Quarterlytics / Real Estate / REIT - Diversified / W. P. Carey

W. P. Carey

wpc · NYSE Real Estate
Claim this profile
Ticker wpc
Exchange NYSE
Sector Real Estate
Industry REIT - Diversified
Employees 51-200
← All annual reports
FY2018 Annual Report · W. P. Carey
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
2018 Annual Report

Investing for the Long Run®

Focusing on the Future

As one of the leading diversified net lease REITs with more than $17 billion in enterprise 
value, we are well positioned to continue generating long-term growth and providing  
rising income for our shareholders. In 2019, we continue to invest for the long run, guided 
by the following core principles:

Net lease focus

Diversified investment strategy

Proactive asset management

Doing Good While Doing Well®

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

2018 was a year of continuing progress for W. P. Carey, essentially 
completing our evolution from our origins as a manager of high- 
quality net lease real estate funds to a pure-play net lease REIT. 
Our evolution began with our REIT conversion in 2012 and has 
advanced steadily through the simplification of our business and 
the implementation of structural changes that have improved the 
quality of our earnings and increased our operational efficiency. 
Driving this evolution has been our belief that the path to higher 
shareholder value is through higher-quality earnings generated 
by a diversified portfolio of net lease assets. 

Our Strategic Focus
Our fundamental goal is simple: grow our per share Real 
Estate AFFO and dividends through a strategy that combines 
incremental cash flow generated by rising rental income from 
existing portfolio assets and accretive acqusitions. In line with 
this strategy, during 2018 we completed $940 million of new 
investments at an approximate 7% cap rate and a weighted 
average lease term of 20 years. 

Over time, we have successfully generated rising rental income 
from our existing portfolio by strategically investing outside the  
“commodity” segment of net lease in a diverse portfolio of  
long-term assets, 99% of which have contractual rent escalations. 
Growth from our existing portfolio also comes from proactive 
asset management, which generates discretionary investment 
opportunities and follow-on transactions with existing tenants.  
By reinvesting in the repositioning of existing assets to meet  
the requirements of new tenants, we have the opportunity  
to further enhance cash flow and portfolio value. At year-end,  
we had discretionary capital investment projects outstanding 
with an estimated total of $235 million. These investments often 
enable us to achieve better spreads and deal terms, as well as 
adding criticality and incremental value to existing assets.

How We Differ from Our Net Lease Peers
Now that we have essentially completed our evolution into a 
pure-play net lease REIT, our business has become more aligned 
with our net lease peers; however, we remain differentiated 
in many ways. Our strong internal rent growth through market 
cycles reflects the long-term strength of incorporating contractual 
rent increases into our leases tied to either fixed percentages 
or inflation. In addition, our increased balance sheet flexibility 
positions us to pursue larger acquisitions and M&A opportunities, 
while our diversified investment strategy and on-the-ground 
presence in the U.S. and Europe gives us access to a wider and 
deeper pool of opportunities. 

Although our diversified investment strategy enables us to invest 
across multiple property types, industries and geographies,  
ours is not a “go-anywhere” approach. We have focused our 
geographic diversification to build on our organizational strength  
and experience in the U.S. and Europe, where we benefit from our 
established reputation and the local presence of our investment  
and asset management teams. 

Our concentration on the U.S. and the developed economies of 
northern and western Europe has enabled us to build scale in  
those regions as well as in-depth market knowledge and local 
networks that feed our larger pool of opportunities. A value-add 
component of our European diversification has been our ability to 
access the European public debt markets, further diversifying our 
capital sources. By matching euro-denominated lease revenues with 
euro-denominated debt, we reduce both the impact of fluctuations  
in foreign exchange rates and overall balance sheet risk.

Rent Escalations*
99% of our leases have contractual rent increases,  
and 64% are tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI)

CPI-linked (64%)

40%

24%

32% 3%

Uncapped CPI (40.0%)
CPI-based (23.9%)
Fixed (32.3%)
Other (3.1%)
None (0.7%)

* Based on contractual minimum annualized base rent (ABR) as of December 31, 2018.  
Numbers may not add to 100% due to rounding.

