The Company refers to “Common Shares” and “Units” (which refer to both OP Units and restricted units) as equity securities for EQR and “General Partner Units” and “Limited Partner Units” as equity securities for ERPOP. To provide a streamlined and more readable presentation of the disclosures for the Company and the Operating Partnership, several sections below refer to the respective terminology for each with the same financial information and separate sections are provided, where needed, to further distinguish any differences in financial information and terminology.

The following table presents the changes in the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares and Units for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020:


	2022			2021			2020
Common Shares
Common Shares outstanding at January 1,		375,527,195			372,302,000			371,670,884
Common Shares Issued:
Conversion of OP Units		452,532			1,354,208			122,505
Issuance of Common Shares		1,740,550			—			—
Exercise of share options		468,021			1,710,692			239,695
Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)		66,835			70,702			90,196
Restricted share grants, net		174,575			89,593			178,720
Common Shares outstanding at December 31,		378,429,708			375,527,195			372,302,000
Units
Units outstanding at January 1,		12,659,027			13,858,073			13,731,315
Restricted unit grants, net		223,242			155,162			249,263
Conversion of OP Units to Common Shares		(452,532	)		(1,354,208	)		(122,505	)
Units outstanding at December 31,		12,429,737			12,659,027			13,858,073
Total Common Shares and Units outstanding at December 31,		390,859,445			388,186,222			386,160,073
Units Ownership Interest in Operating Partnership		3.2	%		3.3	%		3.6	%

The following table presents the changes in the Operating Partnership’s issued and outstanding General Partner Units and Limited Partner Units for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020:


	2022			2021			2020
General and Limited Partner Units
General and Limited Partner Units outstanding at January 1,		388,186,222			386,160,073			385,402,199
Issued to General Partner:
Issuance of OP Units		1,740,550			—			—
Exercise of EQR share options		468,021			1,710,692			239,695
EQR’s Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)		66,835			70,702			90,196
EQR’s restricted share grants, net		174,575			89,593			178,720
Issued to Limited Partners:
Restricted unit grants, net		223,242			155,162			249,263
General and Limited Partner Units outstanding at December 31,		390,859,445			388,186,222			386,160,073
Limited Partner Units
Limited Partner Units outstanding at January 1,		12,659,027			13,858,073			13,731,315
Limited Partner restricted unit grants, net		223,242			155,162			249,263
Conversion of Limited Partner OP Units to EQR Common Shares		(452,532	)		(1,354,208	)		(122,505	)
Limited Partner Units outstanding at December 31,		12,429,737			12,659,027			13,858,073
Limited Partner Units Ownership Interest in Operating Partnership		3.2	%		3.3	%		3.6	%

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” and “Limited Partners Capital,” respectively, for the Company and the Operating Partnership. Subject to certain exceptions (including the “book-up” requirements of restricted units), the Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Limited Partners Capital may exchange their Units with EQR for Common Shares on a one-for-one basis. The carrying value of the Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Limited Partners Capital (including redeemable interests) is allocated based on the number of Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Limited Partners Capital in total in proportion to the number of Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Limited Partners Capital in total plus the total number of Common Shares/General Partner Units. Net income is allocated to the Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Limited Partners Capital 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/Limited Partners Capital requesting an exchange of their Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Limited Partners Capital with EQR. Once the Operating Partnership elects not to redeem the Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Limited Partners Capital for cash, EQR is obligated to deliver Common Shares to the exchanging holder of the Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Limited Partners Capital.

The Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Limited Partners Capital 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/Limited Partners Capital are differentiated and referred to as “Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership” and “Redeemable Limited Partners,” respectively. 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/Redeemable Limited Partners 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/Limited Partners Capital that are classified in permanent equity at December 31, 2022 and 2021.

The carrying value of the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Redeemable Limited Partners is allocated based on the number of Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Redeemable Limited Partners in proportion to the number of Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Limited Partners Capital in total. Such percentage of the total carrying value of Units/Limited Partner Units which is ascribed to the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Redeemable Limited Partners is then adjusted to the greater of carrying value or fair market value as described above. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Redeemable Limited Partners have a redemption value of approximately $318.3 million and $499.0 million, respectively, which represents the value of Common Shares that would be issued in exchange for the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Redeemable Limited Partners.

