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W. P. Carey

wpc · NYSE Real Estate
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Ticker wpc
Exchange NYSE
Sector Real Estate
Industry REIT - Diversified
Employees 51-200
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FY2016 Annual Report · W. P. Carey
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2016 Annual Report

Investing for the long run™

Creating long-term value through diversity

Dear Fellow Investors,

Diverse Real  
Estate Portfolio

Diverse Sources 
of Capital

W. P. Carey Inc.
(NYSE: WPC)

Diverse Geographic 
Footprint and Opportunity 
in US and Europe

2016 was a year of advancement for W. P. Carey, building on our more than 40-year 
history of Investing for the Long Run and maintaining our focus on delivering superior 
risk-adjusted returns for shareholders. In the short span of one year, we made 
significant progress in several key areas of our business designed to better position us 
for sustainable, long-term growth: We enhanced the quality of our real estate portfolio, 
further transitioned our business toward higher quality revenue streams, continued 
to strengthen and add flexibility to our balance sheet, and implemented sustainable 
expense reductions. 

I am pleased to report that within the context of these initiatives, we have increased 
both our AFFO and dividends while maintaining a conservative payout ratio, generating 
AFFO of $5.12 per diluted share and declaring distributions totaling $3.93 per share. As 
we have since our inception, we continue to focus on generating durable and recurring 
income streams, which we believe is a critical component of creating shareholder value.

Founded in 1973, publicly traded since 1998 and a REIT since 2012, W. P. Carey has 
delivered attractive returns to our stakeholders for more than four decades. In 2017,  
we will continue our transformation to a net lease REIT by focusing on increased higher-
quality revenues and ongoing operational efficiencies. Guided by our cycle-tested, risk 
management-driven portfolio strategy, we will continue to capitalize on new  
opportunities, grow the value of our portfolio and improve the quality of our earnings. 
As always, we will do so within the framework of our long-term perspective, which has 
helped us successfully navigate various market cycles.  

2016 was an unusually active year for capital recycling at W. P. Carey as we sought 
to improve the value and income-generating strength of our diversified real estate 
portfolio through proactive asset management, selective dispositions and strategic 
investments. Total disposition volume was relatively high at $636 million, which was 
weighted toward residual risk assets with weak criticality, low renewal probability and  
a remaining weighted average lease term of four years.

On the acquisitions side, we completed approximately $544 million of on-balance 
sheet investments with a weighted average lease term of just over 20 years, extending 
the overall portfolio’s weighted average lease term to 9.7 years and improving both its 
criticality and overall quality. We have and will continue to focus on credit underwriting, 
asset criticality and real estate fundamentals while originating and negotiating leases 
with attractive risk-adjusted pricing. 

1%

We believe that a net lease real estate portfolio — where lease duration is long, 
typically 15 to 20 years — should be diversified across tenant, industry, asset class and 
geography to help insulate income generated by the portfolio during industry-specific 
downturns or geographic-specific events. Our diversified approach to new investments 
allows us to be opportunistic and generate incremental returns within acceptable  
risk parameters.  

The majority of our assets — including all of our 2016 investments — are sourced as 
sale-leaseback transactions. This is an important differentiator from other net lease REITs 
that buy existing leases in the secondary market and one that we believe yields several 
competitive advantages. With few buyers legitimately competing outside the 

“ In the short span of one year, 
we made significant progress 
in several key areas of our 
business designed to better 
position us for sustainable, 
long-term growth.”

99% of our leases have  
contractual rent increases, 
positioning us well for a potentially 
higher inflationary environment

43%

43%

1%

4%

4%

26%

26%

26%

R

e

R

e

n

t

E
s
c
a
l
a
t
io
26%
ns

n

t

E
s
c
a
l
a
t
io
ns

Uncapped CPI (43%)
CPI-based (26%)
Fixed (26%)
Other (4%)
None (1%)

Uncapped CPI (43%)
CPI-based (26%)
Fixed (26%)
Other (4%)
None (1%)

2016 Annual Report | 1

 
 
commodity segment of the net lease market, our 43-year track 
record of executing highly structured sale-leaseback transactions 
gives us a strong presence and a wider pool of opportunities.

