
3.	Equity, Capital and Other Interests

Equity and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests of Equity Residential

The following tables present the changes in the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares and “Units” (which includes OP Units and restricted units) for the nine months ended September 30, 2016:



	2016
Common Shares
Common Shares outstanding at January 1,	364,755,444
Common Shares Issued:
Conversion of OP Units	87,168
Exercise of share options	619,232
Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)	46,399
Restricted share grants, net	148,822
Common Shares outstanding at September 30,	365,657,065
Units
Units outstanding at January 1,	14,427,164
Restricted unit grants, net	287,749
Conversion of OP Units to Common Shares	(87,168	)
Units outstanding at September 30,	14,627,745
Total Common Shares and Units outstanding at September 30,	380,284,810
Units Ownership Interest in Operating Partnership	3.8	%

The equity positions of various individuals and entities that contributed their properties to the Operating Partnership in exchange for OP Units, as well as the equity positions of the holders of restricted units, are collectively referred to as the “Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership”. Subject to certain exceptions (including the “book-up” requirements of restricted units), the Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership may exchange their Units with EQR for Common Shares on a one-for-one basis. The carrying value of the Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership (including redeemable interests) is allocated based on the number of Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership Units in total in proportion to the number of Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership Units in total plus the number of Common Shares. Net income is allocated to the Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership based on the weighted average ownership percentage during the period.

The Operating Partnership has the right but not the obligation to make a cash payment instead of issuing Common Shares to any and all holders of Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership Units requesting an exchange of their OP Units with EQR. Once the Operating Partnership elects not to redeem the Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership Units for cash, EQR is obligated to deliver Common Shares to the exchanging holder of the Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership Units.

The Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership Units are classified as either mezzanine equity or permanent equity. If EQR is required, either by contract or securities law, to deliver registered Common Shares, such Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership are differentiated and referred to as “Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership”. Instruments that require settlement in registered shares cannot be classified in permanent equity as it is not always completely within an issuer’s control to deliver registered shares. Therefore, settlement in cash is assumed and that responsibility for settlement in cash is deemed to fall to the Operating Partnership as the primary source of cash for EQR, resulting in presentation in the mezzanine section of the balance sheet. The Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership are adjusted to the greater of carrying value or fair market value based on the Common Share price of EQR at the end of each respective reporting period. EQR has the ability to deliver unregistered Common Shares for the remaining portion of the Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership Units that are classified in permanent equity at September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015.

The carrying value of the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership is allocated based on the number of Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership Units in proportion to the number of Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership Units in total. Such percentage of the total carrying value of Units which is ascribed to the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership is then adjusted to the greater of carrying value or fair market value as described above. As of September 30, 2016, the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership have a redemption value of approximately $441.9 million, which represents the value of Common Shares that would be issued in exchange for the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership Units.

The following table presents the changes in the redemption value of the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 (amounts in thousands):



	2016
Balance at January 1,	$	566,783
Change in market value	(113,308		)
Change in carrying value	(11,583		)
Balance at September 30,	$	441,892

Net proceeds from EQR Common Share and Preferred Share (see definition below) offerings are contributed by EQR to ERPOP. In return for those contributions, EQR receives a number of OP Units in ERPOP equal to the number of Common Shares it has issued in the equity offering (or in the case of a preferred equity offering, a number of preference units in ERPOP equal in number and having the same terms as the Preferred Shares issued in the equity offering). As a result, the net offering proceeds from Common Shares and Preferred Shares are allocated between shareholders’ equity and Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership to account for the change in their respective percentage ownership of the underlying equity of ERPOP.

The Company’s declaration of trust authorizes it to issue up to 100,000,000 preferred shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share (the “Preferred Shares”), with specific rights, preferences and other attributes as the Board of Trustees may determine, which may include preferences, powers and rights that are senior to the rights of holders of the Company’s Common Shares.

The following table presents the Company’s issued and outstanding Preferred Shares as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015:



				Amounts in thousands
	Redemption Date (1)	Annual Dividend per Share (2)		September 30, 2016		December 31, 2015
Preferred Shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized:
8.29% Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred; liquidation value $50 per share; 745,600 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015	12/10/26		$4.145	$	37,280	$	37,280
				$	37,280	$	37,280


(1)	On or after the redemption date, redeemable preferred shares may be redeemed for cash at the option of the Company, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to the liquidation price per share, plus accrued and unpaid distributions, if any.


(2)	Dividends on Preferred Shares are payable quarterly.

