Brixmor Property Group - 10-K annual report 2013

For the transition period from_____ to_____

Commission File Number: 001-36160

Our Shopping Centers

(1) Based on total number of shopping centers.

(2) Effective age is calculated based on the year of the most recent redevelopment of the shopping center or based on year built if no redevelopment has occurred.

(3) References to grocer anchors that are #1 or #2 are based on a combination of industry sources and management estimates of market share in these grocers’ respective markets and include all grocers identified by management as “specialty” grocers. Grocers that operate within a market under a shared banner but are owned by different parent companies and grocers that operate within a market under different banners but share a parent company are grouped as a single grocer.

(4) Year ended December 31, 2012.

(5) Demographics based on five-mile radius and weighted by ABR. Based on U.S. Census data provided by Synergos Technologies, Inc.

Environmental Exposure

REIT Qualification

Properties in our portfolio consist of community and neighborhood shopping centers. Our performance is, therefore, subject to risks associated with owning and operating these types of real estate assets, including: (1) changes in national, regional and local economic climates; (2) local conditions, including an oversupply of space in, or a reduction on demand for, properties similar to those in our portfolio; (3) the attractiveness of properties in our portfolio to tenants; (4) the financial stability of tenants, including the ability of tenants to pay rent; (5) competition from other available properties; (6) changes in market rental rates; (7) changes in demographics (including number of households and average household income) surrounding our properties; (8) the need to periodically fund the costs to repair, renovate and re-lease space; (9) changes in operating costs, including costs for maintenance, utilities, insurance and real estate taxes; (10) earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters, civil unrest, terrorist acts or acts of war, which may result in uninsured or underinsured losses; (11) the fact that the expenses of owning and operating properties are not necessarily reduced when circumstances such as market factors and competition cause a reduction in income from the properties; and (12) changes in laws and governmental regulations, including those governing usage, zoning, the environment and taxes.

Additionally, because properties in our portfolio consist of shopping centers, our performance is linked to general economic conditions in the market for retail space. The market for retail space has been and may continue to be adversely affected by weakness in the national, regional and local economies, the adverse financial condition of some large retailing companies, the consolidation in the retail sector, the excess amount of retail space in certain markets and increasing consumer purchases via the internet. To the extent that any of these conditions worsen, they are likely to affect market rents and overall demand for retail space. In addition, we may face challenges in property management and maintenance or incur increased operating costs, such as real estate taxes, insurance and utilities, which may make properties unattractive to tenants. The loss of rental revenues from a number of our tenants and our inability to replace such tenants may adversely affect our profitability and ability to meet our debt and other financial obligations.

There are numerous shopping venues that compete with our properties in attracting retailers to lease space and shoppers to patronize their properties. In addition, tenants at our properties face continued competition from retailers at regional malls, outlet malls and other shopping centers, catalog companies and internet sales. In order to maintain our attractiveness to retailers and shoppers, we are required to reinvest in our properties in the form of capital improvements. If we fail to reinvest in and redevelop our properties so as to maintain their attractiveness to retailers and shoppers, our revenue and profitability may suffer. If retailers or shoppers perceive that shopping at other venues, online or by phone is more convenient, cost-effective or otherwise more attractive, our revenues and profitability may also suffer.

A substantial portion of our income is derived from rental income from real property. As a result, our performance depends on the collection of rent from tenants at the properties in our portfolio. Our income would be negatively affected if a significant number of the tenants at the properties in our portfolio or any major tenants, among other things: (1) decline to extend or renew leases upon expiration; (2) renew leases at lower rates; (3) fail to make rental payments when due; (4) experience a downturn in their business; or (5) become bankrupt or insolvent.

Any of these actions could result in the termination of the tenant’s lease and our loss of rental income. In addition, under certain lease agreements, lease terminations by an anchor tenant or a failure by that anchor tenant to occupy the premises could also result in lease terminations or reductions in rent by other tenants in such shopping centers. In these events, we cannot be certain that any tenant whose lease expires will renew or that we will be able to re-lease space on economically advantageous terms. The loss of rental revenues from a number of tenants and difficulty replacing such tenants, particularly in the case of a substantial tenant with leases in multiple locations, may adversely affect our profitability and our ability to meet debt and other financial obligations.

