Simon Property Group - 10-K annual report

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Part IV

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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014

SIMON PROPERTY GROUP, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

            Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act). Yes ý    No o

            Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o    No ý

            Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý    No o

            Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ý    No o

            Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.    ý

            Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

            Indicate by checkmark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in rule 12-b of the Act). Yes o    No ý

            The aggregate market value of shares of common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was approximately $51,280 million based on the closing sale price on the New York Stock Exchange for such stock on June 30, 2014.

            As of January 30, 2015, Simon Property Group, Inc. had 314,381,664 and 8,000 shares of common stock and Class B common stock outstanding, respectively.

Documents Incorporated By Reference

            Portions of the Registrant's Proxy Statement in connection with its 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III.

Simon Property Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Annual Report on Form 10-K
December 31, 2014

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Part I

Item 1.    Business

            Simon Property Group, Inc., Simon or the Company, is a Delaware corporation that operates as a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust, or REIT, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. REITs will generally not be liable for federal corporate income taxes as long as they continue to distribute not less than 100% of their taxable income. Simon Property Group, L.P., or the Operating Partnership, is our majority-owned partnership subsidiary that owns all of our real estate properties and other assets. In this discussion, the terms "we", "us" and "our" refer to Simon, the Operating Partnership, and its subsidiaries.

            We own, develop and manage retail real estate properties, which consist primarily of malls, Premium Outlets® and The Mills®. As of December 31, 2014, we owned or held an interest in 207 income-producing properties in the United States, which consisted of 109 malls, 68 Premium Outlets, 13 Mills, three community centers, and 14 other retail properties in 37 states and Puerto Rico. We have four outlets under development and have redevelopment and expansion projects, including the addition of anchors and big box tenants, underway at more than 25 properties in the U.S. and Asia. Internationally, as of December 31, 2014, we had ownership interests in nine Premium Outlets in Japan, three Premium Outlets in South Korea, two Premium Outlets in Canada, one Premium Outlet in Mexico, and one Premium Outlet in Malaysia. As of December 31, 2014, we had noncontrolling ownership interests in five outlet properties in Europe through our joint venture with McArthurGlen. Of the five properties, two are located in Italy and one each is located in Austria, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, as of December 31, 2014, we owned a 28.9% equity stake in Klépierre SA, or Klépierre, a publicly traded, Paris-based real estate company, which owns, or has an interest in, shopping centers located in 13 countries in Europe.

            On May 28, 2014, as further discussed in Note 3 to the notes to the consolidated financial statements, we completed the spin-off of our interests in 98 properties comprised of substantially all of our strip center business and our smaller enclosed malls to Washington Prime Group Inc., or Washington Prime, an independent, publicly traded REIT (now doing business as WP GLIMCHER). The historical results of operations of the Washington Prime properties as well as the related assets and liabilities are presented as discontinued operations in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

            For a description of our operational strategies and developments in our business during 2014, see Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of this Form 10-K.

Other Policies

            The following is a discussion of our investment policies, financing policies, conflict of interest policies and policies with respect to certain other activities. One or more of these policies may be amended or rescinded from time to time without a stockholder vote.

Investment Policies

            While we emphasize equity real estate investments, we may also provide secured financing to or invest in equity or debt securities of other entities engaged in real estate activities or securities of other issuers. However, any of these investments would be subject to the percentage ownership limitations and gross income tests necessary for REIT qualification. These REIT limitations mean that we cannot make an investment that would cause our real estate assets to be less than 75% of our total assets. We must also derive at least 75% of our gross income directly or indirectly from investments relating to real property or mortgages on real property, including "rents from real property," dividends from other REITs and, in certain circumstances, interest from certain types of temporary investments. In addition, we must also derive at least 95% of our gross income from such real property investments, and from dividends, interest and gains from the sale or dispositions of stock or securities or from other combinations of the foregoing.

            Subject to REIT limitations, we may invest in the securities of other issuers in connection with acquisitions of indirect interests in real estate. Such an investment would normally be in the form of general or limited partnership or membership interests in special purpose partnerships and limited liability companies that own one or more properties. We may, in the future, acquire all or substantially all of the securities or assets of other REITs, management companies or similar entities where such investments would be consistent with our investment policies.

Financing Policies

            Because our REIT qualification requires us to distribute at least 90% of our taxable income, we regularly access the debt markets to raise the funds necessary to finance acquisitions, develop and redevelop properties, and refinance

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maturing debt. We must comply with the covenants contained in our financing agreements that limit our ratio of debt to total assets or market value, as defined. For example, the Operating Partnership's line of credit and the indentures for the Operating Partnership's debt securities contain covenants that restrict the total amount of debt of the Operating Partnership to 65%, or 60% in relation to certain debt, of total assets, as defined under the related arrangement, and secured debt to 50% of total assets. In addition, these agreements contain other covenants requiring compliance with financial ratios. Furthermore, the amount of debt that we may incur is limited as a practical matter by our desire to maintain acceptable ratings for our equity securities and the debt securities of the Operating Partnership. We strive to maintain investment grade ratings at all times, but we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so in the future.