Capital and Redeemable Limited Partners of ERP Operating Limited Partnership

The following tables present the changes in the Operating Partnership’s issued and outstanding Units and in the limited partners’ Units for the nine months ended September 30, 2016:



	2016
General and Limited Partner Units
General and Limited Partner Units outstanding at January 1,	379,182,608
Issued to General Partner:
Exercise of EQR share options	619,232
EQR’s Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)	46,399
EQR's restricted share grants, net	148,822
Issued to Limited Partners:
Restricted unit grants, net	287,749
General and Limited Partner Units outstanding at September 30,	380,284,810
Limited Partner Units
Limited Partner Units outstanding at January 1,	14,427,164
Limited Partner restricted unit grants, net	287,749
Conversion of Limited Partner OP Units to EQR Common Shares	(87,168	)
Limited Partner Units outstanding at September 30,	14,627,745
Limited Partner Units Ownership Interest in Operating Partnership	3.8	%

The Limited Partners of the Operating Partnership as of September 30, 2016 include various individuals and entities that contributed their properties to the Operating Partnership in exchange for OP Units, as well as the equity positions of the holders of restricted units. Subject to certain exceptions (including the “book-up” requirements of restricted units), Limited Partners may exchange their Units with EQR for Common Shares on a one-for-one basis. The carrying value of the Limited Partner Units (including redeemable interests) is allocated based on the number of Limited Partner Units in total in proportion to the number of Limited Partner Units in total plus the number of General Partner Units. Net income is allocated to the Limited Partner Units based on the weighted average ownership percentage during the period.

The Operating Partnership has the right but not the obligation to make a cash payment instead of issuing Common Shares to any and all holders of Limited Partner Units requesting an exchange of their OP Units with EQR. Once the Operating Partnership elects not to redeem the Limited Partner Units for cash, EQR is obligated to deliver Common Shares to the exchanging limited partner.

The Limited Partner Units are classified as either mezzanine equity or permanent equity. If EQR is required, either by contract or securities law, to deliver registered Common Shares, such Limited Partner Units are differentiated and referred to as “Redeemable Limited Partner Units”. Instruments that require settlement in registered shares cannot be classified in permanent equity as it is not always completely within an issuer's control to deliver registered shares. Therefore, settlement in cash is assumed and that responsibility for settlement in cash is deemed to fall to the Operating Partnership as the primary source of cash for EQR, resulting in presentation in the mezzanine section of the balance sheet. The Redeemable Limited Partner Units are adjusted to the greater of carrying value or fair market value based on the Common Share price of EQR at the end of each respective reporting period. EQR has the ability to deliver unregistered Common Shares for the remaining portion of the Limited Partner Units that are classified in permanent equity at September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015.

The carrying value of the Redeemable Limited Partner Units is allocated based on the number of Redeemable Limited Partner Units in proportion to the number of Limited Partner Units in total. Such percentage of the total carrying value of Limited Partner Units which is ascribed to the Redeemable Limited Partner Units is then adjusted to the greater of carrying value or fair market value as described above. As of September 30, 2016, the Redeemable Limited Partner Units have a redemption value of approximately $441.9 million, which represents the value of Common Shares that would be issued in exchange for the Redeemable Limited Partner Units.

The following table presents the changes in the redemption value of the Redeemable Limited Partners for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 (amounts in thousands):



	2016
Balance at January 1,	$	566,783
Change in market value	(113,308		)
Change in carrying value	(11,583		)
Balance at September 30,	$	441,892

EQR contributes all net proceeds from its various equity offerings (including proceeds from exercise of options for Common Shares) to ERPOP. In return for those contributions, EQR receives a number of OP Units in ERPOP equal to the number of Common Shares it has issued in the equity offering (or in the case of a preferred equity offering, a number of preference units in ERPOP equal in number and having the same terms as the preferred shares issued in the equity offering).

The following table presents the Operating Partnership's issued and outstanding “Preference Units” as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015:



				Amounts in thousands
	Redemption Date (1)	Annual Dividend per Unit (2)		September 30, 2016		December 31, 2015
Preference Units:
8.29% Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preference Units; liquidation value $50 per unit; 745,600 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015	12/10/26		$4.145	$	37,280	$	37,280
				$	37,280	$	37,280


(1)	On or after the redemption date, redeemable preference units may be redeemed for cash at the option of the Operating Partnership, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to the liquidation price per unit, plus accrued and unpaid distributions, if any, in conjunction with the concurrent redemption of the corresponding Company Preferred Shares.


(2)	Dividends on Preference Units are payable quarterly.

Other

In September 2009, the Company announced the establishment of an At-The-Market (“ATM”) share offering program which would allow EQR to sell Common Shares from time to time into the existing trading market at current market prices as well as through negotiated transactions. Per the terms of ERPOP's partnership agreement, EQR contributes the net proceeds from all equity offerings to the capital of ERPOP in exchange for additional OP Units (on a one-for-one Common Share per OP Unit basis). On June 29, 2016, the Company extended the program maturity to June 2019. EQR has the authority to issue 13.0 million shares under this program but has not issued any shares since September 14, 2012.

Effective June 16, 2016, the Board of Trustees approved an increase to the Company's share repurchase program to allow for the potential repurchase of up to 13.0 million Common Shares (12,968,760 Common Shares were available for repurchase prior to such increase). No shares were repurchased during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and as a result at September 30, 2016, EQR has authorization to repurchase up to 13.0 million of its shares under the repurchase program.