If a tenant or lease guarantor files for bankruptcy, we may not be able to collect all pre-bankruptcy amounts owed by that party. In addition, a tenant that files for bankruptcy protection may terminate its lease with us, in which event we would have a general unsecured claim against such tenant that would likely be worth less than the full amount owed to us for the remainder of the lease term, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Real estate property investments generally cannot be disposed of quickly, and a return of capital and realization of gains, if any, from an investment generally occur upon the disposition or refinancing of the underlying property. Our ability to dispose of properties on advantageous terms depends on factors beyond our control, including competition from other sellers and the availability of attractive financing for potential buyers of our properties, and we cannot predict the various market conditions affecting real estate investments that will exist at any particular time in the future. Furthermore, we may be required to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements before a property can be sold. We cannot assure our stockholders that we will have funds available to correct such defects or to make such improvements and, therefore, we may be unable to sell the property or may have to sell it at a reduced cost. As a result of these real estate market characteristics, we may be unable to realize our investment objectives by sale, other disposition or refinancing at attractive prices or within any desired period of time. The ability to sell assets in our portfolio may also be restricted by certain covenants in our debt agreements and the credit agreement governing our Unsecured Credit Facility. As a result, we may be required to dispose of assets on less than favorable terms, if at all, and we may be unable to vary our portfolio in response to economic or other conditions, which could adversely affect our financial position.

Costs associated with our business, such as mortgage payments, real estate and personal property taxes, insurance, utilities and corporate expenses, are relatively inflexible and generally do not decrease, and may increase, when a property is not fully occupied, rental rates decrease, a tenant fails to pay rent or other circumstances cause our revenues to decrease. If we are unable to decrease our operating costs when our revenue declines, our financial condition, results of operations and ability to make distributions to our stockholders may be adversely affected. In addition, inflationary price increases could result in increased operating costs for us and our tenants and, to the extent we are unable to pass along those price increases or are unable to recover operating expenses from tenants, our operating expenses may increase, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and ability to make distributions to our stockholders. Conversely, deflation can result in a decline in general price levels caused by a decreased in the supply of money or credit. The predominant effects of deflation are high unemployment, credit contraction and weakened consumer demand.

payments in order to reduce interest rate volatility. However, we may not maintain interest rate swaps with respect to all of our variable rate indebtedness, and any swaps we enter into may not fully mitigate our interest rate risk.

Our debt agreements contain financial and/or operating covenants, including, among other things, certain coverage ratios, as well as limitations on the ability to incur secured and unsecured debt. These covenants may limit our operational flexibility and acquisition and disposition activities. Moreover, if any of the covenants in these debt agreements are breached and not cured within the applicable cure period, we could be required to repay the debt immediately, even in the absence of a payment default. As a result, a default under applicable debt covenants could have an adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

We are involved in several redevelopment projects and may invest in additional redevelopment projects and property acquisitions in the future. Redevelopment and property acquisitions are subject to a number of risks, including: (1) abandonment of redevelopment or acquisition activities after expending resources to determine feasibility; (2) construction and/or lease-up delays; (3) cost overruns, including construction costs that exceed original estimates; (4) failure to achieve expected occupancy and/or rent levels within the projected time frame, if at all; (5) inability to operate successfully in new markets where new properties are located; (6) inability to successfully integrate new properties into existing operations; (7) difficulty obtaining financing on acceptable terms or paying operating expenses and debt service costs associated with redevelopment properties prior to sufficient occupancy; (8) delays or failures to obtain necessary zoning, occupancy, land use and other governmental permits; (9) exposure to fluctuations in the general economy due to the significant time lag between commencement and completion of redevelopment projects; and (10) changes in zoning and land use laws. If any of these events occur, overall project costs may significantly exceed initial cost estimates, which could result in reduced returns or losses from such investments. In addition, we may not have sufficient liquidity to fund such projects, and delays in the completion of a redevelopment project may provide various tenants the right to withdraw from a property.

We carry comprehensive liability, fire, extended coverage, rental loss and acts of terrorism insurance with policy specifications and insured limits customarily carried for similar properties. There are, however, certain types of losses, such as from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, terrorism, wars or earthquakes, which may be uninsurable, or the cost of insuring against such losses may not be economically justifiable. In addition, tenants generally are required to indemnify and hold us harmless from liabilities resulting from injury to persons or damage to personal or real property, on the premises, due to activities conducted by tenants or their agents on the properties (including without limitation any environmental contamination), and at the tenant’s expense, to obtain and keep in full force during the term of the lease, liability and property damage insurance policies. However, tenants may not properly maintain their insurance policies or have the ability to pay the deductibles associated with such policies. In addition, if the damaged properties are subject to recourse indebtedness, we would continue to be liable for the indebtedness, even if these properties were irreparably damaged. Should a loss occur that is uninsured or in an amount exceeding the combined aggregate limits for the policies noted above, or in the event of a loss that is subject to a substantial

deductible under an insurance policy, we could lose all or part of our capital invested in, and anticipated revenue from, one or more of the properties, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.