            If our Board of Directors determines to seek additional capital, we may raise such capital by offering equity or debt securities, creating joint ventures with existing ownership interests in properties, entering into joint venture arrangements for new development projects, retaining cash flows or a combination of these methods. If the Board of Directors determines to raise equity capital, it may, without stockholder approval, issue additional shares of common stock or other capital stock. The Board of Directors may issue a number of shares up to the amount of our authorized capital in any manner and on such terms and for such consideration as it deems appropriate. Such securities may be senior to the outstanding classes of common stock. Such securities also may include additional classes of preferred stock, which may be convertible into common stock. Existing stockholders have no preemptive right to purchase shares in any subsequent offering of our securities. Any such offering could dilute a stockholder's investment in us.

            We expect most future borrowings would be made through the Operating Partnership or its subsidiaries. We might, however, incur borrowings that would be reloaned to the Operating Partnership. Borrowings may be in the form of bank borrowings, publicly and privately placed debt instruments, or purchase money obligations to the sellers of properties. Any such indebtedness may be secured or unsecured. Any such indebtedness may also have full or limited recourse to the borrower or cross-collateralized with other debt, or may be fully or partially guaranteed by the Operating Partnership. Although we may borrow to fund the payment of dividends, we currently have no expectation that we will regularly do so.

            On April 7, 2014, the Operating Partnership amended and extended its $4.0 billion unsecured revolving credit facility, or Credit Facility. The Credit Facility's initial borrowing capacity of $4.0 billion may be increased to $5.0 billion during its term. The initial maturity date of the Credit Facility was extended to June 30, 2018 and can be extended for an additional year to June 30, 2019 at our sole option. The Operating Partnership also has an additional $2.0 billion unsecured revolving credit facility, or Supplemental Facility, which may be increased to $2.5 billion during its term. The Supplemental Facility will initially mature on June 30, 2016 and can be extended for an additional year at our sole option. We issue debt securities through the Operating Partnership, but we may issue our debt securities which may be convertible into capital stock or be accompanied by warrants to purchase capital stock. We also may sell or securitize our lease receivables.

            On October 6, 2014, the Operating Partnership established a global unsecured commercial paper note program, or the Commercial Paper program. Under the terms of the program, the Operating Partnership may issue unsecured commercial paper notes, denominated in U.S. dollars, Euros and other currencies, up to a maximum aggregate amount outstanding at any time of $500.0 million, or the non-U.S. dollar equivalent thereof. Notes issued in non-U.S. currencies may be issued by one or more subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership and are guaranteed by the Operating Partnership. Our Commercial Paper program is supported by our credit facilities and if necessary or appropriate, we may make one or more draws under the credit facilities to pay amounts outstanding from time to time on the Commercial Paper program.

            We may also finance our business through the following:

•

issuance of shares of common stock or preferred stock;



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issuance of additional units of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership, or units;



•

issuance of preferred units of the Operating Partnership;



•

issuance of other securities including unsecured notes and mortgage debt;



•

draws on our credit facilities;



•

borrowings under the Commercial Paper program; or



•

sale or exchange of ownership interests in properties.

            The Operating Partnership may also issue units to transferors of properties or other partnership interests which may permit the transferor to defer gain recognition for tax purposes.

            We do not have a policy limiting the number or amount of mortgages that may be placed on any particular property. Mortgage financing instruments, however, usually limit additional indebtedness on such properties. Additionally, our

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unsecured credit facilities, unsecured note indentures and other contracts may limit our ability to borrow and contain limits on mortgage indebtedness we may incur.

            Typically, we invest in or form special purpose entities to assist us in obtaining secured permanent financing at attractive terms. Permanent financing may be structured as a mortgage loan on a single property, or on a group of properties, and generally requires us to provide a mortgage lien on the property or properties in favor of an institutional third party, as a joint venture with a third party, or as a securitized financing. For securitized financings, we create special purpose entities to own the properties. These special purpose entities, which are common in the real estate industry, are structured so that they would not be consolidated in a bankruptcy proceeding involving a parent company. We decide upon the structure of the financing based upon the best terms then available to us and whether the proposed financing is consistent with our other business objectives. For accounting purposes, we include the outstanding securitized debt of special purpose entities owning consolidated properties as part of our consolidated indebtedness.

