in Real Estate” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information) |
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| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (3) | Amount reflects the non-refundable interest paid on the seller-financed note issued to us by the buyer in connection with our disposition of a portfolio of four properties in southern California previously leased to affiliates of Vertical, which is recognized as a deposit liability and is included in other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, as the transaction did not qualify for recognition as a completed sale. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (4) | Amount reflects the non-refundable lease payments received on two sales-type leases which are recognized as a deposit liability starting on January 1, 2024, and is included in other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2024, as the transaction did not qualify for recognition as a completed sale (see Note 2 “Lease Accounting” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information). Prior to the lease modifications on January 1, 2024, which extended the initial lease terms, the leases were classified as operating leases and the lease payments received were recognized as rental revenue and therefore, included in net income attributable to common stockholders. |
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and 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 materially from those estimates and assumptions.
We continually evaluate the estimates and assumptions we use to prepare our consolidated financial statements. Our critical accounting estimates are defined as accounting estimates or assumptions made in accordance with GAAP, which involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty or subjectivity and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. The following critical accounting estimates discussion reflects what we believe are the most significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. This discussion of our critical accounting estimates is intended to supplement the description of our accounting policies in the footnotes to our consolidated financial statements and to provide additional insight into the information used by management when evaluating significant estimates and assumptions. For further discussion of our significant accounting policies, see Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and Recent Accounting Pronouncements” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report.
Lease Accounting
We account for our leases under Accounting Standards Codification 842, Leases, which requires significant estimates and judgments by management in its application. Upon lease inception or lease modification, we assess the lease classification of both the land and building components of the property. The determination of lease classification requires the calculation of the rate implicit in the lease, which is driven by significant estimates relating to the unguaranteed residual value of the assets at the end of the non-cancelable lease term. A decrease of 5% in the estimated unguaranteed residual value of our properties would result in a change to the lease classification of one lease that was modified during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Acquisition of Rental Property, Depreciation and Impairment
All of our acquisitions of rental properties to date were accounted for as asset acquisitions and not business combinations because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e., land, buildings, and related intangible assets). The accounting model for asset acquisitions requires that the acquisition consideration (including acquisition costs) be allocated to the individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed on a relative fair value basis.
We exercise judgment to determine key assumptions used in each valuation technique (cost, income, and sales approaches). For example, we are required to use judgment and make a number of assumptions, including those related to projected growth in rental rates and operating expenses, anticipated trends and market/economic conditions. The use of different assumptions can affect the amount of consideration allocated to the acquired depreciable/amortizable asset, which in turn can impact our net income due to the recognition of the related depreciation/amortization expense in our consolidated statements of operations.
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We depreciate buildings and improvements where we are considered the owner for accounting purposes based on our evaluation of the estimated useful life of each specific asset, not to exceed 40 years. Determining whether expenditures meet the criteria for capitalization and the assignment of depreciable lives requires management to exercise significant judgment.
The determination of whether we are or the tenant is the owner of improvements for accounting purposes is subject to significant judgment. In making that determination, we consider numerous factors and perform a detailed evaluation of each individual lease. No one factor is determinative in reaching a conclusion. The factors we evaluate include but are not limited to the following:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the lease agreement requires landlord approval of how the improvement allowance is spent prior to installation of the improvements; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the lease agreement requires the tenant to provide evidence to the landlord supporting the cost and what the improvement allowance was spent on prior to payment by the landlord for such improvements; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the improvements are unique to the tenant or reusable by other tenants; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the tenant is permitted to alter or remove the improvements without the consent of the landlord or without compensating the landlord for any lost utility or diminution in fair value; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the ownership of the improvements remains with the landlord or remains with the tenant at the end of the lease term. |
When we conclude that we are the owner of improvements for accounting purposes using the factors discussed above, we record the cost to construct the improvements as our capital asset.
We evaluate our real estate assets for potential impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a given asset may not be recoverable. We evaluate our real estate assets for impairment on a property-by-property basis. Indicators we use to determine whether an impairment evaluation is necessary include:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | deterioration in rental rates for a specific property; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | deterioration of a given rental submarket; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | significant change in strategy or use of a specific property or any other event that could result in a decreased holding period, including classifying a property as held for sale, or significant development delay; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | evidence of material physical damage to the property; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | default by a significant tenant when any of the other indicators above are present. |
When we evaluate for potential impairment our real estate assets to be held and used, we first evaluate whether there are any indicators of impairment. If any impairment indicators are present for a specific real estate asset, we then perform an undiscounted cash flow analysis and compare the net carrying amount of the real estate asset to the real estate asset’s estimated undiscounted future cash flow over the anticipated holding period. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flow is less than the net carrying amount of the real estate asset, we perform an impairment loss calculation to determine if the fair value of the real estate asset is less than the net carrying value of the real estate asset. Our impairment loss calculation compares the net carrying amount of the real estate asset to the real estate asset’s estimated fair value, which may be based on estimated discounted future cash flow calculations or third-party valuations or appraisals. We recognize an impairment loss if the amount of the asset’s net carrying amount exceeds the asset’s estimated fair value. If we recognize an impairment loss, the estimated fair value of the asset becomes its new cost basis. For a depreciable long-lived asset, the new cost basis would be depreciated (amortized) over the remaining useful life of that asset. If a real estate asset is designated as real estate held-for-sale, it is carried at the lower of the net carrying value or estimated fair value less costs to sell, and depreciation ceases.
Our undiscounted cash flow and fair value calculations contain uncertainties because they require management to make assumptions and to apply judgment to estimate future cash flow and property fair values, including determining our estimated holding period. We are also required to make a number of assumptions relating to future economic and market events and prospective operating trends.
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For each property where such an indicator occurred, we completed an impairment evaluation. After completing this process, we determined that for each of the operating properties evaluated, undiscounted cash flows over the holding period were in excess of carrying value and, therefore, we did not record any impairment losses for these properties for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. Significant adverse changes in the critical accounting estimates and judgements used in the impairment evaluation would need to occur for the undiscounted cash flows over the holding period to be less than the carrying value for each operating property evaluated as of December 31, 2024.
Impact of Real Estate and Credit Markets
In the commercial real estate market, property prices generally continue to fluctuate. Likewise, during certain periods, the U.S. credit markets have experienced significant price volatility, dislocations, and liquidity disruptions, which may impact our access to and cost of capital. We continually monitor the commercial real estate and U.S. credit markets carefully and, if required, will make decisions to adjust our business strategy accordingly.
Interest Rate Risk
As of December 31, 2024, we had $300.0 million principal amount of Notes due 2026 outstanding at a fixed interest rate of 5.50%, and therefore, if interest rates decline, our required payments may exceed those based on current market rates. It is possible that a property we acquire in the future would be subject to a mortgage, which we may assume. In recent years, the commercial real estate market generally has experienced significant disruptions from, among other things, significant increases in interest rates and changing tenant preferences for space. Our Revolving Credit Facility bears interest at a variable rate based on the greater of the prime rate and an applicable margin and a stipulated interest rate; therefore, if interest rates increase, our required payments on any amounts outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility may also increase. As of December 31, 2024, we had no outstanding borrowings on our Revolving Credit Facility.
Impact of Inflation
The U.S. economy has experienced a sustained increase in inflation rates in recent years. We enter into leases that generally provide for fixed increases in rent. During times when inflation is greater than the fixed increases in rent, as provided for in the leases, rent increases may not keep up with the rate of inflation. See also the discussion under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” under the caption “Inflation may adversely affect our business and our tenants’ financial condition and results of operations.”
Seasonality
Our business has not been, and we do not expect our business in the future to be, subject to material seasonal fluctuations.
FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001558370-24-001866.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. We make statements in this section that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For a complete discussion of forward-looking statements, see the section above entitled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Certain risk factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the following discussion. For a discussion of such risk factors, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
Overview
We are an internally-managed REIT focused on the acquisition, ownership and management of specialized industrial properties leased to experienced, state-licensed operators for their regulated cannabis facilities. We have leased and expect to continue to lease our properties on a triple-net lease basis, where the tenant is generally responsible for all aspects of and costs related to the property and its operation during the lease term, including structural repairs, maintenance, real estate taxes and insurance.
We were incorporated in Maryland on June 15, 2016. We conduct our business through a traditional umbrella partnership real estate investment trust, or UPREIT structure, in which our properties are owned by our Operating Partnership, directly or through subsidiaries. We are the sole general partner of our Operating Partnership and own, directly or through subsidiaries, 100% of the limited partnership interests in our Operating Partnership. As of December 31, 2023, we had 21 full-time employees.
As of December 31, 2023, we owned 108 properties comprising approximately 8.9 million square feet (including approximately 1.4 million rentable square feet under development/redevelopment) in 19 states. As of December 31, 2023, we had invested approximately $2.4 billion in the aggregate (consisting of purchase price and funding of draws for improvements submitted by tenants, if any, but excluding transaction costs) and had committed an additional approximately $40.1 million to fund draws to certain tenants and vendors for improvements at our properties. Of the approximately $40.1 million committed to fund draws to certain tenants and vendors for improvements at our properties, approximately $9.6 million was incurred but not funded as of December 31, 2023. These statistics do not include a $23.0 million loan commitment from us to a developer for construction of a regulated cannabis cultivation and processing facility in California, of which we have funded $22.0 million as of December 31, 2023.
Of these properties, we include 103 properties in our operating portfolio, which were 95.8% leased as of December 31, 2023, with a weighted-average remaining lease term of approximately 14.6 years. Rent collection for our operating portfolio (calculated as base rent and property management fees collected as a percentage of contractually due base rent and property management fees, including an aggregate of approximately $8.7 million of security deposits applied for payment of rent for our leases with five tenants) was approximately 98% for the year ended December 31, 2023. Rent collection for our operating portfolio (including approximately $767,000 of security deposits applied for payment of rent from our lease with one tenant) was 100% for the three months ended December 31, 2023.
We do not include in our operating portfolio the following properties (all of which were under development/redevelopment as of December 31, 2023, and together are expected to comprise approximately 715,000 rentable square feet upon completion of development/redevelopment):
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Inland Center Drive in San Bernardino, California; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Perez Road in Cathedral City, California (pre-leased); |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | 63795 19th Avenue in Palm Springs, California; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Leah Avenue in San Marcos, Texas; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Davis Highway in Dimondale, Michigan (pre-leased). |
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Factors Impacting Our Operating Results
Our results of operations are affected by a number of factors and depend on the rental revenue we receive from the properties that we acquire, the timing of lease expirations, general market conditions, the regulatory environment in the cannabis industry, and the competitive environment for real estate assets that support the regulated cannabis industry.
Rental Revenues
We receive income primarily from rental revenue generated by the properties that we acquire. The amount of rental revenue depends upon a number of factors, including:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | our ability to enter into leases with increasing or market value rents for the properties that we acquire; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | rent collection, which primarily relates to each of our current and future tenant’s financial condition and ability to make rent payments to us on time. |
The properties that we acquire consist of real estate assets that support the regulated cannabis industry. Most states where we own properties issue licenses for cannabis operations for a limited period. If one or more of our tenants are unable to renew or otherwise maintain their licenses or other state and local authorizations necessary to continue its cannabis operations, such tenants may default on their lease payments to us. Furthermore, changes in federal law and current favorable state or local laws in the cannabis industry may impair our ability to renew or re-lease properties and the ability of our tenants to fulfill their lease obligations and could materially and adversely affect our ability to maintain or increase rental rates for our properties.
Conditions in Our Markets
Positive or negative changes in regulatory, economic or other conditions, drought, and natural disasters in the markets where we acquire properties may affect our overall financial performance.
The success of our tenants in operating their businesses and their ability to pay rent continue to be significantly influenced by many challenges including the impact of inflation, labor shortages, supply chain constraints on their cost of doing business, and the U.S. consumer financial health. Additionally, market dynamics and the regulatory regime in the states where they operate create challenges that may impact our tenants’ businesses and/or decrease future demand for regulated cannabis cultivation and production facilities. The potential impact of current economic challenges on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows is subject to change and continues to depend on the extent and duration of these risks and uncertainties.
Market Dynamics in Regulated Cannabis State Programs
States vary significantly in their market dynamics, driven by many factors, including, but not limited to, regulatory frameworks, enforcement policies with respect to illicit, unlicensed cannabis operations, taxation and licensing structures. For example, in California, according to Global Go Analytics, the illicit market for cannabis remains a much larger portion of overall sales in the state, and state and local authorities have assessed significant taxes on regulated cannabis products, both of which have had the impact of significantly limiting the growth and profitability for operators in the state’s regulated cannabis market.
Many states continue to experience significant declines in unit pricing for regulated cannabis products, with that decline more pronounced in certain states than in others, which compresses operating margins for operators. As a result, certain regulated cannabis operators have announced that they are consolidating operations or shuttering certain operations to reduce costs, which if prolonged, could have a material negative impact on operators’ demand for regulated cannabis facilities, including our existing tenants.
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Inflation and Supply Chain Constraints
The U.S. economy has experienced a sustained increase in inflation rates in recent years, which we believe is negatively impacting our tenants. This inflation has impacted costs for labor and production inputs for regulated cannabis operators, in addition to increasing costs of construction for development and redevelopment projects. Ongoing labor shortages and global supply chain issues also continue to adversely impact costs and timing for completion of these development and redevelopment projects, which are resulting in cost overruns and delays in commencing operations on certain of our tenants’ projects.
Reduced Capital Availability for Tenants and the Company
In recent years, financial markets have been volatile, reflecting heightened geopolitical risks and material tightening of financial conditions since the U.S. Federal Reserve began increasing interest rates in spring of 2022 and continued uncertainty regarding monetary policy. Driven in part by overall macroeconomic conditions, capital availability has significantly declined for regulated cannabis operators.
According to Viridian, worldwide cannabis capital raises in 2023 constituted a multi-year low, with less than $2 billion in total capital raises, versus over $4.3 billion in 2022 and over $12 billion in 2021. Total equity and debt capital raising for public and private cannabis cultivation and retail companies in the United States decreased 74% from 2022 and were lower than any previous year since before 2018, with debt accounting for over 80% of all capital raised for cannabis cultivation operations. According to Viridian, as of December 31, 2023, cannabis stock prices (as measured by the MSOS ETF) had declined 87% since their February 2021 peak.
Also according to Viridian, mergers and acquisitions activity in the North American regulated cannabis industry declined significantly in 2023 to $1.75 billion, down from $4.95 billion in 2022.
Capital raising activities by U.S. REITs continued to be subdued in 2023, after experiencing a significant decline in the latter part of 2022. According to the NAREIT, U.S. REIT 2023 capital raising was modestly higher than 2022, though 2022 represented the lowest level since 2009.
Significant Tenants and Concentrations of Risk
As of December 31, 2023, we owned 108 properties located in 19 states. Many of our tenants are tenants at multiple properties. We seek to manage our portfolio-level risk through geographic diversification and by minimizing dependence on any single property or tenant. At December 31, 2023, our largest property was located in New York and accounted for approximately 5.4% of our net real estate held for investment. No other properties accounted for more than 5% of our net real estate held for investment at December 31, 2023. See Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the tenants in our portfolio that represented the largest percentage of our total rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023.
See Note 11 “Commitments and Contingencies — Litigation” to our consolidated financial statements for more information regarding Kings Garden, Parallel and Green Peak, which defaulted on their obligations under certain leases with us.
Competitive Environment
We face competition from a diverse mix of market participants, including but not limited to, other companies with similar business models, independent investors, hedge funds, lenders and other real estate investors, as well as potential tenants (cannabis operators themselves), all of whom may compete with us in our efforts to acquire real estate zoned for regulated cannabis operations. Competition from others may diminish our opportunities to acquire a desired property on favorable terms or at all. In addition, this competition may put pressure on us to reduce the rental rates below those that we expect to charge for the properties that we acquire, which would adversely affect our financial results.
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Operating Expenses
Our operating expenses include general and administrative expenses, including personnel costs, stock-based compensation, and legal, accounting and other expenses related to corporate governance, public reporting and compliance with the various provisions of U.S. securities laws. Our operating expenses also include costs that we incur for properties, including taxes, insurance, maintenance, security, utilities and other property-specific costs. We generally expect to structure our leases so that the tenant is responsible for real estate taxes, maintenance, insurance, and structural repairs with respect to the premises throughout the lease term. Increases or decreases in such operating expenses will impact our overall financial performance.
Our Qualification as a REIT
We have been organized and operate our business so as to qualify, to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Shares of our common stock and Series A Preferred Stock are subject to restrictions on ownership and transfer that are intended, among other purposes, to assist us in qualifying and maintaining our qualification as a REIT. In order for us to qualify as a REIT under the Code, the relevant sections of our charter provide that, subject to certain exceptions, no person or entity may own, or be deemed to own, by virtue of the applicable constructive ownership provisions of the Code, more than 9.8% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of our outstanding shares of stock or Series A Preferred Stock or more than 9.8% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of our outstanding common stock or any class or series of our outstanding preferred stock.
