Quarterlytics / Real Estate / REIT - Industrial / Prologis / FY2014 Annual Report

Prologis
Annual Report 2014

PLD · NYSE Real Estate
Claim this profile
Ticker PLD
Exchange NYSE
Sector Real Estate
Industry REIT - Industrial
Employees 1001-5000
← All annual reports
FY2014 Annual Report · Prologis
Loading PDF…
2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

Global leadership in 
industrial real estate gives 
Prologis the broad scale 
and deep expertise to drive 
profitable growth.

Scale + 
depth = 
growth

Global leadership in industrial real estate 
gives Prologis the broad scale and deep 
expertise to drive profitable growth.

2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

Global  
reach
We connect customers with consumers across 
countries comprising 70+ percent of the 
world’s GDP.

Premier  
locations
Our facilities serve the world’s most important 
centers of commerce.

Innovative  
solutions
For 30 years we have pioneered cutting-edge 
design, delivered value through innovation, and 
defined best practices for the industry.

Local  
expertise
We match global scale with local strength by 
putting the right people in the right places.

Leadership
Our leadership’s commitment to excellence is 
unwavering.

2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

Global 
reach

We connect customers with consumers 
across countries comprising 70+ percent of 
the world’s GDP.

Growth trends

We invest at the confluence of four drivers 
of global growth: population, consumption, 
e-commerce and urbanization. Our scale 
and reach make us the preferred choice for 
customers and investors alike.

Major markets

We serve some of the world’s largest companies  
in the world’s most prosperous trade-linked 
markets. Our properties enable the borderless 
flow of goods, positioning us to realize the 
highest risk-adjusted returns—well ahead of 
the competition.

Asia
69 buildings
45 MSF
$6.5B AUM

Europe
660 buildings
167 MSF
$13.3B AUM

Americas
2,124 buildings
378 MSF
$33.0B AUM

1

Premier 
locations

Our facilities serve the world’s most 
important centers of commerce.

2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

Advantaged access

Our 2,900 high-quality facilities serve global 
trade locally. We operate within easy reach of 
the world’s most vibrant centers of commerce 
where per-capita consumption is high or 
growing and commercial infrastructure is 
robust—with major seaports, airports and 
ground transportation nearby.

Positioned for growth

Our locations allow us to benefit from 
increasing urbanization, rising affluence and a 
scarcity of Class-A logistics facilities.

2

2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

Innovative 
solutions

For 30 years we have pioneered cutting-
edge design, delivered value through 
innovation and defined best practices for 
the industry.

Sustainable design

This is not your average warehouse. We lead 
the industry in renewable energy, technology-
driven operational platforms, efficient lighting 
and cooling systems, sustainable water 
strategies and seismic isolators. We design 
all of our new developments to comply with 
sustainable certification standards.

Insightful business practices

Our eleven co-investment ventures allow us 
to align with investors and partners and to tap 
public and private capital while mitigating the 
risk of foreign currency movements. These 
innovations are not only good for the bottom 
line. They’re sustainable.

3

2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

Local 
expertise

We match global scale with local strength by 
putting the right people in the right places.

Surpassing professionalism

We have a deep organization staffed by the very 
best professionals in the industry. We know our 
customers and competitors, work closely with 
local government officials, understand geographic 
nuances and deliver innovative solutions.

Speed and flexibility

In-market strength enables us to quickly 
identify local opportunities and execute 
profitably. Meanwhile, bigger scale and better 
systems allow us to flex and serve even the 
most complex global customers.

4

2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

Leadership

Our leadership’s commitment to excellence 
is unwavering.

Mindful management

Our actions are guided by a three-part long-
term plan that entails capitalizing on recovering 
rents, extracting value by putting land to work, 
and leveraging our scale for profitable growth.

In order of appearance from left to right:
Gary E. Anderson, Diana L. Scott, Michael S. Curless, 
Hamid R. Moghadam, Thomas S. Olinger, Edward S. Nekritz, 
Eugene F. Reilly

FFO (BASIC)
Per share (unit)

Thoughtful ambition

2013

2014

2012

0
2
1
$

.

6
7
1
$

.

8
7
1
$

.

Relative to the financial information, please see the 2014 Form 10-K.  
FFO per share/unit (basic) is a non-GAAP measurement. Please see the  
2014 Form 10-K for a discussion of FFO and a reconciliation for FFO to  
net earnings (loss).