As a result, we get increased access to senior management 
and information, allowing us to more thoroughly evaluate 
the tenant’s long-term prospects and understand specific 
transaction risks and merits. In addition, greater access to the 
real estate itself allows us to better determine its value, quality 
and criticality to the tenant.

Sourcing and structuring complex sale-leasebacks enable us 
to generate a significant cap rate premium relative to both 
the commodity segment of the net lease market and assets 
that trade on the secondary market. We are also able to 
structure more institutional quality leases with longer lease 
terms, improved financial covenants when warranted, greater 
downside protections based on the information gathered  
during underwriting and better rent escalations frequently tied 
to the Consumer Price Index. Entering what is anticipated to  
be a higher inflationary environment, we believe these 
escalations will lead to increased revenues and incremental 
value to our shareholders.  

Our platform affords us the advantage of deploying capital in 
both North America and Europe, investing where comparative 
risk-adjusted returns are most attractive and quickly shifting 
geographic focus as opportunities change. We have been 
doing business in Europe since 1998 with an investment team 
in London and asset management operations in Amsterdam. 
Investing internationally allows us to effectively compete for net 
lease transactions with companies that have an international 
footprint — as we did this year, acquiring properties from a 
tenant with operations in the US, Canada and Mexico.  

One of the biggest misperceptions of net lease investing is that 
assets do not need the level of management required by other 
real estate classes. However, I firmly believe that just as the 
underwriting and structuring of the lease create value, active 
management is required to maintain, and in many instances 
increase and harvest, that value. One of our primary initiatives 
continues to be improving the quality of our portfolio through 
acquisitions and proactive asset management by extending 
weighted average lease term and selectively selling assets 
to increase profitability and maintain a high occupancy rate, 
currently 99%.  

We review assets using the same criteria utilized when investing 
in those assets. We regularly evaluate tenant credit, ensure the 
leased assets have remained critical to the operations of the 
tenant and confirm tenant compliance with the lease terms. 

Our investment grade balance sheet offers strength and 
flexibility for our operations. The progress we have made in 
recent years continued in 2016 and in early 2017, including our 
US dollar-denominated bond issue in September 2016, our euro-
denominated bond issue in January 2017, and the renewal and 
upsizing of our credit facility in February 2017. As a result, we 
have increased our weighted average debt maturity and reduced 
balance sheet risk while lowering our weighted average interest 
rate and growing our unencumbered asset pool. 

Our access to the European debt market has also enabled us 
to increase the proportion of total debt denominated in euros, 
thereby increasing the natural hedge on our euro-denominated 
rents and further insulating NAV exposure to the euro.

Looking ahead, we see additional opportunities to replace 
mortgage debt with lower cost bond financing. As we grow 
our balance sheet through acquisitions, we expect our leverage 
metrics to remain at similar levels while improving our credit 
profile through the execution of our unsecured debt strategy. 
We will continue our path toward becoming a more frequent 
bond issuer in the unsecured markets over the long term, 
supported by regular investor outreach to further enhance the 
liquidity of our outstanding bonds and tighten their spreads. 

During 2016, we also activated and utilized our “at the 
market” program, issuing equity opportunistically and raising 
net proceeds of $84 million at attractive pricing relative to the 
investments we made during the year. 

While 95% of our 2016 AFFO was generated by on-balance 
sheet net lease assets, our Investment Management business 
also generated attractive and profitable revenue streams.  
Within this segment, the revenue mix continues to migrate  
away from one-time structuring fees and toward recurring  

asset management revenue streams, better positioning the 
company for stable growth over the long term.

As our business changes and we adapt to market conditions, 
we will continue to focus on cost efficiencies. In 2016, we 
executed on our cost-reduction plan, delivering a 20% decrease 
in general and administrative expenses compared with 2015. 
We expect these efficiencies to be sustainable and will continue 
to assess our overall cost structure with an eye toward making it 
as operationally efficient as possible.

During the year, we increased investor outreach and enhanced 
the supplemental information we provide our investors.  
I personally have spent a great deal of time meeting with our  
stakeholders, explaining the value of our platform, our track 
record investing in both North America and Europe, the 
evolution of our Investment Management business as we adapt 
to changes in the regulatory environment, the value embedded 
in our portfolio due to the structure of our leases and our  
future plans.  