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Results of Operations
Investments
See Note 6 “Investments in Real Estate” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for information regarding our investments in real estate and property portfolio activity during the year ended December 31, 2023. In March 2023, we sold the portfolio of four properties in California previously leased to affiliates of Vertical for $16.2 million (excluding transaction costs) with a secured loan for $16.1 million with the buyer of the properties. The transaction did not qualify for recognition as a completed sale since not all of the criteria were met. Accordingly, we have not derecognized the assets transferred. All consideration received, as well as any future payments, from the buyer is recognized as a deposit liability and is included in other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet until such time the criteria for recognition as a sale have been met. In addition, as we have not met all of the held-for-sale criteria, land and building and improvements with gross carrying values of approximately $3.4 million and approximately $13.9 million, respectively, and accumulated depreciation of approximately $1.6 million as of December 31, 2023, remain on the consolidated balance sheet, and the buildings and improvements continue to be depreciated. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we received cash interest payments of approximately $1.3 million, which has been recorded as a liability as of December 31, 2023.
See Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 for a comparison of the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands)
| | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | Years Ended December 31, | | | |||||
| | 2023 | 2022 | Change | |||||
| Revenues: | | | | | | |||
| Rental (including tenant reimbursements) | $ | 307,349 | | $ | 274,377 | | $ | 32,972 |
| Other | 2,157 | | 1,982 | | 175 | |||
| Total revenues | 309,506 | | 276,359 | | 33,147 | |||
| | | | | | | | | |
| Expenses: | | | ||||||
| Property expenses | 24,893 | | 10,520 | | 14,373 | |||
| General and administrative expense | 42,832 | | 38,520 | | 4,312 | |||
| Depreciation and amortization expense | 67,194 | | 61,303 | | 5,891 | |||
| Total expenses | 134,919 | | 110,343 | | 24,576 | |||
| Gain on sale of real estate | | — | | | 3,601 | | | (3,601) |
| Income from operations | 174,587 | | 169,617 | | 4,970 | |||
| Interest and other income | 8,446 | | 3,195 | | 5,251 | |||
| Interest expense | | (17,467) | | | (18,301) | | | 834 |
| Gain (loss) on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | 22 | | (125) | | 147 | |||
| Net income | 165,588 | | 154,386 | | 11,202 | |||
| Preferred stock dividends | (1,352) | | (1,352) | | — | |||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | $ | 164,236 | | $ | 153,034 | | $ | 11,202 |
Revenues
Rental Revenues. Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by approximately $33.0 million, or 12%, to approximately $307.4 million, compared to approximately $274.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Of that increase, approximately $13.3 million was related to tenant reimbursements for property insurance premiums and property taxes, which increased to approximately $23.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to approximately $10.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in tenant reimbursements was primarily due to a change in our policy, starting in January 2023, from allowing tenants to pay property taxes directly to taxing authorities to us making tax payments directly to taxing authorities and then billing tenants for property
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tax reimbursements. Prior to 2023, real estate taxes required to be paid by the tenant under our leases were paid directly by the tenant to the tax authorities and were therefore not reflected in our consolidated financial statements. The remaining approximately $19.7 million increase in rental revenue was attributable to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The two properties we acquired in 2023 which generated approximately $5.2 million of rental revenue in 2023; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The nine properties we acquired in 2022 which generated approximately $17.8 million of rental revenue in 2023, including a rent adjustment on a lease amendment for an additional improvement allowance at one of these properties, compared to approximately $10.2 million in 2022, a net increase of approximately $7.6 million; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | A net increase of approximately $6.9 million in rental revenue generated by properties we acquired prior to 2022, including contractual rent escalations, rent adjustments for amendments to leases for additional improvement allowances at existing properties that resulted in adjustments to rent. |
Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 included the application of approximately $8.7 million of security deposits applied for rent for our leases with five tenants and approximately $888,000 of security deposits applied for tenant reimbursements for property insurance premiums and property taxes for our leases with three tenants. Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 also included approximately $1.7 million as partial payment of a consent order against Parallel for its failure to pay rent at one of our Pennsylvania properties previously leased to Parallel and approximately $243,000 in payments from Kings Garden pursuant to an offer of judgment relating to certain properties previously leased to Kings Garden (see Note 11 “Commitments and Contingencies — Litigation” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information).
Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 were negatively impacted by non-collection of rent during the period from properties in our operating portfolio totaling approximately $4.8 million (consisting of approximately $4.5 million of contractual base rents and property management fees from three tenants and approximately $289,000 for tenant reimbursements for property insurance premiums and property taxes from three tenants), and the termination of certain leases with Green Peak, Kings Garden and Parallel.
Other Revenues. Other revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 consists of interest revenue related to leases for property acquisitions that did not satisfy the requirements for sale-leaseback accounting. Other revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by approximately $175,000, or 9%, to approximately $2.2 million, compared to approximately $2.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to recognizing a full year of interest revenue in 2023 related to the two properties acquired in 2022 that did not satisfy the requirements for sale-leaseback accounting.
Expenses
Property Expenses. Property expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by approximately $14.4 million, compared to 2022. The increase was primarily due to the recognition of property taxes incurred and paid or to be paid by us starting in January 2023, as described above. The increase was also due to new property acquisitions and additional investment in existing properties which resulted in higher property insurance premiums and property taxes that we paid for our properties. Property expenses are generally reimbursable to us by the tenants under the terms of the leases.
General and Administrative Expense. General and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by approximately $4.3 million, or 11%, to approximately $42.8 million, compared to approximately $38.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in general and administrative expense was primarily due to higher compensation expense to employees, the hiring of additional employees, and higher public company costs.
Compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 included approximately $19.6 million and $17.5 million, respectively, of non-cash stock-based compensation. The increase in non-cash stock-based compensation expense was primarily due to additional grants of stock-based awards to existing and new employees. Non-cash stock-
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based compensation for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 each included approximately $4.0 million relating to performance share units (“PSUs”) granted to certain employees in 2021 and approximately $6.7 million relating to the PSUs granted to certain employees in 2022. As measured as of December 31, 2023, the performance thresholds for the vesting of the PSUs were not met for any of the applicable awards, and the PSUs granted in January 2021 were forfeited in their entirety pursuant to the terms of the agreements.
Depreciation and Amortization Expense. Depreciation and amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by approximately $5.9 million, or 10%, to approximately $67.2 million, compared to approximately $61.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The approximately $5.9 million increase was related to depreciation and amortization on properties that we acquired and the placement into service of construction at certain of our properties, of which approximately $1.0 million was related to the two properties we acquired in 2023, approximately $1.7 million was related to nine properties we acquired in 2022, and the remaining increase related to properties acquired prior to 2022.
Interest and Other Income. Interest and other income for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by approximately $5.2 million to approximately $8.4 million, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. Approximately $4.2 million of the increase was due to higher interest rates on our interest-bearing cash and cash equivalents along with our short-term investments. The remaining increase of approximately $1.0 million was related to interest received on our construction loan during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Interest Expense. Interest expense is primarily related to our Exchangeable Senior Notes issued in February 2019 and Notes due 2026 issued in May 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2023, interest expense decreased by approximately $834,000, or 5%, to approximately $17.5 million, compared to $18.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 due to exchanges of approximately $26.9 million outstanding principal amount of our Exchangeable Senior Notes during the year ended December 31, 2022, and also due to the exchanges of $2.0 million outstanding principal amount of our Exchangeable Senior Notes and capitalization of approximately $627,000 of interest during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Cash Flows
The following summary discussion of our cash flows is based on the consolidated statements of cash flows in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and is not meant to be an all-inclusive discussion of the changes in our cash flows for the periods presented below (in thousands):
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year Ended December 31, | | | | ||||
| | 2023 | | 2022 | Change | |||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities | | $ | 255,543 | $ | 234,130 | | $ | 21,413 | |
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | | (6,788) | | (396,201) | | 389,413 | |||
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | | (195,628) | | 164,224 | | (359,852) | |||
| Ending cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | 141,699 | | 88,572 | | 53,127 |
Operating Activities
Cash flows provided by operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were approximately $255.5 million and $234.1 million, respectively. Cash flows provided by operating activities primarily related to contractual rent and security deposits from our properties, partially offset by general and administrative expense, interest expense, property expense in excess of tenant reimbursements and property expenses at properties that were not leased. Cash flows provided by operating activities increased from 2022 to 2023 primarily due to leases for properties we acquired during these time periods, annual escalations of base rent on our leases, and amendments to existing leases to increase improvement allowances at those properties, which resulted in a corresponding increase in base rents, partially offset by rent payment defaults by certain tenants, higher cash compensation to employees and higher public company costs.
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Investing Activities
Cash flows used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 included approximately $189.0 million of purchases of investments in real estate, funding of draws for improvements and construction, and funding of construction loan and other investments in the aggregate, partially offset by approximately $182.2 million of net maturities of short-term investments.
Cash flows used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 included approximately $545.9 million of purchases of investments in real estate, funding of draws for improvements and construction, and funding of construction loan and other investments in the aggregate, partially offset by approximately $126.2 million of net maturities of short-term investments and receipt of $23.5 million of proceeds from sale of one of our Pennsylvania properties previously leased to a subsidiary of Maitri Holdings, LLC.
Financing Activities
Cash flows used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 were approximately $195.6 million, primarily related to dividend payments of approximately $204.1 million to common and preferred stockholders, approximately $561,000 related to payment of deferred financing costs on the Revolving Credit Facility, and approximately $568,000 related to the net share settlement of equity awards to pay the required withholding taxes upon vesting of restricted stock for certain employees, partially offset by approximately $9.6 million in net proceeds from the issuance of our common stock.
Cash flows provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 were approximately $164.2 million, primarily related to approximately $351.9 million in net proceeds from the issuance of our common stock, partially offset by dividend payments of approximately $185.3 million to common and preferred stockholders and approximately $2.4 million related to net share settlement of equity awards to pay the required withholding taxes upon vesting of restricted stock for certain employees.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements. We expect to use significant cash to acquire additional properties, develop and redevelop existing properties, pay dividends to our stockholders, fund our operations, service our Exchangeable Senior Notes and Notes due 2026 and meet other general business needs.
Sources and Uses of Cash
We derive substantially all of our revenues from the leasing of our properties and collecting rental income, which includes operating expense reimbursements, based on contractual arrangements with our tenants. This source of revenue represents our primary source of liquidity to fund our dividends, Notes due 2026 interest payments, repayments of borrowings and interest payments under our Revolving Credit Facility, general and administrative expenses, property development and redevelopment activities, property operating expenses and other expenses incurred related to managing our existing portfolio and investing in additional properties. Because substantially all our leases are triple net, our tenants are generally responsible for the maintenance, insurance and property taxes associated with the properties they lease from us. If a tenant defaults on one of our leases or the lease term expires with no tenant renewal, we would incur property costs not paid by the tenant during the time it takes to re-lease or sell the property.
As of December 31, 2023, we owned 108 properties. Of these properties, we include 103 properties in our operating portfolio, which were 95.8% leased, with a weighted-average remaining lease term of approximately 14.6 years. Rent collection for our operating portfolio (calculated as base rent and property management fees collected as a percentage of contractually due base rent and property management fees, including an aggregate of approximately $8.7 million of security deposits applied for payment of rent for our leases with five tenants) was approximately 98% for the year ended December 31, 2023. Rent collection for our operating portfolio (including approximately $767,000 of security deposits applied for payment of rent from our lease with one tenant) was 100% for the three months ended December 31, 2023.
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In July 2022, Kings Garden defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at all of the properties that Kings Garden leases from us. In September 2023, we regained possession of the four remaining properties that Kings Garden had occupied, where Kings Garden paid stipulated rent during its period of occupancy until September 20, 2023. In November 2022, Parallel defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at one of our properties in Pennsylvania, and we regained possession of that property in October 2023. Also in November 2022, Green Peak defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at one of our properties in Michigan. In March 2023, a receiver was appointed over substantially all of Green Peak’s assets, and we subsequently regained possession of one property that was under redevelopment as a regulated cannabis cultivation and processing facility and three retail properties in Michigan. In February 2023, Parallel also defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at one of our properties in Texas, and we regained possession of that property in March 2023.
See Part I, Item 3. Legal Proceedings and Note 11 “Commitments and Contingencies — Litigation” to our consolidated financial statements for more information regarding Kings Garden, Parallel and Green Peak.
We expect to incur some property-level operating costs from time to time in periods during which properties that become vacant are being remarketed or re-positioned. In addition, we may recognize an expense for certain property costs, such as insurance premiums and real estate taxes billed in arrears, if we believe the tenant is likely to vacate the property before making payment on those obligations or may be unable to pay such costs in a timely manner. Property costs are generally not significant to our operations, but the amount of property costs can vary quarter to quarter based on the number of property vacancies and whether we have any underperforming properties. We may advance certain property costs on behalf of our tenants but expect that the majority of these costs will be reimbursed by the tenant and do not anticipate that they will be significant to our operations. In addition, for properties that are not leased and are under development or redevelopment, we may make significant additional investments in these properties in order to get them ready for their intended use and to re-lease them. For the year ended December 31, 2023, property expenses included approximately $844,000 of non-reimbursed expenses related to operating properties that were not leased.
To the extent additional resources are needed, we expect to fund our investment activity generally through equity or debt issuances either in the public or private markets along with draws on our Revolving Credit Facility. Where possible, we also may issue limited partnership interests in our Operating Partnership to acquire properties from existing owners seeking a tax-deferred transaction.
In May 2021, we received an investment grade rating from a ratings agency. We sought to obtain an investment grade rating to facilitate access to the investment grade unsecured debt market as part of our overall strategy to maximize our financial flexibility and manage our overall cost of capital. On May 25, 2021, our Operating Partnership issued $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of Notes due 2026. The Notes due 2026 are the Operating Partnership’s general unsecured obligations, are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by us and all of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership, and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Operating Partnership’s existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness, including the Exchangeable Senior Notes. The terms of the Notes due 2026 are governed by an indenture, which requires compliance with various financial covenants including limits on the amount of total leverage and secured debt maintained by the Operating Partnership and which require the Operating Partnership to maintain minimum levels of debt service coverage. Management believes that it was in compliance with those covenants as of December 31, 2023. Subject to the terms of the indenture, any new subsidiary of the Operating Partnership will also guarantee the Notes due 2026. In addition, the terms of the indenture provide that if the debt rating on the Notes due 2026 is downgraded or withdrawn entirely, interest on the Notes due 2026 will increase to a range of 6.0% to 6.5% based on such debt rating.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we issued 32,200 shares of our common stock upon exchange by holders of $2.0 million of outstanding principal amount of our Exchangeable Senior Notes.
In January 2023, we terminated the previously existing “at-the-market” offering program and entered into new equity distribution agreements with four sales agents, pursuant to which we may offer and sell from time to time through the ATM Program up to $500.0 million in shares of our common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold 101,061 shares of our common stock under the ATM Program for net proceeds of approximately $9.6 million.
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We have filed an automatic shelf registration statement, which may permit us, from time to time, to offer and sell common stock, preferred stock, warrants, debt securities of our Operating Partnership and other securities to the extent necessary or advisable to meet our liquidity needs.
On October 23, 2023, our Operating Partnership entered into a loan and security agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with a federally regulated commercial bank, as lender and as agent for lenders that become party thereto from time to time. The Loan Agreement matures on October 23, 2026, and provides $30.0 million in aggregate commitments for the Revolving Credit Facility, which was increased to $45.0 million in aggregate commitments pursuant to an amendment to the Loan Agreement executed subsequent to year-end. The Loan Agreement also allows the Operating Partnership, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, to request additional revolving loan commitments up to a specified amount. The Loan Agreement is subject to certain liquidity and operating covenants and includes customary representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants and events of default. There were no amounts outstanding under the Loan Agreement as of December 31, 2023. See Note 7 “Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information.
Subsequent to year-end, we issued 28,408 shares of our common stock and paid approximately $4.3 million in cash upon exchange by holders of approximately $4.3 million principal amount of Exchangeable Senior Notes and paid off the remaining $100,000 principal amount at maturity, in accordance with the terms of the indenture for the Exchangeable Senior Notes.
We expect to meet our short-term and long-term liquidity needs through cash and short-term investments on hand, cash flows from operations and cash flows from sources discussed above. We believe that our liquidity and sources of capital are adequate to satisfy our cash requirements. We cannot, however, be certain that these sources of funds will be available at a time and upon terms acceptable to the Company in sufficient amounts to meet our liquidity needs. Our investment guidelines also provide that our aggregate borrowings (secured and unsecured) will not exceed 50% of the cost of our tangible assets at the time of any new borrowing, subject to our board of directors’ discretion.
In recent years, financial markets have been volatile in general, which has also significantly reduced our access to capital. If sustained, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including our ability to continue to make acquisitions of new properties and fund investments for improvements at existing properties.