2018 Annual Report | 1

The strength of our investment team and their adherence to 
our proven investment process honed over nearly five decades 
further differentiate us from our publicly traded net lease peers. 
The team’s experience across diverse geographies, industries 
and asset types positions us well to source, structure and 
complete transactions that maintain the diversity of our portfolio 
and meet our established investment criteria. My own experience 
coming up through our investment team over the past 17 years 
has afforded me a unique perspective and deep understanding  
of our real estate and how we have grown our portfolio to where 
it is today. Going forward, I believe the strength of our team —  
in combination with the increased strength of our balance  
sheet — will enable us to execute on our strategy and secure 
significant accretive transactions in our targeted geographies.

Building Long-term Shareholder Value
Our merger with CPA®:17 was a major step toward becoming a 
simpler, more prominent REIT, with higher-quality earnings  
derived from more-predictable — and therefore more-valuable —  
long-term lease revenues. The addition of a high-quality pool 
of assets well aligned with our existing portfolio increased our 
earnings and overall NAV, enhanced diversification, improved 
a number of key portfolio metrics and ranks us as one of the 
largest REITs in the MSCI US REIT Index. Our increased real estate 
revenues strengthened our credit profile, and our expanded 
scale allows us to operate more efficiently and will enable us to 
pursue larger transactions. The improved quality of our earnings 
has created additional shareholder value and positively impacted 
our cost of capital. Furthermore, because we assembled and 
managed the CPA®:17 portfolio for more than a decade, we were 
able to seamlessly integrate its assets into our portfolio. 

Total Return

Since going public in 1998, W. P. Carey  
has significantly outpaced key REIT indices  
and the broader market

1,157% 

WPC

MSCI
US REIT
Index

S&P
500

428% 

283% 

Total return from January 21, 1998, through market close December 31, 2018. 
Reflects the reinvestment of all dividends.

2 | W. P. Carey Inc.

During 2018, we continued to access multiple forms of  
capital to fund our investment activities. In total, we raised  
approximately $1.5 billion consisting of long-term debt, through 
euro-denominated bonds, and equity, through our at-the-market 
program. This activity included two €500-million eurobond 
offerings, which helped to hedge our euro currency risk while 
advancing our unsecured debt strategy. During the fourth quarter 
of 2018 and through February 22, 2019, we also utilized our 
at-the-market program to efficiently raise approximately $350 
million in equity at an attractive cost of capital relative to the 
investments we made during 2018. In addition, our merger with 
CPA®:17 was an all-stock transaction through which we issued 54 
million W. P. Carey shares, deleveraging our balance sheet and 
increasing the liquidity of our stock.

For the full year, our AFFO per diluted share increased to $5.39 
and dividends declared per share totaled $4.09, reflecting 
the impact of accretive new acquisitions during the year and 
increased Real Estate AFFO from our merger with CPA®:17 in 
October 2018. These results also reflect the impact of reduced 
Investment Management AFFO as a result of lower CPA®:17 
management fees during the last quarter of 2018. 

A Position of Strength
As a result of these successes, we entered 2019 in a position 
of strength, which we believe will support our long-term growth 
objectives of increasing earnings through strong same-store rent 
increases and acquisitions. Our improved cost of capital and 
increased scale will help enable us to achieve better spreads 
on deals, increase deal volume and pursue larger transactions, 
including M&A. Our on-the-ground teams and established 
presence in the U.S. and Europe provide broad access to deal 
flow. Furthermore, as a diversified REIT, we are able to cast a 
wider opportunity set from which to choose the best investments.  
As a result of our merger, we have a larger base of existing assets 
for generating discretionary capital investment opportunities and 
follow-on deals with our tenants. These significant achievements, 
our recognized reputation and net lease industry experience 
position us well to continue growing Real Estate AFFO and 
enhancing portfolio quality.

With net lease emerging as a more significant REIT asset class 
and our evolution into one of the largest pure-play net lease 
REITs, we are well positioned to help the market redefine certain 
assumptions that exist about the net lease sector. By helping the 
market better understand why a company such as ours, with a 
large, diverse portfolio, is the best way to invest in net lease real 
estate, we can add further value for our shareholders. 

Closing Thoughts
Since our founding in 1973, W. P. Carey has been guided by 
two core principles: Investing for the Long Run and Doing Good 
While Doing Well. These principles are central to every aspect 
of our business: our office culture, our community outreach, 
our investment approach and more. They are the root of our 
corporate responsibility objectives and part of the fabric  
of W. P. Carey. 

