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Federal Realty Investment Trust

frt · NYSE Real Estate
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Ticker frt
Exchange NYSE
Sector Real Estate
Industry REIT - Retail
Employees 201-500
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FY2016 Annual Report · Federal Realty Investment Trust
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FEDERAL REALTY 

2016

ANNUAL REPORT

DEAR  
SHAREHOLDERS,

2016 was an uncertain and volatile time to 

be invested in a great many businesses in 

the United States and around the world and 

retail real estate was certainly among them. 

The many impacts of the changing consumer 

that we’ve spoken about over the past several 

years seemed to accelerate in 2016 and 

were joined by new uncertainties whose 

impacts continue to be evaluated. These 

uncertainties included a newly promulgated 

and separate investing classification for equity 

real estate investment trusts that took effect 

last September, the post-election specter of 

rising interest rates and federal tax reform 

that have taken on a sense of inevitability, and 

the clear evidence that at least some portion 

of the commercial real estate available for 

lease in this country is obsolete. All of these 

factors conspired to create confusion and 

uncertainty among debt and equity REIT 

investors. Accordingly, REIT shares largely 

underperformed the broader market in 2016 

and Federal Realty was no exception.

FEDERAL REALTY  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2016 ■That is the environment that we continue to operate 

incremental demand to pay for the incremental 

in during the first few months of 2017 as we navigate 

investment. Demand needs to exceed supply in order 

that uncertainty. It was with that macro environment 

for the increased investment to be economically 

and economic backdrop that Federal Realty chalked 

justified and, in a country as “over-retailed” as the 

up the following milestones in 2016:  

United States (no major country has more retail space 

■■ We grew our total revenue 7.7% to a record $802 
million through higher rents and newly developed 
and acquired real estate placed in service. 

per capita), that’s no easy feat. In light of Federal 

Realty’s 55-year history, we are convinced that there 

is simply no better yardstick of a successful shopping 

center, office building, apartment building, or hotel than 

■■ We grew net income available for common 

a great location, one in which there are at least two 

shareholders by $40 million to a record $249 million.

■■ We produced funds from operations (FFO) of  

$406 million, resulting in FFO per share growth  
of 6.2% to a record $5.65 per share.(1) (2)

■■ We raised $566 million of low-cost and flexible 

long-term capital, including the issuance of 30-year 
unsecured notes at an effective interest rate of 
3.75%, a REIT record.

potential tenants competing for one space. And, while 

great locations are often determined and impacted by 

very specific local nuances and judgment, quantifiable 

demographic measures such as population density, 

income levels, education levels, and most importantly, 

barriers to entry remain proven mitigants to errors 

in that judgment. Federal Realty’s portfolio of retail 

real estate properties leads all major public company 

competitors in each of these measures. With our real 

■■ We invested a record $456 million in the new 

estate locations and our commitment to and vision of 

development and improvement of our long-held 
properties to position that real estate for years  
and decades to come.

■■ We increased our dividend to shareholders to an 
annual rate of $3.92 per share; a REIT-record  
49th consecutive year of dividend increases.

A PORTFOLIO BUILT FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES ■

investing for the future, Federal Realty is a company 

and a portfolio built for these uncertain times. 

THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE  
IS TO INVENT IT ■

Years back, at the onset of planning, entitlement and 

then construction for our multi-phased Assembly Row 

and Pike & Rose developments, we thought about 

Today, increased investment in retail destinations is not 

the ways to express our confidence in the direction 

a nice thing to do, it’s a necessary thing to do to best 

we believed was the future of retail real estate. “The 

position real estate for relevance among consumers 

best way to predict the future is to invent it” became 

in the years and decades to come. Investment in a 

our mantra as the company aimed to improve all of 

great mix of the merchants of tomorrow, not those 

our shopping centers and mixed-use development 

whose business plans are antiquated and ineffective. 

communities to better serve the changing consumer 

Investment in greater-valued amenities and gathering 

habits and service levels—in shopping, living, and 

spots for consumers to meet their needs and enjoy their 

playing—that were becoming increasingly obvious. 

lives. Investment in enhanced services and connectivity 

Our most visible investments in this regard were the 

so important to today’s consumers. 

You might think that increased investment is obvious 

and that everyone in our business must be doing it, 

but here’s the catch: Increasing investment in retail 

newly developed Assembly Row and Pike & Rose 

neighborhoods on the East Coast along with our 

continued expansion of Santana Row and Plaza  

El Segundo on the West Coast. 

centers that are not in great retail locations is often 

But this mantra goes much deeper than just those high-

uneconomical. In terms of value creation, it’s like 

profile projects; it encapsulates all of our properties 

throwing money away because there is not enough 

and all of our thinking. At properties as diverse as 

Willow Lawn in Richmond, Virginia; Tower Shops 
in Davie, Florida; Mercer Mall in Lawrenceville, New 
Jersey; and dozens of others, the transformation of very 
well-located shopping centers into retail destinations 
with the right merchants, amenities, and services 
for the next decade (not next month) is obvious and 
rewarding. We will continue that laser-like focus in 
2017 and beyond. The real estate value being created 
with this long-term vision is clear and measurable 
only because it is being deployed at great real estate 
locations. We have invested in excess of $1 billion in 
the past several years toward the development and 
redevelopment of destinations that are sure to become, 
and remain, relevant and dominant in their respective 
markets for years and decades to come. 