Dividends
The Company is required to pay dividends to its stockholders at least equal to 90% of its taxable income in order to qualify and maintain its qualification as a REIT. As a result of this distribution requirement, our Operating Partnership cannot rely on retained earnings to fund its ongoing operations to the same extent that other companies whose parent companies are not REITs can. During 2023, we declared cash dividends on our common stock totaling $7.22 per share, and cash dividends on our Series A Preferred Stock totaling $2.25 per share. Our ability to continue to pay dividends is dependent upon our ability to continue to generate cash flows, service any debt obligations we have, including our Exchangeable Senior Notes, and make accretive new investments.
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||
| | 2023 | | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| Ordinary income distributions | | $ | 7.700000 | $ | 6.929636 | | $ | 5.340000 | |
| Long-term capital gain distributions(1) | | — | | 0.100364 | | — | |||
| Total | | $ | 7.700000 | | $ | 7.030000 | | $ | 5.340000 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | Unrecaptured Section 1250 Gain of $0.058864 represents additional characterization of and is part of long-term capital gain distributions for the year ended December 31, 2022. |
The common stock distribution with a record date of December 29, 2023 was a split-year distribution, with $0.83 allocable to 2023 for federal income tax purposes and $0.99 allocable to 2024 for federal income tax purposes. The common stock distribution with a record date of December 30, 2022 was a split-year distribution, with $0.33 allocable to
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2022 for federal income tax purposes and $1.47 allocable to 2023 for federal income tax purposes. The common stock distribution with a record date of December 31, 2021 was a split-year distribution, with $0.10 allocable to 2021 for federal income tax purposes and $1.40 allocable to 2022 for federal income tax purposes.
Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2023 (in thousands):
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payments Due | | | | Exchangeable | | | | | | | |||||
| by Year | Notes due 2026 | | Senior Notes | Interest | Office Rent | Total | |||||||||
| 2024 | | $ | — | | $ | 4,436 | | $ | 16,523 | | $ | 511 | | $ | 21,470 |
| 2025 | | | — | | — | | 16,500 | | 526 | | 17,026 | ||||
| 2026 | | | 300,000 | | — | | 6,646 | | 543 | | 307,189 | ||||
| 2027 | | | — | | — | | — | | 45 | | 45 | ||||
| 2028 | | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | ||||
| Total | | $ | 300,000 | | $ | 4,436 | | $ | 39,669 | | $ | 1,625 | | $ | 345,730 |
As of December 31, 2023, we had (1) approximately $18.7 million outstanding in commitments related to improvement allowances, which generally may be requested by the tenants at any time up until a date that is near the expiration of the initial term of the applicable lease; (2) approximately $11.8 million outstanding in commitments related to contracts with vendors for improvements at our properties, which are expected to be incurred by December 31, 2024; and (3) $1.0 million outstanding in commitments to fund a construction loan. The commitments discussed in this paragraph are excluded from the table of contractual obligations above, as improvement allowances generally may be requested by the tenants at any time up until a date that is near the expiration of the initial term of the applicable lease, there is no explicit time frame for incurring the obligations related to our contracts with vendors, and construction loan funding generally may be requested by the borrower from time to time, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions.
There were no amounts outstanding under the Loan Agreement as of December 31, 2023. See Note 7 “Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for more information.
Supplemental Guarantor Information
Our Notes due 2026 and our Exchangeable Senior Notes are the unsecured senior obligations of our Operating Partnership and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on an unsecured basis, jointly and severally, by us and all of our direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, which are listed on Exhibit 22.1 hereto and which we refer to collectively as “Subsidiary Guarantors.” Only the Notes due 2026 and the related guarantees are registered securities under the Securities Act. See Note 7 “Debt” in the notes to our consolidated financial statements for a description of certain terms of our Notes due 2026.
The offer and sale of the Exchangeable Senior Notes and the related guarantees were not and will not be registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and instead were issued in reliance upon an exemption from such registration.
As a result of the amendments to Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X, subsidiary issuers of obligations guaranteed by the parent are not required to provide separate financial statements, provided that the subsidiary obligor is consolidated into the parent company’s consolidated financial statements, the parent guarantee is “full and unconditional” and, subject to certain exceptions as set forth below, the alternative disclosure required by Rule 13-01 of Regulation S-X is provided, which includes narrative disclosure and summarized financial information. Accordingly, separate consolidated financial statements of our Operating Partnership and the Subsidiary Guarantors have not been presented.
Furthermore, as permitted under Rule 13-01(a)(4)(vi) of Regulation S-X, we have excluded the summarized financial information for the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiary Guarantors because the combined assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiary Guarantors are not materially different than the corresponding amounts in our consolidated financial statements, and management believes such summarized financial information would be repetitive and would not provide incremental value to investors.
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Non-GAAP Financial Information and Other Metrics
In addition to the required GAAP presentations, we use certain non-GAAP performance measures as we believe these measures improve the understanding of our operational results. We continually evaluate the usefulness, relevance, limitations, and calculation of our reported non-GAAP performance measures to determine how best to provide relevant information to the public and thus such reported measures could change.
Funds from Operations, Normalized Funds from Operations and Adjusted Funds from Operations
Funds from operations (“FFO”) and FFO per share are operating performance measures adopted by NAREIT. NAREIT defines FFO as the most commonly accepted and reported non-GAAP measure of a REIT’s operating performance equal to net income (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, depreciation and amortization and impairment related to real estate properties, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures.
Management believes that net income, as defined by GAAP, is the most appropriate earnings measurement. However, management believes FFO and FFO per share to be supplemental measures of a REIT’s performance because they provide an understanding of the operating performance of our properties without giving effect to certain significant non-cash items, primarily depreciation expense. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with GAAP assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. However, real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions. We believe that by excluding the effect of depreciation, FFO and FFO per share can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods. We report FFO and FFO per share because these measures are observed by management to also be the predominant measures used by the REIT industry and by industry analysts to evaluate REITs and because FFO per share is consistently reported, discussed, and compared by research analysts in their notes and publications about REITs. For these reasons, management has deemed it appropriate to disclose and discuss FFO and FFO per share.
We compute normalized funds from operations (“Normalized FFO”) by adjusting FFO, as defined by NAREIT, to exclude certain GAAP income and expense amounts that we believe are infrequent and unusual in nature and/or not related to our core real estate operations. Exclusion of these items from similar FFO-type metrics is common within the equity REIT industry, and management believes that presentation of Normalized FFO and Normalized FFO per share provides investors with a metric to assist in their evaluation of our operating performance across multiple periods and in comparison to the operating performance of other companies, because it removes the effect of unusual items that are not expected to impact our operating performance on an ongoing basis. Normalized FFO is used by management in evaluating the performance of our core business operations. Items included in calculating FFO that may be excluded in calculating Normalized FFO include certain transaction-related gains, losses, income or expense or other non-core amounts as they occur.
Management believes that adjusted funds from operations (“AFFO”) and AFFO per share are also appropriate supplemental measures of a REIT’s operating performance. We calculate AFFO by adjusting Normalized FFO for certain cash and non-cash items.
For all periods presented FFO (diluted), Normalized FFO, AFFO and FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO per diluted share include the dilutive impact of the assumed full exchange of the Exchangeable Senior Notes for shares of common stock. The Exchangeable Senior Notes were anti-dilutive for purposes of calculating earnings per diluted share for all periods presented, and as such, were treated as anti-dilutive for purposes of calculating FFO, Normalized FFO, AFFO and FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO per diluted share for such periods.
For the three months ended March 31, 2022, 102,333 shares issuable upon vesting of the PSUs were dilutive, as the performance thresholds for vesting of these PSUs were met as measured as of March 31, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2021, 81,414 shares issuable upon vesting of the PSUs were dilutive, as the performance thresholds for vesting of these PSUs were met as measured as of December 31, 2021. No shares were issuable upon vesting of the PSUs for all other periods presented, as the performance thresholds for vesting of the PSUs were not met as measured as of the end of those respective periods.
Our computation of FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO may differ from the methodology for calculating FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO utilized by other equity REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such REITs.
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Further, FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO do not represent cash flow available for management’s discretionary use. FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our financial performance or to cash flow from operating activities (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our liquidity, nor is it indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to pay dividends or make distributions. FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO should be considered only as supplements to net income computed in accordance with GAAP as measures of operations.
The table below is a reconciliation of net income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
| | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 164,236 | $ | 153,034 | $ | 112,638 | ||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | | 67,194 | | 61,303 | | 41,776 | |||
| Gain on sale of real estate | | — | | (3,601) | | — | |||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | | 231,430 | | | 210,736 | | | 154,414 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense on Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 219 | | | 546 | | | 7,517 |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 231,649 | | | 211,282 | | | 161,931 |
| Financing expense | | | — | | | 367 | | | — |
| Litigation-related expense | | | 2,480 | | | 3,010 | | | — |
| Loss (gain) on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | (22) | | | 125 | | | 3,692 |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 234,107 | | | 214,784 | | | 165,623 |
| Interest income on seller-financed note(1) | | | 1,342 | | | — | | | — |
| Stock-based compensation | | 19,581 | | 17,507 | | 8,616 | |||
| Non-cash interest expense | | 1,375 | | 1,255 | | 715 | |||
| Above-market lease amortization | | | 92 | | | 91 | | | 4 |
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 256,497 | | $ | 233,637 | | $ | 174,958 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 8.20 | | $ | 7.64 | | $ | 6.17 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 8.29 | | $ | 7.76 | | $ | 6.31 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 9.08 | | $ | 8.45 | | $ | 6.66 |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic | | 27,977,807 | | 27,345,047 | | 23,903,017 | |||
| Restricted stock and RSUs | | | 196,821 | | | 116,046 | | | 96,174 |
| PSUs | | | — | | | — | | | 81,414 |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 81,169 | | | 202,076 | | | 2,180,550 |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 28,255,797 | | 27,663,169 | | 26,261,155 |
(1)Amount reflects the non-refundable interest paid on the seller-financed note issued to us by the buyer in connection with our disposition of a portfolio of four properties in southern California previously leased to affiliates of Vertical, which is recognized as a deposit liability and is included in other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2023, as the transaction did not qualify for recognition as a completed sale.
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The tables below are reconciliations of quarterly net income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Three Months Ended(1) | ||||||||||
| | December 31, 2023 | September 30, 2023 | June 30, 2023 | March 31, 2023 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 41,295 | $ | 41,256 | | $ | 40,931 | $ | 40,754 | ||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | | 17,098 | | 16,678 | | 16,704 | | 16,714 | ||||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | | 58,393 | | | 57,934 | | | 57,635 | | | 57,468 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense on Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 50 | | | 50 | | | 50 | | | 69 |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 58,443 | | | 57,984 | | | 57,685 | | | 57,537 |
| Litigation-related expense | | | 152 | | | 1,112 | | | 670 | | | 546 |
| Loss (gain) on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (22) |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 58,595 | | | 59,096 | | | 58,355 | | | 58,061 |
| Interest income on seller-financed note(2) | | | 403 | | | 402 | | | 403 | | | 134 |
| Stock-based compensation | | 4,934 | | | 4,934 | | | 4,884 | | | 4,829 | |
| Non-cash interest expense | | | 383 | | | 335 | | | 331 | | | 326 |
| Above-market lease amortization | | 23 | | | 23 | | | 23 | | | 23 | |
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 64,338 | | $ | 64,790 | | $ | 63,996 | | $ | 63,373 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 2.07 | | $ | 2.05 | | $ | 2.04 | | $ | 2.04 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 2.07 | | $ | 2.09 | | $ | 2.07 | | $ | 2.06 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 2.28 | | $ | 2.29 | | $ | 2.26 | | $ | 2.25 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic | | 27,996,393 | | | 27,983,004 | | | 27,981,517 | | | 27,949,747 | |
| Restricted stock and RSUs | | | 206,667 | | | 206,919 | | | 201,462 | | | 171,741 |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 76,774 | | | 75,682 | | | 74,260 | | | 102,210 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 28,279,834 | | 28,265,605 | | 28,257,239 | | 28,223,698 |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Three Months Ended(1) | ||||||||||
| | December 31, 2022 | September 30, 2022 | June 30, 2022 | March 31, 2022 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 41,168 | $ | 37,278 | | $ | 39,876 | $ | 34,712 | ||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | | | 16,302 | | | 15,900 | | | 15,233 | | | 13,868 |
| Gain on sale of real estate | | | (3,601) | | | — | | | — | | | — |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | | 53,869 | | | 53,178 | | | 55,109 | | | 48,580 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense | | | 72 | | | 72 | | | 68 | | | 334 |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 53,941 | | | 53,250 | | | 55,177 | | | 48,914 |
| Financing expense | | | 249 | | | 14 | | | 104 | | | — |
| Litigation-related expense | | | 779 | | | 2,112 | | | 119 | | | — |
| Loss (gain) on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | — | | | — | | | 7 | | | 118 |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 54,969 | | | 55,376 | | | 55,407 | | | 49,032 |
| Stock-based compensation | | | 4,312 | | | 4,379 | | | 4,437 | | | 4,379 |
| Non-cash interest expense | | | 321 | | | 316 | | | 311 | | | 307 |
| Above-market lease amortization | | | 23 | | | 23 | | | 23 | | | 23 |
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 59,625 | | $ | 60,094 | | $ | 60,178 | | $ | 53,741 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.92 | | $ | 1.89 | | $ | 1.97 | | $ | 1.86 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.95 | | $ | 1.97 | | $ | 1.98 | | $ | 1.86 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 2.12 | | $ | 2.13 | | $ | 2.15 | | $ | 2.04 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic | | 27,938,804 | | | 27,938,568 | | | 27,850,561 | | | 25,620,253 | |
| Restricted stock and RSUs | | | 117,831 | | | 118,567 | | | 82,387 | | | 110,457 |
| PSUs | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 102,333 |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 103,626 | | | 100,799 | | | 103,742 | | | 507,181 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 28,160,261 | | 28,157,934 | | 28,036,690 | | 26,340,224 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | The sum of quarterly financial data may vary from annual data due to rounding and differences in the dilutive effect of potentially issuable shares of each reporting period. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Amount reflects the non-refundable interest paid on the seller-financed note issued to us by the buyer in connection with our disposition of a portfolio of four properties in southern California previously leased to affiliates of Vertical, which is recognized as a deposit liability and is included in other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2023, as the transaction did not qualify for recognition as a completed sale. |
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and 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 materially from those estimates and assumptions.
We continually evaluate the estimates and assumptions we use to prepare our consolidated financial statements. Our critical accounting estimates are defined as accounting estimates or assumptions made in accordance with GAAP, which involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty or subjectivity and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. The following critical accounting estimates discussion reflects what we believe are the most significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. This discussion of our critical accounting estimates is intended to supplement the description of our accounting policies in the footnotes to our consolidated financial statements and to provide additional
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insight into the information used by management when evaluating significant estimates and assumptions. For further discussion of our significant accounting policies, see Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and Recent Accounting Pronouncements” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report.
Lease Accounting
We account for our leases under Accounting Standards Codification 842, Leases, which requires significant estimates and judgments by management in its application. Upon lease inception or lease modification, we assess the lease classification of both the land and building components of the property. The determination of lease classification requires the calculation of the rate implicit in the lease, which is driven by significant estimates relating to the unguaranteed residual value of the assets at the end of the non-cancelable lease term. A decrease of 5% in the estimated unguaranteed residual value of our properties would result in changes to the lease classifications of two leases that were modified during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Acquisition of Rental Property, Depreciation and Impairment
All of our acquisitions of rental properties to date were accounted for as asset acquisitions and not business combinations because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e., land, buildings, and related intangible assets). The accounting model for asset acquisitions requires that the acquisition consideration (including acquisition costs) be allocated to the individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed on a relative fair value basis.
We exercise judgment to determine key assumptions used in each valuation technique (cost, income, and sales approaches). For example, we are required to use judgment and make a number of assumptions, including those related to projected growth in rental rates and operating expenses, anticipated trends and market/economic conditions. The use of different assumptions can affect the amount of consideration allocated to the acquired depreciable/amortizable asset, which in turn can impact our net income due to the recognition of the related depreciation/amortization expense in our consolidated statements of operations.
We depreciate buildings and improvements where we are considered the owner for accounting purposes based on our evaluation of the estimated useful life of each specific asset, not to exceed 40 years. Determining whether expenditures meet the criteria for capitalization and the assignment of depreciable lives requires management to exercise significant judgment.
The determination of whether we are or the tenant is the owner of improvements for accounting purposes is subject to significant judgment. In making that determination, we consider numerous factors and perform a detailed evaluation of each individual lease. No one factor is determinative in reaching a conclusion. The factors we evaluate include but are not limited to the following:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the lease agreement requires landlord approval of how the improvement allowance is spent prior to installation of the improvements; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the lease agreement requires the tenant to provide evidence to the landlord supporting the cost and what the improvement allowance was spent on prior to payment by the landlord for such improvements; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the improvements are unique to the tenant or reusable by other tenants; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the tenant is permitted to alter or remove the improvements without the consent of the landlord or without compensating the landlord for any lost utility or diminution in fair value; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the ownership of the improvements remains with the landlord or remains with the tenant at the end of the lease term. |
When we conclude that we are the owner of improvements for accounting purposes using the factors discussed above, we record the cost to construct the improvements as our capital asset.