Conflict of Interest Policies

            We maintain policies and have entered into agreements designed to reduce or eliminate potential conflicts of interest. We have adopted governance principles governing the function, conduct, selection, orientation and duties of our Board of Directors and the Company, as well as written charters for each of the standing Committees of the Board of Directors. In addition, we have a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which applies to all of our officers, directors, and employees and those of our subsidiaries. At least a majority of the members of our Board of Directors must qualify as independent under the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, and cannot be affiliated with the Simon family who are significant stockholders and/or unitholders in the Operating Partnership. In addition, the Audit and Compensation Committees of our Board of Directors are comprised of independent members who meet the additional independence requirements of the NYSE. Any transaction between us and the Simons, including property acquisitions, service and property management agreements and retail space leases, must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.

            The sale by the Operating Partnership of any property that it owns may have an adverse tax impact on the Simons or other of our limited partners of the Operating Partnership. In order to avoid any conflict of interest between us and the Simons, our charter requires that at least six of our independent directors must authorize and require the Operating Partnership to sell any property it owns. Any such sale is subject to applicable agreements with third parties. Noncompetition agreements executed by Herbert Simon and David Simon contain covenants limiting their ability to participate in certain shopping center activities.

Policies With Respect To Certain Other Activities

            We intend to make investments which are consistent with our qualification as a REIT, unless the Board of Directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to so qualify as a REIT. The Board of Directors may make such a determination because of changing circumstances or changes in the REIT requirements. We have authority to offer shares of our capital stock or other securities in exchange for property. We also have authority to repurchase or otherwise reacquire our shares or any other securities. We may issue shares of our common stock, or cash at our option, to holders of units in future periods upon exercise of such holders' rights under the Operating Partnership agreement. Our policy prohibits us from making any loans to our directors or executive officers for any purpose. We may make loans to the joint ventures in which we participate. Additionally, we may make or buy interests in loans for real estate properties owned by others or make investments in companies that own real estate assets.

Competition

            The retail industry is dynamic and competitive. We compete with numerous merchandise distribution channels including malls, outlet centers, community/lifestyle centers, and other shopping centers in the United States and abroad. We also compete with internet retailing sites and catalogs which provide retailers with distribution options beyond existing brick and mortar retail properties. The existence of competitive alternatives could have a material adverse effect on our ability to lease space and on the level of rents we can obtain. This results in competition for both the tenants to occupy the properties that we develop and manage as well as for the acquisition of prime sites (including land for development and operating properties). We believe that there are numerous factors that make our properties highly desirable to retailers including:

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the quality, location and diversity of our properties;



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our management and operational expertise;

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our extensive experience and relationships with retailers, lenders and suppliers; and



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our mall marketing initiatives and consumer focused strategic corporate alliances.

Certain Activities

            During the past three years, we have:

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issued 7,461,638 shares of common stock upon the exchange of 8,114,263 units of the Operating Partnership;



•

issued 304,698 restricted shares of common stock and 1,296,508 long-term incentive performance units, or LTIP units, net of forfeitures, under The Simon Property Group 1998 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, or the 1998 Plan;



•

issued 760,485 units in exchange for the acquisition of a 100% interest in two outlet properties and the remaining interest in a former joint venture property;



•

issued 9,137,500 shares of common stock in a public offering at a public offering price of $137.00 per share;



•

redeemed 2,000,000 units for $124.00 per unit in cash;



•

amended and extended the Credit Facility in April 2014 to increase our borrowing capacity and extend its term;



•

entered into the Supplemental Facility in June 2012;



•

borrowed a maximum amount of $3.1 billion under the credit facilities; the outstanding amount of borrowings under the credit facilities as of December 31, 2014 was $558.5 million, of which $372.2 million was related to U.S. dollar equivalent of Euro-denominated borrowings and $186.4 million was related to U.S. dollar equivalent of Yen-denominated borrowings;



•

established a global Commercial Paper program which provides a borrowing capacity of $500.0 million; the outstanding amount of Commercial Paper notes as of December 31, 2014 was $409.2 million, of which $209.2 million was related to U.S. dollar equivalent of Euro-denominated notes;



•

issued €750.0 million of unsecured notes on October 2, 2013 at a fixed interest rate of 2.375% with a maturity date of October 2, 2020; as of December 31, 2014, the U.S. dollar equivalent was $912.1 million; and



•

provided annual reports containing financial statements audited by our independent registered public accounting firm and quarterly reports containing unaudited financial statements to our security holders.

Employees

            At December 31, 2014, we and our affiliates employed approximately 5,250 persons at various properties and offices throughout the United States, of which approximately 1,850 were part-time. Approximately 1,100 of these employees were located at our corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Corporate Headquarters

            Our corporate headquarters are located at 225 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204, and our telephone number is (317) 636-1600.