The following table presents the changes in the redemption value of the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership/Redeemable Limited Partners for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively (amounts in thousands):


	2022			2021		2020
Balance at January 1,	$	498,977		$	338,951	$	463,400
Change in market value		(176,490	)		158,598		(125,224	)
Change in carrying value		(4,214	)		1,428		775
Balance at December 31,	$	318,273		$	498,977	$	338,951

Net proceeds from EQR Common Share and Preferred Share (see definition below) offerings and proceeds from exercise of options for Common Shares 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 proceeds from Common Shares and Preferred Shares are allocated for the Company between shareholders’ equity and Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership and for the Operating Partnership between General Partner’s Capital and Limited Partners Capital to account for the change in their respective percentage ownership of the underlying equity.

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/Preference Units as of December 31, 2022 and 2021:


				Amounts in thousands
		Annual
	Call	Dividend Per		December 31,		December 31,
	Date (1)	Share/Unit (2)		2022		2021
Preferred Shares/Preference Units of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized:
8.29% Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares/Preference Units; liquidation value $50 per share/unit; 745,600 shares/units issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and 2021	12/10/26	$	4.145	$	37,280	$	37,280
				$	37,280	$	37,280

(1)

On or after the call date, redeemable Preferred Shares/Preference Units may be redeemed for cash at the option of the Company or the Operating Partnership, respectively, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to the liquidation price per share/unit, plus accrued and unpaid distributions, if any.

(2)

Dividends on Preferred Shares/Preference Units are payable quarterly.

EQR and ERPOP currently have an active universal shelf registration statement for the issuance of equity and debt securities that automatically became effective upon filing with the SEC in May 2022 and expires in May 2025. Per the terms of ERPOP’s partnership agreement, EQR contributes the net proceeds of 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) or preference units (on a one-for-one preferred share per preference unit basis).

The Company has an At-The-Market (“ATM”) share offering program which allows EQR to issue Common Shares from time to time into the existing trading market at current market prices or through negotiated transactions, including under forward sale arrangements. In May 2022, the Company replaced the prior program with a new program which extended the maturity to May 2025 and gives us the authority to issue up to 13.0 million shares, all of which remain available for issuance as of December 31, 2022.

Forward sale agreements under the ATM program allow the Company, at its election, to settle the agreements by issuing Common Shares in exchange for net proceeds at the then-applicable forward sale price specified by the agreement or, alternatively, to settle the agreements in whole or in part through the delivery or receipt of Common Shares or cash. Issuances of shares under these forward sale agreements are classified as equity transactions. Accordingly, no amounts relating to the forward sale agreements are recorded in the consolidated financial statements until settlement occurs. Prior to any settlements, the only impact to the consolidated financial statements is the inclusion of incremental shares, if any, within the calculation of diluted net income per share using the treasury stock method (see Note 11 for additional discussion). The actual forward price per share to be received by the Company upon settlement will be determined on the applicable settlement date based on adjustments made to the initial forward price to reflect the then-current overnight federal funds rate and the amount of dividends paid to holders of the Company’s Common Shares over the term of the forward sale agreement.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2021, the Company entered into forward sale agreements under the prior program for a total of approximately 1.7 million Common Shares at a weighted average initial forward price per share of $83.25. During the quarter ended December 31, 2022, the Company settled all of the outstanding forward sale agreements, at a weighted average forward price per share of $80.22, which is inclusive of adjustments made to reflect the then-current federal funds rate and the amount of dividends paid to holders of the Company's Common Shares, for net proceeds of approximately $139.6 million. Concurrent with this transaction, ERPOP issued the same amount of OP Units to EQR in exchange for the net proceeds.

The Company may repurchase up to 13.0 million Common Shares under its share repurchase program. No open market repurchases have occurred since 2008. As of December 31, 2022, EQR has remaining authorization to repurchase up to 13.0 million of its shares.