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We evaluate our real estate assets for potential impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a given asset may not be recoverable. We evaluate our real estate assets for impairment on a property-by-property basis. Indicators we use to determine whether an impairment evaluation is necessary include:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | deterioration in rental rates for a specific property; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | deterioration of a given rental submarket; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | significant change in strategy or use of a specific property or any other event that could result in a decreased holding period, including classifying a property as held for sale, or significant development delay; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | evidence of material physical damage to the property; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | default by a significant tenant when any of the other indicators above are present. |
When we evaluate for potential impairment our real estate assets to be held and used, we first evaluate whether there are any indicators of impairment. If any impairment indicators are present for a specific real estate asset, we then perform an undiscounted cash flow analysis and compare the net carrying amount of the real estate asset to the real estate asset’s estimated undiscounted future cash flow over the anticipated holding period. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flow is less than the net carrying amount of the real estate asset, we perform an impairment loss calculation to determine if the fair value of the real estate asset is less than the net carrying value of the real estate asset. Our impairment loss calculation compares the net carrying amount of the real estate asset to the real estate asset’s estimated fair value, which may be based on estimated discounted future cash flow calculations or third-party valuations or appraisals. We recognize an impairment loss if the amount of the asset’s net carrying amount exceeds the asset’s estimated fair value. If we recognize an impairment loss, the estimated fair value of the asset becomes its new cost basis. For a depreciable long-lived asset, the new cost basis would be depreciated (amortized) over the remaining useful life of that asset. If a real estate asset is designated as real estate held-for-sale, it is carried at the lower of the net carrying value or estimated fair value less costs to sell, and depreciation ceases.
Our undiscounted cash flow and fair value calculations contain uncertainties because they require management to make assumptions and to apply judgment to estimate future cash flow and property fair values, including determining our estimated holding period. We are also required to make a number of assumptions relating to future economic and market events and prospective operating trends.
For each property where such an indicator occurred, we completed an impairment evaluation. After completing this process, we determined that for each of the operating properties evaluated, undiscounted cash flows over the holding period were in excess of carrying value and, therefore, we did not record any impairment losses for these properties for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021. Significant adverse changes in the critical accounting estimates used in the impairment evaluation are required for the undiscounted cash flows over the holding period to be less than the carrying value as of December 31, 2023.
Impact of Real Estate and Credit Markets
In the commercial real estate market, property prices generally continue to fluctuate. Likewise, during certain periods, the U.S. credit markets have experienced significant price volatility, dislocations, and liquidity disruptions, which may impact our access to and cost of capital. We continually monitor the commercial real estate and U.S. credit markets carefully and, if required, will make decisions to adjust our business strategy accordingly.
Interest Rate Risk
As of December 31, 2023, we had $300.0 million principal amount of Notes due 2026 and approximately $4.4 million principal amount of Exchangeable Senior Notes outstanding at fixed interest rates, and therefore, if interest rates decline, our required payments may exceed those based on current market rates. It is possible that a property we acquire in the future would be subject to a mortgage, which we may assume.
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Impact of Inflation
The U.S. economy has experienced a sustained increase in inflation rates in recent years. We enter into leases that generally provide for fixed increases in rent. During times when inflation is greater than the fixed increases in rent, as provided for in the leases, rent increases may not keep up with the rate of inflation. See also the discussion under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” under the caption “Inflation may adversely affect our business and our tenants’ financial condition and results of operations.”
Seasonality
Our business has not been, and we do not expect our business in the future to be, subject to material seasonal fluctuations.
FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001558370-23-002394.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. We make statements in this section that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For a complete discussion of forward-looking statements, see the section above entitled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Certain risk factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the following discussion. For a discussion of such risk factors, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
Overview
We are an internally-managed REIT focused on the acquisition, ownership and management of specialized industrial properties leased to experienced, state-licensed operators for their regulated cannabis facilities. We have leased and expect to continue to lease our properties on a triple-net lease basis, where the tenant is generally responsible for all aspects of and costs related to the property and its operation during the lease term, including structural repairs, maintenance, real estate taxes and insurance.
We were incorporated in Maryland on June 15, 2016. We conduct our business through a traditional umbrella partnership real estate investment trust, or UPREIT structure, in which our properties are owned by our Operating Partnership, directly or through subsidiaries. We are the sole general partner of our Operating Partnership and own, directly or through subsidiaries, 100% of the limited partnership interests in our Operating Partnership. As of December 31, 2022, we had 19 full-time employees.
As of December 31, 2022, we owned 110 properties comprising approximately 8.7 million square feet (including approximately 1.6 million rentable square feet under development/redevelopment) in 19 states. As of December 31, 2022, we had invested approximately $2.2 billion in the aggregate (consisting of purchase price and funding of draws for construction funding and improvements submitted by tenants, if any, but excluding transaction costs) and had committed an additional approximately $125.5 million to fund draws to certain tenants and sellers for construction and improvements at our properties. Of the approximately $125.5 million committed to fund draws to certain tenants and sellers for construction and improvements at our properties, approximately $28.9 million was incurred but not funded as of December 31, 2022. These statistics do not include an $18.5 million loan commitment from us to a developer for construction of a regulated cannabis cultivation and processing facility in California, of which we have funded approximately $18.0 million as of December 31, 2022.
Of these properties, we include 108 properties in our operating portfolio, which were 100% leased to state-licensed cannabis operators as of December 31, 2022, with a weighted-average remaining lease term of approximately 15.3 years. Rent collection for our operating portfolio (calculated as base rent and property management fees collected as a percentage of contractually due base rent and property management fees, including an aggregate of approximately $2.7 million of security deposits applied for payment of rent for our leases with Kings Garden and Sozo Health, Inc. (“Sozo”)) was approximately 97% for the year ended December 31, 2022. Rent collection for our operating portfolio (including approximately $541,000 of security deposits applied for payment of rent from our lease with Sozo) was approximately 94% for the three months ended December 31, 2022.
We do not include in our operating portfolio two of our properties, which were previously leased to Kings Garden, and an expansion project at a property where Kings Garden continues to occupy the property pursuant to a confidential, contingent settlement agreement, all of which were under development as of December 31, 2022, and together are expected to comprise approximately 395,000 rentable square feet upon completion of development.
Factors Impacting Our Operating Results
Our results of operations are affected by a number of factors and depend on the rental revenue we receive from the properties that we acquire, the timing of lease expirations, general market conditions, the regulatory environment in the cannabis industry, and the competitive environment for real estate assets that support the regulated cannabis industry.
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Rental Revenues
We receive income primarily from rental revenue generated by the properties that we acquire. The amount of rental revenue depends upon a number of factors, including:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | our ability to enter into leases with increasing or market value rents for the properties that we acquire; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | rent collection, which primarily relates to each of our current and future tenant’s financial condition and ability to make rent payments to us on time. |
The properties that we acquire consist of real estate assets that support the regulated cannabis industry. Changes in current favorable state or local laws in the cannabis industry may impair our ability to renew or re-lease properties and the ability of our tenants to fulfill their lease obligations and could materially and adversely affect our ability to maintain or increase rental rates for our properties.
Conditions in Our Markets
Positive or negative changes in regulatory, economic or other conditions, drought, and natural disasters in the markets where we acquire properties may affect our overall financial performance.
The success of our tenants in operating their businesses and their ability to pay rent continue to be significantly influenced by many challenges including the impact of inflation, labor shortages, supply chain constraints on their cost of doing business, and the U.S. consumer financial health. Additionally, market dynamics and the regulatory regime in the states where they operate create challenges that may impact our tenants’ businesses and/or decrease future demand for regulated cannabis cultivation and production facilities. The potential impact of current economic challenges on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows is subject to change and continues to depend on the extent and duration of these risks and uncertainties.
Market Dynamics in Regulated Cannabis State Programs
States vary significantly in their market dynamics, driven by many factors, including, but not limited to, regulatory frameworks, enforcement policies with respect to illicit, unlicensed cannabis operations, taxation and licensing structures. For example, in California, according to Global Go Analytics, the illicit market for cannabis remains a much larger portion of overall sales in the state, and state and local authorities have assessed significant taxes on regulated cannabis products, both of which have had the impact of significantly limiting the growth and profitability for operators in the state’s regulated cannabis market.
Many states continue to experience significant declines in unit pricing for regulated cannabis products, with that decline more pronounced in certain states than in others, which compresses operating margins for operators. As a result, certain regulated cannabis operators have announced that they are consolidating operations or shuttering certain operations to reduce costs, which if prolonged, could have a material negative impact on operators’ demand for regulated cannabis facilities, including our existing tenants.
Inflation and Supply Chain Constraints
The U.S. economy is experiencing a sustained increase in inflation rates, which we believe is negatively impacting our tenants. This inflation has impacted costs for labor and production inputs for regulated cannabis operators, in addition to increasing costs of construction for development and redevelopment projects. Ongoing labor shortages and global supply chain issues also continue to adversely impact costs and timing for completion of these development and redevelopment projects, which are resulting in cost overruns and delays in commencing operations on certain of our tenants’ projects.
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Reduced Capital Availability for Tenants and the Company
Recently, financial markets have been volatile, reflecting heightened geopolitical risks and material tightening of financial conditions since the U.S. Federal Reserve began increasing interest rates in spring of 2022 and continued uncertainty regarding monetary policy.
Driven in part by overall macroeconomic conditions, capital availability has significantly declined for regulated cannabis operators. According to Viridian, total equity and debt capital raising for public and private cannabis companies in North America decreased by more than 65% in 2022 versus 2021. Even more pronounced, total capital raised for the U.S. regulated cannabis cultivation and retail sector was down over 70% in 2022 versus 2021, with equity capital raised in the sector down over 96% and no equity deal in 2022 raising more than $25 million, according to Viridian. Cannabis stock prices (measured by the MSOS ETF) had declined more than 70% by the end of 2022, and were trading at multi-year lows.
According to Viridian, mergers and acquisitions activity in the U.S. regulated cannabis industry also declined significantly in 2022, with aggregate transaction volume in dollar terms down nearly 70% on nearly 50% fewer transactions versus 2021.
Capital raising activities by U.S. REITs experienced a steep decline in 2022, with that decline more pronounced in the second half of 2022. According to NAREIT, U.S. REITs raised $41.5 billion in debt and equity during 2022, compared to $133.6 billion in 2021, representing the lowest level since 2009.
Significant Tenants and Concentrations of Risk
As of December 31, 2022, we owned 110 properties located in 19 states. Many of our tenants are tenants at multiple properties. We seek to manage our portfolio-level risk through geographic diversification and by minimizing dependence on any single property or tenant. At December 31, 2022, none of our properties accounted for 5% or more of our net real estate held for investment. See Note 2 in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the tenants in our portfolio that represented the largest percentage of our total rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022.
In July 2022, Kings Garden, a tenant of ours at six properties that we own in southern California, defaulted on its obligations to pay rent. In November 2022, Parallel defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at one of our properties in Pennsylvania, and Green Peak defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at one our properties in Michigan. See Part I, Item 3. Legal Proceedings and Note 11 “Commitments and Contingencies — Litigation” to our consolidated financial statements for more information regarding Kings Garden, Parallel and Green Peak.
Competitive Environment
We face competition from a diverse mix of market participants, including but not limited to, other companies with similar business models, independent investors, hedge funds, lenders and other real estate investors, as well as potential tenants (cannabis operators themselves), all of whom may compete with us in our efforts to acquire real estate zoned for regulated cannabis operations. Competition from others may diminish our opportunities to acquire a desired property on favorable terms or at all. In addition, this competition may put pressure on us to reduce the rental rates below those that we expect to charge for the properties that we acquire, which would adversely affect our financial results.
Operating Expenses
Our operating expenses include general and administrative expenses, including personnel costs, stock-based compensation, and legal, accounting and other expenses related to corporate governance, public reporting and compliance with the various provisions of U.S. securities laws. We generally expect to structure our leases so that the tenant is responsible for real estate taxes, maintenance, insurance, and structural repairs with respect to the premises throughout the lease term. Increases or decreases in such operating expenses will impact our overall financial performance.
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Our Qualification as a REIT
We have been organized and operate our business so as to qualify, to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Shares of our common stock and Series A Preferred Stock are subject to restrictions on ownership and transfer that are intended, among other purposes, to assist us in qualifying and maintaining our qualification as a REIT. In order for us to qualify as a REIT under the Code, the relevant sections of our charter provide that, subject to certain exceptions, no person or entity may own, or be deemed to own, by virtue of the applicable constructive ownership provisions of the Code, more than 9.8% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of our outstanding shares of stock or Series A Preferred Stock or more than 9.8% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of our outstanding common stock or any class or series of our outstanding preferred stock.
Results of Operations
Investments
See Note 6 in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for information regarding our investments in real estate and property portfolio activity during the year ended December 31, 2022. See Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 for a comparison of the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands)
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Years Ended December 31, | | | |||||
| | 2022 | 2021 | Change | ||||||
| Revenues: | | | | | | | |||
| Rental (including tenant reimbursements) | | $ | 274,377 | | $ | 204,551 | | $ | 69,826 |
| Other | | 1,982 | | — | | 1,982 | |||
| Total revenues | | 276,359 | | 204,551 | | 71,808 | |||
| | | | | | | | | | |
| Expenses: | | | | ||||||
| Property expenses | | 10,520 | | 4,443 | | 6,077 | |||
| General and administrative expense | | 38,520 | | 22,961 | | 15,559 | |||
| Depreciation and amortization expense | | 61,303 | | 41,776 | | 19,527 | |||
| Total expenses | | 110,343 | | 69,180 | | 41,163 | |||
| Gain on sale of real estate | | | 3,601 | | | — | | | 3,601 |
| Income from operations | | 169,617 | | 135,371 | | 34,246 | |||
| Interest and other income | | 3,195 | | 397 | | 2,798 | |||
| Interest expense | | | (18,301) | | | (18,086) | | | (215) |
| Loss on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | (125) | | (3,692) | | 3,567 | |||
| Net income | | 154,386 | | 113,990 | | 40,396 | |||
| Preferred stock dividends | | (1,352) | | (1,352) | | — | |||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 153,034 | | $ | 112,638 | | $ | 40,396 |
Revenues
Rental Revenues. Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased by approximately $69.8 million, or 34%, to approximately $274.4 million, compared to approximately $204.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in rental revenue was attributable to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The nine properties we acquired in 2022 which generated approximately $10.2 million of rental revenue in 2022; |
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| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The 37 properties we acquired in 2021 which generated approximately $47.9 million of rental revenue in 2022, including related rents on amendments which increased the improvement allowances on four of the leases, compared to approximately $18.6 million in 2021, an increase of approximately $29.3 million; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The amendments to increase improvement allowances for eight properties that we acquired prior to 2021, the additional purchase of land which was included in the corresponding lease for one property, the annual rent escalations on the 64 properties we acquired prior to 2021, which collectively resulted in approximately $24.6 million in additional rental revenue during the year ended December 31, 2022 versus 2021; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | An increase of approximately $5.7 million in tenant reimbursements revenue for property tax and insurance, to approximately $10.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to approximately $4.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. |
The increase in rental revenues was partially offset by a decrease in rental revenues of approximately $716,000, which was the result of the cessation of lease payments after the sale of one of our Pennsylvania properties that was leased to a subsidiary of Maitri in November 2022.
Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 also included an aggregate of approximately $3.3 million of security deposits applied for payment of rent (including tenant reimbursements) for our leases with Kings Garden and Sozo.
Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 were negatively impacted by non-collection of rent during the period totaling approximately $8.6 million (consisting of approximately $8.2 million of contractual base rents and property management fees from four tenants, Kings Garden, Medical Investor Holdings, LLC (“Vertical”), Green Peak and Parallel, and approximately $440,000 for tenant reimbursements for property insurance premiums and property taxes from two tenants, Kings Garden and Vertical).
Other Revenues. Other revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 consists of interest revenue related to leases for property acquisitions that did not satisfy the requirements for sale-leaseback accounting.
Expenses
Property Expenses. Property expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased by approximately $6.1 million, compared to 2021. The increase was primarily due to new property acquisitions and additional investment in existing properties which resulted in higher property insurance premiums and property taxes that we paid for our properties. Property expenses are generally reimbursable to us by the tenants under the terms of the leases. For the year ended December 31, 2022, property expenses included approximately $440,000 of non-reimbursed expenses related to Kings Garden and Vertical lease defaults.
General and Administrative Expense. General and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased by approximately $15.5 million, or 68%, to approximately $38.5 million, compared to approximately $23.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in general and administrative expense was primarily due to higher compensation to employees, the hiring of additional employees, higher public company, travel and occupancy costs and approximately $3.0 million in litigation-related expenses incurred during the year ended December 31, 2022 related to matters described in Note 11 “Commitments and Contingencies – Litigation” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report.
Compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 included approximately $17.5 million and $8.6 million, respectively, of non-cash stock-based compensation.