We combine proven development and 
operating strategies, financial acumen, and a 
rigorous capital deployment process to deliver 
industry leading management of capital, 
customers and facilities. Simply put, we aim 
higher and deliver fully.

5

2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

 Shareholders  
 letter

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

Discussion with  
Hamid R. Moghadam 

WATCH VIDEO

Image: Hamid R. Moghadam, Chairman of the Board 
of Directors and Chief Executive Officer

6

In 2014, our financial results reflected strong performance across our three business lines. Earnings surpassed the top end of our guidance range, with core funds from operations growing from $1.65 per diluted share to $1.88 per diluted share, a 14% increase. This performance reflects the strength of our repositioned portfolio, which is focused on the highest-quality assets in the best markets around the world.ROADMAP FOR SUCCESSLast year, we introduced a new three-year strategic plan designed to support our long-term earnings growth. In just one year, we made significant progress by harvesting the gap between in place and market rents, putting our development expertise and land bank to work to serve the needs of our customers and leveraging our scale to drive growth and create value.Here are the results of our progress:Capitalizing on the Rental RecoveryWe identified and captured opportunities for increases in rents and took advantage of a strong, though somewhat uneven, improvement in market fundamentals. The Americas, Asia and certain parts of Europe exceeded our expectations while Southern, Central and Eastern Europe lagged. Overall, our global occupancy increased to 96.1% at year-end. For the year, rent change on rollover was 7.4%, which translated to our share of GAAP same store NOI growth of 3.7%.Our results in the U.S. underscore the quality of our assets and reflect the outstanding work of  our operations team. Our U.S. portfolio ended the year at 96.7% occupancy, outperforming the market  by 320 basis points. Demand was broad-based; at year-end occupancy in our Americas portfolio  exceeded 98% in roughly half of our markets. This occupancy, combined with double-digit rent  2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

“ We put $430 million of 
land to work in 2014.”

Image: Prologis Park, Nové Mesto, Slovakia

increases on rollovers, drove our share of GAAP same store NOI growth of approximately 5.3% in 
the U.S., a level not seen since before the downturn. Although the rate of new building deliveries is 
increasing, it continues to lag absorption. Net absorption in 2014 was right on forecast at double the 
rate of deliveries. For 2015, we expect completions of 170 million square feet against absorption of 
225 million square feet.

In Europe, our 95% occupancy outperformed the market by 210 basis points—a testament to the 
skills of our people and the quality of our locations and facilities. As we forecasted last year, cap rate 
compression was a mixed blessing as it drove strong appreciation for our assets while continuing 
to be a headwind to rent growth. Looking forward, we expect market occupancies in Europe to rise 
as supply remains constrained. Space utilization will continue to run at a high level and customers 
will need more space to support these incremental growth needs, just as they did in the U.S. two 
years ago. As a result, we expect to see an extended recovery and several years of favorable market 
conditions in this region.

In Asia, market conditions remained strong and operating results were on plan. We continue to see 
new space requirements from domestic retailers and e-commerce customers.

Realizing Value from Our Land Bank

Last year, we put our land to work in speculative and build-to-suit projects and monetized $430 million 
of land in development starts with an estimated overall profit margin of 20%. Demand for our facilities 
is driven by population growth, urbanization, macroeconomic changes and reconfiguration of the 
supply chain. Our approach was two-fold: meet the needs of our biggest global customers in our 
developed markets and serve customers in emerging markets that lack Class-A facilities.

Development stabilizations totaled more than $1.1 billion; our share of value creation was $236 million, 
or $0.47 per share. Though we are still early in a cycle of above-average development profits, our 
well-located land bank has an estimated build-out potential of approximately 180 million square feet or 
$10.7 billion at high returns on invested capital.

7

2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

We also continue to monetize our value-added conversion projects. 
This is a business that is unique to us. It benefits from our focused 
investment strategy and the dedication of a team that understands 
how to identify and unlock the intrinsic value in select infill assets. 
We believe this business will continue to produce meaningful 
gains and NAV appreciation as we convert some of our industrial 
properties to higher and better uses. Through February 2015, we 
have averaged approximately $50 million annually in gains from our 
value-add efforts over the last nine years.