Investing for the Long Run means all of our decisions are made 
through a long-term lens. We understand that the ultimate 
measure of our success will be the shareholder value that we 
create over the long term rather than short-term gains. Our  
long-term view is core to our investment strategy and has 
enabled us to secure superior economics and value for our 
shareholders. Additionally, in the context of Investing for the Long 
Run, we continue to develop and integrate environmental, social 
and governance initiatives into our corporate management, 
employee programs and acquisition and proactive portfolio 
management processes. 

We also recognize that our long-term success is dependent on 
our employees and our ability to attract and retain the best talent. 
Our adherence to Doing Good While Doing Well has positioned 
us to successfully nurture and develop a diverse, talented and 
cohesive group of employees over the long term. We believe 
that being a good corporate citizen includes giving back to the 
communities in which we work and live. We encourage and 
create opportunities for our employees to contribute to and grow 

these efforts. Together we support local educational programs, 
hospitals, museums and other community organizations as 
a company and through our Carey Forward program, which 
encourages employees to build upon our philanthropic and 
charitable activities. 

Our achievements in 2018 were made possible through the 
hard work and dedication of our employees and the valuable 
guidance of our Board of Directors. Our founder, Wm. Polk Carey, 
always prided himself on being surrounded with “the best and the 
brightest,” and he would be proud of all that the entire W. P. Carey 
team has accomplished. 

Our transformation into a pure-play net lease REIT and the further 
simplification of our business in 2018 provide a solid platform for 
future growth. We look forward to building on the strength of our 
differentiated position in the net lease space as we continue on 
the path to increased shareholder value through our ongoing 
initiatives in the years to come. 

With best regards,

Jason E. Fox
Chief Executive Officer 

Annual Dividends

W. P. Carey has increased its dividend every 
year since going public in 1998 and is a member 
of the NASDAQ Dividend Achievers index

$1.65  


$1.73 


$1.96 


$2.44 


$4.09


1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. 

Annual dividend per share reflects sum of quarterly dividends declared per share during the respective year.

2018 Annual Report | 3

 
 
Portfolio Strategy

Our portfolio strategy supports our fundamental goal of growing Real Estate AFFO  
and dividends per share over the long term. By adhering to our cycle-tested, risk  
management-driven strategy, we continue to build our portfolio and improve overall  
quality through the acquisition of long-term net lease real estate and the proactive  
management of our existing assets. 

Diversified Acquisition Approach

We focus on acquiring critical real estate, net leased on a long-term basis to  
creditworthy companies that meet our established criteria. Our diversified approach  
provides access to a vast pool of investment opportunities, enabling us to allocate  
capital to those with the most-attractive risk-adjusted returns at any given time.

Net lease assets provide:

• Predictable income

• Minimal operational responsibility

Transaction types:

• Sale-leasebacks

• Build-to-suits

• Long-term growth

• Existing single-tenant net lease properties

We apply the same four criteria to each potential investment:

Creditworthiness of the tenant

Criticality of the asset to the tenant’s business

Fundamental value of the real estate 

Transaction structure and pricing

4 | W. P. Carey Inc.

Compared with other types 
of real estate investments, 
net lease assets produce 
predictable income with 
minimal capital expenditures. 
This in turn provides our 
shareholders with a stable, 
growing source of income.

Investment opportunities from within our existing portfolio have become a meaningful 
source of deal flow for us. Today our increased size provides us with a larger pool  
of internally sourced opportunities.

Proactive Asset Management

Proactive asset management is essential to maintaining and enhancing portfolio value. 
Our asset management teams in New York and Amsterdam regularly review asset  
quality, operational criticality and tenant creditworthiness. They also evaluate tenants’  
ongoing real estate needs, stay ahead of lease renewals, extend lease terms and source 
additional discretionary investment opportunities from within our existing portfolio. 

Follow-on transactions:

• Improve portfolio quality

• Increase asset criticality

• Extend original lease term

Transaction types:

• Expansions and follow-on build-to-suits

• Renovations, redevelopments and repositionings

• Building efficiency retrofits

• Provide above-market cap rates

• Strategic dispositions

2018 Annual Report | 5

2018 Featured Portfolio Activity 

New Acquisition
Acquired a 15-property logistics portfolio 
including five regional distribution hubs, nine 
last-mile distribution facilities and a corporate 
headquarters in an off-market transaction. 

Outcome
Leveraged European presence and reputation  
as a recognized net lease investor to position 
us as the preferred acquiror of a high-quality 
logistics portfolio, with a market-leading tenant. 