Depreciation and Amortization Expense. The increase in depreciation and amortization expense was related to depreciation on properties that we acquired and the placement into service of construction and improvements at certain of our properties.
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Interest and Other Income. Interest and other income primarily related to interest earned on our short-term investments and cash and cash equivalents. The increase in interest and other income was primarily due to higher interest bearing investments.
Interest Expense. Interest expense related to our Exchangeable Senior Notes issued in February 2019 and Notes due 2026 issued in May 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2022, interest expense increased by approximately $215,000, or 1%, to approximately $18.3 million, compared to $18.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in interest expense was primarily due to the additional interest expense on our Notes due 2026 issued in May 2021, partially offset by a decrease in interest expense on our Exchangeable Senior Notes due to exchanges by holders of approximately $26.9 million of outstanding principal amount of our Exchangeable Senior Notes during the year ended December 31, 2022 and the induced exchange of approximately $110.4 million principal amount of our Exchangeable Senior Notes in December 2021. See Note 7 in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this report for further information.
Gain on Sale of Real Estate. Gain on sale of real estate is attributable to the sale in November 2022 of one of our Pennsylvania properties that was leased to a subsidiary of Maitri for $23.5 million, excluding transactions costs.
Loss on Exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes. Loss on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes is attributable to the exchange agreements we executed with certain holders of our Exchangeable Senior Notes. See Note 7 in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this report for further information.
Cash Flows
The following summary discussion of our cash flows is based on the consolidated statements of cash flows in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and is not meant to be an all-inclusive discussion of the changes in our cash flows for the periods presented below (in thousands):
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year Ended December 31, | | | | ||||
| | 2022 | | 2021 | Change | |||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | | $ | 234,130 | $ | 188,747 | | $ | 45,383 | |
| Net cash used in investing activities | | (396,201) | | (384,093) | | (12,108) | |||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | | 164,224 | | 155,759 | | 8,465 | |||
| Ending cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | 88,572 | | 86,419 | | 2,153 |
Cash flows provided by operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were approximately $234.1 million and $188.7 million, respectively. Cash flows provided by operating activities primarily related to contractual rent and security deposits from our properties, partially offset by general and administrative expenses. Cash flows provided by operating activities increased from 2021 to 2022 primarily due to leases for properties we acquired during these time periods, annual escalations of base rent on our leases, and amendments to existing leases to increase improvement allowances at those properties, which resulted in a corresponding increase in base rents, partially offset by rent payment defaults by certain tenants, higher cash compensation to employees, higher public company, travel and occupancy costs and increased litigation expenses.
Cash flows used in investing activities for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were approximately $396.2 million and $384.1 million, respectively. Cash flows used in investing activities increased from 2021 to 2022 primarily due to less net maturities of short-term investments, partially offset by a decrease in purchases of new properties, a decrease in funding of improvement allowances and construction funding, and receipt of the proceeds from sale of one of our Pennsylvania properties previously leased to Maitri.
Cash flows provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 were approximately $164.2 million, primarily related to approximately $352.0 million in net proceeds from the issuance of our common stock, partially offset by dividend payments of approximately $185.3 million to common and preferred stockholders and approximately $2.5 million related to net share settlement of equity awards to pay the required withholding taxes upon vesting of restricted stock for certain employees.
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Cash flows provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 were approximately $155.8 million, primarily related to approximately $293.2 million in net proceeds from the issuance of our Notes due 2026, partially offset by dividend payments of approximately $132.3 million to common and preferred stockholders, approximately $3.4 million related to net share settlement of equity awards to pay the required withholding taxes upon vesting of restricted stock for certain employees, and approximately $1.7 million related to the induced exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes pursuant to the Exchange Transactions.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements. We expect to use significant cash to acquire additional properties, develop and redevelop existing properties, pay dividends to our stockholders, fund our operations, service our Exchangeable Senior Notes and Notes due 2026 and meet other general business needs.
Sources and Uses of Cash
We derive substantially all of our revenues from the leasing of our properties, collecting rental income and operating expense reimbursements based on contractual arrangements with our tenants. This source of revenue represents our primary source of liquidity to fund our dividends, Exchangeable Senior Notes and Notes due 2026 interest payments, general and administrative expenses, property development and redevelopment activities, property operating expenses and other expenses incurred related to managing our existing portfolio and investing in additional properties. Because substantially all our leases are triple net, our tenants are generally responsible for the maintenance, insurance and property taxes associated with the properties they lease from us. If a tenant defaults on one of our leases or the lease term expires with no tenant renewal, we would incur the property costs not paid by the tenant during the time it takes to re-lease or sell the property.
As of December 31, 2022, we owned 110 properties. Of these properties, we include 108 properties in our operating portfolio, which were 100% leased to state-licensed cannabis operators, with a weighted-average remaining lease term of approximately 15.3 years. Rent collection for our operating portfolio (calculated as base rent and property management fees collected as a percentage of contractually due base rent and property management fees, including an aggregate of approximately $2.7 million of security deposits applied for payment of rent for our leases with Kings Garden and Sozo) was approximately 97% for the year ended December 31, 2022. Rent collection for our operating portfolio (including approximately $541,000 of security deposits applied for payment of rent for our lease with Sozo) was approximately 94% for the three months ended December 31, 2022.
In July 2022, Kings Garden defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at all of the properties that Kings Garden leases from us. Two of our properties, which were previously leased to Kings Garden, and an expansion project at a property where Kings Garden continues to occupy the property pursuant to a confidential, contingent settlement agreement, were under development as of December 31, 2022, and together are expected to comprise approximately 395,000 rentable square feet upon completion of development. In November 2022, Parallel defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at one of our properties in Pennsylvania, and Green Peak defaulted on its obligations to pay rent at one our properties in Michigan. See Part I, Item 3. Legal Proceedings and Note 11 “Commitments and Contingencies — Litigation” to our consolidated financial statements for more information regarding Kings Garden, Parallel and Green Peak.
We expect to incur some property-level operating costs from time to time in periods during which properties that become vacant are being remarketed. In addition, we may recognize an expense for certain property costs, such as insurance premiums and real estate taxes billed in arrears, if we believe the tenant is likely to vacate the property before making payment on those obligations or may be unable to pay such costs in a timely manner. Property costs are generally not significant to our operations, but the amount of property costs can vary quarter to quarter based on the number of property vacancies and whether we have any underperforming properties. We may advance certain property costs on behalf of our tenants but expect that the majority of these costs will be reimbursed by the tenant and do not anticipate that they will be significant to our operations. For the year ended December 31, 2022, property expenses included approximately $440,000 of non-reimbursed expenses related to Kings Garden and Vertical lease defaults.
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To the extent additional resources are needed, we expect to fund our investment activity generally through equity or debt issuances either in the public or private markets. Where possible, we also may issue limited partnership interests in our Operating Partnership to acquire properties from existing owners seeking a tax-deferred transaction.
In May 2021, we received an investment grade rating from a ratings agency. We sought to obtain an investment grade rating to facilitate access to the investment grade unsecured debt market as part of our overall strategy to maximize our financial flexibility and manage our overall cost of capital. On May 25, 2021, our Operating Partnership issued $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of Notes due 2026. The Notes due 2026 are the Operating Partnership’s general unsecured and unsubordinated obligations, are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by us and all of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership, and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Operating Partnership’s existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness, including the Exchangeable Senior Notes. The terms of the Notes due 2026 are governed by an indenture, which requires compliance with various financial covenants including limits on the amount of total leverage and secured debt maintained by the Operating Partnership and which require the Operating Partnership to maintain minimum levels of debt service coverage. Management believes that it was in compliance with those covenants as of December 31, 2022. Subject to the terms of the indenture, any new subsidiary of the Operating Partnership will also guarantee the Notes due 2026. In addition, the terms of the indenture provide that if the debt rating on the Notes due 2026 is downgraded or withdrawn entirely, interest on the Notes due 2026 will increase to a range of 6.0% to 6.5% based on such debt rating.
In April 2022, we issued 1,815,790 shares of common stock in an underwritten public offering, which includes the exercise in full of the underwriters’ option to purchase an additional 236,842 shares, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $330.9 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we issued 413,166 shares of our common stock upon exchange by holders of approximately $26.9 million of outstanding principal amount of our Exchangeable Senior Notes.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we sold 117,023 shares of our common stock for net proceeds of approximately $21.1 million under the Prior ATM Program.
In January 2023, we terminated the Prior ATM Program and entered into new equity distribution agreements for the ATM Program, pursuant to which we may offer and sell from time to time up to $500.0 million of shares of our common stock. As of February 28, 2023, we had not issued any shares of common stock under this ATM Program.
We have filed an automatic shelf registration statement, which may permit us, from time to time, to offer and sell common stock, preferred stock, warrants, debt securities of our Operating Partnership and other securities to the extent necessary or advisable to meet our liquidity needs.
We expect to meet our short-term and long-term liquidity needs through cash and short-term investments on hand, cash flows from operations and cash flows from sources discussed above. We believe that our liquidity and sources of capital are adequate to satisfy our cash requirements. We cannot, however, be certain that these sources of funds will be available at a time and upon terms acceptable to the Company in sufficient amounts to meet our liquidity needs. Our investment guidelines also provide that our aggregate borrowings (secured and unsecured) will not exceed 50% of the cost of our tangible assets at the time of any new borrowing, subject to our board of directors’ discretion.
Recently, financial markets have been volatile in general, which has also significantly reduced our access to capital. If sustained, this would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including our ability to continue to make acquisitions of new properties and fund investments for improvements at existing properties.
Dividends
The Company is required to pay dividends to its stockholders at least equal to 90% of its taxable income in order to qualify and maintain its qualification as a REIT. As a result of this distribution requirement, our Operating Partnership cannot rely on retained earnings to fund its ongoing operations to the same extent that other companies whose parent
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companies are not REITs can. During 2022, we declared cash dividends on our common stock totaling $7.10 per share, and cash dividends on our Series A Preferred Stock totaling $2.25 per share. Our ability to continue to pay dividends is dependent upon our ability to continue to generate cash flows, service any debt obligations we have, including our Exchangeable Senior Notes, and make accretive new investments.
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||
| | 2022 | | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| Ordinary income distributions | | $ | 6.929636 | $ | 5.340000 | | $ | 3.940000 | |
| Long-term capital gain distributions(1) | | 0.100364 | | — | | — | |||
| Total | | $ | 7.030000 | | $ | 5.340000 | | $ | 3.940000 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | Unrecaptured Section 1250 Gain of $0.058864 represents additional characterization of and is part of long-term capital gain distributions for the year ended December 31, 2022. |
The common stock distribution with a record date of December 30, 2022 was a split-year distribution, with $0.33 allocable to 2022 for federal income tax purposes and $1.47 allocable to 2023 for federal income tax purposes. The common stock distribution with a record date of December 31, 2021 was a split-year distribution, with $0.10 allocable to 2021 for federal income tax purposes and $1.40 allocable to 2022 for federal income tax purposes. The common stock distribution with a record date of December 31, 2020 was a split-year distribution, with $0.22 allocable to 2020 for federal income tax purposes and $1.02 allocable to 2021 for federal income.
Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2022 (in thousands):
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payments Due | | | | Exchangeable | | | | | | | |||||
| by Year | Notes due 2026 | | Senior Notes | Interest | Office Rent | Total | |||||||||
| 2023 | | $ | — | | $ | — | | $ | 16,742 | | $ | 496 | | $ | 17,238 |
| 2024 | | | — | | 6,436 | | 16,534 | | 511 | | 23,481 | ||||
| 2025 | | | — | | — | | 16,500 | | 526 | | 17,026 | ||||
| 2026 | | | 300,000 | | — | | 6,646 | | 543 | | 307,189 | ||||
| 2027 | | | — | | — | | — | | 45 | | 45 | ||||
| Total | | $ | 300,000 | | $ | 6,436 | | $ | 56,422 | | $ | 2,121 | | $ | 364,979 |
As of December 31, 2022, we had (1) approximately $96.6 million outstanding in commitments related to improvement allowances, which generally may be requested by the tenants at any time up until a date that is near the expiration of the initial term of the applicable lease; and (2) approximately $479,000 outstanding in commitments to fund a construction loan. The commitments discussed in this paragraph are excluded from the table of contractual obligations above, as improvement allowances generally may be requested by the tenants at any time up until a date that is near the expiration of the initial term of the applicable lease and construction loan funding generally may be requested by the borrower from time to time, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions.
Supplemental Guarantor Information
In March 2020, the SEC adopted amendments to Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X and created Rule 13-01 to simplify disclosure requirements related to certain registered securities. The amendments became effective on January 4, 2021. Our Notes due 2026 and our Exchangeable Senior Notes are the unsecured senior obligations of our Operating Partnership and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on an unsecured basis, jointly and severally, by us and all of our direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, which are listed on Exhibit 22.1 hereto and which we refer to collectively as “Subsidiary Guarantors.” Only the Notes due 2026 and the related guarantees are registered securities under the Securities Act. See Note 7 in the notes to our consolidated financial statements for a description of certain terms of our Notes due 2026.
The offer and sale of the Exchangeable Senior Notes and the related guarantees were not and will not be registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and instead were issued in reliance upon an
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exemption from such registration. Unless they are subsequently registered under the Securities Act, the Exchangeable Senior Notes and the related guarantees may be offered and sold only in transactions that are exempt from the registration requirements under the Securities Act and the applicable securities laws of any other jurisdiction.
As a result of the amendments to Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X, subsidiary issuers of obligations guaranteed by the parent are not required to provide separate financial statements, provided that the subsidiary obligor is consolidated into the parent company’s consolidated financial statements, the parent guarantee is “full and unconditional” and, subject to certain exceptions as set forth below, the alternative disclosure required by Rule 13-01 of Regulation S-X is provided, which includes narrative disclosure and summarized financial information. Accordingly, separate consolidated financial statements of our Operating Partnership and the Subsidiary Guarantors have not been presented.
Furthermore, as permitted under Rule 13-01(a)(4)(vi) of Regulation S-X, we have excluded the summarized financial information for the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiary Guarantors because the combined assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiary Guarantors are not materially different than the corresponding amounts in our consolidated financial statements, and management believes such summarized financial information would be repetitive and would not provide incremental value to investors.
Non-GAAP Financial Information and Other Metrics
In addition to the required GAAP presentations, we use certain non-GAAP performance measures as we believe these measures improve the understanding of our operational results. We continually evaluate the usefulness, relevance, limitations, and calculation of our reported non-GAAP performance measures to determine how best to provide relevant information to the public and thus such reported measures could change.
Funds from Operations, Normalized Funds from Operations and Adjusted Funds from Operations
Funds from operations (“FFO”) and FFO per share are operating performance measures adopted by NAREIT. NAREIT defines FFO as the most commonly accepted and reported non-GAAP measure of a REIT’s operating performance equal to net income (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, depreciation and amortization and impairment related to real estate properties, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures.
Management believes that net income, as defined by GAAP, is the most appropriate earnings measurement. However, management believes FFO and FFO per share to be supplemental measures of a REIT’s performance because they provide an understanding of the operating performance of our properties without giving effect to certain significant non-cash items, primarily depreciation expense. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with GAAP assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. However, real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions. We believe that by excluding the effect of depreciation, FFO and FFO per share can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods. We report FFO and FFO per share because these measures are observed by management to also be the predominant measures used by the REIT industry and by industry analysts to evaluate REITs and because FFO per share is consistently reported, discussed, and compared by research analysts in their notes and publications about REITs. For these reasons, management has deemed it appropriate to disclose and discuss FFO and FFO per share.
We compute normalized funds from operations (“Normalized FFO”) by adjusting FFO, as defined by NAREIT, to exclude certain GAAP income and expense amounts that we believe are infrequent and unusual in nature and/or not related to our core real estate operations. Exclusion of these items from similar FFO-type metrics is common within the equity REIT industry, and management believes that presentation of Normalized FFO and Normalized FFO per share provides investors with a metric to assist in their evaluation of our operating performance across multiple periods and in comparison to the operating performance of other companies, because it removes the effect of unusual items that are not expected to impact our operating performance on an ongoing basis. Normalized FFO is used by management in evaluating the performance of our core business operations. Items included in calculating FFO that may be excluded in calculating Normalized FFO include certain transaction-related gains, losses, income or expense or other non-core amounts as they occur.
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Management believes that adjusted funds from operations (“AFFO”) and AFFO per share are also appropriate supplemental measures of a REIT’s operating performance. We calculate AFFO by adjusting Normalized FFO for certain non-cash items.
For all periods presented (other than the twelve months ended December 31, 2020), FFO (diluted), Normalized FFO, AFFO and FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO per diluted share include the dilutive impact of the assumed full exchange of the Exchangeable Senior Notes for shares of common stock. The Exchangeable Senior Notes were anti-dilutive for purposes of calculating earnings per diluted share for all other periods presented, and as such, were treated as anti-dilutive for purposes of calculating FFO, Normalized FFO, AFFO and FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO per diluted share for such periods.