We are subject to federal, state and local environmental regulations that apply generally to the ownership of real property and the operations conducted on real property. Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, we may be considered an owner or operator of real property or may have arranged for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic substances or petroleum product releases at a property and, therefore, may become liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous substances released on or in our property or disposed of by us or our tenants, as well as certain other potential costs which could relate to hazardous or toxic substances (including governmental fines and injuries to persons and property). Such liability may be imposed whether or not we knew of, or were responsible for, the presence of these hazardous or toxic substances. As is common with community and neighborhood shopping centers, many of our properties had or have on-site dry cleaners and/or on-site gasoline retailing facilities. These operations could potentially result in environmental contamination at the properties. The cost of investigation, remediation or removal of such substances may be substantial, and the presence of such substances, or the failure to properly remediate such substances, may adversely affect our ability to sell or rent such property or to borrow using such property as collateral.

We are aware that soil and groundwater contamination exists at some of our properties. The primary contaminants of concern at these properties include perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene (associated with the operations of on-site dry cleaners) and petroleum hydrocarbons (associated with the operations of on-site gasoline retailing facilities). There may also be asbestos-containing materials at some of our properties. While we do not expect the environmental conditions at our properties, considered as a whole, to have a material adverse effect on us, there can be no assurance that this will be the case. Further, no assurance can be given that any environmental studies performed have identified or will identify all material environmental conditions that may exist with respect to any of the properties in our portfolio.

Further information relating to recognition of remediation obligation in accordance with GAAP is provided in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in this report.

For each of the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 and the period from January 1, 2011 to June 27, 2011, we experienced net losses. Our losses are primarily attributable to non-cash items, such as depreciation, amortization and impairments. Please see the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this

On a periodic basis, we assess whether there are any indicators that the value of our real estate assets and other investments may be impaired. A property’s value is considered to be impaired only if the estimated aggregate future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) to be generated by the property are less than the carrying value of the property. In our estimate of cash flows, we consider factors such as expected future operating income, trends and prospects, the effects of demand, competition and other factors. If we are evaluating the potential sale of an asset or development alternatives, the undiscounted future cash flows considers the most likely course of action at the balance sheet date based on current plans, intended holding periods and available market information. We are required to make subjective assessments as to whether there are impairments in the value of our real estate assets and other investments. These assessments may have a direct impact on our earnings because recording an impairment charge results in an immediate negative adjustment to earnings. There can be no assurance that we will not take additional charges in the future related to the impairment of our assets. Any future impairment could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which the charge is taken.

We rely extensively on computer systems to process transactions and manage our business, and our business is at risk from and may be impacted by cybersecurity attacks. These could include attempts to gain unauthorized access to our data and computer systems. Attacks can be both individual and/or highly organized attempts organized by very sophisticated hacking organizations. We employ a number of measures to prevent, detect and mitigate these threats, which include password protection, frequent password change events, firewall detection systems, frequent backups, a redundant data system for core applications and annual penetration testing; however, there is no guarantee such efforts will be successful in preventing a cyber attack. A cybersecurity attack could compromise the confidential information of our employees, tenants and vendors. A successful attack could disrupt and affect the business operations.

We are highly dependent on the performance and continued efforts of the senior management team. Our future success is dependent on our ability to continue to attract and retain qualified executive officers and senior management. Any inability to manage our operations effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, capital resources and liquidity.

We continue to evaluate the market for available properties and may acquire properties when we believe strategic opportunities exist. Our ability to acquire properties on favorable terms and successfully operate or re-develop them is subject to a number of risks. We may be unable to acquire a desired property because of competition from other real estate investors with substantial capital, including from other REITs and institutional investment funds. Even if we are able to acquire a desired property, competition from other potential acquirers may significantly increase the purchase price.

Affiliates of Blackstone beneficially own shares of our common stock providing them with an aggregate 70.3% of the total voting power of Brixmor Property Group Inc. Moreover, under our bylaws and our stockholders’ agreement with Blackstone and its affiliates, while our pre-IPO owners and their affiliates retain significant ownership of us, we will agree to nominate to our board individuals designated by Blackstone, whom we refer to as the “Blackstone Directors.” Even when Blackstone and its affiliates cease to own shares of our stock representing a majority of the

total voting power, for so long as Blackstone continues to own a significant percentage of our stock, Blackstone will still be able to significantly influence the composition of our board of directors and the approval of actions requiring stockholder approval. Accordingly, until such time, Blackstone will have significant influence with respect to our management, business plans and policies, including the appointment and removal of our officers. In particular, for so long as Blackstone continues to own a significant percentage of our stock, Blackstone will be able to cause or prevent a change of control of our company or a change in the composition of our board of directors and could preclude any unsolicited acquisition of our company. The concentration of ownership could deprive you of an opportunity to receive a premium for your shares of common stock as part of a sale of our company and ultimately might affect the market price of our common stock.