At a Glance 
Tenant: Danske Fragtmænd
Closing Date: June 2018
Purchase Price: $187 million
Location: Denmark
Property Type: Logistics portfolio
Lease Term: Triple-net leases with annual rent 
increases tied to Danish CPI and a remaining 
term of approximately 18 years
Size: 2.0 million square feet

Strategic Disposition
Capitalized on a market opportunity to exit 
an industrial/agricultural portfolio in Australia, 
where assets were no longer aligned with our 
geographic focus on the U.S. and Europe. 

Outcome
Executed timely marketing process, enabling 
us to recycle capital into accretive investments, 
improve portfolio quality and create an 
approximately 40% premium to our AUD 
acquisition cost.

At a Glance 
Tenant: Inghams
Closing Date: December 2018
Location: Australia
Property Type: Industrial/agricultural portfolio 
Size: 3.2 million square feet

New Acquisition
Utilized our European presence and sector 
expertise to further diversify our portfolio 
with the acquisition of a 36-property portfolio 
of critical DIY retail assets in proximity to 
Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague.

Outcome
Secured a long-term net lease with annual 
inflation-based rent escalations, with a market-
leading tenant in a defensive industry largely 
insulated from e-commerce disruption.

At a Glance 
Tenant: Intergamma
Closing Date: July 2018
Purchase Price: $178 million
Location: Netherlands
Property Type: “Do-it-yourself” retail portfolio
Lease Term: Triple-net lease portfolio with an 
average lease term of 15 years and annual 
rent escalations tied to Dutch CPI
Size: 1.5 million square feet

Danske Fragtmænd

Inghams

Intergamma

6 | W. P. Carey Inc.

In 2018, our investment and asset management teams completed $940 million of new  
investments and $525 million of dispositions. Our investments included the completion  
of $112 million in discretionary capital projects, and at year-end we were committed to  
an additional $235 million.

New Acquisition
Leveraged our on-the-ground teams in  
North America and Europe to acquire three 
high-quality assets in Mexico, France and 
Poland leased to a leading global automotive 
parts manufacturer.

Outcome
Structured three long-term sale-leaseback 
transactions with annual inflation-based  
rent escalations.

At a Glance 
Tenant: Faurecia
Closing Date: December 2018
Purchase Price: $55 million
Locations: Mexico, France and Poland 
Property Type: Manufacturing, R&D and 
industrial facilities
Lease Term: Ranges from 15-20 years for 
Mexican, French and Polish sites with annual 
rent escalations tied to U.S., French and Euro 
area CPI, respectively
Size: 713,000 square feet

BREEAM-Certified Expansion
Provided tenant with build-to-suit capital for 
the expansion of a modern BREEAM- and 
FM-certified logistics facility. The Class-A,  
state-of-the-art facility will benefit from the 
planned installation of what will be the largest 
solar rooftop in the Netherlands.

Outcome
Supported tenant’s growth needs, while 
enhancing asset value, improving criticality and 
furthering our environmental commitment by 
investing in a sustainable building. 

At a Glance 
Tenant: Nippon Express
Closing Date: May 2018
Expansion Commitment: $20 million
Location: Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands
Property Type: BREEAM-Certified  
logistics facility
Lease Term: 10 years with annual CPI-based 
rent escalations
Expansion Size: 353,000 square feet
Total Size (upon completion in 2019):  
1.1 million square feet

New Acquisition and Expansion
Acquired an existing industrial/distribution 
facility and provided build-to-suit capital for  
the expansion of the facility.

Outcome
Acquired a long-term net lease for a  
critical distribution facility with the world’s 
largest independent hardware distributor  
and provided funding for an expansion of  
the building.

At a Glance
Tenant: Orgill
Closing Date: December 2018
Purchase Price and Expansion Commitment: 
$55 million
Location: Texas
Property Type: Industrial facility
Lease Term: 25-year, triple-net lease
Expansion Size: 329,000 square feet
Total Size (upon completion in 2019): 
879,000 square feet

2018 Annual Report | 7

Faurecia 

Nippon Express

Orgill

2018 Portfolio Overview  

Our commitment to a diversified portfolio of high-quality real estate and differentiated net 
lease investment strategy has afforded us greater opportunities to grow our annualized 
base rent (ABR) while maintaining high occupancy levels and a weighted average lease 
term of more than 10 years.

1,163

net lease properties

$1 billion+

ABR

98.3%

occupancy

10.2 years

weighted average lease term 

8 | W. P. Carey Inc.