For the three months ended March 31, 2022, 102,333 shares issuable upon vesting of the performance share units (“PSUs”) were dilutive, as the performance thresholds for vesting of these PSUs were met as measured as of March 31, 2022. No shares were issuable upon vesting of the PSUs for the three months ended December 31, 2022, September 30, 2022 and June 30, 2022 and the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, as the performance thresholds for vesting of the PSUs were not met as measured as of the end of those respective periods.
For the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2021, 81,414 shares issuable upon vesting of PSUs granted to certain employees in January 2021 were dilutive, as the performance thresholds for vesting of these PSUs were met as measured as of December 31, 2021. For the three months ended September 30, 2021, 78,582 shares issuable upon vesting of the PSUs were dilutive, as the performance thresholds for vesting of these PSUs were met as measured as of September 30, 2021. No shares were issuable upon vesting of the PSUs for the three months ended June 30, 2021 and March 31, 2021, as the performance thresholds for vesting of the PSUs were not met as measured as of the end of those respective periods.
Our computation of FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO may differ from the methodology for calculating FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO utilized by other equity REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such REITs. Further, FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO do not represent cash flow available for management’s discretionary use. FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our financial performance or to cash flow from operating activities (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our liquidity, nor is it indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to pay dividends or make distributions. FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO should be considered only as supplements to net income computed in accordance with GAAP as measures of operations.
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The table below is a reconciliation of net income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
| | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 153,034 | $ | 112,638 | $ | 64,378 | ||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | | 61,303 | | 41,776 | | 28,025 | |||
| Gain on sale of real estate | | (3,601) | | — | | — | |||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | $ | 210,736 | | $ | 154,414 | | $ | 92,403 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense on Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 546 | | | 7,517 | | | — |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 211,282 | | $ | 161,931 | | $ | 92,403 |
| Acquisition-related expense | | | 110 | | | 26 | | | 94 |
| Financing expense | | | 367 | | | — | | | 211 |
| Litigation-related expense | | | 3,010 | | | — | | | — |
| Loss on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 125 | | | 3,692 | | | — |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 214,894 | | | 165,649 | | | 92,708 |
| Stock-based compensation | | 17,507 | | 8,616 | | 3,330 | |||
| Non-cash interest expense | | 1,255 | | 715 | | 2,040 | |||
| Above-market lease amortization | | | 92 | | | 4 | | | — |
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 233,748 | | $ | 174,984 | | $ | 98,078 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 7.64 | | $ | 6.17 | | $ | 4.72 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 7.77 | | $ | 6.31 | | $ | 4.74 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 8.45 | | $ | 6.66 | | $ | 5.01 |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic | | 27,345,047 | | 23,903,017 | | 19,443,602 | |||
| Restricted stock and RSUs | | | 116,046 | | | 96,174 | | | 114,017 |
| PSUs | | | — | | | 81,414 | | | — |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 202,076 | | | 2,180,550 | | | — |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 27,663,169 | | 26,261,155 | | 19,557,619 |
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The table below is a reconciliation of quarterly net income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Three Months Ended(1) | ||||||||||
| | December 31, 2022 | September 30, 2022 | June 30, 2022 | March 31, 2022 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 41,168 | $ | 37,278 | | $ | 39,876 | $ | 34,712 | ||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | | 16,302 | | 15,900 | | 15,233 | | 13,868 | ||||
| Gain on sale of real estate | | (3,601) | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | $ | 53,869 | | $ | 53,178 | | $ | 55,109 | | $ | 48,580 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense on Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 72 | | | 72 | | | 68 | | | 334 |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 53,941 | | $ | 53,250 | | $ | 55,177 | | $ | 48,914 |
| Acquisition-related expense | | | — | | | 15 | | | — | | | 95 |
| Financing expense | | | 249 | | | 14 | | | 104 | | | — |
| Litigation-related expense | | | 779 | | | 2,112 | | | 119 | | | — |
| Loss on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | — | | | — | | | 7 | | | 118 |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 54,969 | | $ | 55,391 | | $ | 55,407 | | $ | 49,127 |
| Stock-based compensation | | 4,312 | | | 4,379 | | | 4,437 | | | 4,379 | |
| Non-cash interest expense | | | 321 | | | 316 | | | 311 | | | 307 |
| Above-market lease amortization | | 23 | | | 23 | | | 23 | | | 23 | |
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 59,625 | | $ | 60,109 | | $ | 60,178 | | $ | 53,836 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.92 | | $ | 1.89 | | $ | 1.97 | | $ | 1.86 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.95 | | $ | 1.97 | | $ | 1.98 | | $ | 1.87 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 2.12 | | $ | 2.13 | | $ | 2.15 | | $ | 2.04 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic | | 27,938,804 | | 27,938,568 | | 27,850,561 | | 25,620,253 | ||||
| Restricted stock and RSUs | | | 117,831 | | | 118,567 | | | 82,387 | | | 110,457 |
| PSUs | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 102,333 |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 103,626 | | | 100,799 | | | 103,742 | | | 507,181 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 28,160,261 | | 28,157,934 | | 28,036,690 | | 26,340,224 |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Three Months Ended(1) | ||||||||||
| | December 31, 2021 | September 30, 2021 | June 30, 2021 | March 31, 2021 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 28,292 | $ | 29,756 | | $ | 29,001 | $ | 25,589 | ||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | | 12,205 | | 10,891 | | 9,841 | | 8,839 | ||||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | $ | 40,497 | | $ | 40,647 | | $ | 38,842 | | $ | 34,428 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense | | | 1,880 | | | 1,885 | | | 1,879 | | | 1,873 |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 42,377 | | $ | 42,532 | | $ | 40,721 | | $ | 36,301 |
| Acquisition-related expense | | | 7 | | | — | | | 11 | | | 8 |
| Loss on exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 3,692 | | | — | | | — | | | — |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 46,076 | | $ | 42,532 | | $ | 40,732 | | $ | 36,309 |
| Stock-based compensation | | 2,192 | | | 2,191 | | | 2,132 | | | 2,101 | |
| Non-cash interest expense | | | 298 | | | 299 | | | 118 | | | — |
| Above-market lease amortization | | | 4 | | | — | | | — | | | — |
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 48,570 | | $ | 45,022 | | $ | 42,982 | | $ | 38,410 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.61 | | $ | 1.62 | | $ | 1.56 | | $ | 1.39 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.75 | | $ | 1.62 | | $ | 1.56 | | $ | 1.39 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.85 | | $ | 1.71 | | $ | 1.64 | | $ | 1.47 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic | | 23,941,930 | | | 23,890,537 | | | 23,889,761 | | | 23,889,398 | |
| Restricted stock and RSUs | | | 98,093 | | | 98,093 | | | 96,230 | | | 92,194 |
| PSUs | | | 81,414 | | | 78,582 | | | — | | | — |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 2,142,148 | | | 2,193,492 | | | 2,182,691 | | | 2,170,959 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 26,263,585 | | 26,260,704 | | 26,168,682 | | 26,152,551 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | The sum of quarterly financial data may vary from annual data due to rounding and differences in the dilutive effect of potentially issuable shares of each reporting period. |
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and 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 materially from those estimates and assumptions.
We continually evaluate the estimates and assumptions we use to prepare our consolidated financial statements. Our critical accounting estimates are defined as accounting estimates or assumptions made in accordance with GAAP, which involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty or subjectivity and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. The following critical accounting estimates discussion reflects what we believe are the most significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. This discussion of our critical accounting estimates is intended to supplement the description of our accounting policies in the footnotes to our consolidated financial statements and to provide additional insight into the information used by management when evaluating significant estimates and assumptions. For further discussion of our significant accounting policies, see Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and Recent Accounting Pronouncements” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report.
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Lease Accounting
We account for our leases under ASC 842 “Leases”, which requires significant estimates and judgments by management in its application. Upon lease inception or lease modification, we assess the lease classification of both the land and building components of the property. The determination of lease classification requires the calculation of the rate implicit in the lease, which is driven by significant estimates relating to the unguaranteed residual value of the assets at the end of the non-cancelable lease term.
Acquisition of Rental Property, Depreciation and Impairment
All of our acquisitions of rental properties to date were accounted for as asset acquisitions and not business combinations because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e., land, buildings, and related intangible assets). The accounting model for asset acquisitions requires that the acquisition consideration (including acquisition costs) be allocated to the individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed on a relative fair value basis.
We exercise judgement to determine key assumptions used in each valuation technique. For example, we are required to use judgment and make a number of assumptions, including those related to projected growth in rental rates and operating expenses, anticipated trends and market/economic conditions. The use of different assumptions can affect the amount of consideration allocated to the acquired depreciable/amortizable asset, which in turn can impact our net income due to the recognition of the related depreciation/amortization expense in our consolidated statements of operations.
We depreciate buildings and improvements and tenant improvements where we are considered the owner for accounting purposes based on our evaluation of the estimated useful life of each specific asset, not to exceed 40 years. Determining whether expenditures meet the criteria for capitalization and the assignment of depreciable lives requires management to exercise significant judgment.
The determination of whether we are or the tenant is the owner of tenant improvements for accounting purposes is subject to significant judgment. In making that determination, we consider numerous factors and perform a detailed evaluation of each individual lease. No one factor is determinative in reaching a conclusion. The factors we evaluate include but are not limited to the following:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the lease agreement requires landlord approval of how the tenant improvement allowance is spent prior to installation of the tenant improvements; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the lease agreement requires the tenant to provide evidence to the landlord supporting the cost and what the tenant improvement allowance was spent on prior to payment by the landlord for such tenant improvements; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the tenant improvements are unique to the tenant or reusable by other tenants; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the tenant is permitted to alter or remove the tenant improvements without the consent of the landlord or without compensating the landlord for any lost utility or diminution in fair value; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the ownership of the tenant improvements remains with the landlord or remains with the tenant at the end of the lease term. |
When we conclude that we are the owner of tenant improvements for accounting purposes using the factors discussed above, we record the cost to construct the tenant improvements as our capital asset.
We evaluate our real estate assets for potential impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a given asset may not be recoverable. We evaluate our real estate assets for impairment on a property-by-property basis. Indicators we use to determine whether an impairment evaluation is necessary include:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | deterioration in rental rates for a specific property; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | deterioration of a given rental submarket; |
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| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | significant change in strategy or use of a specific property or any other event that could result in a decreased holding period, including classifying a property as held for sale, or significant development delay; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | evidence of material physical damage to the property; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | default by a significant tenant when any of the other indicators above are present. |
When we evaluate for potential impairment our real estate assets to be held and used, we first evaluate whether there are any indicators of impairment. If any impairment indicators are present for a specific real estate asset, we then perform an undiscounted cash flow analysis and compare the net carrying amount of the real estate asset to the real estate asset’s estimated undiscounted future cash flow over the anticipated holding period. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flow is less than the net carrying amount of the real estate asset, we perform an impairment loss calculation to determine if the fair value of the real estate asset is less than the net carrying value of the real estate asset. Our impairment loss calculation compares the net carrying amount of the real estate asset to the real estate asset’s estimated fair value, which may be based on estimated discounted future cash flow calculations or third-party valuations or appraisals. We recognize an impairment loss if the amount of the asset’s net carrying amount exceeds the asset’s estimated fair value. If we recognize an impairment loss, the estimated fair value of the asset becomes its new cost basis. For a depreciable long-lived asset, the new cost basis would be depreciated (amortized) over the remaining useful life of that asset. If a real estate asset is designated as real estate held for sale, it is carried at the lower of the net carrying value or estimated fair value less costs to sell, and depreciation ceases.
Our undiscounted cash flow and fair value calculations contain uncertainties because they require management to make assumptions and to apply judgment to estimate future cash flow and property fair values, including determining our estimated holding period and selecting the discount or capitalization rate that reflects the risk inherent in future cash flow. Estimating projected cash flow is highly subjective as it requires assumptions related to future rental rates, tenant allowances, operating expenditures, property taxes, capital improvements, and occupancy levels. We are also required to make a number of assumptions relating to future economic and market events and prospective operating trends. Determining the appropriate capitalization rate also requires significant judgment and is typically based on many factors including the prevailing rate for the market or submarket, as well as the quality and location of the properties. Further, capitalization rates can fluctuate resulting from a variety of factors in the overall economy or within regional markets. If the actual net cash flow or actual market capitalization rates significantly differ from our estimates, the impairment evaluation for an individual asset could be materially affected.
For each property where such an indicator occurred, we completed an impairment evaluation. After completing this process, we determined that for each of the operating properties evaluated, undiscounted cash flows over the holding period were in excess of carrying value and, therefore, we did not record any impairment losses for these properties for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Stock-Based Compensation
Compensation cost for all share-based awards requires an estimate of fair value on the grant date and compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the service vesting period, which represents the requisite service period. The grant date fair value for compensation programs that contain market conditions, like modifiers based on total stockholder return (a “market condition”), are performed using complex pricing valuation models that require the input of assumptions, including judgments to estimate expected stock price volatility, expected life, and forfeiture rate. See Note 10 “Common Stock Incentive Plan” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for further discussion the assumptions and estimates.
Impact of Real Estate and Credit Markets
In the commercial real estate market, property prices generally continue to fluctuate. Likewise, during certain periods, the U.S. credit markets have experienced significant price volatility, dislocations, and liquidity disruptions, which may impact our access to and cost of capital. We continually monitor the commercial real estate and U.S. credit markets carefully and, if required, will make decisions to adjust our business strategy accordingly.
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Interest Rate Risk
As of December 31, 2022, we had $300.0 million principal amount of Notes due 2026 and approximately $6.4 million principal amount of Exchangeable Senior Notes outstanding at fixed interest rates, and therefore, if interest rates decline, our required payments may exceed those based on current market rates. It is possible that a property we acquire in the future would be subject to a mortgage, which we may assume.
Impact of Inflation
The U.S. economy is experiencing a sustained increase in inflation rates. We enter into leases that generally provide for fixed increases in rent. During times when inflation is greater than the fixed increases in rent, as provided for in the leases, rent increases may not keep up with the rate of inflation. See also the discussion under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” under the caption “Inflation may adversely affect our business and our tenants’ financial condition and results of operations.”
Seasonality
Our business has not been, and we do not expect our business in the future to be, subject to material seasonal fluctuations.
FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001558370-22-001947.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. We make statements in this section that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For a complete discussion of forward-looking statements, see the section above entitled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Certain risk factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the following discussion. For a discussion of such risk factors, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
Overview
We are an internally-managed REIT focused on the acquisition, ownership and management of specialized industrial properties leased to experienced, state-licensed operators for their regulated cannabis facilities. We have leased and expect to continue to lease our properties on a triple-net lease basis, where the tenant is generally responsible for all aspects of and costs related to the property and its operation during the lease term, including structural repairs, maintenance, real estate taxes and insurance.
We were incorporated in Maryland on June 15, 2016. We conduct our business through a traditional umbrella partnership real estate investment trust, or UPREIT structure, in which our properties are owned by our Operating Partnership, directly or through subsidiaries. We are the sole general partner of our Operating Partnership and own, directly or through subsidiaries, 100% of the limited partnership interests in our Operating Partnership. As of December 31, 2021, we had 18 full-time employees. As of December 31, 2021, we owned 103 properties comprising an aggregate of approximately 7.7 million rentable square feet (including approximately 2.5 million rentable square feet under development/redevelopment) in 19 states, with a weighted-average remaining lease term of approximately 16.6 years. As of December 31, 2021, we had invested an aggregate of approximately $1.7 billion (consisting of purchase price and development and tenant reimbursement commitments funded, if any, but excluding transaction costs) and had committed an additional approximately $316.1 million to reimburse certain tenants and sellers for completion of construction and improvements at our properties. Of the approximately $316.1 million committed to reimburse certain tenants and sellers for completion of construction and improvements at our properties, approximately $46.3 million was incurred as of December 31, 2021. These statistics do not include an $18.5 million loan from us to a developer for construction of a regulated cannabis cultivation and processing facility in California and up to $55.0 million that may be funded between June 15, 2022 and July 31, 2022 pursuant to our lease with a tenant at one of our Pennsylvania properties, as the tenant at that property may not elect to have us disburse those funds and pay us the corresponding base rent on those funds.
Factors Impacting Our Operating Results
Our results of operations are affected by a number of factors and depend on the rental revenue we receive from the properties that we acquire, the timing of lease expirations, general market conditions, the regulatory environment in the cannabis industry, and the competitive environment for real estate assets that support the regulated cannabis industry.
Rental Revenues
We receive income primarily from rental revenue generated by the properties that we acquire. The amount of rental revenue depends upon a number of factors, including:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | our ability to enter into leases with increasing or market value rents for the properties that we acquire; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | rent collection, which primarily relates to each of our current and future tenant’s financial condition and ability to make rent payments to us on time. |
The properties that we acquire consist of real estate assets that support the regulated cannabis industry. Changes in current favorable state or local laws in the cannabis industry may impair our ability to renew or re-lease properties and
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the ability of our tenants to fulfill their lease obligations and could materially and adversely affect our ability to maintain or increase rental rates for our properties.