Available Information

            We are a large accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Exchange Act) and are required, pursuant to Item 101 of Regulation S-K, to provide certain information regarding our website and the availability of certain documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Our Internet website address is www.simon.com. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are available or may be accessed free of charge through the "About Simon/Investor Relations/Financial Information" section of our Internet website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Our Internet website and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not intended to be incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

            The following corporate governance documents are also available through the "About Simon/Investor Relations/Corporate Governance" section of our Internet website or may be obtained in print form by request of our Investor

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Relations Department: Governance Principles, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Audit Committee Charter, Compensation Committee Charter, Governance and Nominating Committee Charter, and Executive Committee Charter.

            In addition, we intend to disclose on our Internet website any amendments to, or waivers from, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that are required to be publicly disclosed pursuant to rules of the SEC and the NYSE.

Executive Officers of the Registrant

            The following table sets forth certain information with respect to our executive officers as of February 27, 2015.

            The executive officers of Simon serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors except for David Simon and Richard S. Sokolov who are subject to employment agreements which may call for certain payments upon termination.

            Mr. Simon has served as the Chairman of the Board of Simon since 2007 and Chief Executive Officer of Simon or its predecessor since 1995. Mr. Simon has also been a director of Simon or its predecessor since its incorporation in 1993. Mr. Simon was the President of Simon's predecessor from 1993 to 1996. From 1988 to 1990, Mr. Simon was Vice President of Wasserstein Perella & Company. From 1985 to 1988, he was an Associate at First Boston Corp. He is the son of the late Melvin Simon and the nephew of Herbert Simon.

            Mr. Sokolov has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Simon or its predecessor since 1996. Mr. Sokolov has also been a director of Simon or its predecessor since 1996. Mr. Sokolov was President and Chief Executive Officer of DeBartolo Realty Corporation from its incorporation in 1994 until it merged with our predecessors in 1996. Mr. Sokolov joined its predecessor, The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, in 1982 as Vice President and General Counsel and was named Senior Vice President, Development and General Counsel in 1986.

            Mr. Juster serves as Simon's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Juster joined MSA in 1989 and held various financial positions with MSA until 1993 and thereafter has held various positions with Simon. Mr. Juster became Treasurer in 2001 and was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2008 and Chief Financial Officer in December 2014.

            Mr. Contis is the Senior Executive Vice President and President of Simon Malls. Mr. Contis joined Simon in 2011. Prior to joining Simon, Mr. Contis served as the President of Real Estate at Equity Group Investments, LLC. Mr. Contis has over 30 years of domestic and international real estate experience including 20 years overseeing both public and private mall portfolios.

            Mr. Rulli serves as Simon's Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. Mr. Rulli joined MSA in 1988 and held various positions with MSA and Simon thereafter. Mr. Rulli became Chief Administrative Officer in 2007 and was promoted to Senior Executive Vice President in 2011.

            Mr. Barkley serves as Simon's General Counsel and Secretary. Mr. Barkley joined Melvin Simon & Associates, Inc., or MSA, in 1978 as a staff attorney and was named Assistant General Counsel in 1984. He was named General Counsel in 1992 and Secretary in 1993.

            Mr. Fivel serves as Simon's Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. Prior to rejoining Simon in 2011, Mr. Fivel served in a similar capacity with a large public registrant. Mr. Fivel was previously employed by MSA from 1988 until 1993 and then by Simon from 1993 to 1996.

            Mr. Broadwater serves as Simon's Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer and prior to that as Simon's Vice President and Corporate Controller. Mr. Broadwater joined Simon in 2004 and was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer in 2009.

            Mr. McDade serves as Simon's Senior Vice President and Treasurer. Mr. McDade joined Simon in 2007 as the Director of Capital Markets and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Capital Markets in 2013. Mr. McDade was promoted to Treasurer in December 2014.

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Item 1A.    Risk Factors

            The following factors, among others, could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and presented elsewhere by our management from time to time. These factors may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows, and you should carefully consider them. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or which are currently not believed to be material may also affect our actual results. We may update these factors in our future periodic reports.

Risks Relating to Debt and the Financial Markets

            We have a substantial debt burden that could affect our future operations.

            As of December 31, 2014, our consolidated mortgages and unsecured indebtedness, excluding related premium and discount, totaled $20.8 billion. We are subject to the risks normally associated with debt financing, including the risk that our cash flow from operations will be insufficient to meet required debt service. Our debt service costs generally will not be reduced if developments at the property, such as the entry of new competitors or the loss of major tenants, cause a reduction in the income from the property. Should such events occur, our operations may be adversely affected. If a property is mortgaged to secure payment of indebtedness and income from such property is insufficient to pay that indebtedness, the property could be foreclosed upon by the mortgagee resulting in a loss of income and a decline in our total asset value.