131 million

total square feet

99%

of leases with contractual rent increases

304

tenants

57%

year-over-year  
ABR growth

2018 Annual Report | 9

Focusing on the United States and Europe

Our diversified acquisition strategy continues to be a distinguishing characteristic of our 
investment approach; however, ours is not a “go-anywhere” strategy. Geographically,  
we focus on the U.S. and the developed economies of northern and western Europe.  
Our on-the-ground presence on both continents and our expertise in cross-border  
transactions help us grow and enhance the value of our diverse portfolio by investing 
where we see the best risk–reward opportunities. 

U.S.
63% 

of total ABR

Our domestic investment team’s experience across diverse 
markets, industries and property types positions us well  
to source, structure and execute on multiasset, multimarket,  
cross-border transactions. Our domestic asset management 
team’s market knowledge and awareness of tenant growth  
needs uncover additional expansion, repositioning and 
disposition opportunities. As a result of these combined 
capabilities, our 2018 U.S. investment volume totaled 
approximately $387 million.**

10 | W. P. Carey Inc.

Our 2018 acquisitions and completed capital investment projects spanned 88 properties, 
net leased to 20 tenants, operating in 12 industries and located in seven countries, thereby 
enhancing the diversity of our portfolio. In addition, we continued to opportunistically divest 
investments in noncore markets where we lacked a path to scale.

% ABR*

10.1% or more 
3.1 – 10.0% 
1.1 – 3.0% 
1.0% or less

W. P. Carey Offices

New York (HQ) 
Amsterdam 
Dallas 
London

Europe
35% 

of total ABR

Our London-based investment team maintains an active 
acquisition pipeline across our primary European markets, and 
our asset management team in Amsterdam identifies investment 
opportunities with existing tenants and potential dispositions. 
As a result of these combined capabilities, our 2018 European 
investment volume totaled approximately $535 million.**

  *Portfolio map shading is based on ABR and reflects pro rata ownership of net lease real estate assets as of December 31, 2018.
** Total investment volume includes acquisitions and completed discretionary investments.

2018 Annual Report | 11

2018 Portfolio Diversification 

Diversification has long been a distinguishing characteristic of our investment strategy.  
We believe a large, diverse portfolio is the best way to invest in net lease real estate.  
It enables us to expand our opportunity set and direct our investments to the most-  
attractive risk–reward opportunities.

Geographic Diversification*

United States (63.4%)

United States (63.4%)

United States (63.4%)

Europe (34.7%)

Europe (34.7%)

Europe (34.7%)

United States (63.4%)

Europe (34.7%)

Includes assets in Czech Republic, Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

Includes assets in Czech Republic, Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

1 

Includes assets in Canada, Japan and Mexico.

Includes assets in Canada, Japan and Mexico.

Includes assets in Canada, Japan and Mexico.

2

2

2

United States (63.4%)
Germany (6.1%)
Poland (4.7%)
Spain (4.6%) 
Netherlands (4.4%)
United States (63.4%)
United Kingdom (3.6%)
Germany (6.1%)
Italy (2.4%)
Poland (4.7%)
France  (1.5%)
Spain (4.6%) 
Croatia (1.1%)
Netherlands (4.4%)
United Kingdom (3.6%)
Italy (2.4%)
France  (1.5%)
Croatia (1.1%)

Denmark (1.1%) 
United States (63.4%)
United States (63.4%)
Finland (1.1%) 
Germany (6.1%)
Germany (6.1%)
Norway (0.7%)
Poland (4.7%)
Poland (4.7%)
Austria (0.3%)
Spain (4.6%) 
Spain (4.6%) 
Portugal (0.3%)
Netherlands (4.4%)
Netherlands (4.4%)
Denmark (1.1%) 
Sweden (0.2%)
United Kingdom (3.6%)
United Kingdom (3.6%)
Finland (1.1%) 
Belgium (0.1%)
Italy (2.4%)
Italy (2.4%)
Norway (0.7%)
Europe Other1 (2.5%)
France  (1.5%)
France  (1.5%)
Austria (0.3%)
Croatia (1.1%)
Croatia (1.1%)
Non-U.S. / Non-Europe2  (1.8%)
Portugal (0.3%)
Sweden (0.2%)
Belgium (0.1%)
Europe Other1 (2.5%)
Non-U.S. / Non-Europe2  (1.8%)