In Somerville, Massachusetts, the first investments at 
Assembly Row are thriving, and the property is now 
home to over 3,400 Partners Healthcare employees 
(the largest employer in Massachusetts) and over 60 
retailers, restaurants, and entertainment uses. The 
strong economic expansion in the greater Boston area 
provides a gentle tailwind toward the achievement of 
our goals at Assembly. 2017 will be an important year 
here as we prepare to deliver 38 additional retailers, 
447 luxury apartments, 122 condominiums, and a 
159-room boutique hotel later this year and into next. 
Assembly Row has been named Greater Boston’s 
Neighborhood of the Year two years running and 
we’re just getting started. Even after this latest phase 
is fully leased and occupied, we have the right (and 
the space) to add an additional 2 million square feet 
of commercial space and 826 additional residential 
units. Upon its ultimate completion, Assembly Row will 
rival some of the most innovative and forward-thinking 
neighborhoods in the United States.

In San Jose, California, Santana Row simply gets 
stronger and stronger as we continue a decade-long 
expansion program that capitalizes on the unique 
retail environment that we’ve created with additional 
living and working options. In December 2016, 
data-mining leader Splunk, Inc., took occupancy 
of our $113 million office building investment 
at the property, further validating Santana Row 
as a premier office destination in Silicon Valley. 
The daytime office traffic helps the retailers and 

hotel alike, and gives us the confidence to begin 
our next office development on the site. That 
building, a 313,000-square-foot, $210 million jewel 
anchoring one end of Santana Row, is scheduled 
to be delivered in 2019. We’ve learned a ton about 
consumer preferences and priorities through the 
development and operation of Santana Row over the 
past 15 years and are implementing facets of that 
knowledge throughout our entire portfolio.

OUR MANTRA BECAME: 
THE BEST WAY 
TO PREDICT 
THE FUTURE IS 
TO INVENT IT. 

At Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland, the 
headwinds of excessive residential product in the 
marketplace at the time of our lease-up has created 
pressure on our initial returns, but, similar to Assembly 
and Santana, Pike & Rose is fast becoming the next new 
and exciting neighborhood in Montgomery County. The 
green rooftops, the free Wi-Fi service, the comfortable 
meeting places, and the progressive design all combine 
to create an environment that’s right for the community. 
Our first phase—which includes 23 retail, restaurant, and 
entertainment offerings; nearly 500 luxury apartments; 
and 80,000 square feet of office space—is all over 95% 
leased. The $260 million next phase of Pike & Rose will 
begin delivering more than 20 additional retailers and 
restaurants, 272 luxury apartments, 99 condominiums, 
and a 177-room boutique hotel by Hilton later this year 
and the next. 2017 and 2018 will indeed be important 
years at Pike & Rose.

FEDERAL REALTY  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2016 ■Investing in both new and existing assets in our 
portfolio is fundamental to who we are and central to 
our belief that retail real estate–based landlords need 
to step up their game in an increasingly changing and 
increasingly competitive landscape. After all, the best 
way to predict the future is to invent it.

A BALANCE SHEET AND A TEAM THAT  
CAN EXECUTE ON THE VISIONS ■

It’s one thing to have a clear vision as to the future of 
our industry and the strong basic real estate locations 
on which to deploy that vision. But it’s quite another 
to have both the financial and human resources to be 
able to execute on that vision. Over the last five years, 
we have invested more than $325 million annually in 
development, redevelopment, and investment in our 
properties and another $475 million in real estate 
acquisitions. We have financed that requirement with 
approximately $1 billion in equity, $700 million in 
30-year unsecured notes at a blended rate of 4.2%, 
$150 million in asset sales, and free cash flow. 
Consider that over that period, we have:

■■ Achieved an “A-” rating from both Moody’s and 
Standard & Poor’s—one of only four REITS able  
to say that

■■ Lengthened the average maturity date of our 

overall debt portfolio to 2027 (10 years)

■■ Maintained or improved our key debt ratios— 
net debt to EBITDA in the 5.3x–5.5x range  
and fixed charge coverage to 4.5x

■■ Increased our line of credit capacity to  
$800 million (though no balance was  
outstanding at year-end 2016)

■■ Produced funds from operations (FFO) per share at  
a compounded annual growth rate in excess of 7%(1) 

■■ Increased dividends per share each and every year 
at a compound annual growth rate of over 7% (not 
to mention that we have increased dividends per 
share each and every year since 1967—the only 

REIT able to say that)

That stability and consistency bodes well for our 
future. And when considered in conjunction with the 
experienced, committed, and deep team that is the 
essence of Federal Realty—a senior team with an 
average of 25 years of experience in the real estate 
industry and an average 14 years at Federal Realty—
we know that we are well positioned and well suited 
to be the leading name in retail-based real estate 
destinations for years and decades to come. It is to 
this team that I owe a huge debt of gratitude.