Maximizing recurring revenues and sustainable cash flow is our 
primary goal. As investors understand and recognize our success 
in this effort, we believe their appreciation of the quality of our 
earnings and the value of our portfolio will continue to increase.  

In closing, I would like to acknowledge the service of our Chief 
Operating Officer, Thomas Zacharias, who, after 15 years with 
W. P. Carey, has decided to retire from the firm. He has been a 
loyal and valuable member of our team and, while he will be 
missed, has built a solid asset management team in New York 
and Amsterdam that is well-positioned for the future.

I also want to acknowledge the passing of one of our directors, 
Charles Parente, this past November. Chuck served as Chairman 
and member of the Audit Committee for more than 10 years 
and brought to our Board a deep knowledge of accounting 
matters, as well as extensive executive experience. He was a 
friend and mentor to me personally, and he is greatly missed.  

As part of our ongoing Board refreshment efforts, we saw 
the retirement of five directors, and we welcomed three new 
directors: Mark Alexander, Peter Farrell and Chris Niehaus. 
Each brings his own area of expertise, and we are fortunate 
to have individuals of this caliber join our Board. Along those 
lines, I want to thank our entire Board of Directors — past and 
present — for their support, as well as our shareholders and 
bondholders for their continued trust.  

Although I have been with W. P. Carey for more than a decade, 
serving as CFO and then Board member, after completing my 
first year as CEO, I am more appreciative than ever to work 
with a very talented senior management team, supported by 
dedicated employees whose efforts have enabled us to achieve 
our goals this past year and enter 2017 with confidence and 
momentum. Bill Carey always prided himself on surrounding 
himself with the “best and the brightest,” and I am certain that 
if he were here, he would feel that way today.

Mark J. DeCesaris
Chief Executive Officer

$3.96*


W. P. Carey’s Total Return Since Going Public in 1998

W. P. Carey’s Annualized Dividends

955% 

$1.65  


$1.73 


$1.96 


$2.44 


WPC

MSCI US
REIT Index

S&P
500

445% 

249% 

Total return from January 21, 1998 to February 28, 2017

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. 

*Record date of December 30, 2016

2 | W. P. Carey Inc.

2016 Annual Report | 3

Building on our 40+ year history of investing for the long run, we have grown our assets 
under management to more than $23 billion.* Founded in 1973, we have been publicly traded 
since 1998, a REIT since 2012 and a leading net lease investor for more than four decades.

2016 
Assets under 
management 
surpass $23 billion*

2014  
W. P. Carey merges with  
CPA®:16 – Global

Investment grade ratings from 
Moody’s and S&P 

Inaugural $500 million US bond 
issuance and $282 million public 
equity offering

2012 
W. P. Carey merges with 
CPA®:15 and becomes  
a publicly traded REIT

2009  
W. P. Carey Group closes  
$225 million New York Times  
sale-leaseback, providing  
capital when other sources  
were unavailable

1998  
CPA®:1-9 consolidate into  
Carey Diversified LLC and  
begin trading on the  
New York Stock Exchange

1999  
London Investment 
office opens

2002  
W. P. Carey completes  
$1 billion in sale-leaseback 
transactions

1973 
W. P. Carey & Co., Inc. founded 
by Wm. Polk Carey, pioneering 
retail offerings of pooled net 
lease assets to investors

1982  
Gibson Greeting Cards 
transaction marks the 
first use of sale-leaseback 
financing to fund an LBO

1979  
CPA® series 
of investment 
programs begins

1993  
Assets under 
management 
surpass $1 billion

2000  
Merger of Carey  
Diversified LLC and  
W. P. Carey & Co. Inc.  
creates W. P. Carey & Co.  
LLC (NYSE: WPC) 

2003  
Assets under 
management 
surpass $5 billion

2008  
Amsterdam Asset 
Management office 
opens; assets under 
management surpass 
$10 billion

W. P. Carey  
performance

n
r
u
t
e
R

l

a
t
o
T

S&P 500 Index

1970

1980

1990

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016 2017

1979/1980  
Silver bubble – 
Hunt Brothers /
Prime rate hits 21%

1990  
Persian 
Gulf crisis

2001  
9/11 attacks

2002/2003  
Enron / Tyco / WorldCom 
bankruptcies / Iraq invasion

1987  
Black Monday / 21% 
market drop

2000  
Technology 
bubble collapse

1973/1974  
Arab oil embargo /  
Franklin National 
Bank failure

4 | W. P. Carey Inc.

