DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES

Hedges of Interest Rate Risk

In order to manage financing costs and interest rate exposure related to our unsecured term loan facility (Note 8), on August 13, 2015, we entered into interest rate swap agreements with multiple counterparties. These swap agreements became effective on November 2, 2015. Each of our interest rate swap agreements meets the criteria for cash flow hedge accounting treatment and we have designated the interest rate swap agreements as cash flow hedges of the risk of variability attributable to changes in the one-month LIBOR on the term loan facility. Accordingly, the interest rate swaps are recorded on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value and the changes in the fair value of the swaps are recorded in OCI and reclassified to earnings as an adjustment to interest expense as interest becomes receivable or payable (Note 2). We do not expect any significant losses from counterparty defaults related to our swap agreements.

Summary of Derivatives

The following table sets forth the key terms of our interest rate swap contracts:

Number of Interest

Rate Swaps (1) (2)

Total Notional Amount

Fixed Rates

Floating Rate Index

Effective Date

Expiration

Date

(in thousands)

170,000

1.562% - 1.565%

One-Month LIBOR

11/2/2015

5/8/2020


(1)	See Note 14 for our fair value disclosures.


(2)	Our interest rate swaps are not subject to master netting arrangements.

These swaps hedge the future cash flows of interest payments on our unsecured term loan facility by fixing the rate until May 8, 2020 at a weighted average rate of 1.563% plus the credit spread, which was 1.60% at December 31, 2017 and 2016, or an all-in rate of 3.16%.

Credit-Risk-Related Contingent Features

Each of our interest rate swap agreements contains a provision under which we could also be declared in default under such agreements if we default on the term loan facility. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, there have been no events of default under our interest rate swap agreements.

Impact of Hedges on AOCI and Consolidated Statements of Operations

The changes in the balance of each component of AOCI related to our interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2017			2016			2015
	(in thousands)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), at beginning of period	$	(509	)	$	(2,519	)	$	—
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	361			(2,227		)	(3,381		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (1)	1,779			4,237			862
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	2,140			2,010			(2,519		)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), at end of period	$	1,631		$	(509	)	$	(2,519	)


(1)	The amounts from AOCI are reclassified as an increase to interest expense in the statements of operations.

In July 2017, we determined that we would repay $65,000,000 of outstanding borrowings under our unsecured term loan facility in August 2017. On August 3, 2017, such repayment occurred and we terminated three interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional value of $65,000,000. In connection with such termination, we reclassified $8,000 related to the associated interest rate swaps from accumulated other comprehensive income to interest expense on our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2017. In addition, we incurred a termination fee of $38,000, which is included in interest expense on our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2017.

In November 2017, we determined that we would repay $150,000,000 of outstanding borrowings under our unsecured term loan facility and on November 29, 2017, such repayment occurred and we terminated four interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional value of $150,000,000. In connection with such termination, we reclassified $926,000 related to the associated interest rate swaps from accumulated other comprehensive income to interest expense on our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2017. Such swaps were in the money at the time of their termination and we received termination payments, net of fees, of $1,011,000, which are included in interest expense on our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2017.

We performed an analysis of the probability of the hedged forecasted transaction and whether, in light of the two swap terminations described above, it is still probable of occurring. Based on our analysis and the circumstances giving rise to the two swap terminations during 2017, we believe that the hedged forecasted transaction is still probable.

Future Reclassifications from AOCI

We estimate that $8,000 related to our derivatives designated as cash flow hedges will be reclassified out of AOCI as a decrease to interest expense during the next twelve months.