Conditions in Our Markets
Positive or negative changes in regulatory, economic or other conditions and natural disasters in the markets where we acquire properties may affect our overall financial performance.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, or the future outbreak of any other highly infectious or contagious diseases, could materially and adversely impact or cause disruption to our tenants and their operations, and in turn our performance, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The extent to which the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic impacts our operations and those of our tenants will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the scope, severity and duration of the pandemic, the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the outbreak and containment measures, among others. Furthermore, the impacts of a potential worsening of global economic conditions and the continued disruptions to, and volatility in, the credit and financial markets, supply chains and consumer spending as well as other unanticipated consequences remain unknown.
Our tenants’ ability to pay their rent obligations to us depends, in part, on whether our tenants can continue their regulated cannabis operations and the ability and willingness of consumers to visit dispensary businesses. In the large majority of states that have legalized cannabis, state governmental authorities have recognized both medical-use and adult-use cannabis operations, including supply chain activities such as cultivation, processing, distribution and dispensary activities, as “essential businesses”, allowing them to remain open and operational. While laws and practices vary from state to state, state and local governmental authorities and regulated cannabis businesses have taken additional measures to ensure the safety and well-being of employees, patients and consumers, including but not limited to restrictions associated with social distancing requirements and additional levels of protection for medical cannabis patients with more vulnerability to health complications from COVID-19. Despite these measures, cannabis dispensaries may experience declines in customer traffic or may be required to close in response to new government regulatory orders, which may result from a prolonged outbreak or resurgence of COVID-19 cases, and could have a significant adverse financial impact on certain of our tenants.
In 2020, we undertook in-depth discussions with each of our tenants as they navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and associated severe economic disruption. In light of those discussions, in 2020, we granted temporary base rent and property management fee deferrals to three affected tenants. In connection with these deferrals, we entered into lease amendments with the three affected tenants to apply a portion of the security deposits that we hold under the leases to pay a portion of the March 2020 rent (for one tenant), pay April 2020 rent in full, defer rent for May and June 2020 in full, and provide for the pro rata repayment of the security deposit and deferred rent over an 18 month time period starting July 1, 2020. Pursuant to these amendments, a total of approximately $940,000 of security deposits were applied to the payment of base rent, property management fees and associated lease penalties for March and April 2020, including approximately $185,000 related to the partial payment of the March 2020 base rent and property management fees for one of the tenants; and a total of approximately $1.5 million in rent was deferred for May and June 2020. As of December 31, 2021, we have not executed deferrals for any other tenants, other than the deferrals for the three tenants discussed above.
Significant Tenants and Concentrations of Risk
As of December 31, 2021, we owned 103 properties located in 19 states. Many of our tenants are tenants at multiple properties. We seek to manage our portfolio-level risk through geographic diversification and by minimizing dependence on any single property or tenant. At December 31, 2021, none of our properties accounted for 5% or more of our net real estate held for investment. See Note 2 in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the tenants in our portfolio that represented the largest percentage of our total rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021.
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Competitive Environment
We face competition from a diverse mix of market participants, including but not limited to, other companies with similar business models, independent investors, hedge funds and other real estate investors, hard money lenders, as well as would-be tenants, cannabis operators themselves, all of whom may compete with us in our efforts to acquire real estate zoned for cannabis cultivation and production operations. Competition from others may diminish our opportunities to acquire a desired property on favorable terms or at all. In addition, this competition may put pressure on us to reduce the rental rates below those that we expect to charge for the properties that we acquire, which would adversely affect our financial results.
Operating Expenses
Our operating expenses include general and administrative expenses, including personnel costs, legal, accounting, and other expenses related to corporate governance, public reporting and compliance with the various provisions of U.S. securities laws. We generally expect to structure our leases so that the tenant is responsible for real estate taxes, maintenance, insurance, and structural repairs with respect to the premises throughout the lease term. Increases or decreases in such operating expenses will impact our overall financial performance.
Our Qualification as a REIT
We have been organized and operate our business so as to qualify, to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Shares of our common stock and Series A Preferred Stock are subject to restrictions on ownership and transfer that are intended, among other purposes, to assist us in qualifying and maintaining our qualification as a REIT. In order for us to qualify as a REIT under the Code, the relevant sections of our charter provide that, subject to certain exceptions, no person or entity may own, or be deemed to own, by virtue of the applicable constructive ownership provisions of the Code, more than 9.8% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of our outstanding shares of stock or Series A Preferred Stock or more than 9.8% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of our outstanding common stock or any class or series of our outstanding preferred stock.
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Results of Operations
Investments
See Note 6 in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for information regarding our investments in real estate and property portfolio activity during the year ended December 31, 2021. See Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 for a comparison of the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019.
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands)
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | Increase / (Decrease) | ||
| | | Years Ended December 31, | | 2021 vs. | | |||||
| | 2021 | 2020 | 2020 | |||||||
| Revenues: | | | | | | | | |||
| Rental (including tenant reimbursements) | | $ | 204,551 | | $ | 116,896 | | $ | 87,655 | |
| Total revenues | | 204,551 | | 116,896 | | 87,655 | | |||
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Expenses: | | | | | ||||||
| Property expenses | | 4,443 | | 4,952 | | (509) | | |||
| General and administrative expense | | 22,961 | | 14,182 | | 8,779 | | |||
| Depreciation and amortization expense | | 41,776 | | 28,025 | | 13,751 | | |||
| Total expenses | | 69,180 | | 47,159 | | 22,021 | | |||
| Income from operations | | 135,371 | | 69,737 | | 65,634 | | |||
| Interest and other income | | 397 | | 3,424 | | (3,027) | | |||
| Interest expense | | | (18,086) | | | (7,431) | | | (10,655) | |
| Loss on induced exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | (3,692) | | — | | (3,692) | | |||
| Net income | | 113,990 | | 65,730 | | 48,260 | | |||
| Preferred stock dividends | | (1,352) | | (1,352) | | — | | |||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 112,638 | | $ | 64,378 | | $ | 48,260 | |
Revenues
Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by approximately $87.7 million, or 75%, to approximately $204.6 million, compared to approximately $116.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in rental revenue was attributable to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The 37 properties we acquired in 2021 which generated approximately $18.6 million of rental revenue in 2021, including related rents on amendments which increased the improvement allowances on three of the leases; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The 20 properties we acquired in 2020 which generated approximately $67.8 million of rental revenue in 2021, including related rent on an amendment to one lease which increased the improvement allowance, compared to approximately $25.6 million in 2020, an increase of approximately $42.2 million; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The amendments to increase the improvement allowances of six properties we acquired prior to 2020, additional purchases of land which were included in the corresponding leases for two properties, the annual rent escalations on the 46 properties we acquired prior to 2020, and the repayment of deferred rents and property management fees from three tenants which we granted temporary rent deferrals in 2020, which collectively resulted in approximately $27.1 million in additional rental revenue during the year ended December 31, 2021. |
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The increase in rental revenue was partially offset due to a decrease in tenant reimbursements revenue for property taxes and insurance, which decreased by approximately $209,000 to approximately $4.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to approximately $4.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021 also included approximately $625,000 in stipulated rent paid by the receivership in place previously at our Los Angeles, California property related to rent owed to us by the receivership in 2020. The receivership concluded and we re-leased the property in January 2021 to a subsidiary of Holistic Industries Inc.
Expenses
Property Expenses. Property expenses related to property insurance premiums and real estate taxes paid at certain of our properties, which are reimbursable by the tenants in accordance with the leases.
General and Administrative Expense. General and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by approximately $8.8 million, or 62%, to approximately $23.0 million, compared to approximately $14.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in general and administrative expense was primarily due to higher compensation to employees, the hiring of additional employees and higher public company, travel and occupancy costs.
Compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 included approximately $8.6 million and $3.3 million, respectively, of non-cash stock-based compensation.
Depreciation and Amortization Expense. The increase in depreciation expense for each year was related to depreciation on properties that we acquired in the respective current and prior years, and the placement into service of improvements and construction funding at certain of our properties.
Interest and Other Income. Interest and other income primarily related to interest earned on our short-term investments and cash and cash equivalents. The decrease in interest and other income was primarily due to lower interest bearing investments and cash balances.
Interest Expense. Interest expense related to our Exchangeable Senior Notes issued in February 2019 and Notes due 2026 issued in May 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2021, interest expense increased by approximately $10.7 million, or 143%, to approximately $18.1 million, compared to $7.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in interest expense was primarily due to the additional interest expense on our Notes due 2026 issued in May 2021.
Loss on Induced Exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes. Loss on induced exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes is attributable to the exchange agreements we executed with certain holders of our Exchangeable Senior Notes in December 2021, pursuant to which we exchanged approximately $110.4 million principal amount of the Exchangeable Senior Notes for shares of common stock and cash (see Note 7 in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further information).
Cash Flows
The following summary discussion of our cash flows is based on the consolidated statements of cash flows in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and is not meant to be an all-inclusive discussion of the changes in our cash flows for the periods presented below (in thousands):
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Years Ended December 31, | ||||
| | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | | $ | 188,747 | | $ | 110,814 |
| Net cash used in investing activities | | (384,093) | | (1,027,115) | ||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | | 155,759 | | 924,991 | ||
| Ending cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | 86,419 | | 126,006 |
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Cash flows provided by operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were approximately $188.7 million and $110.8 million, respectively. Cash flows provided by operating activities primarily related to contractual rent and security deposits from our properties, partially offset by general and administrative expenses. Cash flows provided by operating activities increased from 2020 to 2021 primarily due to leases for properties we acquired during these time periods, annual escalations of base rent on our leases, and amendments to existing leases to increase improvement allowances at those properties, which resulted in a corresponding increase in base rents, partially offset by higher cash compensation to employees and higher public company, travel and occupancy costs.
Cash flows used in investing activities for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were approximately $384.1 million and $1.0 billion, respectively. Cash flows used in investing activities decreased from 2020 to 2021 primarily due to less purchases and increases in maturities of short-term investments, partially offset by increases in purchases of new properties, funding of improvement allowances and construction funding.
Cash flows provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 were approximately $155.8 million, primarily related to approximately $293.2 million in net proceeds from the issuance of our Notes due 2026, partially offset by dividend payments of approximately $132.3 million to common and preferred stockholders, approximately $3.4 million related to net share settlement of equity awards to pay the required withholding taxes upon vesting of restricted stock for certain employees, and approximately $1.7 million related to the induced exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes pursuant to the Exchange Transactions.
Cash flows provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 were approximately $925.0 million, primarily related to approximately $1.0 billion in net proceeds from our follow-on public offerings of common stock completed in January, May and July 2020 and sales of common stock during 2020 under our ATM Program, partially offset by approximately $76.8 million in dividend payments to holders of our common stock and Series A Preferred Stock and approximately $2.2 million related to net share settlement of equity awards to pay the required withholding taxes upon vesting of restricted stock for certain employees.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements. We expect to use significant cash to acquire additional properties, develop and redevelop existing properties, pay dividends to our stockholders, fund our operations, service our Exchangeable Senior Notes and Notes due 2026 and meet other general business needs.
Sources and Uses of Cash
We derive all of our revenues from the leasing of our properties, collecting rental income and operating expense reimbursements based on contractual arrangements with our tenants. This source of revenue represents our primary source of liquidity to fund our dividends, Exchangeable Senior Notes and Notes due 2026 interest payments, general and administrative expenses, property development and redevelopment activities, property operating expenses and other expenses incurred related to managing our existing portfolio and investing in additional properties. To the extent additional resources are needed, we expect to fund our investment activity generally through equity or debt issuances either in the public or private markets. Where possible, we also may issue limited partnership interests in our Operating Partnership to acquire properties from existing owners seeking a tax-deferred transaction.
In May 2021, we received an investment grade rating from a ratings agency. We sought to obtain an investment grade rating to facilitate access to the investment grade unsecured debt market as part of our overall strategy to maximize our financial flexibility and manage our overall cost of capital. On May 25, 2021, our Operating Partnership issued $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of Notes due 2026. The Notes due 2026 are the Operating Partnership’s general unsecured and unsubordinated obligations, are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by us and all of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership, and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Operating Partnership’s existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness, including the Exchangeable Senior Notes. The terms of the Notes due 2026 are governed by an indenture, which requires compliance with various financial covenants including limits on the amount of total leverage and secured debt maintained by the Operating Partnership and which require the
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Operating Partnership to maintain minimum levels of debt service coverage. Management believes that it was in compliance with those covenants as of December 31, 2021. Subject to the terms of the indenture, any new subsidiary of the Operating Partnership will also guarantee the Notes due 2026. In addition, the terms of the indenture provide that if the debt rating on the Notes due 2026 is downgraded or withdrawn entirely, interest on the Notes due 2026 will increase to a range of 6.0% to 6.5% based on such debt rating.
We are party to equity distribution agreements with certain sales agents, pursuant to which we may offer and sell from time to time through an “at-the-market” offering program, or ATM Program, up to $500.0 million in shares of our common stock. As of December 31, 2021, we had approximately $231.7 million in shares of common stock available for issuance under the ATM Program and did not issue any shares of common stock under the ATM Program during the year ended December 31, 2021.
We have filed an automatic shelf registration statement, which may permit us, from time to time, to offer and sell common stock, preferred stock, warrants, debt securities of our Operating Partnership and other securities to the extent necessary or advisable to meet our liquidity needs.
We expect to meet our short-term and long-term liquidity needs through cash and short-term investments on hand, cash flows from operations and cash flows from sources discussed above. We believe that our liquidity and sources of capital are adequate to satisfy our cash requirements. We cannot, however, be certain that these sources of funds will be available at a time and upon terms acceptable to the Company in sufficient amounts to meet our liquidity needs. Our investment guidelines also provide that our aggregate borrowings (secured and unsecured) will not exceed 50% of the cost of our tangible assets at the time of any new borrowing, subject to our board of directors’ discretion.
Dividends
The Company is required to pay dividends to its stockholders at least equal to 90% of its taxable income in order to qualify and maintain its qualification as a REIT. As a result of this distribution requirement, our Operating Partnership cannot rely on retained earnings to fund its ongoing operations to the same extent that other companies whose parent companies are not REITs can. During 2021, we declared cash dividends on our common stock totaling $5.72 per share, and cash dividends on our Series A Preferred Stock totaling $2.25 per share. Our ability to continue to pay dividends is dependent upon our ability to continue to generate cash flows, service any debt obligations we have, including our Exchangeable Senior Notes, and make accretive new investments.
All dividends declared during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 were characterized as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes, except for $1.40 of the common stock dividend with a record date of December 31, 2021, which is allocable to 2022 and for which the tax treatment has not been finalized. $1.02 of the common stock dividend with a record date of December 31, 2020 was allocated to 2021, and $0.49 of the common stock dividend with a record date of December 31, 2019 was allocated to 2020.
Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2021 (in thousands):
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payments Due | | | | Exchangeable | | | | | | | |||||
| by Year | Notes due 2026 | | Senior Notes | Interest | Office Rent | Total | |||||||||
| 2022 | | $ | — | | $ | — | | $ | 17,751 | | $ | 241 | | $ | 17,992 |
| 2023 | | | — | | — | | 17,751 | | 249 | | 18,000 | ||||
| 2024 | | | — | | 33,373 | | 16,677 | | 256 | | 50,306 | ||||
| 2025 | | | — | | — | | 16,500 | | 264 | | 16,764 | ||||
| 2026 | | | 300,000 | | — | | 6,646 | | 295 | | 306,941 | ||||
| Total | | $ | 300,000 | | $ | 33,373 | | $ | 75,325 | | $ | 1,305 | | $ | 410,003 |
As of December 31, 2021, we had (1) approximately $269.8 million outstanding in commitments related to improvement allowances, which generally may be requested by the tenants at any time up until a date that is near the expiration of the initial term of the applicable lease; and (2) $5.6 million outstanding in commitments to fund a
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construction loan, which the developer is required to complete by June 2022, subject to extension in certain circumstances. In addition, we are obligated to fund up to $55.0 million between June 15, 2022 and July 31, 2022 pursuant to our lease with a tenant at one of our Pennsylvania properties, if the tenant at that property elects to have us disburse those funds.
Supplemental Guarantor Information
In March 2020, the SEC adopted amendments to Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X and created Rule 13-01 to simplify disclosure requirements related to certain registered securities. The amendments became effective on January 4, 2021. Our Notes due 2026 and our Exchangeable Senior Notes are the unsecured senior obligations of our Operating Partnership and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on an unsecured basis, jointly and severally, by us and all of our direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, which are listed on Exhibit 22.1 hereto and which we refer to collectively as “Subsidiary Guarantors.” Only the Notes due 2026 and the related guarantees are registered securities under the Securities Act. See Note 7 in the notes to our consolidated financial statements for a description of certain terms of our Notes due 2026.
The offer and sale of the Exchangeable Senior Notes and the related guarantees were not and will not be registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and instead were issued in reliance upon an exemption from such registration. Unless they are subsequently registered under the Securities Act, the Exchangeable Senior Notes and the related guarantees may be offered and sold only in transactions that are exempt from the registration requirements under the Securities Act and the applicable securities laws of any other jurisdiction.