2009  
Housing 
bubble

2008  
US financial 
institutions 
failure

2010/2011  
European sovereign 
debt crisis / Global stock 
markets plummet

*Represents AUM of approximately $12.9 billion for the Managed Programs and enterprise value of approximately $10.5 billion for W. P. Carey.

2015  
Stock market 
sell-off

2016 Annual Report | 5

 
We remain focused on growing and improving the quality of our owned real estate 
portfolio while maintaining high occupancy rates with limited carrying costs and extending  
our weighted average lease term.

$659

million in annualized 
base rent

99%

annualized base rent 
from leases with 
built-in increases 

9.7

years

weighted average 
lease term 

903

net lease properties

6 | W. P. Carey Inc.

2016 Annual Report | 7

As of December 31, 2016

Executing on our portfolio strategy, a cycle-tested process founded on four key criteria,  
has allowed us to grow our real estate portfolio while maintaining its diversity and mitigating 
downside risk.

Proactively manage 
our portfolio

Apply the same four  
criteria to new acquisitions 
and dispositions

Evaluate capital recycling 
opportunities that maintain 
the diversity of our portfolio

The same four key criteria are applied to each acquisition and disposition:

Acquisitions

Our Portfolio

Four Key Criteria
•  Creditworthiness of the tenant
•  Criticality of asset to tenant’s business
•  Fundamental value of real estate
•  Transaction structure and pricing

1

3

4

Dispositions

29.9%

14.2%

15.6%

25.4%

Industrial (29.9%)
Office (25.4%)
Retail (15.6%)
Warehouse (14.2%)
Self-Storage (4.8%)
Other2 (10.1%)

2

Other includes ABR from tenants within the 
following property types: hotel, education 
facility, theater, net lease student housing 
and fitness facility.

Our recognized expertise in North America and Europe provides access to a more diverse,  
deeper and broader pool of investment opportunities. Our portfolio spans 19 countries  
and a range of property types and industries, allowing us to mitigate risk tied to any single  
region, property type or industry.

4.8%

10.1%

ational (3 3 . 9 % )

n
r
e
t
n

I

Property Type

United States
(66.1%)

United States (66.1%)
Germany (8.6%)
United Kingdom (4.8%)
Spain (4.1%)
Finland (2.8%)
Poland (2.5%)
The Netherlands (2.1%)
France (2.0%)
Canada (1.9%)
Australia (1.7%)
Other1 (3.4%)

Other includes assets in Norway, 
Austria, Hungary, Sweden, 
Belgium, Mexico, Thailand, 
Malaysia and Japan.

4.8%

10.1%

14.2%

29.9%

15.6%

25.4%

Industrial (29.9%)
Office (25.4%)
Retail (15.6%)
Warehouse (14.2%)
Self-Storage (4.8%)
Other2 (10.1%)

2

Other includes ABR from tenants within the 
following property types: hotel, education 
facility, theater, net lease student housing 
and fitness facility.

Wholesale (2.2%)
Business Services (1.8%)
Durable Consumer Goods (1.7%)
Aerospace and Defense (1.6%)
Grocery (1.6%)
Chemicals, Plastics and Rubber (1.5%)
Metals and Mining (1.3%)
Oil and Gas (1.2%)
Non-durable Consumer Goods (1.2%)
Telecommunications (1.1%)
Banking (1.1%)
Other4 (2.1%)

Geographic

ational (3 3 . 9 % )

n
r
e
t
n

I

United States
(66.1%)