Finally, those shareholders who have supported the 
Company for some time will recognize the name of 
Kristin Gamble, our longest-serving Trustee and the 
President of Flood Gamble Associates. Kristin will be 
retiring as a Trustee this May, and along with the rest 
of the Board, I am going to miss her terribly. Kristin’s 
wisdom and insight in executing her role over the 
past 20-plus years has been matched only by her 
unwavering commitment to safeguard the shareholders 
of Federal Realty, as well as by the graciousness, 
class, and style in which she went about it. Thank you, 
Kristin, for a job well done. Separately, we welcome 
Liz Holland, Chief Executive Officer of Chicago-based 
developer Abbell Associates and current Chair of 
the International Council of Shopping Centers, to our 
Board of Trustees and look forward to her knowledge 
of our industry, her professionalism, and her counsel in 
the months and years ahead.

On behalf of our Board of Trustees and our entire 
team, I thank you for your support of Federal Realty  
to date and look forward to being an important part  
of your investment portfolio for years to come.

Respectfully,

DONALD C. WOOD

President & Chief Executive Officer

(1) 

(2) 

 FFO is a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure of real estate companies’ operating performance—see discussion of calculation and reconciliation in Item 7 
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation” in our Form 10-K. 
  Calculation excludes a $19.1 million early extinguishment of debt charge in 2015.

 INDUSTRY-LEADING 

 CONSISTENCY

$3.92*

$0.12*

1967

*Annualized Dividends

2016

REAL ESTATE ASSETS

(at cost, in millions)
(as of December 31)

RENTAL INCOME

(in millions)

$6,759

$6,064

$787

$728

$5,609

$5,149

$4,780

$4,426

$666

$620

$580

$537

PROPERTY 
OPERATING INCOME(1)

(in millions)

$548

$511

$474

$447

$427

$381

2011
2011

2012
2012

2013
2013

2014
2014

2015
2015

2016

2016

2011

2011

2012

2012

2013

2013

2014

2014

2015
2015

2016
2016

2011
2011

2012
2012

2013
2013

2014
2014

2015
2015

2016
2016

Note: (1) See discussion of calculation in Item 6 “Selected Financial Data” in our Form 10-K

FEDERAL REALTY  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2016 ■FORM 10-K 

The Form 10-K includes the  

Section 302 certifications filed with 

the SEC. Certain exhibits to the 

Form 10-K are not reproduced here, 

but the Trust will provide them  

to you upon request, addressed to:  

Federal Realty Investment Trust,  

1626 East Jefferson Street, 

Rockville, MD 20852, Attention: 

Leah Andress, and payment of a 

fee covering the Trust’s reasonable 

expenses for copying and mailing.

CORPORATE 
INFORMATION

CORPORATE OFFICE

1626 East Jefferson Street
Rockville, MD 20852-4041
301.998.8100

GENERAL COUNSEL

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Washington, DC

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED  
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Grant Thornton LLP
Arlington, VA

TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
6201 15th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11219
718.921.8200
800.937.5449
www.amstock.com

COMMON STOCK LISTING

New York Stock Exchange
Symbol: FRT

MEMBERSHIPS

International Council of Shopping Centers
National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts
Urban Land Institute

ANNUAL MEETING

Federal Realty Investment Trust will hold its Annual Shareholder  
Meeting at 10 a.m. on May 3, 2017, at AMP by Strathmore,  
11810 Grand Park Avenue, North Bethesda, MD.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The Trust’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters  
for the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the  
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are available 
in the Investors section of our website at www.federalrealty.com.

AUTOMATIC CASH INVESTMENT AND  
DIRECT DEPOSIT

Federal Realty offers automatic cash investment, the option to  
automatically withdraw funds from a checking/savings or other 
bank account to purchase additional shares of FRT on the 1st and 
15th of each month. Federal Realty also offers shareholders the 
option to directly deposit their dividends. To sign up for automatic 
cash investment or direct deposit, please call 800.937.5449 or  
visit www.amstock.com. 

INTERNET 
www.federalrealty.com

Visitors to the site can search for and download Securities and  
Exchange Commission filings, review Federal Realty’s Dividend 
Reinvestment Plan, obtain current stock quotes, read recent press 
releases, and see a listing of our properties and the properties’  
respective websites. Printed materials and email news alerts can  
also be requested. 

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT

You may communicate directly with Federal Realty’s Investor  
Relations department via telephone at 800.658.8980 or by  
email at IR@federalrealty.com.

FEDERAL REALTY  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2016 ■LOCATIONS

Corporate Headquarters

1626 East Jefferson Street
Rockville, MD 20852
301.998.8100

Regional Offices
BOSTON

450 Artisan Way
Suite 320
Somerville, MA 02145
617.684.1500

LOS ANGELES

710-B South Allied Way
El Segundo, CA 90245
310.414.5280

PHILADELPHIA

50 East Wynnewood Road
Suite 200
Wynnewood, PA 19096
610.896.5870

SAN JOSE

356 Santana Row
Suite 1005
San Jose, CA 95128
408.551.4600

federalrealty.com