As a result of the amendments to Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X, subsidiary issuers of obligations guaranteed by the parent are not required to provide separate financial statements, provided that the subsidiary obligor is consolidated into the parent company’s consolidated financial statements, the parent guarantee is “full and unconditional” and, subject to certain exceptions as set forth below, the alternative disclosure required by Rule 13-01 of Regulation S-X is provided, which includes narrative disclosure and summarized financial information. Accordingly, separate consolidated financial statements of our Operating Partnership and the Subsidiary Guarantors have not been presented.
Furthermore, as permitted under Rule 13-01(a)(4)(vi) of Regulation S-X, we have excluded the summarized financial information for the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiary Guarantors because the combined assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiary Guarantors are not materially different than the corresponding amounts in our condensed consolidated financial statements, and management believes such summarized financial information would be repetitive and would not provide incremental value to investors.
Non-GAAP Financial Information and Other Metrics
Funds from Operations, Normalized Funds from Operations and Adjusted Funds from Operations
In addition to the required GAAP presentations, we use certain non-GAAP performance measures as we believe these measures improve the understanding of our operational results. We continually evaluate the usefulness, relevance, limitations, and calculation of our reported non-GAAP performance measures to determine how best to provide relevant information to the public and thus such reported measures could change.
Funds from operations (“FFO”) and FFO per share are operating performance measures adopted by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc. (“NAREIT”). NAREIT defines FFO as the most commonly accepted and reported non-GAAP measure of a REIT’s operating performance equal to net income (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, depreciation and amortization and impairment related to real estate properties, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures.
Management believes that net income, as defined by GAAP, is the most appropriate earnings measurement. However, management believes FFO and FFO per share to be supplemental measures of a REIT’s performance because they provide an understanding of the operating performance of our properties without giving effect to certain significant non-cash items, primarily depreciation expense. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with GAAP assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. However, real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions. We believe that by excluding the effect of depreciation, FFO and
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FFO per share can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods. We report FFO and FFO per share because these measures are observed by management to also be the predominant measures used by the REIT industry and by industry analysts to evaluate REITs and because FFO per share is consistently reported, discussed, and compared by research analysts in their notes and publications about REITs. For these reasons, management has deemed it appropriate to disclose and discuss FFO and FFO per share.
We compute normalized funds from operations (“Normalized FFO”) by adjusting FFO, as defined by NAREIT, to exclude certain GAAP income and expense amounts that we believe are infrequent and unusual in nature and/or not related to our core real estate operations. Exclusion of these items from similar FFO-type metrics is common within the equity REIT industry, and management believes that presentation of Normalized FFO and Normalized FFO per share provides investors with a metric to assist in their evaluation of our operating performance across multiple periods and in comparison to the operating performance of other companies, because it removes the effect of unusual items that are not expected to impact our operating performance on an ongoing basis. Normalized FFO is used by management in evaluating the performance of our core business operations. Items included in calculating FFO that may be excluded in calculating Normalized FFO include certain transaction-related gains, losses, income or expense or other non-core amounts as they occur.
Management believes that adjusted funds from operations (“AFFO”) and AFFO per share are also appropriate supplemental measures of a REIT’s operating performance. We calculate AFFO by adjusting Normalized FFO for certain non-cash items.
For the three months ended December 31, 2021, September 30, 2021, June 30, 2021, March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 and the twelve months ended December 31, 2021, FFO (diluted), Normalized FFO, AFFO and FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO per diluted share include the dilutive impact of the assumed full exchange of the Exchangeable Senior Notes for shares of common stock. The Exchangeable Senior Notes were anti-dilutive for purposes of calculating earnings per diluted share for all other periods presented, and as such, were treated as anti-dilutive for purposes of calculating FFO, Normalized FFO, AFFO and FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO per diluted share for such periods.
For the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2021, 81,414 shares issuable upon vesting of performance share units (“PSUs”) granted to certain employees in January 2021 were dilutive, as the performance thresholds for vesting of these PSUs were met as measured as of December 31, 2021. For the three months ended September 30, 2021, 78,582 shares issuable upon vesting of the PSUs were dilutive, as the performance thresholds for vesting of these PSUs were met as measured as of September 30, 2021. No shares were issuable upon vesting of the PSUs for the three months ended June 30, 2021 and March 31, 2021, as the performance thresholds for vesting of the PSUs were not met as measured as of the end of those respective periods.
Our computation of FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO may differ from the methodology for calculating FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO utilized by other equity REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such REITs. Further, FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO do not represent cash flow available for management’s discretionary use. FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our financial performance or to cash flow from operating activities (computed in accordance with GAAP) as an indicator of our liquidity, nor is it indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to pay dividends or make distributions. FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO should be considered only as supplements to net income computed in accordance with GAAP as measures of operations.
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The table below is a reconciliation of net income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
| | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 112,638 | $ | 64,378 | $ | 22,123 | ||
| Real estate depreciation and amortization | | 41,776 | | 28,025 | | 8,599 | |||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | $ | 154,414 | | $ | 92,403 | | $ | 30,722 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense on Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 7,517 | | | — | | | — |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 161,931 | | $ | 92,403 | | $ | 30,722 |
| Acquisition-related expense | | | 26 | | | 94 | | | 97 |
| Financing expense | | | — | | | 211 | | | — |
| Loss on induced exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 3,692 | | | — | | | — |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | | 165,649 | | | 92,708 | | | 30,819 |
| Stock-based compensation | | 8,616 | | 3,330 | | 2,495 | |||
| Non-cash interest expense | | 715 | | 2,040 | | 1,678 | |||
| Above-market lease amortization | | | 4 | | | — | | | — |
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 174,984 | | $ | 98,078 | | $ | 34,992 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 6.17 | | $ | 4.72 | | $ | 2.88 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 6.31 | | $ | 4.74 | | $ | 2.88 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 6.66 | | $ | 5.01 | | $ | 3.28 |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic | | 23,903,017 | | 19,443,602 | | 10,546,016 | |||
| Restricted stock and RSUs | | | 96,174 | | | 114,017 | | | 138,052 |
| PSUs | | | 81,414 | | | — | | | — |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 2,180,550 | | | — | | | — |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 26,261,155 | | 19,557,619 | | 10,684,068 |
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The table below is a reconciliation of quarterly net income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, Normalized FFO and AFFO for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Three Months Ended(1) | ||||||||||
| | December 31, 2021 | September 30, 2021 | June 30, 2021 | March 31, 2021 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 28,292 | $ | 29,756 | | $ | 29,001 | $ | 25,589 | ||
| Real estate depreciation | | 12,205 | | 10,891 | | 9,841 | | 8,839 | ||||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | $ | 40,497 | | $ | 40,647 | | $ | 38,842 | | $ | 34,428 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense on Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 1,880 | | | 1,885 | | | 1,879 | | | 1,873 |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 42,377 | | $ | 42,532 | | $ | 40,721 | | $ | 36,301 |
| Acquisition related expense | | | 7 | | | — | | | 11 | | | 8 |
| Loss on induced exchange of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 3,692 | | | — | | | — | | | — |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 46,076 | | $ | 42,532 | | $ | 40,732 | | $ | 36,309 |
| Stock-based compensation | | 2,192 | | 2,191 | | 2,132 | | 2,101 | ||||
| Non-cash interest expense | | | 298 | | | 299 | | | 118 | | | — |
| Above-market lease amortization | | 4 | | — | | | — | | | — | ||
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 48,570 | | $ | 45,022 | | $ | 42,982 | | $ | 38,410 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.61 | | $ | 1.62 | | $ | 1.56 | | $ | 1.39 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.75 | | $ | 1.62 | | $ | 1.56 | | $ | 1.39 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.85 | | $ | 1.71 | | $ | 1.64 | | $ | 1.47 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic | | 23,941,930 | | 23,890,537 | | 23,889,761 | | 23,889,398 | ||||
| Restricted stock and RSUs | | | 98,093 | | | 98,093 | | | 96,230 | | | 92,194 |
| PSUs | | | 81,414 | | | 78,582 | | | — | | | — |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 2,142,148 | | | 2,193,492 | | | 2,182,691 | | | 2,170,959 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 26,263,585 | | 26,260,704 | | 26,168,682 | | 26,152,551 |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Three Months Ended(1) | ||||||||||
| | December 31, 2020 | September 30, 2020 | June 30, 2020 | March 31, 2020 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | | $ | 20,995 | $ | 18,877 | | $ | 12,972 | $ | 11,534 | ||
| Real estate depreciation | | 8,726 | | 7,646 | | 6,746 | | 4,907 | ||||
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (basic) | | $ | 29,721 | | $ | 26,523 | | $ | 19,718 | | $ | 16,441 |
| Cash and non-cash interest expense | | | 1,866 | | | — | | | — | | | — |
| FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 31,587 | | $ | 26,523 | | $ | 19,718 | | $ | 16,441 |
| Acquisition-related expense | | | 8 | | | 13 | | | 22 | | | 51 |
| Financing expense | | | 75 | | | — | | | — | | | 136 |
| Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 31,670 | | $ | 26,536 | | $ | 19,740 | | $ | 16,628 |
| Stock-based compensation | | 842 | | 841 | | 822 | | 825 | ||||
| Non-cash interest expense | | | — | | 513 | | 507 | | 501 | |||
| AFFO attributable to common stockholders (diluted) | | $ | 32,512 | | $ | 27,890 | | $ | 21,069 | | $ | 17,954 |
| FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.26 | | $ | 1.22 | | $ | 1.12 | | $ | 1.03 |
| Normalized FFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.26 | | $ | 1.22 | | $ | 1.12 | | $ | 1.05 |
| AFFO per common share – diluted | | $ | 1.30 | | $ | 1.28 | | $ | 1.19 | | $ | 1.13 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic | | 22,804,185 | | 21,594,637 | | 17,530,721 | | 15,784,296 | ||||
| Restricted stock and restricted stock units | | | 114,077 | | | 114,088 | | | 114,108 | | | 113,795 |
| Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes | | | 2,158,837 | | | — | | | — | | | — |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding – diluted | | 25,077,099 | | 21,708,725 | | 17,644,829 | | 15,898,091 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | The sum of quarterly financial data may vary from annual data due to rounding and differences in the dilutive effect of potentially issuable shares of each reporting period. |
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and 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 materially from those estimates and assumptions.
We continually evaluate the estimates and assumptions we use to prepare our consolidated financial statements. Our critical accounting estimates are defined as accounting estimates or assumptions made in accordance with GAAP, which involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty or subjectivity and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. The following critical accounting estimates discussion reflects what we believe are the most significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. This discussion of our critical accounting estimates is intended to supplement the description of our accounting policies in the footnotes to our consolidated financial statements and to provide additional insight into the information used by management when evaluating significant estimates and assumptions. For further discussion of our significant accounting policies, see Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and Recent Accounting Pronouncements” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report.
Acquisition of Rental Property, Depreciation and Impairment
All of our acquisitions of rental properties to date were accounted for as asset acquisitions and not business combinations because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e., land, buildings, and related intangible assets). The accounting model for asset acquisitions requires that the acquisition consideration (including acquisition costs) be allocated to the individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed on a relative fair value basis.
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We exercise judgement to determine key assumptions used in each valuation technique. For example, we are required to use judgment and make a number of assumptions, including those related to projected growth in rental rates and operating expenses, anticipated trends and market/economic conditions. The use of different assumptions can affect the amount of consideration allocated to the acquired depreciable/amortizable asset, which in turn can impact our net income due to the recognition of the related depreciation/amortization expense in our consolidated statements of operations.
We depreciate buildings and improvements and tenant improvements where we are considered the owner for accounting purposes based on our evaluation of the estimated useful life of each specific asset, not to exceed 40 years. Determining whether expenditures meet the criteria for capitalization and the assignment of depreciable lives requires management to exercise significant judgment.
The determination of whether we are or the tenant is the owner of tenant improvements for accounting purposes is subject to significant judgment. In making that determination, we consider numerous factors and perform a detailed evaluation of each individual lease. No one factor is determinative in reaching a conclusion. The factors we evaluate include but are not limited to the following:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the lease agreement requires landlord approval of how the tenant improvement allowance is spent prior to installation of the tenant improvements; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the lease agreement requires the tenant to provide evidence to the landlord supporting the cost and what the tenant improvement allowance was spent on prior to payment by the landlord for such tenant improvements; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the tenant improvements are unique to the tenant or reusable by other tenants; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the tenant is permitted to alter or remove the tenant improvements without the consent of the landlord or without compensating the landlord for any lost utility or diminution in fair value; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | whether the ownership of the tenant improvements remains with the landlord or remains with the tenant at the end of the lease term. |
When we conclude that we are the owner of tenant improvements for accounting purposes using the factors discussed above, we record the cost to construct the tenant improvements as our capital asset.
We evaluate our real estate assets for potential impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a given asset may not be recoverable. We evaluate our real estate assets for impairment on a property-by-property basis. Indicators we use to determine whether an impairment evaluation is necessary include:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | deterioration in rental rates for a specific property; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | deterioration of a given rental submarket; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | significant change in strategy or use of a specific property or any other event that could result in a decreased holding period, including classifying a property as held for sale, or significant development delay; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | evidence of material physical damage to the property; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | default by a significant tenant when any of the other indicators above are present. |
When we evaluate for potential impairment our real estate assets to be held and used, we first evaluate whether there are any indicators of impairment. If any impairment indicators are present for a specific real estate asset, we then perform an undiscounted cash flow analysis and compare the net carrying amount of the real estate asset to the real estate asset’s estimated undiscounted future cash flow over the anticipated holding period. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flow is less than the net carrying amount of the real estate asset, we perform an impairment loss calculation to determine if the fair value of the real estate asset is less than the net carrying value of the real estate asset. Our impairment loss calculation compares the net carrying amount of the real estate asset to the real estate asset’s estimated fair value, which may be based on estimated discounted future cash flow calculations or third-party valuations or appraisals. We recognize an impairment loss if the amount of the asset’s net carrying amount exceeds the asset’s estimated fair value. If we recognize an impairment loss, the estimated fair value of the asset becomes its new cost basis.
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For a depreciable long-lived asset, the new cost basis would be depreciated (amortized) over the remaining useful life of that asset. If a real estate asset is designated as real estate held for sale, it is carried at the lower of the net carrying value or estimated fair value less costs to sell, and depreciation ceases.
Our undiscounted cash flow and fair value calculations contain uncertainties because they require management to make assumptions and to apply judgment to estimate future cash flow and property fair values, including determining our estimated holding period and selecting the discount or capitalization rate that reflects the risk inherent in future cash flow. Estimating projected cash flow is highly subjective as it requires assumptions related to future rental rates, tenant allowances, operating expenditures, property taxes, capital improvements, and occupancy levels. We are also required to make a number of assumptions relating to future economic and market events and prospective operating trends. Determining the appropriate capitalization rate also requires significant judgment and is typically based on many factors including the prevailing rate for the market or submarket, as well as the quality and location of the properties. Further, capitalization rates can fluctuate resulting from a variety of factors in the overall economy or within regional markets. If the actual net cash flow or actual market capitalization rates significantly differ from our estimates, the impairment evaluation for an individual asset could be materially affected.
For each property where such an indicator occurred, we completed an impairment evaluation. After completing this process, we determined that for each of the operating properties evaluated, undiscounted cash flows over the holding period were in excess of carrying value and, therefore, we did not record any impairment losses for these properties for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
Stock-Based Compensation
Compensation cost for all share-based awards requires an estimate of fair value on the grant date and compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the service vesting period, which represents the requisite service period. The grant date fair value for compensation programs that contain market conditions, like modifiers based on total stockholder return (a “market condition”), are performed using complex pricing valuation models that require the input of assumptions, including judgments to estimate expected stock price volatility, expected life, and forfeiture rate. See Note 10 “Common Stock Incentive Plan” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report for further discussion the assumptions and estimates.
Impact of Real Estate and Credit Markets
In the commercial real estate market, property prices generally continue to fluctuate. Likewise, during certain periods, the U.S. credit markets have experienced significant price volatility, dislocations, and liquidity disruptions, which may impact our access to and cost of capital. We continually monitor the commercial real estate and U.S. credit markets carefully and, if required, will make decisions to adjust our business strategy accordingly.
Interest Rate Risk
As of December 31, 2021, we had $300.0 million principal amount of Notes due 2026 and approximately $33.4 million principal amount of Exchangeable Senior Notes outstanding at fixed interest rates, and therefore, if interest rates decline, our required payments may exceed those based on current market rates. It is possible that a property we acquire in the future would be subject to a mortgage, which we may assume.
Impact of Inflation
We enter into leases that generally provide for fixed increases in rent. We expect these lease provisions to result in rent increases over time. During times when inflation is greater than increases in rent, as provided for in the leases, rent increases may not keep up with the rate of inflation.
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Seasonality
Our business has not been, and we do not expect our business in the future to be, subject to material seasonal fluctuations.