Federal Realty Announces Proposed Private Placement of $400 Million of Exchangeable Senior Notes
- Private placement offering of $400 million aggregate principal amount of exchangeable senior notes due 2029
- The notes will be the Partnership's senior unsecured obligations and will accrue interest payable semi-annually in arrears
- The notes and the common shares issuable upon exchange of the notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws
Insights
The launch of a $400 million offering of exchangeable senior notes by Federal Realty OP LP represents a significant capital market activity that can influence the company's financial leverage and liquidity. Exchangeable notes are debt instruments that investors can convert into equity, in this case, common shares of Federal Realty, under certain conditions. The ability to exchange for cash or a combination of cash and common shares provides flexibility to investors and can make the offering more attractive.
The decision to use proceeds for repayment of indebtedness and general corporate purposes is a strategic move to optimize the capital structure and potentially reduce interest expenses. The use of capped call transactions is a common hedging strategy to manage the dilution risk associated with the conversion feature of the notes. This can be seen as a proactive step to protect the interests of current shareholders while managing the cost of capital.
However, the market's response to the offering and the subsequent hedging activities by the option counterparties could influence the stock price of Federal Realty in the short term. Investors should monitor the pricing of the notes, the interest rate and the conversion rate, as these will impact the attractiveness of the notes and the potential dilution of the common shares. The cap on the call transactions could also indicate the level of price appreciation that the company's management anticipates or is willing to protect against.
From a market perspective, the issuance of exchangeable senior notes can reflect Federal Realty's market sentiment and strategic outlook. The timing and size of the offering may signal management's confidence in the company's future performance and its ability to manage additional leverage. The market will likely analyze the terms of the notes and the capped call transactions to gauge the risk-return profile of the investment.
Additionally, the secondary market activities by the option counterparties could impact trading volumes and the volatility of Federal Realty's stock. Such activities are typically intended to facilitate the establishment of the initial hedge related to the capped call transactions and may not necessarily reflect long-term market trends. However, they can provide liquidity and can sometimes lead to short-term price movements.
The real estate investment trust (REIT) sector, in which Federal Realty operates, is sensitive to interest rate changes. The interest rate on the notes will be a critical factor in assessing the cost of capital for Federal Realty and the potential impact on its financial statements, especially considering the rate environment at the time of the offering.
The legal stipulations surrounding the offering of exchangeable senior notes, particularly under Rule 144A, are crucial for ensuring compliance with securities regulations. Rule 144A allows for a more streamlined process for selling securities to qualified institutional buyers, which can expedite the capital-raising process for Federal Realty. However, the private placement nature of the offering limits the pool of potential investors, which is a trade-off between regulatory compliance and market reach.
The notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, which means they carry certain restrictions on their transferability. This lack of registration is typical for private placements and requires buyers to be aware of the limitations associated with the resale of the notes. The safe harbor statement in the press release seeks to mitigate legal risk by clarifying the non-solicitation nature of the announcement and the jurisdictional boundaries of the offering.
The notes will be the Partnership's senior unsecured obligations and will accrue interest payable semi-annually in arrears. Subject to certain conditions, the notes will be exchangeable for cash up to the principal amount of the notes exchanged and, in respect of the remainder of the exchange value, if any, in excess thereof, cash or common shares of beneficial interest, par value
The Partnership intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to pay the cost of the capped call transactions described below, for the repayment of indebtedness and for general corporate purposes. Pending such use, the net proceeds may be invested in short-term, income-producing investments or the Partnership may use the net proceeds to temporarily repay current and/or future amounts outstanding under its revolving credit facility. If the initial purchasers of the notes exercise their option to purchase additional notes, the Partnership expects to use a portion of the net proceeds from the sale of the additional notes to enter into additional capped call transactions with the option counterparties and the remaining net proceeds for the purposes described above.
In connection with the pricing of the notes, Federal Realty and the Partnership expect to enter into privately negotiated capped call transactions relating to the notes with one or more of the initial purchasers of the notes or their respective affiliates and/or other financial institutions (the "option counterparties"). The capped call transactions will cover, subject to customary adjustments, the number of Federal Realty's common shares that will initially underlie the notes.
The capped call transactions are expected generally to reduce the potential dilution to Federal Realty's common shares upon exchange of any notes and/or offset any cash payments the Partnership is required to make in excess of the principal amount of exchanged notes, as the case may be, with such reduction and/or offset subject to a cap.
In connection with establishing their initial hedges of the capped call transactions, the option counterparties or their respective affiliates may enter into various derivative transactions with respect to Federal Realty's common shares and/or purchase Federal Realty's common shares or other securities of Federal Realty in secondary market transactions concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes, including with or from, as the case may be, certain investors in the notes. This activity could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of Federal Realty's common shares or the notes at that time.
In addition, the option counterparties or their respective affiliates may modify or unwind their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to Federal Realty's common shares and/or purchasing or selling Federal Realty's common shares or other securities of Federal Realty or the Partnership in secondary market transactions following the pricing of the notes and prior to the maturity of the notes (and are likely to do so following any fundamental change repurchase, redemption or early exchange of the notes and during the 40 trading day period beginning on the 41st scheduled trading day prior to the maturity date of the notes, or, to the extent the Partnership exercises the relevant election under the capped call transactions, following any other repurchase of the notes). This activity could also cause, reduce the extent of or avoid an increase or a decrease in the market price of Federal Realty's common shares or the notes, which could affect a noteholder's ability to exchange the notes, and, to the extent the activity occurs following exchange or during any observation period related to an exchange of notes, it could affect the number of common shares, if any, and value of the consideration that noteholders will receive upon exchange of the notes.
Neither the notes nor the common shares issuable upon exchange of the notes have been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any offer or sale of, the notes in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale of the notes would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification thereof under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements may be identified by use of terms such as "propose," "will," "expect," "shall," and similar terms or the negative of such terms, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the expected timing, size, and completion of the proposed Offering, the grant to the initial purchasers of the option to purchase additional notes, the expected use of the net proceeds of the Offering, and other information that is not historical information. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include risks and uncertainties related to completion of the Offering on the anticipated terms or at all, market conditions, and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the Offering. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by Federal Realty and the Partnership is contained in the section captioned "Risk Factors" in Federal Realty's and the Partnership's Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings, including their Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, as well as subsequent SEC filings. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are as of the date of this release, and, except as required by law, neither Federal Realty nor the Partnership undertakes any obligation to update any such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
About Federal Realty
Federal Realty is a recognized leader in the ownership, operation and redevelopment of high-quality retail-based properties located primarily in major coastal markets from
Federal Realty has increased its quarterly dividends per common share for 56 consecutive years on an annualized basis, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an S&P 500 index member and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT.
Investor Inquiries: | Media Inquiries: | ||||
Leah Andress Brady | Brenda Pomar | ||||
Vice President, Investor Relations | Senior Director, Corporate Communications | ||||
301.998.8265 | 301.998.8316 | ||||
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SOURCE Federal Realty Investment Trust
FAQ
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