$236 M

Using Our Scale to Grow Earnings

Our global reach makes it possible for us to deploy capital where we see the highest risk-adjusted 
returns. In the U.S., where market conditions were strong and values were high, we were a seller 
of non-strategic holdings. Conversely, in Europe our focus has been on third-party acquisitions—to 
illustrate, we deployed $1.2 billion to acquire quality assets in target markets at significant discounts  
to replacement cost. Timing here was critical as cap rates compressed throughout the year.

We deployed $3.1 billion of capital at cap rates that were 60 basis points higher than what we 
achieved on dispositions and contributions. This shift into higher-quality and higher-yielding assets 
improved earnings and upgraded our portfolio.

Our scale in existing markets allows us to grow with minimal incremental overhead. We have the 
capacity to take on $10 billion in overall assets in our existing markets with very small additions to 
G&A. Our global reach benefits our customers, who appreciate the streamlined approach of working 
with a single provider. We give our customers the flexibility to reconfigure their supply chains across 
diverse geographies, regardless of local market conditions.

8

Image above and below:  
Prologis location, Port Reading, New Jersey, US

2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

Image above: Prologis Park, Ichikawa, Japan 
Image below: Prologis Park, Narashino, Japan

Raised third-party 
Strategic Capital of

9
9

EXPANDING STRATEGIC CAPITALIn our strategic capital business, which comprises public and private co-investment ventures, we continued to have a well-primed investor queue with steady interest across our vehicles. We raised about $2.5 billion in third-party strategic capital during 2014 and now have approximately $20 billion in third-party assets under management. We are pleased that each of our funds outperformed its respective benchmark for all time segments since the merger in 2011. This outperformance gives us the  opportunity to continue to earn promoted interests  based on above-threshold returns in the future.Two landmark ventures in 2014 advanced our strategic capital franchise. First, we formed the Prologis U.S. Logistics Venture with Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM). This is our second venture with NBIM following the formation in 2013 of Prologis European Logistics Partners. Second, we completed a successful Initial Public Offering in Mexico. The FIBRA simplifies our structure and positions us for long-term growth in this important region. Perpetual-life vehicles now account for more than 90% of our strategic capital revenue.The significance of strategic capital goes well beyond financing our global expansion. Our co-investment ventures are a source of capital for investments and they provide incremental revenues through asset management and incentive fees. This in turn improves our shareholders’ return on invested capital and protects our earnings against fluctuations in foreign currency.2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

“ Our success will continue 
to be built on the pillars of  
capitalizing on the rental 
recovery, realizing  
value from our land bank 
and using our scale to 
grow earnings.”

Raised third-party 
Strategic Capital of

Image above: Prologis Headquarters, San Francisco, 
California, US

10

SOLIDIFYING OUR FINANCIAL POSITIONWe’ve worked to further fortify our balance sheet by enhancing liquidity and reducing currency exposure. Capping this significant effort, we completed more than $7 billion of capital markets activity in 2014. As a result, leverage declined to 36.5%, debt to adjusted EBITDA fell to 6.8 times and liquidity increased to $3.4 billion.We also took significant steps to minimize the impact of foreign currency exposure on our NAV and earnings. Specifically, we converted the majority of the net currency composition of our balance sheet to U.S. dollars. As a result, our U.S. dollar net equity exposure stood at 89% at year-end. Thanks to our improved operational metrics, including same store NOI and occupancy, as well as significant liquidity, we received two credit rating upgrades in 2014. Moody’s upgraded Prologis to Baa1 from Baa2 and Standard & Poor’s raised our corporate credit rating to BBB+ from BBB, both with a stable outlook. We’re proud of this achievement. We’re well on our way to building one of the best balance sheets in the real estate industry.LOOKING AHEADWe entered 2015 with a platform primed for growth. Our plan is straightforward and focuses on capitalizing on the rental recovery, putting our land bank, talent and capital to work to serve the needs of our customers, and leveraging our scale to drive growth and create value.With this approach, we can take full advantage of opportunities across the globe. We own the right properties in the right markets and our portfolio has never been better aligned to support our strategy. We have market-leading presence in key cities across four continents; this reach allows us to deploy 2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

capital profitably on multiple fronts. We have the financial capacity to carry out our plan, and we have 
protected our downside with a prudent capital structure and significant liquidity. We remain patient 
and disciplined.