1 

1 

Includes assets in Czech Republic, Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

Denmark (1.1%) 
Finland (1.1%) 
Norway (0.7%)
Austria (0.3%)
Portugal (0.3%)
Sweden (0.2%)
Belgium (0.1%)
Europe Other1 (2.5%)
Non-U.S. / Non-Europe2  (1.8%)

Denmark (1.1%) 
Finland (1.1%) 
Norway (0.7%)
Austria (0.3%)
Portugal (0.3%)
Sweden (0.2%)
Belgium (0.1%)
Europe Other1 (2.5%)
Non-U.S. / Non-Europe2  (1.8%)

2

1 

Includes assets in Czech Republic, Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

Includes assets in Canada, Japan and Mexico.

Industrial / Warehouse (43.9%)

Industrial / Warehouse (43.9%)

Property Type Diversification*

Industrial / Warehouse (43.9%)

Industrial (23.2%)
Warehouse (20.7%)
Office (25.5%)
Retail (17.8%)
Other3 (12.8%)

3

Other includes ABR from tenants within the 
following property types: education facility, 
fitness facility, hotel (net lease), laboratory, 
self-storage (net lease), student housing 
(net lease) and theater.

* Based on contractual minimum ABR as of December 31, 2018. 

Numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

17%

14%

Industrial (23.2%)
Warehouse (20.7%)
Office (25.5%)
Retail (17.8%)
Other3 (12.8%)

3

Industrial (23.2%)
Warehouse (20.7%)
Other includes ABR from tenants within the 
following property types: education facility, 
Office (25.5%)
fitness facility, hotel (net lease), laboratory, 
Retail (17.8%)
self-storage (net lease), student housing 
(net lease) and theater.
Other3 (12.8%)

12 | W. P. Carey Inc.

Other includes ABR from tenants within the 
following property types: education facility, 

30%

25%

3

30%

25%

17%

14%

fitness facility, hotel (net lease), laboratory, 

self-storage (net lease), student housing 

(net lease) and theater.

30%

25%

17%

14%

Tenant Industry Diversification*

Retail4   (20.9%) 
Consumer Services (8.5%)
Automotive (6.5%)
Business Services (5.3%)
Cargo Transportation (5.3%)
Grocery (4.9%)
Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals (4.4%)
Hotel, Gaming and Leisure (4.2%)
Media: Advertising, Printing and Publishing (4.0%)
Construction and Building (3.9%)
Sovereign and Public Finance (3.9%)
Capital Equipment (3.4%)
Containers, Packaging and Glass (3.3%)
Beverage, Food and Tobacco (2.7%)
High-tech Industries (2.5%)
Insurance (2.3%)
Banking (1.8%)
Telecommunications (1.8%)
Nondurable Consumer Goods (1.6%)
Durable Consumer Goods (1.4%)
Aerospace and Defense (1.2%)
Media: Broadcasting and Subscription (1.2%)
Wholesale (1.2%)
Chemicals, Plastics and Rubber (1.1%)
Other5 (2.7%)

4

5

Includes automotive dealerships.

Includes ABR from tenants in the following industries: 
consumer transportation, electricity, environmental 
industries, finance, forest products and paper, metals 
and mining, oil and gas and real estate. 

Retail4   (20.9%) 
Consumer Services (8.5%)
Automotive (6.5%)
Business Services (5.3%)
Cargo Transportation (5.3%)
Grocery (4.9%)
Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals (4.4%)
Hotel, Gaming and Leisure (4.2%)
Media: Advertising, Printing and Publishing (4.0%)
Construction and Building (3.9%)
Sovereign and Public Finance (3.9%)
Capital Equipment (3.4%)
Containers, Packaging and Glass (3.3%)
Beverage, Food and Tobacco (2.7%)
High-tech Industries (2.5%)
Insurance (2.3%)
Banking (1.8%)
Telecommunications (1.8%)
Nondurable Consumer Goods (1.6%)
Durable Consumer Goods (1.4%)
Aerospace and Defense (1.2%)
Media: Broadcasting and Subscription (1.2%)
Wholesale (1.2%)
Chemicals, Plastics and Rubber (1.1%)
Other5 (2.7%)

4

5

Includes automotive dealerships.

Includes ABR from tenants in the following industries: 
consumer transportation, electricity, environmental 
industries, finance, forest products and paper, metals 
and mining, oil and gas and real estate. 

