Fiscal Year 2021 Defense Budget Appropriation in Place

Rhea-AI Summary

Corporate Office Properties Trust (NYSE: OFC) announced the enactment of the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which provides the Department of Defense with a base budget of $629 billion, reflecting a 1% increase from fiscal year 2020. This bipartisan appropriation passed the House with a 322-87 vote and the Senate with 81-13. COPT also updated its research report on Defense & Intelligence Budgets and capitalization rates for properties, focusing on its portfolio primarily supporting national security and IT activities.

Positive

• Total DOD budget increased by 1%, enhancing funding opportunities.
• COPT's portfolio mainly supports high-demand sectors like national security and IT.

Negative

• None.

Corporate Office Properties Trust (“COPT” or the “Company”) (NYSE: OFC) reports that on January 1, 2021, the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act became law. The appropriation provides the Department of Defense (“DOD”) with a base budget (before military construction and overseas contingency operations) of $629 billion, which is a 1% increase over fiscal year 2020’s budget and represents 4% compound annual growth since and including the fiscal 2017 budget. Importantly, the DOD’s appropriation received strong bipartisan support, ultimately passing the House of Representatives by a vote of 322-87 and the Senate by a vote of 81-13.

COPT’s updated Defense & Intelligence Budgets research report is available in the ‘COPT Research’ section of COPT’s Investors website (https://investors.copt.com/) and as follows:
https://s23.q4cdn.com/233908562/files/doc_downloads/2021/DefenseIntelligenceBudget_brochure_e.pdf

Cap rates report updated. COPT also posted its updated research report that provides capitalization rates and information on comparable properties that have traded in its markets. This report can be found on the Investors website and accessed below:
https://s23.q4cdn.com/233908562/files/doc_downloads/2021/01/18/IR_CapRate_booklet_e.pdf

About COPT

COPT is a REIT that owns, manages, leases, develops and selectively acquires office and data center properties. The majority of its portfolio is in locations that support the United States Government and its contractors, most of whom are engaged in national security, defense and information technology (“IT”) related activities servicing what it believes are growing, durable, priority missions (“Defense/IT Locations”). The Company also owns a portfolio of office properties located in select urban/urban-like submarkets in the Greater Washington, DC/Baltimore region with durable Class-A office fundamentals and characteristics (“Regional Office Properties”). As of September 30, 2020, the Company derived 88% of its core portfolio annualized rental revenue from Defense/IT Locations and 12% from its Regional Office Properties. As of the same date and including 15 properties owned through unconsolidated joint ventures, COPT’s core portfolio of 174 office and data center shell properties encompassed 20.2 million square feet and was 94.6% leased; the Company also owned one wholesale data center with a critical load of 19.25 megawatts that was 86.7% leased.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release may contain “forward-looking” statements, as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that are based on the Company’s current expectations, estimates and projections about future events and financial trends affecting the Company. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “plan” or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate. Although the Company believes that the expectations, estimates and projections reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions at the time made, the Company can give no assurance that these expectations, estimates and projections will be achieved. Future events and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements.

The areas of risk that may affect these expectations, estimates and projections include, but are not limited to, those risks described in Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Source: Corporate Office Properties Trust

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210119005801/en/

FAQ

What is the significance of the DOD budget increase for OFC?

The 1% increase to $629 billion in the DOD budget could create more opportunities for Corporate Office Properties Trust, whose portfolio mainly supports national defense and IT sectors.

What does COPT focus on in its property portfolio?

COPT primarily focuses on owning and managing properties that serve national security and defense-related activities.

How was the DOD appropriation received in Congress?

The DOD appropriation received strong bipartisan support, passing the House with a vote of 322-87 and the Senate with a vote of 81-13.