Affiliates of Blackstone control a majority of the combined voting power of all classes of our stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. As a result, we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the NYSE. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power in the election of directors is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that, within one year of the date of the listing of our common stock:

We intend to utilize these exemptions. As a result, a majority of the directors on our board will not be independent within one year of the date of listing of our common stock. In addition, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our board of directors will not consist entirely of independent directors or be subject to annual performance evaluations. Accordingly, you will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the NYSE.

As part of the IPO Property Transfers, we assumed existing liabilities of the Acquired Properties and of the legal entities that own these properties. Although we managed these properties for Blackstone prior to the IPO Property Transfers and were generally aware of their liabilities, as well as the insurance in place to address such risks, our recourse against Blackstone is limited by the terms of the agreements entered into with Blackstone in connection with the IPO Property Transfers. Because many liabilities, including tax liabilities, may not be identified within such period, we may have no recourse against Blackstone for our assumed liabilities. In addition, such indemnification is capped and may not be sufficient to cover all liabilities assumed. Moreover, we may choose not to enforce, or to enforce less vigorously, our rights under these indemnification agreements due to our ongoing relationship with Blackstone. We are not entitled to indemnification from any other sources in connection with the IPO Property Transfers.

Our charter permits our board of directors to authorize the issuance of stock in one or more classes or series. Our board of directors may also classify or reclassify any unissued stock and establish the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of any such stock, which rights may be superior to those of our common stock. Thus, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of shares of a class or series of stock with terms and conditions which could have the effect of discouraging a takeover or other transaction in which holders of some or a majority of our outstanding common stock might receive a premium for their shares over the then current market price of our common stock.

Provisions in the organizational documents of BPG Subsidiary and the partnership agreement for our Operating Partnership may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for our common stock. These provisions could discourage third parties from making proposals involving an unsolicited acquisition of us or change of our control, although some stockholders might consider such proposals, if made, desirable. These provisions include, among others:

Any potential change of control transaction may be further limited as a result of provisions of the partnership unit designation for the OP Units, which require us to preserve the rights of OP Unit holders and may restrict us from amending the partnership agreement of our Operating Partnership in a manner that would have an adverse effect on the rights of Blackstone or other OP Unit holders. In addition, the charter and bylaws of BPG Subsidiary require us to preserve the rights of the holders of BPG Subsidiary Shares and these provisions may prevent us from amending the charter or bylaws for BPG Subsidiary in a manner that would have an adverse effect on the rights of the holders of BPG Subsidiary Shares.

Our board of directors has the sole power to amend our bylaws, except that, so long as the stockholders’ agreement remains in effect, certain amendments to our bylaws will require the consent of Blackstone and amendments to our bylaws that would allow our board of directors to repeal its exemption of any transaction between us and any other person from the “business combination” provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) or the exemption of any acquisition of our stock from the “control share” provisions of the MGCL must be approved by our stockholders. Thus, our board may amend the bylaws in a way that may be detrimental to your interests.

Our investment, financing, borrowing and dividend policies and our policies with respect to all other activities, including growth, debt, capitalization and operations, will be determined by our board of directors. These policies may be amended or revised at any time and from time to time at the discretion of our board of directors without a vote of our stockholders. Our charter also provides that our board of directors may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election without approval of our stockholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify, as a REIT. In addition, our board of directors may change our policies with respect to conflicts of interest provided that such changes are consistent with applicable legal requirements. A change in these policies or the termination of our REIT election could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, our results of operations, our cash flow, the per share trading price of our common stock and our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations and to pay dividends to our stockholders.

Our charter eliminates the liability of our directors and officers to us and our stockholders for money damages to the maximum extent permitted under Maryland law. Under current Maryland law and our charter, our directors and officers do not have any liability to us or our stockholders for money damages other than liability resulting from:

 

Our charter authorizes us and our bylaws require us to indemnify each of our directors or officers who is or is threatened to be made a party to or witness in a proceeding by reason of his or her service in those or certain other capacities, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, from and against any claim or liability to which such person may become subject or which such person may incur by reason of his or her status as a present or former director or officer of us. In addition, we may be obligated to pay or reimburse the expenses incurred by our present and former directors and officers without requiring a preliminary determination of their ultimate entitlement to indemnification. As a result, we and our stockholders may have more limited rights to recover money damages from our directors and officers than might otherwise exist absent these provisions in our charter and bylaws or that might exist with other companies, which could limit your recourse in the event of actions that are not in our best interests.

Blackstone may compete with us for investments in properties and for tenants. There is no assurance that any conflicts of interest created by such competition will be resolved in our favor. Moreover, Blackstone is in the business of making investments in companies and acquires and holds interests in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us. Our charter provides that, to the maximum extent permitted from time to time by Maryland law, we renounce any interest or expectancy that we have in, or any right to be offered an opportunity to participate in, any business opportunities that are from time to time presented to or developed by our directors or their affiliates, other than to those directors who are employed by us or our subsidiaries, unless the business opportunity is expressly offered or made known to such person in his or her capacity as a director, and none of Blackstone or Centerbridge, one of our pre-IPO owners, or any of their respective affiliates, or any director who is not employed by us or any of his or her affiliates, will have any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we or our affiliates engage or propose to engage or to refrain from otherwise competing with us or our affiliates. Blackstone also may pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us.