Our long-range plan is supported by the insights and counsel of our board of directors. At Prologis’ 
2015 annual meeting of shareholders, D. Michael Steuert will retire from our board after 12 years of 
dedicated service. He has been a constant resource on our audit committee and we are grateful for 
his many contributions. In January, we welcomed David P. O’Connor as a new independent board 
member. David brings 25 years of expertise in real estate investments and capital markets to Prologis 
and we are pleased to have someone of his exceptional talent join our board.

I would like to recognize the incredible dedication of the talented people throughout our organization. 
Their passion, professionalism and commitment are a source of great pride, and they are the foundation 
of our success. I am honored also by the confidence and trust of our customers, investors and 
partners. We strive constantly to be worthy of that trust as we pursue our goals to deliver growth, 
performance and value.

Thank you,

Image above: Prologis Park, Douglas Hill, Atlanta, 
Georgia, U.S. Image below: Prologis Park, Inland 
Empire, California, US

Hamid R. Moghadam 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

11

2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

 Leadership

Senior Officers

HAMID R. MOGHADAM

Chairman of the Board of Directors and  
Chief Executive Officer

Click to read bio

EUGENE F. REILLY

Chief Executive Officer, The Americas

Click to read bio

GARY E. ANDERSON

THOMAS S. OLINGER

Chief Financial Officer

Click to read bio

MICHAEL S. CURLESS

Chief Investment Officer

Click to read bio

DIANA L. SCOTT

Chief Human Resources Officer

Chief Executive Officer, Europe and Asia

Click to read bio

Click to read bio

EDWARD S. NEKRITZ

Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel

Click to read bio

Image above: Prologis Corporate Headquarters, 
San Francisco, California, U.S. Image below: In order  
of appearance from left to right: Gary E. Anderson,  
Diana L. Scott, Michael S. Curless, Hamid R. Moghadam,  
Thomas S. Olinger, Edward S. Nekritz, Eugene F. Reilly

12
12

2014 Annual Report

SHAREHOLDERS LETTER 

LEADERSHIP 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAIRMAN’S VIDEO

“ Results in 2014 were 

tangible and compelling. 
Earnings surpassed the 
top end of our guidance 
range, with core funds 
from operations growing 
14% year-over-year.”

REVENUE SUMMARY
(in thousands)

FFO (BASIC)
Per share (unit)

FFO (DILUTED)
Per share/unit (diluted)

2012

2013

2014

2013

2014

2013

2014

2012

2012

8
1
5
,
0
6
9
,
1
$

6
8
4
,
0
5
7
,
1
$

7
8
7
,
0
6
7
,
1
$

0
2
.
1
$

6
7
.
1
$

8
7
.
1
$

9
1
.
1
$

3
7
.
1
$

5
7
.
1
$

Relative to the financial information, please see 
Prologis’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year 
ended December 31, 2014 (the “2014 Form 10-K”).

Relative to the financial information, please see the 
2014 Form 10-K. FFO per share/unit (basic) is a non-
GAAP measurement. Please see the 2014 Form 
10-K for a discussion of FFO and a reconciliation for 
FFO to net earnings (loss).

Relative to the financial information, please see 
the 2014 Form 10-K. FFO per share/unit (diluted) 
is a non-GAAP measurement. Please see the 
2014 Form 10-K for a discussion of FFO and a 
reconciliation of FFO to net earnings (loss).

EARNINGS
Per share (basic)

DIVIDENDS
(Per common share/unit)

Image: Prologis Park, Redlands, CA

2014

4
2
.
1
$

2013

5
6

.
0
$

8
.1
0
-
$

2012

2014

2012

2013

2
1
.
1
$

2
1
.
1
$

2
3
.
1
$

Relative to the financial information, please see the 
2014 Form 10-K.

Relative to the financial information, please see the 
2014 Form 10-K.

Please see the 2014 Form 10-K and our 4Q14 earnings supplemental for definitions and reconciliations of non-GAAP measurements, such as Core FFO, GAAP same 
store NOI and adjusted EBITDA. Regarding securities ratings presented, such ratings are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold securities and are subject to 
revision or withdrawal at any time by the rating organizations. 

13
13