Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Guidance Adopted

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting ("ASU 2016-09"). ASU 2016-09 identifies areas for simplification of accounting for share-based payment transactions. ASU 2016-09 allows an entity to make an accounting policy election to either (1) recognize forfeitures as they occur or (2) continue to estimate the number of awards expected to be forfeited. The Company elected to account for forfeitures of share-based payments as they occur. As the amount of the retrospective adjustment was nominal, the Company elected not to record the change. See Note 13 for further information on the adoption of this guidance. The guidance also requires that when an employer withholds shares upon the vesting of restricted shares for the purpose of meeting tax withholding requirements, that the cash paid for withholding taxes is classified as a financing activity on the statement of cash flows. The Company previously included these amounts within operating activities. For public companies, ASU 2016-09 was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 including interim periods within that reporting period and was to be applied on a modified retrospective basis as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the date of adoption. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 as of January 1, 2017 and it did not have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The change in the Company's condensed consolidated statements of cash flows related to the prior-year periods is as follows:



	Three Months Ended
	March 31,			June 30,			September 30,			December 31,
	2016
Net cash provided by operating activities ⁽¹⁾	$	85,777		$	128,384		$	125,464		$	128,954
Reclassification of cash payments for withheld shares	202			87			(69		)	60
Net cash provided by operating activities ⁽²⁾	$	85,979		$	128,471		$	125,395		$	129,014

Net cash used in financing activities ⁽¹⁾	$	(95,505	)	$	(162,774	)	$	(89,447	)	$	(137,348	)
Reclassification of cash payments for withheld shares	(202		)	(87		)	69			(60		)
Net cash used in financing activities ⁽²⁾	$	(95,707	)	$	(162,861	)	$	(89,378	)	$	(137,408	)


(1)	Prior to adoption of ASU 2016-09.


(2)	Subsequent to adoption of ASU 2016-09.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-17, Interests Held Through Related Parties That Are under Common Control, ("ASU 2016-17") which amended the consolidation guidance in ASU 2015-02, Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis ("ASU 2015-02"), to change how a reporting entity that is a single decision maker of a VIE should consider indirect interests in a VIE held through related parties that are under common control with the entity when determining whether it is the primary beneficiary of the VIE. ASU 2016-17 simplifies the analysis to require consideration of only an entity's proportionate indirect interest in a VIE held through a party under common control. For public companies, ASU 2016-17 was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 including interim periods therein. The guidance was applied retrospectively to all periods in fiscal year 2016, which is the period in which ASU 2015-02 was adopted by the Company. The Company adopted ASU 2016-17 as of January 1, 2017 and it did not have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Clarifying the Definition of a Business, ("ASU 2017-01"), which provides a more narrow definition of a business to be used in determining the accounting treatment of an acquisition. Under ASC 805, Business Combinations, the Company generally accounted for acquisitions of shopping center properties as acquisitions of a business. Under ASU 2017-01, more acquisitions are expected to be accounted for as acquisitions of assets. Transaction costs for asset acquisitions are capitalized while those related to business acquisitions are expensed. For public companies, ASU 2017-01 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods therein and is to be applied prospectively to any transactions occurring within the period of adoption. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2017-01 as of January 1, 2017. The Company expects most of its future acquisitions of shopping center properties will be accounted for as acquisitions of assets in accordance with the guidance in ASU 2017-01.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-03, Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to Staff Announcements at the September 22, 2016 and November 17, 2016 EITF Meetings, ("ASU 2017-03"), which provides guidance related to the disclosure of the potential impact that the adoption of ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASU 2014-09"); ASU 2016-02, Leases ("ASU 2016-02") and ASU 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ("ASU 2016-13") could have on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements. ASU 2017-03 was effective upon issuance and the Company has incorporated this guidance within its current disclosures.

