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Risk Management and Use of Derivative Financial Instruments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
RISK MANAGEMENT AND USE OF DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

9. RISK MANAGEMENT AND USE OF DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Risk Management

In the course of its ongoing 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 of counterparties on derivatives contracts to fulfill their obligations. Market risk is the risk of declines in the value of Company properties due to changes in rental rates, interest rates, supply and demand of similar products and other market factors affecting the valuation of properties.

Risks and Uncertainties

In the U.S., market and economic conditions have been improving, resulting in an increase of the volume of real estate transactions in the market. If the economy deteriorates, vacancy rates may increase through 2019 and possibly beyond. The financial markets also have an effect on the Company’s Real Estate Venture partners and contractual counterparties, including counterparties in derivative contracts.

The Company’s Credit Facility, term loans and the indenture governing its unsecured public debt securities (See Note 7, “Debt Obligations”) 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 unsecured revolving 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 unsecured revolving credit facility, the term loans 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 unsecured revolving 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 unsecured revolving credit facility. While the Company believes that there are currently no material adverse effect events, it is possible that such an event could arise which would limit the Company’s borrowings under the unsecured revolving 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 unsecured revolving credit facility and any borrowings under the unsecured revolving credit facility would become unavailable. 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 December 31, 2018. 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 that the economy deteriorates in the future, the Company may not be able to remain in compliance with such covenants, in which case a default would result absent a lender waiver.

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 the 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 for either the entire hedge or the portion of the hedge that is determined to be ineffective. 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.

The following table summarizes the terms and fair values of the Company’s derivative financial instruments as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017. The notional amounts provide an indication of the extent of the Company’s involvement in these instruments at that time but do not represent exposure to credit, interest rate or market risks (amounts presented in thousands).

 

Hedge Product

 

Hedge Type

 

Designation

 

Notional Amount

 

 

Strike

 

 

Trade Date

 

Maturity Date

 

Fair value

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12/31/2018

 

 

12/31/2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12/31/2018

 

 

12/31/2017

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swap

 

Interest Rate

 

Cash Flow

(a)

$

250,000

 

 

$

250,000

 

 

 

2.868

%

 

October 8, 2015

 

October 8, 2022

 

$

7,008

 

 

$

5,694

 

Swap

 

Interest Rate

 

Cash Flow

(a)

 

25,774

 

 

 

25,774

 

 

 

3.300

%

 

December 22, 2011

 

January 30, 2021

 

 

292

 

 

 

25

 

Swap

 

Interest Rate

 

Cash Flow

(a)

 

25,774

 

 

 

25,774

 

 

 

3.090

%

 

January 6, 2012

 

October 30, 2019

 

 

183

 

 

 

59

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

301,548

 

 

$

301,548

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)

Hedging unsecured variable rate debt.

The Company measures its derivative instruments at fair value and records them in the “Other assets” and (“Other liabilities”) captions on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

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. 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 the inputs utilized to determine the fair value of derivative instruments are classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Disclosure about the fair value of derivative instruments is based upon pertinent information available to management as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017.  Although management is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect the fair value amounts, such amounts have not been comprehensively revalued for purposes of these financial statements since December 31, 2018. Current estimates of fair value may differ from the amounts presented herein.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Concentrations of credit risk arise for the Company when multiple tenants of the Company are engaged in similar business activities, or are located in the same geographic region, or have similar economic features that impact in a similar manner their ability to meet contractual obligations, including those to the Company. 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 an unusual concentration of credit risk. No tenant accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s rents during 2018, 2017 and 2016.

Conditions in the general economy and the global credit markets have had a significant adverse effect on 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 were to default under their leases.