Retail4   (20.9%) 
Consumer Services (8.5%)
Automotive (6.5%)
Business Services (5.3%)
Cargo Transportation (5.3%)
Grocery (4.9%)
Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals (4.4%)
Hotel, Gaming and Leisure (4.2%)
Media: Advertising, Printing and Publishing (4.0%)
Construction and Building (3.9%)
Sovereign and Public Finance (3.9%)
Capital Equipment (3.4%)
Containers, Packaging and Glass (3.3%)
Beverage, Food and Tobacco (2.7%)
High-tech Industries (2.5%)
Insurance (2.3%)
Banking (1.8%)
Telecommunications (1.8%)
Nondurable Consumer Goods (1.6%)
Durable Consumer Goods (1.4%)
Aerospace and Defense (1.2%)
Media: Broadcasting and Subscription (1.2%)
Wholesale (1.2%)
Chemicals, Plastics and Rubber (1.1%)
Other5 (2.7%)

4

5

Includes automotive dealerships.

Includes ABR from tenants in the following industries: 
consumer transportation, electricity, environmental 
industries, finance, forest products and paper, metals 
and mining, oil and gas and real estate. 

2018 Annual Report | 13

Doing Good While Doing Well

Since our founding in 1973, we have followed two core principles: 
Investing for the Long Run and Doing Good While Doing Well.  
Our founder, Wm. Polk Carey, believed — as we do today — that 
our business by its very nature promotes prosperity and that 
our responsibility does not end there. He understood that good 
corporate citizenship was fundamental to good business and to 
creating long-term value for our investors. Today his vision and 
values live on through our corporate responsibility initiatives, 
focused on our environmental, social and governance objectives.

Environmental 
We invest for the long run through both our acquisitions and 
our commitment to sustainability. At our corporate offices, we 
have implemented environmental solutions to address energy 
efficiency, water conservation and waste management. In 2018, 
we reduced our energy use by more than 30% and recycled more 
than 13,000 pounds of technology equipment. In early 2019,  
we continued this momentum with the launch of our internal  
Go Green in 2019 campaign to help make our corporate  
offices more environmentally friendly. 

Within our portfolio, we have taken steps to involve our tenants 
in our sustainability initiatives. As a net lease REIT, substantially 
all of our properties are leased on a triple-net basis, whereby 
the tenant is responsible for maintaining the building operations, 
including energy consumption levels and the implementation 
of environmental sustainability practices. Through our ongoing 
tenant outreach program, we provide education, ideas and 
support for property-level sustainability solutions.  

For new investments, we conduct an environmental assessment 
of all properties we underwrite as part of our analysis to 
understand sustainability practices and performance and to 
ensure our acquired assets meet environmental standards.

Social
Doing Good While Doing Well underscores the importance 
of being a good steward not only of our shareholders’ capital 
but also of our communities and environment. In 2013, we 
established the Carey Forward program as a tribute to Bill Carey’s 
generosity, sense of philanthropic duty and passion for building 
and fostering productive relationships between our company 
and our communities. Through the program, employees are 
encouraged to participate in charitable activities, sharing their 
time, skills and passions with others. In 2018, W. P. Carey and the 
W. P. Carey Foundation committed to sponsor the tuition for local 
students living below the poverty line over the next four years. 
In conjunction with this commitment, employees pledged their 
time to mentor these students, sharing their skills and helping to 
position them for greater academic and professional success.  
In 2018, Carey Forward supported the following organizations:

•  American Cancer Society

•  Amsterdam Cares

•  Central Park Conservancy

•  City Harvest 

•  Little Village

•  Student Sponsor Partners

•  The Dutch Food Bank

•  Volunteers of America 

In addition to the time and funding donated by employees, the  
W. P. Carey Foundation supports these efforts by matching 
charitable contributions made by our employees and our Board. 
In 2018, the Foundation introduced its Carey the Torch initiative to 
recognize and reward employees exemplifying Bill Carey’s motto 
Doing Good While Doing Well by making a positive impact on  
their community. Together with the Foundation, we continued  
to support local parks, educational programs, hospitals and other 
community organizations during the year, including: 

“ Doing Good While Doing Well means that when  
we are financing properties for companies, we are 
also helping the communities those companies 
serve. It is important to always ask, ‘What is the 
impact of what we are doing? What is good for 
society? What is good for the country?’” 