            Disruption in the credit markets or downgrades in our credit ratings may adversely affect our ability to access external financings for our growth and ongoing debt service requirements.

            We depend on external financings, principally debt financings, to fund the growth of our business and to ensure that we can meet ongoing maturities of our outstanding debt. Our access to financing depends on our credit rating, the willingness of banks to lend to us and conditions in the capital markets. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the financing we need for future growth or to meet our debt service as obligations mature, or that the financing available to us will be on acceptable terms.

            Adverse changes in our credit rating could affect our borrowing capacity and borrowing terms.

            The Operating Partnership's outstanding senior unsecured notes, the Commercial Paper program, and Simon's preferred stock are periodically rated by nationally recognized credit rating agencies. The credit ratings are based on our operating performance, liquidity and leverage ratios, overall financial position, and other factors viewed by the credit rating agencies as relevant to our industry and the economic outlook in general. Our credit rating can affect the amount of capital we can access, as well as the terms of any financing we obtain. Since we depend primarily on debt financing to fund our growth, adverse changes in our credit rating could have a negative effect on our future growth.

            Our hedging interest rate protection arrangements may not effectively limit our interest rate risk.

            We selectively manage our exposure to interest rate risk by a combination of interest rate protection agreements to effectively fix or cap a portion of our variable rate debt. In addition, we refinance fixed rate debt at times when we believe rates and terms are appropriate. Our efforts to manage these exposures may not be successful.

            Our use of interest rate hedging arrangements to manage risk associated with interest rate volatility may expose us to additional risks, including a risk that a counterparty to a hedging arrangement may fail to honor its obligations. Developing an effective interest rate risk strategy is complex and no strategy can completely insulate us from risks associated with interest rate fluctuations. There can be no assurance that our hedging activities will have the desired beneficial impact on our results of operations or financial condition. Termination of these hedging agreements typically involves costs, such as transaction fees or breakage costs.

Factors Affecting Real Estate Investments and Operations

            We face risks associated with the acquisition, development, redevelopment and expansion of properties.

            We regularly acquire and develop new properties and expand and redevelop existing properties, and these activities are subject to various risks. We may not be successful in pursuing acquisition, development or redevelopment/expansion opportunities. In addition, newly acquired, developed or redeveloped/expanded properties may not perform as well as

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expected. We are subject to other risks in connection with any acquisition, development and redevelopment/expansion activities, including the following:

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construction costs of a project may be higher than projected, potentially making the project unfeasible or unprofitable;



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we may not be able to obtain financing or to refinance loans on favorable terms, if at all;



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we may be unable to obtain zoning, occupancy or other governmental approvals;



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occupancy rates and rents may not meet our projections and the project may not be profitable; and



•

we may need the consent of third parties such as department stores, anchor tenants, mortgage lenders and joint venture partners, and those consents may be withheld.

            If a development or redevelopment/expansion project is unsuccessful, either because it is not meeting our expectations when operational or was not completed according to the project planning, we could lose our investment in the project. Further, if we guarantee the property's financing, our loss could exceed our investment in the project.

            Real estate investments are relatively illiquid.

            Our properties represent a substantial portion of our total consolidated assets. These investments are relatively illiquid. As a result, our ability to sell one or more of our properties or investments in real estate in response to any changes in economic or other conditions may be limited. If we want to sell a property, we cannot assure you that we will be able to dispose of it in the desired time period or that the sales price of a property will exceed the cost of our investment.

            Our international expansion may subject us to different or greater risk from those associated with our domestic operations.

            As of December 31, 2014, we held interests in joint venture properties that operate in Austria, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Canada, and the United Kingdom. We also have an equity stake in Klépierre, a publicly-traded European real estate company which operates in 13 countries in Europe. Accordingly, our operating results and the value of our international operations may be impacted by any unhedged movements in the foreign currencies in which those operations transact and in which our net investment in the foreign operation is held. We may pursue additional expansion and development opportunities outside the United States. International development and ownership activities carry risks that are different from those we face with our domestic properties and operations. These risks include:

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adverse effects of changes in exchange rates for foreign currencies;



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changes in foreign political and economic environments, regionally, nationally, and locally;



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challenges of complying with a wide variety of foreign laws including corporate governance, operations, taxes, and litigation;



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differing lending practices;



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differences in cultures;



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changes in applicable laws and regulations in the United States that affect foreign operations;



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difficulties in managing international operations; and



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obstacles to the repatriation of earnings and cash.