Our charter provides that, to the maximum extent permitted from time to time by Maryland law, Blackstone, Centerbridge and each of our non-employee directors (including those designated by Blackstone), and any of their affiliates, may:

Our charter also provides that, to the maximum extent permitted from time to time by Maryland law, in the event that Blackstone, Centerbridge, any non-employee director, or any of their respective affiliates, acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or other business opportunity, such person will have no duty to communicate or offer such transaction or business opportunity to us or any of our affiliates and may take any such opportunity for itself, himself or herself or offer it to another person or entity unless the business opportunity is expressly offered to such person in his or her capacity as our director. These provisions may limit our ability to pursue business or investment opportunities that we might otherwise have had the opportunity to pursue, which could have an adverse effect on our

financial condition, our results of operations, our cash flow, the per share trading price of our common stock and our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations and to pay dividends to our stockholders.

Because we control the general partner of our Operating Partnership, we have fiduciary duties to the other limited partners in the operating partnership, the discharge of which may conflict with the interests of our stockholders. The limited partners of our Operating Partnership have agreed that, in the event of a conflict between the duties owed by our directors to us and, in our capacity as the controlling stockholder of the sole member of the general partner of our Operating Partnership, the fiduciary duties owed by the general partner of our Operating Partnership to such limited partners, we are under no obligation to give priority to the interests of such limited partners. However, those persons holding OP Units will have the right to vote on certain amendments to the operating partnership agreement (which require approval by a majority in interest of the limited partners, including BPG Subsidiary) and individually to approve certain amendments that would adversely affect their rights. These voting rights may be exercised in a manner that conflicts with the interests of our stockholders. For example, we are unable to modify the rights of limited partners to receive distributions as set forth in the operating partnership agreement in a manner that adversely affects their rights without their consent, even though such modification might be in the best interest of our stockholders.

In August 2012, Congress enacted the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (“ITRSHRA”), which expands the scope of U.S. sanctions against Iran. More specifically, Section 219 of the ITRSHRA amended the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) to require companies subject to Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) reporting obligations under Section 13 of the Exchange Act to disclose in their periodic reports specified dealings or transactions involving Iran or other individuals and entities targeted by certain Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions engaged in by the reporting company or any of its affiliates during the period covered by the relevant periodic report. In some cases, ITRSHRA requires companies to disclose these types of transactions even if they would otherwise be permissible under U.S. law. These companies are required to separately file with the SEC a notice that such activities have been disclosed in the relevant periodic report, and the SEC is required to post this notice of disclosure on its website and send the report to the U.S. President and certain U.S. Congressional committees. The U.S. President thereafter is required to initiate an investigation and, within 180 days of initiating such an investigation, to determine whether sanctions should be imposed. Under ITRSHRA, we are required to report if we or any of our “affiliates” knowingly engaged in certain specified activities during the period covered by the report. Because the SEC defines the term “affiliate” broadly, it includes any entity controlled by us as well as any person or entity that controls us or is under common control with us. Because we may be deemed to be a controlled affiliate of Blackstone, affiliates of Blackstone may also be considered our affiliates. Disclosure of such activity, even if such activity is not subject to sanctions under applicable law, and any sanctions actually imposed on us or our affiliates as a result of these activities, could harm our reputation and have a negative impact on our business.

 

We expect to continue to operate so as to qualify as a REIT under the Code. However, qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Code provisions for which only a limited number of judicial or administrative interpretations exist. Notwithstanding the availability of cure provisions in the Code, we could fail to meet various compliance requirements, which could jeopardize our REIT status. Furthermore, new tax legislation, administrative guidance or court decisions, in each instance potentially with retroactive effect, could make it more difficult or impossible for us to qualify as a REIT. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any tax year, then:

Even if we qualify and maintain our status as a REIT, we may become subject to U.S. federal income taxes and related state and local taxes. For example, net income from the sale of properties that are “dealer” properties sold by a REIT (a “prohibited transaction” under the Code) will be subject to a 100% tax. We may not make sufficient distributions to avoid excise taxes applicable to REITs. Similarly, if we were to fail an income test (and did not lose our REIT status because such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect) we would be subject to tax on the income that does not meet the income test requirements. We also may decide to retain net capital gain we earn from the sale or other disposition of our investments and pay income tax directly on such income. In that event, our stockholders would be treated as if they earned that income and paid the tax on it directly. However, stockholders that are tax-exempt, such as charities or qualified pension plans, would have no benefit from their deemed payment of such tax liability unless they file U.S. federal income tax returns and thereon seek a refund of such tax. We also may be subject to state and local taxes on our income or property, including franchise, payroll, mortgage recording and transfer taxes, either directly or at the level of the other companies through which we indirectly own our assets, such as our TRSs, which are subject to full U.S. federal, state, local and foreign corporate-level income taxes. Any taxes we pay directly or indirectly will reduce our cash available for distribution to you.