Tenant Industry

1

United States (66.1%)
Germany (8.6%)
United Kingdom (4.8%)
Spain (4.1%)
Finland (2.8%)
Poland (2.5%)
The Netherlands (2.1%)
France (2.0%)
Canada (1.9%)
Australia (1.7%)
Retail Stores3 (16.8%)
Other1 (3.4%)
Consumer Services (10.4%)
Automotive (7.9%)
Other includes assets in Norway, 
Austria, Hungary, Sweden, 
Sovereign and Public Finance (5.7%)
Belgium, Mexico, Thailand, 
Construction and Building (5.5%)
Malaysia and Japan.
Hotel, Gaming and Leisure (5.3%)
High-Tech Industries (5.0%)
Beverage, Food and Tobacco (4.4%)
Cargo Transportation (4.2%)
Media: Advertising, Printing and Publishing (4.2%)
Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals (4.2%) 
Containers, Packaging and Glass (4.1%)
Capital Equipment (3.9%)

Retail Stores includes automotive dealerships. 

Other includes ABR from tenants in the following 
industries: insurance; electricity; media: broadcasting 
and subscription; forest products and paper; and
environmental industries. Also includes square footage 
for vacant properties.

8 | W. P. Carey Inc.

2016 Annual Report | 9

In the same way that underwriting and structuring of new net lease investments create  
value, proactive asset management is required to maximize value and identify recycling  
opportunities that further improve overall portfolio quality.

Consistent with our proactive management strategy of maximizing value and identifying capital 
recycling opportunities that allow us to improve portfolio quality, we completed $636 million of 
property dispositions in 2016.

Featured Dispositions

Amylin
Pharmaceuticals

Long-Term  
Evaluation of  
Tenant’s Business

•  Amylin was acquired  

by AstraZeneca, 
resulting in a major 
credit upgrade and 
increased value  
of remaining  
contractual rent

Market  
Considerations

•  Top life sciences  
market near  
cyclical peak 

•  Highest and best  
value required 
conversion to true  
lab space

Asset  
Criticality 

Asset  
Quality

Deal  
Structure 

Added  
Portfolio Value 

•  Acquisition by AstraZeneca 

eliminated need for  
two-building office and  
lab campus

•  Premier San Diego location 
but large capital investment 
required to convert to lab 
and provide competitive 
amenities

•  Low potential return  
on invested capex 
compared with sale

•  Change of control 

provisions and sublease 
consent rights in initial 
lease agreement led to 
credit upgrade, providing 
potential purchaser  
with three years of 
remaining cash flow  
backed by investment  
grade tenant 

•  Sale allowed W. P. Carey to  
exit asset at peak market  
pricing and avoid major  
capital investment 

•  Reinvested proceeds into  

long-term investment with  
risk/reward characteristics  
better aligned with  
W. P. Carey’s key criteria

Advanced  
Micro  
Devices  
(AMD)

•  AMD business changed 
substantially during 
lease term

•  Transitioned to an  
asset-light model, 
resulting in stronger 
tenant over time  
but evolving real  
estate needs

•  Strong Silicon Valley 
office market with 
attractive residential 
upside opportunity

•  AMD determined it could 
operate in a smaller office 
footprint; two-building 
office campus no longer 
critical for tenant’s business

•  High-quality real estate 
on large land parcel in 
Silicon Valley with flexible 
in-place zoning augmented 
disposition opportunity

•  Amended lease structure 
allowed W. P. Carey to 
facilitate sale to residential 
developer by eliminating 
renewal options, enabling 
earlier conversion to  
higher value use

•  Realized substantial upside  
of residential conversion  
while avoiding costly entitlement  
process and market risk

•  Transaction structure allowed  
W. P. Carey to control sale  
timing and recycle capital  
into long-term, critical  
industrial portfolio with  
capital gain deferred through  
a 1031 exchange

Kraft Foods  
Group Inc.

•  Kraft-Heinz merger  

•  Strong suburban  

led to shift in corporate 
real estate strategy  
and cost structure

office submarket, but 
tenant preferred urban 
office environment

•  Kraft-Heinz merger resulted 
in headquarter relocation 
to Pittsburgh; remaining 
Chicago employees  
moved to smaller  
footprint downtown

•  High-quality office  

•  Highly structured  

campus benefited from 
extensive recent  
renovation at tenant’s  
cost and substantially 
below-market rent

disposition accommodated 
three-party transaction, 
including substantial 
termination payment and 
sale to an owner-user

•  Deployed recycled capital  
into long-term investment  
while optimizing deal  
structure for tax efficiency

10 | W. P. Carey Inc.