            Our international activities represented approximately 9.0% of our net operating income, or NOI, for the year ended December 31, 2014. To the extent that we expand our international activities, the above risks could increase in significance, which in turn could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Environmental Risks

            As owners of real estate, we can face liabilities for environmental contamination.

            Federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment may require us, as a current or previous owner or operator of real property, to investigate and clean up hazardous or toxic substances or petroleum product releases at a property or at impacted neighboring properties. These laws often impose liability regardless of whether the property owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of hazardous or toxic

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substances. These laws and regulations may require the abatement or removal of asbestos containing materials in the event of damage, demolition or renovation, reconstruction or expansion of a property and also govern emissions of and exposure to asbestos fibers in the air. Those laws and regulations also govern the installation, maintenance and removal of underground storage tanks used to store waste oils or other petroleum products. Many of our properties contain, or at one time contained, asbestos containing materials or underground storage tanks (primarily related to auto service center establishments or emergency electrical generation equipment). The costs of investigation, removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances may be substantial and could adversely affect our results of operations or financial condition but is not estimable. The presence of contamination, or the failure to remediate contamination, may also adversely affect our ability to sell, lease or redevelop a property or to borrow using a property as collateral.

            Our efforts to identify environmental liabilities may not be successful.

            Although we believe that our portfolio is in substantial compliance with federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations regarding hazardous or toxic substances, this belief is based on limited testing. Nearly all of our properties have been subjected to Phase I or similar environmental audits. These environmental audits have not revealed, nor are we aware of, any environmental liability that we believe will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. However, we cannot assure you that:

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existing environmental studies with respect to the portfolio reveal all potential environmental liabilities;



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any previous owner, occupant or tenant of a property did not create any material environmental condition not known to us;



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the current environmental condition of the portfolio will not be affected by tenants and occupants, by the condition of nearby properties, or by other unrelated third parties; or



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future uses or conditions (including, without limitation, changes in applicable environmental laws and regulations or the interpretation thereof) will not result in environmental liabilities.

Retail Operations Risks

            Overall economic conditions may adversely affect the general retail environment.

            Our concentration in the retail real estate market means that we are subject to the risks that affect the retail environment generally, including the levels of consumer spending, seasonality, the willingness of retailers to lease space in our shopping centers, tenant bankruptcies, changes in economic conditions, increasing use of the internet by retailers and consumers, consumer confidence, casualties and other natural disasters, and the potential for terrorist activities. The economy and consumer spending appear to be recovering from the effects of the recent recession. We derive our cash flow from operations primarily from retail tenants, many of whom have been and continue to be under some degree of economic stress. A significant deterioration in our cash flow from operations could require us to curtail planned capital expenditures or seek alternative sources of financing.

            We may not be able to lease newly developed properties and renew leases and relet space at existing properties.

            We may not be able to lease new properties to an appropriate mix of tenants or for rents that are consistent with our projections. Also, when leases for our existing properties expire, the premises may not be relet or the terms of reletting, including the cost of allowances and concessions to tenants, may be less favorable than the current lease terms. To the extent that our leasing plans are not achieved, our cash generated before debt repayments and capital expenditures could be adversely affected. Changes in economic and operating conditions that occur subsequent to our review of recoverability of investment property and other assets could impact the assumptions used in that assessment and could result in future charges to earnings if assumptions regarding those investments differ from actual results.

            Some of our properties depend on anchor stores or major tenants to attract shoppers and could be adversely affected by the loss of one or more of these anchor stores or major tenants.

            Our properties are typically anchored by department stores and other large nationally recognized tenants. The value of some of our properties could be materially adversely affected if these department stores or major tenants fail to comply with their contractual obligations or cease their operations.

            For example, among department stores and other large stores — often referred to as "big box" stores — corporate merger activity typically results in the closure of duplicate or geographically overlapping store locations. Further sustained

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adverse pressure on the results of our department stores and major tenants may have a similarly sustained adverse impact upon our own results. Certain department stores and other national retailers have experienced, and may continue to experience for the foreseeable future given current macroeconomic uncertainty and less-than-desirable levels of consumer confidence, considerable decreases in customer traffic in their retail stores, increased competition from alternative retail options such as those accessible via the Internet and other forms of pressure on their business models. As pressure on these department stores and national retailers increases, their ability to maintain their stores, meet their obligations both to us and to their external lenders and suppliers, withstand takeover attempts by investors or rivals or avoid bankruptcy and/or liquidation may be impaired and result in closures of their stores. Other tenants may be entitled to modify the economic or other terms of their existing leases in the event of such closures. The modification could be unfavorable to us as the lessor, and could decrease rents or expense recovery charges.