In order to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we must continually satisfy tests concerning, among other things, our sources of income, the nature of our investments in commercial real estate and related assets, the amounts we distribute to our stockholders and the ownership of our stock. We may also be required to make distributions to stockholders at disadvantageous times or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. Thus, compliance with REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.

In order to qualify as a REIT, we must also ensure that at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified REIT real estate assets. The remainder of our investments in securities cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer unless we and such issuer jointly elect for such issuer to be treated as a “taxable REIT subsidiary” under the Code. The total value of all of our investments in taxable REIT subsidiaries cannot exceed 25% of the value of our total assets. In addition, no more than 5% of the value of our assets can consist of the securities of any one issuer other than a taxable REIT subsidiary. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we must dispose of a portion of our assets within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in order to avoid losing our REIT status and suffering adverse tax consequences.

 

The REIT provisions of the Code substantially limit our ability to hedge our liabilities. Any income from a hedging transaction we enter into to manage risk of interest rate changes with respect to borrowings made or to be made to acquire or carry real estate assets, if not clearly identified under applicable Treasury Regulations, does not constitute “gross income” for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests that we must satisfy in order to maintain our qualification as a REIT. To the extent that we enter into other types of hedging transactions, the income from those transactions is likely to be treated as non-qualifying income for purposes of both of the gross income tests. See “Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations-Income Tests.” As a result of these rules, we intend to limit our use of advantageous hedging techniques or implement those hedges through a domestic TRS. This could increase the cost of our hedging activities because our TRS would be subject to tax on gains or expose us to greater

risks associated with changes in interest rates than we would otherwise want to bear. In addition, losses in our TRS will generally not provide any tax benefit, except for being carried forward against future taxable income in the TRS.

From time to time, our taxable income may be greater than our cash flow available for distribution to stockholders. If we do not have other funds available in these situations, we may be unable to distribute substantially all of our taxable income as required by the REIT provisions of the Code. Thus, we could be required to borrow funds, sell a portion of our assets at disadvantageous prices or find another alternative. These options could increase our costs or reduce our equity.

For us to qualify as a REIT under the Code, not more than 50% of the value of our outstanding stock may be owned directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (including certain entities treated as individuals for this purpose) during the last half of a taxable year. For the purpose of assisting our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, among other purposes, our charter prohibits beneficial or constructive ownership by any person of more than a certain percentage, currently 9.8%, in value or by number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of our common stock or 9.8% in value of the outstanding shares of our stock, which we refer to as the “ownership limit.” The constructive ownership rules under the Code and our charter are complex and may cause shares of the outstanding common stock owned by a group of related persons to be deemed to be constructively owned by one person. As a result, the acquisition of less than 9.8% of our outstanding common stock or our stock by a person could cause a person to own constructively in excess of 9.8% of our outstanding common stock or our stock, respectively, and thus violate the ownership limit. There can be no assurance that our board of directors, as permitted in the charter, will not decrease this ownership limit in the future. Any attempt to own or transfer shares of our common stock in excess of the ownership limit without the consent of our board of directors will result either in the shares in excess of the limit being transferred by operation of the charter to a charitable trust, and the person who attempted to acquire such excess shares will not have any rights in such excess shares, or in the transfer being void.

The ownership limit may have the effect of precluding a change in control of us by a third party, even if such change in control would be in the best interests of our stockholders or would result in receipt of a premium to the price of our common stock (and even if such change in control would not reasonably jeopardize our REIT status). The exemptions to the ownership limit granted to date may limit our board of directors’ power to increase the ownership limit or grant further exemptions in the future.

In connection with our qualification as a REIT, we are required to annually distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which does not equal net income, as calculated in accordance with GAAP), determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gain. In order to satisfy this requirement, we may make distributions that are payable in cash and/or shares of our common stock (which could account for up to 90% of the aggregate amount of such distributions) at the election of each stockholder. Taxable stockholders receiving such distributions will be required to include the full amount of such distributions as ordinary dividend income to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, U.S. stockholders may be required to pay income taxes with respect to such distributions in excess of the cash portion of the distribution received. Accordingly, U.S. holders receiving a distribution of our shares may be required to sell shares received in such distribution or may be required to sell other stock or assets owned by them, at a time that may be disadvantageous, in order to satisfy any tax imposed on such distribution. If a U.S. stockholder sells the stock that it receives as part of the distribution in order to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount it must include in income with respect to the distribution, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, with respect to certain non-U.S. holders, we may be required to withhold U.S. tax with respect to such distribution, including in respect of all or a portion of such

distribution that is payable in stock, by withholding or disposing of part of the shares included in such distribution and using the proceeds of such disposition to satisfy the withholding tax imposed. In addition, if a significant number of our stockholders determine to sell shares of our common stock in order to pay taxes owed on dividend income, such sale may put downward pressure on the market price of our common stock.