2016 Annual Report | 11

Our 2016 investment activity continued to focus on the generation of higher quality,  
recurring income streams through the acquisition of assets leased on a long-term basis to  
creditworthy tenants where leases provide for contractual built-in rental escalations.

Applying our four key investment criteria, we recycled the capital generated by our portfolio 
dispositions into new investments that maintain the diversity of our portfolio while improving 
its overall quality.

Featured Investments

Long-Term  
Evaluation of  
Tenant’s Business

Market  
Considerations

Asset  
Criticality 

Asset  
Quality

Deal  
Structure 

Added  
Portfolio Value 

ABC Group 
Properties: 14 
Location: US, Canada, 
Mexico (3 US states)
Lease Term: 20 years
Purchase Price: $141 million
Escalations: CPI based
Size: 2,400,000 sq. ft.

•  Industry-leading 
thermoplastic 
automotive supplier 
backed by established 
private equity firm

•  Strong, vertically 

integrated business with 
plans for further growth 
and diversification

•  Majority of  

Canadian properties 
located in the greater 
Toronto area; a  
market with high  
barriers to entry for  
new developments

•  Growing auto  

parts manufacturing 
industry 

•  2.4 million square feet 
of vertically integrated 
manufacturing facilities 
representing the majority 
of ABC’s North American 
footprint, including 
headquarters, polymer 
production and machine 
tooling facilities

•  Advanced manufacturing 
facilities equipped with  
full-scale, in-house 
equipment, benefiting  
from significant recent 
tenant investment 

•  Three long-term USD  

net leases with built-in  
rent growth

•  Cross-defaulted master 

leases by country, limiting 
exposure in the event  
of bankruptcy

•  Purchased using proceeds  
redeployed from the sale  
of an aging portfolio of  
properties into critical assets  
leased to a strong tenant  
on a long-term basis

•  In turn, W. P. Carey improved  
its weighted average lease  
term and overall risk profile

Nord Anglia  
Properties: 3 
Location: US (FL and TX) 
Lease Term: 25 years  
Purchase Price and  
Build-to-Suit Commitment:
$296 million 
Escalations: CPI based
Initial Size: 592,000 sq. ft. 

•  Industry-leading 

education company  
and global operator  
of premium international 
schools with  
43 schools globally

•  Stable business model 

with predictable growth 
and plans for expansion

•  Local markets with  
high foreign direct 
investment,  
large expatriate  
populations and  
rising disposable  
income

•  High enrollment with 
planned renovations  
and expansion 

•  Commitment to fund  

$128 million of expansions 
and improvements will 
enhance criticality

•  Well-maintained, state-of-
the-art facilities featuring 
several amenities, including 
athletic facilities, theaters, 
boarding suites and 
swimming pools

•  Planned expansion  

to facilities will increase 
quality and value  
of assets

•  Long-term net leases with 

•  Recycled capital from  

built-in rent growth

•  Completion of build-to-suit  

expansions will restart 
25-year terms of the 
annual uncapped CPI-
indexed triple-net leases

dispositions in 2015/2016  
into higher quality, longer  
lease-term assets largely  
through a 1031 exchange

•  Acquisition provides  

predictable cash flows,  
compelling returns and  
annual rent escalations

•  Industry-leading 
concrete pipe 
manufacturing company

Forterra  
Properties: 49 
Location: US, Canada  
(22 US states)
Lease Term: 20 years
Purchase Price: $218 million
Escalations: 2% fixed
Size: 4,000,000 sq. ft.