  —Wm. Polk Carey, Founder (1930-2012)

•  American Museum of Natural History

•  Hospital for Special Surgery

•  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

•  Mount Sinai Health System

•  Museum of the City of New York

•  NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

•  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

•  The Frick Collection

•  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

•  The Museum of Modern Art

•  The New York Botanical Garden

•  Whitney Museum of American Art

•  Wildlife Conservation Society

The health and wellness of our employees and their families 
are paramount to W. P. Carey. When we invest for the long run, 
our employees are at the core of that philosophy. Through our 
comprehensive benefits program, profit sharing plan and career 
development opportunities, we invest in the financial, physical and 
overall well-being of our employees. We not only want to attract 
and surround ourselves with the best and brightest; we want to 
enhance their lives in and out of the office as they progress and 
grow with the company. 

$250K+ 

donated to support local 
museums, parks, hospitals  
and more

$15K+ 

raised for City Harvest’s Skip 
Lunch Fight Hunger campaign 
against childhood hunger

$10K+ 

raised for breast cancer  
awareness and research

$4K+ 

raised for Volunteers of 
America’s Operation Backpack

Governance
We continue to believe that good corporate governance forms the 
foundation and framework for our long-term success. Our Board 
of Directors strives to maintain effective corporate governance 
practices that promote and protect the long-term interests of our 
shareholders, employees and tenants. A company’s tone is set at 
the top, and we are proud that many of our Board-level governance 
provisions are recognized as best practices. Our Directors are 
elected annually, subject to a majority voting requirement, and are 
led by an independent chairman. Our Board comprises our CEO 
and nine independent directors, all of whom are committed to 
enhancing shareholder value.

Our People

“  Our achievements in 2018 were made possible 
through the hard work and dedication of our  
talented employees. Our founder, Wm. Polk Carey,  
always prided himself on being surrounded  
with ‘the best and the brightest,’ and he would  
be proud of all that the entire W. P. Carey team  
has accomplished.” 

Our employees are our most important asset. They shape our 
company, propel our success and connect us with our communities. 
They dedicate themselves each day to fulfilling our mission and 
upholding our founder’s vision of Doing Good While Doing Well. 

With more than 200 employees around the world, we represent 
more than 20 countries and speak more than 25 languages. Our 
diverse backgrounds and experiences create a powerful advantage 
for our business borne from collaboration and the application of 
local market expertise within the context of deep global insights. 

  —Jason E. Fox, CEO 

We strive to create an engaging work environment and to maintain 
a culture of well-being where hard work and dedication are 
recognized and rewarded. We understand that by investing in our 
people, we invest in our future and build on our long-term success.

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 Securities and 
Exchange Commission may be obtained 
without charge at www.sec.gov or by 
writing to our 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 symbol WPC. 

Corporate Information

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

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

Jason E. Fox 
Chief Executive Officer

Mark A. Alexander 
Chairman of the Audit Committee; 
Managing Member of Landmark Property 
Group, LLC

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

Robert J. Flanagan 
President, Clark Enterprises 

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

Jean Hoysradt 
Former Chief Investment Officer  
of Mousse Partners Limited

Margaret G. Lewis 
Deputy Chair, Federal Reserve Bank  
of Richmond

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

Senior Management 
Jason E. Fox 
Chief Executive Officer

John J. Park 
President

ToniAnn Sanzone 
Managing Director & Chief  
Financial Officer

Brooks G. Gordon 
Managing Director & Head of  
Asset Management

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

Gino Sabatini 
Managing Director & Head of Investments

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 
PO Box 505000 
Louisville, KY 40233-5000 
1-888-200-8690

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

l

r
e
d
n
a
x
e
A
y
d
n
a
S

:

g
n
i
t
n
i
r
P

;

i

n
o
s
p
o
J
d
r
a
h
c
R
d
n
a
n
a
y
R
y
d
n
A

,
i

o
h
C
a
n
N

i

,

e
l
t
t
i

K

t
i

K

:

y
h
p
a
r
g
o
t
o
h
P

;

y
n
a
p
m
o
C
+

i

s
g
d
O

:

i

n
g
s
e
d
d
n
a
n
o
i
t
c
e
r
i
d
e
v
i
t
a
e
r
C

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

Follow us:

The paper and printer used in the production of the W. P. Carey 2018 Annual Report are  
certified to Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) standards, which promote environmentally  
appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.  
This report was printed on paper containing 10% postconsumer waste material.