Various tax aspects of such a taxable cash/stock distribution are uncertain and have not yet been addressed by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). No assurance can be given that the IRS will not impose requirements in the future with respect to taxable cash/stock distributions, including on a retroactive basis, or assert that the requirements for such taxable cash/stock distributions have not been met.

The maximum tax rate applicable to qualified dividend income payable to certain non-corporate U.S. stockholders has been reduced by legislation to 20%. Dividends payable by REITs, however, generally are not eligible for the reduced rates. Although this legislation does not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends payable by REITs, the more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate qualified dividends could cause certain non-corporate investors to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the shares of REITs, including our common stock.

As with other REITs, but unlike corporations generally, our ability to finance our growth must largely be funded by external sources of capital because we generally will have to distribute to our stockholders 90% of our taxable income in order to qualify as a REIT, including taxable income where we do not receive corresponding cash. Our access to external capital will depend upon a number of factors, including general market conditions, the market’s perception of our growth potential, our current and potential future earnings, cash distributions and the market price of our common stock.

In recent years, numerous legislative, judicial and administrative changes have been made in the provisions of U.S. federal income tax laws applicable to investments similar to an investment in shares of our common stock. Additional changes to the tax laws are likely to continue to occur, and we cannot assure you that any such changes will not adversely affect the taxation of a stockholder. Any such changes could have an adverse effect on an investment in our shares or on the market value or the resale potential of our assets. You are urged to consult with your tax advisor with respect to the impact of recent legislation on your investment in our shares and the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our shares. Although REITs generally receive certain tax advantages compared to entities taxed as regular corporations, it is possible that future legislation would result in a REIT having fewer tax advantages, and it could become more advantageous for a company that invests in real estate to elect to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a corporation. As a result, our charter provides our board of directors with the power, under certain circumstances, to revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election and cause us to be taxed as a regular corporation, without the approval of our stockholders.

To qualify as a REIT, we must comply with requirements regarding our assets and our sources of income. If we are compelled to liquidate our investments to repay obligations to our lenders, we may be unable to comply with these requirements, ultimately jeopardizing our qualification as a REIT, or we may be subject to a 100% tax on any resultant gain if we sell assets that are treated as dealer property or inventory.

A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more TRSs. A TRS may earn income that would not be qualifying income if earned directly by the parent REIT. Both the subsidiary and the REIT must jointly elect to treat the subsidiary as a TRS. A corporation of which a TRS directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting

power or value of the stock will automatically be treated as a TRS. Overall, no more than 25% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more TRSs. The value of our interests in and thus the amount of assets held in a TRS may also be restricted by our need to qualify for an exclusion from regulation as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. A TRS will pay federal, state and local income tax at regular corporate rates on any income that it earns. In addition, the TRS rules limit the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a TRS to its parent REIT to assure that the TRS is subject to an appropriate level of corporate taxation. The rules also impose a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis.

Any TRS we own, as a domestic TRS, will pay federal, state and local income tax on its taxable income, and its after-tax net income is available for distribution to us but is not required to be distributed to us. The aggregate value of the TRS stock and securities owned by us cannot exceed 25% of the value of our total assets (including the TRS stock and securities). Although we plan to monitor our investments in TRSs, there can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the 25% limitation discussed above or to avoid application of the 100% excise tax discussed above.

If cash available for distribution generated by our assets decreases in future periods from expected levels, our inability to make expected distributions could result in a decrease in the market price of our common stock. [See “Distribution Policy.”] All distributions will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, maintenance of our REIT qualification and other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time. We may not be able to make distributions in the future. In addition, some of our distributions may include a return of capital. To the extent that we decide to make distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, such distributions would generally be considered a return of capital for federal income tax purposes to the extent of the holder’s adjusted tax basis in their shares. A return of capital is not taxable, but it has the effect of reducing the holder’s adjusted tax basis in its investment. To the extent that distributions exceed the adjusted tax basis of a holder’s shares, they will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such stock. If we borrow to fund distributions, our future interest costs would increase, thereby reducing our earnings and cash available for distribution from what they otherwise would have been.