•  Local markets with  

high barriers to entry 
due to high cost of 
new developments 
and long-standing 
relationships between 
established companies 
and customers

•  Diversified portfolio 

across US and Canada

•  Highly critical portfolio of 
49 mission-critical facilities 
representing a significant 
portion of tenant’s 
concrete gravity pipe and 
concrete pressure pipe 
manufacturing operations

•  Large portfolio of concrete 

•  Long-term net leases  

•  Purchased using proceeds  

pipe manufacturing 
facilities that supply 
and support municipal 
infrastructure nationwide

with built-in rent growth

from AMD disposition

•  Cross-defaulted master 

leases by country

•  Replaced one-year remaining  
lease with a 20-year lease  
on a critical diversified  
industrial portfolio through  
a 1031 exchange

12 | W. P. Carey Inc.

2016 Annual Report | 13

  
We have a 40+ year track record of investing successfully on behalf of more than 140,000  
investors. Our business plan involves leveraging our established and well-regarded investment 
management arm to raise new funds and expand our assets under management. 

We believe it is our responsibility to continue doing good while doing well through our 
Carey Forward initiative.

Prior Programs

Since our founding in 1973, we 
have provided retail investors with 
the opportunity to invest in pools of 
income-generating commercial real  
estate assets. Of our 17 Corporate 
Property Associates (CPA®) programs, 
15 have completed their full 
investment cycles, delivering stable 
income to generations of investors 
through good times and bad. 

Expanded Offerings

Our managed program AUM has 
continued to grow with the addition 
of our lodging, corporate credit and 
student housing offerings. 

At the same time, within our income- 
generating commercial real estate 
offerings, the primary focus has shifted 
from net lease to other types of 
income-generating real estate assets. 

1  Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

2  With the exception of CCIF and CESH I, AUM represents 
estimated fair value of the real estate assets based in part 
upon third-party appraisals plus cash and cash equivalents 
less distributions payable. For CCIF and CESH I, AUM 
represents fair value of the investment assets plus cash 
and cash equivalents.

14 | W. P. Carey Inc.

CPA®:1 

CPA®:2

CPA®:3

CPA®:4

CPA®:5

CPA®:6

CPA®:7

CPA®:8

CPA®:9

CPA®:10

CIP®

CPA®:12

CPA®:14

CPA®:15

Program life 

1979-1998

1980-1998

1982-1998

1983-1998

1984-1998

1985-1998

1987-1998

1988-1998

1989-1998

1991-2002

1992-2004

1994-2006

1998-2011

2002-2012

CPA®:16 – Global 

2003-2014

Total cash distributions  
plus liquidation value per  
$10,000 investment1

Average annual return1

$23,670

$36,863

$40,806

$31,008

$21,025

$26,382

$21,504

$22,851

$18,393

$20,833

$24,243

$23,689

$21,719

$20,208

$17,649

7.17%

14.89%

18.81%

13.85%

7.72%

12.47%

10.15%

13.10%

9.59%

8.81%

11.22%

10.91%

8.96%

9.58%

7.64%

Net lease 
properties

Other income- 
generating 
properties

395

38

59

35

76

10

Commenced

Offering 
status

CPA®:17 – Global 
Diversified Net Lease

2007

Closed

CWI 1 
Lodging

2010

Closed 

CPA®:18 – Global 
Income-Generating 
Commercial Real Estate

2013

Closed 

CWI 2 
Lodging

CCIF 
Corporate Credit

CESH I 
Student Housing

2015

Open

2015

Open

2016

Open

AUM2

$6.0 
billion

$2.9 
billion

$2.2 
billion

$1.4 
billion

$301 
million

$102 
million

We introduced our Carey Forward 
program in 2013 as a tribute to our 
founder, Wm. Polk Carey, whose 
strong beliefs and philosophies 
formed the thread in the fabric 
of the company. Mr. Carey’s 
generosity, sense of duty and lifelong 
commitment to Doing Good While 
Doing Well® were truly inspiring. 
In honor of his legacy, we have 
maintained the same dedication 
not only to financing properties for 
companies but also to helping the 
communities we serve. 

We have continued growing  
the Carey Forward program 
by demonstrating a sustained 
enthusiasm for building and fostering 
productive relationships between our 
company and our communities. The 
program encourages employees to 
become involved in philanthropic and 
charitable activities, dedicate their 
time and resources to meaningful 
causes and initiatives, and bring 
to philanthropic and community 
organizations the same level of skill 
and excellence they devote to their 
professional responsibilities. 