            Additionally, department store or major tenant closures may result in decreased customer traffic, which could lead to decreased sales at our properties. If the sales of stores operating in our properties were to decline significantly due to the closing of anchor stores or other national retailers, adverse economic conditions, or other reasons, tenants may be unable to pay their minimum rents or expense recovery charges. In the event of any default by a tenant, we may not be able to fully recover, and/or may experience delays and costs in enforcing our rights as landlord to recover, amounts due to us under the terms of our agreements with such parties.

            We face potential adverse effects from tenant bankruptcies.

            Bankruptcy filings by retailers can occur regularly in the course of our operations. We continually seek to re-lease vacant spaces resulting from tenant terminations. The bankruptcy of a tenant, particularly an anchor tenant, may make it more difficult to lease the remainder of the affected properties. Future tenant bankruptcies could adversely affect our properties or impact our ability to successfully execute our re-leasing strategy.

            We face a wide range of competition that could affect our ability to operate profitably.

            Our properties compete with other retail properties and other forms of retailing such as catalogs and e-commerce websites. Competition may come from malls, outlet centers, community/lifestyle centers, and other shopping centers, both existing as well as future development projects, as well as catalogs and e-commerce. The presence of competitive alternatives affects our ability to lease space and the level of rents we can obtain. New construction, renovations and expansions at competing sites could also negatively affect our properties.

            We also compete with other retail property developers to acquire prime development sites. In addition, we compete with other retail property companies for tenants and qualified management.

Risks Relating to Joint Venture Properties and our Investment in Klépierre

            We have limited control with respect to some properties that are partially owned or managed by third parties, which may adversely affect our ability to sell or refinance them.

            As of December 31, 2014, we owned interests in 95 income-producing properties with other parties. Of those, 13 properties are included in our consolidated financial statements. We account for the other 82 properties, or the joint venture properties, as well as our investment in Klépierre, using the equity method of accounting. We serve as general partner or property manager for 60 of these 82 properties; however, certain major decisions, such as approving the operating budget and selling, refinancing and redeveloping the properties require the consent of the other owners. Of the properties for which we do not serve as general partner or property manager, 19 are in our international joint ventures. The international properties are managed locally by joint ventures in which we share control of the properties with our partner. The other owners have participating rights that we consider substantive for purposes of determining control over the properties' assets. The remaining joint venture properties and Klépierre are managed by third parties. These limitations may adversely affect our ability to sell, refinance, or otherwise operate these properties.

            The Operating Partnership guarantees debt or otherwise provides support for a number of joint venture properties.

            Joint venture debt is the liability of the joint venture and is typically secured by a mortgage on the joint venture property, which is non-recourse to us. As of December 31, 2014, the Operating Partnership guaranteed joint venture related mortgage indebtedness of $223.5 million (of which we have a right of recovery from our venture partners of $78.7 million). A default by a joint venture under its debt obligations may expose us to liability under a guaranty. We may elect to fund cash needs of a joint venture through equity contributions (generally on a basis proportionate to our ownership interests), advances or partner loans, although such fundings are not typically required contractually or otherwise.

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Other Factors Affecting Our Business

            Some of our potential losses may not be covered by insurance.

            We maintain insurance coverage with third party carriers who provide a portion of the coverage for specific layers of potential losses including commercial general liability, fire, flood, extended coverage and rental loss insurance on all of our properties in the United States. The initial portion of coverage not provided by third party carriers is either insured through our wholly-owned captive insurance companies or other financial arrangements controlled by us. A third party carrier has, in turn, agreed to provide evidence of coverage for this layer of losses under the terms and conditions of the carrier's policy. A similar policy written through our captive insurance entities also provides initial coverage for property insurance and certain windstorm risks at the properties located in coastal windstorm locations.

            There are some types of losses, including lease and other contract claims, which generally are not insured. If an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occurs, we could lose all or a portion of the capital we have invested in a property, as well as the anticipated future revenue it could generate.

            We currently maintain insurance coverage against acts of terrorism on all of our properties in the United States on an "all risk" basis in the amount of up to $1 billion. The current federal laws which provide this coverage are expected to operate through 2020. Despite the existence of this insurance coverage, any threatened or actual terrorist attacks where we operate could adversely affect our property values, revenues, consumer traffic and tenant sales.

            We face risks associated with security breaches through cyber-attacks, cyber intrusions or otherwise, as well as other significant disruptions of our information technology (IT) networks and related systems.

            We face risks associated with security breaches, whether through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to e-mails, persons inside our organization or persons with access to systems, and other significant disruptions of our IT networks and related systems. Our IT networks and related systems are essential to the operation of our business and our ability to perform day-to-day operations and, in some cases, may be critical to the operations of certain of our tenants. Although we make efforts to maintain the security and integrity of these types of IT networks and related systems, and we have implemented various measures to manage the risk of a security breach or disruption, there can be no assurance that our security efforts and measures will be effective or that attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful or damaging. Even the most well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because the techniques used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed not be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is impossible for us to entirely mitigate this risk.