Accounting Guidance Not Yet Effective

In May 2014, the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board jointly issued ASU 2014-09. The objective of this converged standard is to enable financial statement users to better understand and analyze revenue by replacing current transaction and industry-specific guidance with a more principles-based approach to revenue recognition. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance also requires additional disclosure about the nature, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts. ASU 2014-09 applies to all contracts with customers except those that are within the scope of other guidance such as lease and insurance contracts. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Deferral of the Effective Date, ("ASU 2015-14") which allows an additional one year deferral of ASU 2014-09. As a result, ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those years using one of two retrospective application methods. Early adoption would be permitted only for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those years. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net) ("ASU 2016-08"). The guidance in ASU 2016-08 clarifies the implementation of ASU 2014-09 on principal versus agent consideration and has the same effective date as ASU 2014-09, as deferred by ASU 2015-14. During the quarter ended June 30, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, ASU 2016-11, Rescission of SEC Guidance Because of Accounting Standards Updates 2014-09 and 2014-16 Pursuant to Staff Announcements at the March 3, 2016 EITF Meeting, and ASU 2016-12, Narrow Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients. In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. These amendments are intended to improve and clarify the implementation guidance of ASU 2014-09 and have the same effective date as ASU 2014-09, as deferred by ASU 2015-14. As the majority of the Company's revenue is derived from real estate lease contracts, the Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements. The Company expects to adopt the guidance using the modified retrospective approach, which requires a cumulative effect adjustment as of the date of the Company's adoption, which will be January 1, 2018.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02. The objective of ASU 2016-02 is to increase transparency and comparability by recognizing lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. Under ASU 2016-02, lessees will be required to recognize a right-of-use asset and corresponding lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms greater than 12 months. The guidance applied by a lessor under ASU 2016-02 is substantially similar to existing GAAP. For public companies, ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted. Lessees and lessors are required to use a modified retrospective transition method for all leases existing at, or entered into after, the date of initial application. Accordingly, they would apply the new accounting model for the earliest year presented in the financial statements. A number of practical expedients may also be elected. Under the new guidance, common area maintenance recoveries must be accounted for as a non-lease component. The Company is evaluating whether the bifurcation of common area maintenance will affect the timing or recognition of certain lease revenues. Also, only direct leasing costs may be capitalized under ASU 2016-02. Current guidance also allows the capitalization of indirect leasing costs. Additionally, the Company is analyzing its current ground lease obligations under ASU 2016-02. The Company has done a preliminary assessment and continues to evaluate the potential impact the guidance may have on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures and will adopt ASU 2016-02 as of January 1, 2019.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13. The objective of ASU 2016-13 is to provide financial statement users with information about expected credit losses on financial assets and other commitments to extend credit by a reporting entity. The guidance replaces the current incurred loss impairment model, which reflects credit events, with a current expected credit loss model, which recognizes an allowance for credit losses based on an entity's estimate of contractual cash flows not expected to be collected. For public companies that are SEC filers, ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The guidance is to be applied on a modified retrospective basis. The Company plans to adopt ASU 2016-13 as of January 1, 2020 and is evaluating the impact that this update may have on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments ("ASU 2016-15"). The objective of ASU 2016-15 is to reduce diversity in practice in the classification of certain items in the statement of cash flows, including the classification of distributions received from equity method investees. For public companies, ASU 2016-15 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The guidance is to be applied on a retrospective basis. The Company plans to adopt ASU 2016-15 as of January 1, 2018 and does not expect the guidance to have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Restricted Cash, ("ASU 2016-18") to address diversity in practice related to the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash. The update requires a reporting entity to explain the change in the total of cash, cash equivalents and amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts on the statement of cash flows. For public companies, ASU 2016-18 is effective on a retrospective basis for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods therein. Early adoption is permitted. The Company plans to adopt the update as of January 1, 2018 and does not expect ASU 2016-18 to have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-05, Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets ("ASU 2017-05"), which will apply to the partial sale or transfer of nonfinancial assets, including real estate assets, to unconsolidated joint ventures. ASU 2017-05 requires 100% of the gain or loss to be recognized for nonfinancial assets transferred to an unconsolidated joint venture and any noncontrolling interest received in such nonfinancial assets to be measured at fair value. ASU 2017-05 has the same effective date as ASU 2014-09, as deferred by ASU 2015-14, and is effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. ASU 2017-05 is to be applied using either a full or modified retrospective transition method. This adjustment will (1) mark investments in unconsolidated joint ventures to fair value as of the date of contribution to the unconsolidated joint ventures, and (2) recognize the remainder of the gain or loss associated with transferring the assets to the unconsolidated joint venture. The Company is in the process of determining which method to use for the application of this guidance and is identifying transactions related to the partial sale of real estate assets in prior periods that it expects the guidance in ASU 2017-05 will impact. The Company expects the application of this guidance will result in higher gains due to the requirement to recognize 100% of the gain on the sale of the partial interest and record the retained noncontrolling interest at fair value.