Although the organizations and 
activities we support can vary, our 
focus is on enhancing and further 
improving our communities through 
youth development and education, 
hunger relief, healthcare, animal 
welfare, and arts and restoration. 

In 2016, we supported the 
following organizations:

•  City Harvest

•  Covenant House

•  New York Blood Center

•  New York Cares

•  St. Jude Children’s  
Research Hospital

•  Susan G. Komen

•  Volunteers of America

$20K
  raised for City Harvest as  
part of its Skip Lunch  
Fight Hunger campaign

$5K+
   raised for the No-Shave 

November campaign to drive 
awareness and funding for 
cancer prevention

575+

hours spent  
volunteering

$15K
raised to support 
local children in 
need through  
New York Cares

2016 Annual Report | 15

 
 
Nick J.M. van Ommen 
Former Chief Executive Officer, 
European Public Real Estate 
Association

Reginald Winssinger 
Chairman of National Portfolio, Inc.

Senior Management 
Mark J. DeCesaris 
Chief Executive Officer

Jason E. Fox 
President

Mark M. Goldberg 
President, Investment Management; 
Chairman of Carey Financial, LLC

Brooks G. Gordon 
Managing Director & Head of Asset 
Management

Susan C. Hyde 
Managing Director, Chief Marketing 
Officer, Chief Ethics Officer & 
Corporate Secretary

Paul Marcotrigiano 
Managing Director & Chief  
Legal Officer

John J. Park 
Managing Director & Director  
of Strategy and Capital Markets 

Gino Sabatini 
Managing Director & Head of 
Investments

ToniAnn Sanzone 
Managing Director & Chief  
Financial Officer

Executive Offices 
W. P. Carey Inc. 
50 Rockefeller Plaza 
New York, NY 10020 
1-212-492-1100 
1-800-WP CAREY (1-800-972-2739)

Transfer Agent
Computershare Shareowner Services  
P.O. Box 43006 
Providence, RI 02940-3006 
1-888-200-8690

Institutional Investor Relations
Peter Sands 
Director of Institutional  
Investor Relations  
1-212-492-1110  
institutionalir@wpcarey.com

Individual Investor Relations
1-800-WP CAREY (1-800-972-2739) 
ir@wpcarey.com

Auditors
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Form 10-K
A copy of our Annual Report on  
Form 10-K as filed with the US 
Securities and Exchange Commission 
may be obtained without charge 
at www.sec.gov, by writing to the 
Executive Offices at the above 
address or by visiting our website  
at www.wpcarey.com.

Trading Information
Shares of W. P. Carey Inc. trade on 
the New York Stock Exchange under 
the ticker WPC.

Corporate Information

Board of Directors
Benjamin H. Griswold, IV 
Chairman of the Board & Chairman  
of the Executive Committee; Partner  
& Chairman of Brown Advisory, Inc.

Mary M. VanDeWeghe 
Vice Chair of the Board; Chief  
Executive Officer & President of  
Forte Consulting Inc.

Mark J. DeCesaris  
Chief Executive Officer

Mark A. Alexander 
Chairman of the Audit Committee; 
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer  
of Landmark Property Group, LLC

Nathaniel S. Coolidge 
Former Head of Bond & Corporate 
Finance Department, John Hancock 
Mutual Life Insurance Company

Peter J. Farrell 
Chairman of the Compensation 
Committee; Partner, CityInterests, LLC

Axel K.A. Hansing 
Partner, Coller Capital, Ltd.

Jean Hoysradt 
Former Chief Investment Officer  
of Mousse Partners Limited

Richard C. Marston, Ph.D. 
James R.F. Guy Professor of Finance  
& Economics at the Wharton School  
of the University of Pennsylvania

Christopher J. Niehaus 
Chairman of the Investment Committee 
& Chairman of the Nominating and 
Corporate Governance Committee; 
Partner, GreenOak Real Estate

16 | W. P. Carey Inc.

wpcarey.com

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W. P. Carey Inc. 
50 Rockefeller Plaza  
New York, NY 10020  
1-800-WP CAREY  
www.wpcarey.com 
NYSE: WPC

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