            Our success depends, in part, on our ability to attract and retain talented employees, and the loss of any one of our key personnel could adversely impact our business.

            The success of our business depends, in part, on the leadership and performance of our executive management team and key employees, and our ability to attract, retain and motivate talented employees could significantly impact our future performance. Competition for these individuals is intense, and we cannot assure you that we will retain our executive management team and key employees or that we will be able to attract and retain other highly qualified individuals for these positions in the future. Losing any one or more of these persons could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Risks Relating to Income Taxes

            We have elected to be taxed as a REIT in the United States and certain of our international operations currently receive favorable tax treatment.

            We are subject to certain income-based taxes, both domestically and internationally, and other taxes, including state and local taxes, franchise taxes, and withholding taxes on dividends from certain of our international investments. We currently receive favorable tax treatment in various domestic and international jurisdictions through tax rules and regulations or through international treaties. Should we no longer receive such benefits, the amount of taxes we pay may increase.

            In the U.S., we have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code. We believe we have been organized and operated in a manner which allows us to qualify for taxation as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. We intend to continue to operate in this manner. However, our qualification and taxation as a REIT depend upon our ability to meet, through actual annual operating results, asset diversification, distribution levels and diversity of

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stock ownership, the various qualification tests imposed under the Internal Revenue Code. REIT qualification is governed by highly technical and complex provisions for which there are only limited judicial or administrative interpretations. Accordingly, there is no assurance that we have operated or will continue to operate in a manner so as to qualify or remain qualified as a REIT.

            If we fail to comply with those provisions, we may be subject to monetary penalties or ultimately to possible disqualification as a REIT. If such events occurs, and if available relief provisions do not apply:

•

we will not be allowed a deduction for distributions to stockholders in computing our taxable income;



•

we will be subject to corporate level income tax, including any applicable alternative minimum tax, on our taxable income at regular corporate rates; and



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unless entitled to relief under relevant statutory provisions, we will also be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost.

Item 1B.    Unresolved Staff Comments

            None.

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Item 2.    Properties

United States Properties

            Our U.S. properties primarily consist of malls, Premium Outlets, The Mills, community centers and other retail properties. These properties contain an aggregate of approximately 182.0 million square feet of gross leasable area, or GLA.

            Malls typically contain at least one traditional department store anchor or a combination of anchors and big box retailers with a wide variety of smaller stores connecting the anchors. Additional stores are usually located along the perimeter of the parking area. Our 109 malls are generally enclosed centers and range in size from approximately 425,000 to 2.5 million square feet of GLA. Our malls contain in the aggregate more than 13,900 occupied stores, including approximately 516 anchors, which are predominately national retailers.

            Premium Outlets generally contain a wide variety of designer and manufacturer stores located in open-air centers. Our 68 Premium Outlets range in size from approximately 150,000 to 850,000 square feet of GLA. The Premium Outlets are generally located near major metropolitan areas and/or tourist destinations.

            The 13 properties in The Mills generally range in size from 1.1 million to 2.2 million square feet of GLA and are located in major metropolitan areas. They have a combination of traditional mall, outlet center, and big box retailers and entertainment uses.

            We also have interests in three community centers and 14 other retail properties. The community centers range in size from 230,000 to 900,000 square feet of GLA. The other retail properties range in size from approximately 150,000 to 750,000 square feet of GLA and are considered non-core to our business model. In total, the community centers and other retail properties represent 1.4% of our total operating income before depreciation and amortization.

            As of December 31, 2014, approximately 97.1% of the owned GLA in malls and Premium Outlets was leased and approximately 98.4% of the owned GLA for The Mills was leased.

            We wholly own 133 of our properties, effectively control 13 properties in which we have a joint venture interest, and hold the remaining 61 properties through unconsolidated joint venture interests. We are the managing or co-managing general partner or member of 204 properties in the United States. Certain of our joint venture properties are subject to various rights of first refusal, buy-sell provisions, put and call rights, or other sale or marketing rights for partners which are customary in real estate partnership agreements and the industry. We and our partners in these joint ventures may initiate these provisions (subject to any applicable lock up or similar restrictions) which may result in either the sale of our interest or the use of available cash or borrowings, or the use of Operating Partnership units, to acquire the joint venture interest from our partner.

            The following property table summarizes certain data for our malls, Premium Outlets, The Mills, community centers and other retail properties located in the United States, including Puerto Rico, as of December 31, 2014.

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Simon Property Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Property Table
U.S. Properties

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