Derivatives and Hedging Activities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivatives and Hedging Activities

Derivatives and Hedging Activities

Risk Management Objective of Using Derivatives

The Company may use derivative financial instruments, including interest rate swaps, caps, options, floors and other interest rate derivative contracts, to hedge all or a portion of the interest rate risk associated with its borrowings. The principal objective of such arrangements is to minimize the risks and/or costs associated with the Company’s operating and financial structure as well as to hedge specific anticipated transactions. The Company does not intend to utilize derivatives for speculative or other purposes other than interest rate risk management. The use of derivative financial instruments carries certain risks, including the risk that the counterparties to these contractual arrangements are not able to perform under the agreements. To mitigate this risk, the Company only enters into derivative financial instruments with counterparties with high credit ratings and with major financial institutions with which the Company and its affiliates may also have other financial relationships. The Company does not anticipate that any of the counterparties will fail to meet their obligations.

Cash Flow Hedges of Interest Rate Risk

The Company’s objectives in using interest rate derivatives are to add stability to interest expense and to manage its exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish this objective, the Company primarily uses interest rate swaps and collars as part of its interest rate risk management strategy. Interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount. Interest rate collars designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts if interest rates rise above the cap strike rate on the contract and payments of variable-rate amounts if interest rates fall below the floor strike rate on the contract.

The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives designated and that qualify as cash flow hedges is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income and is subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. During the year endedDecember 31, 2014, such derivatives were used to hedge the variable cash flows associated with variable-rate debt. The ineffective portion of the change in fair value of the derivatives is recognized directly in earnings.

Amounts reported in accumulated other comprehensive income related to derivatives will be reclassified to interest expense as interest payments are made on the Company’s variable-rate debt. During the next 12 months, the Company estimates that an additional $9.4 million will be reclassified from other comprehensive income as an increase to interest expense.

As of December 31, 2014, the Company had the following outstanding interest rate derivatives that were designated as cash flow hedges of interest rate risk (dollar amounts in thousands):

Interest Rate Derivative	Number of Instruments	Notional Amount
Interest rate swaps	17	$	1,249,004

The table below presents the fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments as well as their classification on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 (in thousands):

Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments	Balance Sheet Location	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
Interest rate products	Deferred costs and other assets, net	$	4,941		$	9,189
Interest rate products	Deferred rent, derivative and other liabilities	$	(7,384	)	$	(1,719	)

The table below details the location in the financial statements of the gain or loss recognized on interest rate derivatives designated as cash flow hedges for the year endedDecember 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively (in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31,
	2014			2013
Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships
Amount of (loss) gain recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income on interest rate derivatives (effective portion)	$	(16,448	)	$	6,946
Amount of loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into income as interest expense (effective portion)	$	9,446		$	4,535
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in income on derivative (ineffective portion, reclassifications of missed forecasted transactions and amounts excluded from effectiveness testing)	$	(371	)	$	(79	)

In January 2014, the Company entered into an interest rate lock agreement with a notional amount of $250.0 million (the “Treasury Lock Agreement”). The Treasury Lock Agreement, which had an original maturity date of February 12, 2014, was entered into to hedge part of the Company's interest rate exposure associated with the variability in future cash flows attributable to changes in the 10-year U.S. treasury rates related to the planned issuance of debt securities in conjunction with the Cole Merger. In connection with the Company's bond offering in February 2014, the Company settled the Treasury Lock Agreement, which was accounted for as cash flow hedge, for $3.9 million, which was recorded to other comprehensive loss and will be amortized into earnings over the ten year term of the Treasury Lock. The Company amortized $0.1 million into interest expense for the year endedDecember 31, 2014 related to the Treasury Lock.

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments

Derivatives not designated as hedges are not speculative and are used to manage the Company’s exposure to interest rate movements and other identified risks but do not meet the requirements to be classified as hedging instruments. Changes in the fair value of derivatives not designated in hedging relationships are recorded directly in earnings and were a loss of $10.6 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2014. The Company recorded a loss of $67.9 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2013 relating to the contingent value rights.

As of December 31, 2014, the Company had the following outstanding interest rate derivative that was not designated as a qualifying hedging relationship (in thousands):

Interest Rate Derivative	Number of Instruments	Notional Amount
Interest rate swap	1	$	51,400

The table below presents the fair value of the Company’s derivate financial instruments not designated as hedges as well as their classification on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31,2014 and December 31, 2013 (in thousands):

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Balance Sheet Location	December 31, 2014		December 31, 2013
Interest rate products	Deferred costs and other assets, net	$	568	$	—
Series D Preferred Stock embedded derivative	Deferred rent, derivative and other liabilities	$	—	$	(16,736	)

The Series D Preferred Stock was redeemed on September 2, 2014. Refer to Note 18 – Preferred and Common Stock and OP Units for further discussion.

Tabular Disclosure of Offsetting Derivatives

The table below details a gross presentation, the effects of offsetting and a net presentation of the Company’s derivatives as of December 31,2014 and December 31, 2013. The net amounts of derivative assets or liabilities can be reconciled to the tabular disclosure of fair value. The tabular disclosure of fair value provides the location that derivative assets and liabilities are presented on the consolidated balance sheets (in thousands).

	Offsetting of Derivative Assets and Liabilities
	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets		Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities			Gross Amounts Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets		Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets		Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets			Financial Instruments		Cash Collateral Received		Net Amount
December 31, 2014	$	5,509	$	(7,384	)	$	—	$	5,509	$	(7,384	)	$	—	$	—	$	(1,875	)
December 31, 2013	$	9,189	$	(18,455	)	$	—	$	9,189	$	(18,455	)	$	—	$	—	$	(9,266	)

Credit-risk-related Contingent Features

The Company has agreements with each of its derivative counterparties that contain a provision where, if the Company either defaults or is capable of being declared in default on any of its indebtedness, then the Company could also be declared in default on its derivative obligations.

As of December 31, 2014, the fair value of the interest rate derivatives in a net liability position, including accrued interest but excluding any adjustment for nonperformance risk related to these agreements, was $9.1 million. As of December 31, 2014, the Company has not posted any collateral related to these agreements and was not in breach of any agreement provisions. If the Company had breached any of these provisions, it could have been required to settle its obligations under the agreements at their aggregate termination value of $9.1 million at December 31, 2014.