Risk Management and Use of Financial Instruments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Risk Management and Use of Financial Instruments [Abstract]

RISK MANAGEMENT AND USE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

9. RISK MANAGEMENT AND USE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Risk Management

In the course of its on-going business operations, the Company encounters economic risk. There are three main components of economic risk: interest rate risk, credit risk and market risk. The Company is subject to interest rate risk on its interest-bearing liabilities. Credit risk is primarily the risk of inability or unwillingness of tenants to make contractually required payments and counterparties on derivatives not fulfilling their obligations. Market risk is the risk of declines in the value of properties due to changes in rental rates, interest rates or other market factors affecting the valuation of properties held by the Company.

Risks and Uncertainties

Significantly challenging and sluggish economic conditions have reduced the volume of real estate transactions and created credit stresses on many businesses. Vacancy rates may increase through 2012 and possibly beyond as the current economic climate negatively impacts tenants. The current financial markets also have an adverse effect on the Company’s other counter parties such as the counter parties in its derivative contracts.

The Company expects that the impact of the current state of the economy, including high unemployment and the unprecedented volatility in the financial and credit markets, will continue to have a dampening effect on the fundamentals of its business, including increases in past due accounts, tenant defaults, lower occupancy and reduced effective rents. These conditions would negatively affect the Company’s future net income and cash flows and could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition.

The Company’s Credit Facility, Bank Term Loan and the indenture governing the unsecured public debt securities (Note 7) contain restrictions, requirements and other limitations on the ability to incur indebtedness, including total debt to asset ratios, secured debt to total asset ratios, debt service coverage ratios and minimum ratios of unencumbered assets to unsecured debt which it must maintain. The ability to borrow under the Credit Facility is subject to compliance with such financial and other covenants. In the event that the Company fails to satisfy these covenants, it would be in default under the Credit Facility, the Bank Term Loan and the indenture and may be required to repay such debt with capital from other sources. Under such circumstances, other sources of capital may not be available, or may be available only on unattractive terms.

Availability of borrowings under the Credit Facility is subject to a traditional material adverse effect clause. Each time the Company borrows it must represent to the lenders that there have been no events of a nature which would have a material adverse effect on the business, assets, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company taken as a whole or which could negatively affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under the Credit Facility. While the Company believes that there are currently no material adverse effect events, the Company is operating in unprecedented economic times and it is possible that such event could arise which would limit the Company’s borrowings under the Credit Facility. If an event occurs which is considered to have a material adverse effect, the lenders could consider the Company in default under the terms of the Credit Facility and the borrowings under the Credit Facility would become due and payable. If the Company is unable to obtain a waiver, this would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position and results of operations.

The Company was in compliance with all financial covenants as of September 30, 2011. Management continuously monitors the Company’s compliance with and anticipated compliance with the covenants. Certain of the covenants restrict management’s ability to obtain alternative sources of capital. While the Company currently believes it will remain in compliance with its covenants, in the event of a continued slow-down and continued crisis in the credit markets, the Company may not be able to remain in compliance with such covenants and if the lender would not provide a waiver, it could result in an event of default.

Use of Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company’s use of derivative instruments is limited to the utilization of interest rate agreements or other instruments to manage interest rate risk exposures and not for speculative purposes. 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 transactions. The counterparties to these arrangements are major financial institutions with which the Company and its affiliates may also have other financial relationships. The Company is potentially exposed to credit loss in the event of non-performance by these counterparties. However, because of the high credit ratings of the counterparties, the Company does not anticipate that any of the counterparties will fail to meet these obligations as they come due. The Company does not hedge credit or property value market risks through derivative financial instruments.

The Company formally assesses, both at inception of a hedge and on an on-going basis, whether each derivative is highly-effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of the hedged item. If management determines that a derivative is not highly-effective as a hedge or if a derivative ceases to be a highly-effective hedge, the Company will discontinue hedge accounting prospectively. The related ineffectiveness would be charged to the consolidated statement of operations.

The valuation of these instruments is determined using widely accepted valuation techniques including discounted cash flow analysis on the expected cash flows of each derivative. This analysis reflects the contractual terms of the derivatives, including the period to maturity, and uses observable market-based inputs, including interest rate curves and implied volatilities. The fair values of interest rate swaps are determined using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted future fixed cash receipts (or payments) and the discounted expected variable cash payments (or receipts). The variable cash payments (or receipts) are based on an expectation of future interest rates (forward curves) derived from observable market interest rate curves.

To comply with the provisions of the accounting standard for fair value measurements and disclosures, the Company incorporates credit valuation adjustments to appropriately reflect both its own nonperformance risk and the respective counterparty’s nonperformance risk in the fair value measurements. In adjusting the fair value of its derivative contracts for the effect of nonperformance risk, the Company has considered the impact of netting and any applicable credit enhancements, such as collateral postings, thresholds, mutual puts, and guarantees.

On March 31, 2011, in anticipation of the offering of $325.0 million of 4.95% unsecured guaranteed notes due April 15, 2018, the Company entered into seven intra-day treasury lock agreements. The treasury lock agreements were designated as cash flow hedges on interest rate risk and qualified for hedge accounting. The total notional amount of the treasury lock agreements was $230.0 million with an expiration of 7 years at treasury rates of 2.891%, 2.873%, and 2.858% and a fair value of $0.6 million at March 31, 2011. The agreements were settled on the day we completed the debt offering at a total expense of $0.6 million. This expense was recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet and will be amortized over the term of the note.

Although the Company has determined that the majority of the inputs used to value its derivatives fall within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, the credit valuation adjustments associated with its derivatives utilize Level 3 inputs, such as estimates of current credit spreads to evaluate the likelihood of default by itself and its counterparties. However, in connection with the intra-day treasury lock agreement that the Company entered into and the remaining interest swaps which matured on October 18, 2010, the Company has assessed the significance of the impact of the credit valuation adjustments on the overall valuation of its derivative positions and has determined that the credit valuation adjustments are not significant to the overall valuation of its derivatives. As a result, the Company has determined that its derivative valuations in their entirety are classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. The changes in fair values of the hedges during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010 were included in other liabilities and accumulated other comprehensive income in the accompanying balance sheet.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Concentrations of credit risk arise when a number of tenants related to the Company’s investments or rental operations are engaged in similar business activities, or are located in the same geographic region, or have similar economic features that would cause their inability to meet contractual obligations, including those to the Company, to be similarly affected. The Company regularly monitors its tenant base to assess potential concentrations of credit risk. Management believes the current credit risk portfolio is reasonably well diversified and does not contain any unusual concentration of credit risk. No tenant accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s rents during the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2011 and 2010. Conditions in the general economy and the global credit markets have had a significant adverse effect on companies in numerous industries. The Company has tenants concentrated in various industries that may be experiencing adverse effects from the current economic conditions and the Company could be adversely affected if such tenants go into default under their leases.