The trading market for our shares is influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. If any of the analysts who cover us downgrades our common stock or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our share price may decline. If analysts cease coverage of us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our common stock price or trading volume to decline and our shares to be less liquid. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares and may impair our ability to acquire additional properties or other businesses by using our shares as consideration, which in turn could materially adversely affect our business. In addition, the stock market in general, and the NYSE and REITs in particular, have recently experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. These broad market and industry factors may decrease the market price of our shares, regardless of our actual operating performance. For these reasons, among others, the market price of our shares may decline substantially and quickly.

The market price of our common stock could decline as a result of sales of a large number of shares of our common stock in the market or the perception that such sales could occur. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell shares of our common stock in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. We had a total of 229,689,960 shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 1, 2014.

As of March 1, 2014, 179,641,735 shares of our outstanding common stock were held by Blackstone and Centerbridge. As a result of the registration rights agreement we entered into with Blackstone and Centerbridge, all of these shares of our common stock will, subject to applicable lock-up arrangements, be eligible for future sale. These shares are also eligible for sale in the public market in accordance with and subject to the limitation on sales by affiliates as provided in Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). As of March 1, 2014, 58,663,007 shares of common stock of BPG Subsidiary were held by Blackstone (57,824,966) and our executive officers (838,041). From and after November 4, 2014, the first anniversary of the date of the closing of our IPO, these shares of common stock of BPG Subsidiary will be exchangeable at the option of the holder for an equivalent number of shares of our common stock or, at our option, cash based upon the value of an equivalent number of shares of our common stock, subject to the ownership limit and other restrictions on ownership and transfer set forth in our charter. As of March 1, 2014, 15,877,791 common units of partnership interest in our Operating Partnership ("OP Units") were held by Blackstone (15,527,830) and our executive officers (349,961). From and after November 4, 2014, the OP Unit holders will have the right to require our Operating Partnership to redeem part or all of the OP Units for cash, based upon the value of an equivalent number of shares of our common stock at the time of the election to redeem, or, at our election, exchange them for an equivalent number of shares of our common stock, subject to the ownership limit and other restrictions on ownership and transfer set forth in our charter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Blackstone is generally permitted to exchange BPG Subsidiary Shares and redeem their OP Units at any time. Any shares we issue upon such exchanges would be “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144 unless we register such issuances. However, the registration rights agreement we entered into with Blackstone and Centerbridge also requires us to register their respective shares under the Securities Act. These exchanges, or the possibility that these exchanges may occur, also might make it more difficult for holders of our common stock to sell such stock in the future at a time and at a price that they deem appropriate.

We filed a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register 15,000,000 shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our common stock that may be issued pursuant to our 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan. Such Form S-8 registration statement automatically became effective upon filing. Accordingly, shares registered under such registration statement will be available for sale in the open market.

Our charter provides that we may issue up to 3,000,000,000 shares of common stock, and 300,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share. Moreover, under Maryland law and our charter, our board of directors has the power to increase the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we are authorized to issue without stockholder approval. Similarly, the agreement of limited partnership of our Operating Partnership authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional OP Units of our Operating Partnership, which may be exchangeable for shares of our common stock. In addition, the charter of BPG Subsidiary authorizes BPG Subsidiary to issue additional BPG Subsidiary Shares, which may be exchangeable for shares of our common stock, or, at our option, cash based on the value of an equivalent number of shares of our common stock, and 1,000 shares of preferred stock.

Securities markets worldwide experience significant price and volume fluctuations. This market volatility, as well as general economic, market or political conditions, could reduce the market price of shares without regard to our operating performance. For example, the trading prices of equity securities issued by REITs have historically been affected by changes in market interest rates. One of the factors that may influence the market price of our common stock is the annual yield from distributions on our common stock as compared to yields on other financial instruments. An increase in market interest rates, or a decrease in our distributions to stockholders, may lead prospective purchasers of shares of our common stock to demand a higher distribution rate or seek alternative investments. As a result, if interest rates rise, it is likely that the market price of our common stock will decrease as market rates on interest-bearing securities increase. In addition, our operating results could be below the expectations of public market analysts and investors, and in response the market price of our shares could decrease significantly. The market value of the equity securities of a REIT is also based upon the market’s perception of the REIT’s growth potential and its current and potential future cash distributions, whether from operations, sales or refinancings, and is secondarily based upon the real estate market value of the underlying assets. For that reason, our common stock may trade at prices that are higher or lower than our net asset value per share. To the extent we retain operating cash flow for investment purposes, working capital reserves or other purposes, these retained funds, while increasing the value of our underlying assets, may not correspondingly increase the market price of our common stock. Our failure to meet the market’s expectations with regard to future earnings and cash distributions likely

would adversely affect the market price of our common stock and, in such instances, you may be unable to resell your shares at or above the initial public offering price.

The following table sets forth certain information as of December 31, 2013, regarding the shopping centers in our IPO Portfolio on a state-by-state basis: