WPC 2013 Q4 10-K


 

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 10-K
x
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013
 
or 
o
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from__________ to __________
 
Commission File Number: 001-13779

W. P. CAREY INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) 
Maryland
45-4549771
(State of incorporation)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 
 
50 Rockefeller Plaza
 
New York, New York
10020
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)
 
Investor Relations (212) 492-8920
(212) 492-1100
(Registrant’s telephone numbers, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Name of exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.001 Par Value
New York Stock Exchange
 
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 x 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 x
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 x 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 x No o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) 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. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer x
Accelerated filer o
Non-accelerated filer o
Smaller reporting company o
 
 
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes o No R
State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter: $4.6 billion.
As of February 21, 2014 there were 98,990,247 shares of Common Stock of registrant outstanding.
 
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
 
The registrant incorporates by reference its definitive Proxy Statement with respect to its 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days following the end of its fiscal year, into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
 



INDEX
 
 
 
Page No.
PART I
 
 
Item 1.
Item 1A.
Item 1B.
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
PART II
 
 
Item 5.
Item 6.
Item 7.
Item 7A.
Item 8.
Item 9.
Item 9A.
Item 9B.
PART III
 
 
Item 10.
Item 11.
Item 12.
Item 13.
Item 14.
PART IV
 
 
Item 15.
 
Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K, or the Report, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Item 7 of Part II of this Report, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. It is important to note that our actual results could be materially different from those projected in such forward-looking statements. You should exercise caution in relying on forward-looking statements as they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may materially affect our future results, performance, achievements or transactions. Information on factors which could impact actual results and cause them to differ from what is anticipated in the forward-looking statements contained herein is included in this Report as well as in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including but not limited to those described in Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Report. Except as may be required by federal securities laws and the rules and regulations of the SEC, we do not undertake to revise or update any forward-looking statements.
All references to “Notes” throughout the document refer to the footnotes to the consolidated financial statements of the registrant in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 1


PART I
 
Item 1. Business.

General Development of Business

Overview

W. P. Carey Inc., or W. P. Carey, is, together with its consolidated subsidiaries and predecessors, a leading global owner and manager of commercial properties net leased to companies on a long-term basis. In addition, we act as an advisor to a series of income-oriented non-traded real estate investment trusts, or REITs, through our investment management business. We own and manage a diversified global investment portfolio of 1,021 properties located in 21 countries. Our owned and managed diversified global investment portfolio had a combined enterprise value of more than $15.0 billion at December 31, 2013. Our properties are generally industrial, warehouse/distribution, office or retail facilities which are essential to our corporate tenants’ operations and are triple-net leased to single tenants. Our leases typically require our tenants to pay substantially all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the property. Our corporate tenants operate in a wide variety of business sectors.

Since 1979, we have sponsored a series of seventeen income-generating investment programs that invest primarily in commercial properties net leased to single tenants, under the Corporate Property Associates, or CPA®, brand name. We are currently the advisor to Corporate Property Associates 17 – Global Incorporated, or CPA®:17 – Global, and Corporate Property Associates 18 – Global Incorporated, or CPA®:18 – Global, and together, the CPA® REITs, as well as Carey Watermark Investors Incorporated, or CWI, which invests in lodging and lodging-related properties.

Originally founded in 1973, we reorganized as a REIT in September 2012 in connection with our merger with Corporate Property Associates 15 Incorporated, or CPA®:15. We refer to these transactions as the REIT Conversion and the CPA®:15 Merger, respectively. Our shares of common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WPC.”

On July 25, 2013, we entered into a merger agreement with Corporate Property Associates 16 – Global Incorporated, or CPA®:16 – Global, which we refer to as the CPA®:16 Merger. The CPA®:16 Merger was approved by both the CPA®:16 – Global stockholders and our stockholders on January 24, 2014 and it was completed on January 31, 2014.

Headquartered in New York, we have offices in Dallas, London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Shanghai. At December 31, 2013, we employed 251 individuals.

Financial Information About Segments

Our business operates in two segments – Real Estate Ownership and Investment Management, as described below.

Narrative Description of Business

Business Objectives and Strategy

Our primary business objective is to increase stockholder value and earnings, which will allow us to maintain or increase our dividend by actively managing our assets and through the profitable growth of our owned real estate portfolio and our investment management operations.

Our investment strategy primarily focuses on owning and actively managing a diverse portfolio of commercial real estate that is net leased to credit-worthy companies globally. We believe that many companies prefer to lease, rather than own, their corporate real estate. We structure long-term financing for our corporate tenants in the form of sale-leaseback transactions. Typically, we acquire a company’s essential real estate and then lease it back to them on a long-term basis. Our tenants are generally responsible for the ongoing operating costs of real estate ownership, including the real estate taxes, insurance, and maintenance of the facilities. Our leases generally have ten to 20-year terms and include a base rent with scheduled rent increases that are either fixed or tied to an inflation index. Properties subject to long-term net leases typically produce a more predictable income stream and require less capital than other types of real estate investments.

We actively manage our real estate portfolio to mitigate risk with respect to fluctuations in tenant credit quality and probability of lease renewal. We believe that diversification with respect to property type, geography and tenant are an important component of portfolio management. We own and manage a variety of property types, including office, industrial, warehouse/


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 2


distribution, and retail properties, throughout the United States, or the U.S., and in countries in Europe and Asia, leased to tenants in a variety of industries. See Our Portfolio below for more information on the characteristics of our properties.

In addition to managing our own real estate portfolio, we currently act as the advisor to CPA®:17 – Global, CPA®:18 – Global, and CWI, or collectively with CPA®:16 – Global, the Managed REITs (Note 4). We invest their funds and manage their assets. We generate fee revenue from our advisory agreements with the Managed REITs. We also own shares of the Managed REITs and co-invest in properties with them. We began the CPA® REIT program in 1979 and, through January 31, 2014, have raised and invested over $7.5 billion of equity capital in 18 separate CPA® REIT programs since that time. Historically, our investment management business has been our primary source of equity capital.

We believe that our real estate investments provide our stockholders with a stable, growing source of income. We also believe that the fee income that we generate from our advisory contracts with the Managed REITs provides our stockholders with an attractive, albeit more variable, source of additional income.

We have two primary reportable segments, Real Estate Ownership and Investment Management. These segments are each described below.

Real Estate Ownership

We own and invest in commercial properties primarily in the U.S. and Europe that are then leased to companies, primarily on a triple-net lease basis, which requires the tenant to pay substantially all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the property (Note 18). We earn revenues or equity income from:

•
Our wholly-owned real estate investments;
•
Our co-owned real estate investments;
•
Our investments in the shares of the Managed REITs; and
•
Our participation in the cash flows of the Managed REITs.

Investment Management

We earn revenue as the advisor to the Managed REITs. Under the advisory agreements with the Managed REITs, we perform various services, including but not limited to the day-to-day management of the Managed REITs and transaction-related services, for which we earn revenues as follows:

•
We structure and negotiate investments and debt placement transactions for the Managed REITs, for which we earn structuring revenue;
•
We manage the portfolios of the Managed REITs’ real estate investments, for which we earn asset-based management revenue;
•
The Managed REITs reimburse us for certain costs that we incur on their behalf while we are raising funds for their public offerings, consisting primarily of broker-dealer commissions, marketing costs, and certain personnel and overhead costs;
•
We earn dealer manager fees in connection with the public offerings of the Managed REITs; and
•
We may also earn incentive and disposition revenue and receive other compensation in connection with providing liquidity alternatives to the Managed REITs’ stockholders.

From time to time, we explore alternatives for expanding our investment management operations beyond advising the existing Managed REITs. Any such expansion could involve the purchase of properties or other investments as principal, either for our owned portfolio or with the intention of transferring such investments to a newly-created fund, as well as the sponsorship of one or more funds to make investments other than primarily net-lease investments, like CWI.

Investment Strategies

In analyzing potential investments, we review various aspects of a transaction, including tenant and real estate fundamentals, to determine whether a potential investment and lease will satisfy our investment criteria. In evaluating net-lease transactions, we generally consider, among other things, the following aspects of each transaction:

Tenant/Borrower Evaluation — We evaluate each potential tenant or borrower for its creditworthiness, typically considering factors such as management experience, industry position and fundamentals, operating history, and capital structure, as well as other factors that may be relevant to a particular investment. We seek opportunities in which we believe the tenant may have a


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 3


stable or improving credit profile or credit potential that has not been fully recognized by the market. Whether a prospective tenant or borrower is creditworthy is evaluated by our investment department and the investment committee, as described below. Creditworthy does not mean “investment grade,” as defined by the credit rating agencies.

Real Estate Evaluation — We review and evaluate the physical condition of the property and the market in which it is located. We consider a variety of factors, including current market rents, replacement cost, residual valuation, property operating history, demographic characteristics of the location and accessibility, competitive properties, and suitability for re-leasing. We perform third party environmental and engineering reports and market studies, if needed. We will also consider factors particular to the laws of foreign countries, in addition to the risks normally associated with real property investments, when considering an investment outside the U.S.

Properties Critical to Tenant/Borrower Operations — We generally will focus on properties that we believe are critical to the ongoing operations of the tenant. We believe that these properties provide better protection generally as well as in the event of a bankruptcy, since a tenant/borrower is less likely to risk the loss of a critically important lease or property in a bankruptcy proceeding or otherwise.

Diversification — We attempt to diversify our owned and managed portfolios to avoid dependence on any one particular tenant, borrower, collateral type, geographic location or tenant/borrower industry. By diversifying these portfolios, we seek to reduce the adverse effect of a single under-performing investment or a downturn in any particular industry or geographic region. While we have not endeavored to maintain any particular standard of diversity in our owned portfolio, we believe that our owned portfolio is reasonably well diversified.

Lease Terms — Generally, the net leased properties in which we invest will be leased on a full recourse basis to the tenants or their affiliates. In addition, we seek to include a clause in each lease that provides for increases in rent over the term of the lease. These increases are fixed or tied generally to increases in indices such as the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, or other similar index in the jurisdiction in which the property is located, but may contain caps or other limitations, either on an annual or overall basis. In the case of retail stores and hotels, the lease may provide for participation in gross revenues of the tenant at the property above a stated level, or percentage rent. Alternatively, a lease may provide for mandated rental increases on specific dates.

Transaction Provisions to Enhance and Protect Value — We attempt to include provisions in the leases that we believe may help protect an investment from changes in the operating and financial characteristics of a tenant that may affect its ability to satisfy its obligations or reduce the value of the investment. Such provisions include requiring our consent to specified tenant activity, requiring the tenant to provide indemnification protections, requiring the tenant to provide security deposits, and requiring the tenant to satisfy specific operating tests. We may also seek to enhance the likelihood of a tenant’s lease obligations being satisfied through a guaranty of obligations from the tenant’s corporate parent or other entity or through a letter of credit. This credit enhancement, if obtained, provides additional financial security. However, in markets where competition for net lease transactions is strong, some or all of these provisions may be difficult to negotiate. In addition, in some circumstances, tenants may retain the right to repurchase the property leased by the tenant. The option purchase price is generally the greater of the contract purchase price and the fair market value of the property at the time the option is exercised.

Other Equity Enhancements — We may attempt to obtain equity enhancements in connection with transactions. These equity enhancements may involve warrants exercisable at a future time to purchase stock of the tenant or borrower or their parent. If warrants are obtained, and become exercisable, and if the value of the stock subsequently exceeds the exercise price of the warrant, equity enhancements can help achieve the goal of increasing investor returns.

Investment Committee — We have an independent investment committee that provides services to us and to the CPA® REITs. Our investment department, under the oversight of our chief investment officer, is primarily responsible for evaluating, negotiating and structuring potential investment opportunities. The investment committee is not directly involved in originating or negotiating potential investments, but instead functions as a separate and final step in the investment process. We place special emphasis on having experienced individuals serve on our investment committee. The investment committee retains the authority to identify other categories of transactions that may be entered into without its prior approval. The investment committee may delegate its authority, such as to investment advisory committees with specialized expertise in the particular geographic market. However, we do not currently expect that the investments delegated to these advisory committees will account for a significant portion of the investments we make in the near term.
 


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 4


Financing Strategies

We seek to maintain a conservative capital structure that enhances equity returns, maintains financial flexibility and enables us to effectively match fund our assets and liabilities. Historically, we have entered into mortgage financings collateralized by individual property assets to finance our business. In an effort to access a wider range of capital sources, we recently received investment grade ratings from both Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. These ratings are predicated on reducing our reliance on secured debt and increasing the level of unencumbered assets on our balance sheet by paying off individual mortgage loans as they mature in the near-term. In January 2014, we recast our unsecured line of credit and increased the amounts available to borrow compared to the prior facility, subject to certain covenants (Note 20). In addition to funding our working capital needs, this increased line of credit capacity will assist us in transitioning to becoming an unsecured borrower by enhancing our ability to repay a portion of our mortgage debt. Going forward, we expect to have access to a wider variety of capital sources, including the public debt and equity markets.

Asset Management

We believe that effective management of our assets is essential to maintain and enhance property values. Important aspects of asset management include entering into new or modified transactions to meet the evolving needs of current tenants, re-leasing properties, refinancing debt, and selling properties.

We monitor, on an ongoing basis, compliance by tenants with their lease obligations and other factors that could affect the financial performance of any of our properties. Monitoring involves receiving assurances that each tenant has paid real estate taxes, assessments and other expenses relating to the properties it occupies and confirming that appropriate insurance coverage is being maintained by the tenant. For international compliance, we often engage third-party asset managers. We review financial statements of tenants and undertake regular physical inspections of the condition and maintenance of properties. Additionally, we periodically analyze each tenant’s financial condition, the industry in which each tenant operates and each tenant’s relative strength in its industry.

Our Portfolio

At December 31, 2013, our portfolio had the following characteristics:

•
Number of properties – 418 net-leased properties and two self-storage properties;
•
Total square footage – 39.5 million square feet; and
•
Occupancy rate – approximately 98.9%.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 5


Geographic Diversification

Information regarding the geographic diversification of our net-leased properties at December 31, 2013 is set forth below (dollars in thousands and are based on annualized contractual minimum base rent for the fourth quarter of 2013):
 
 
Consolidated Investments
 
Equity Investments in Real Estate
Region
 
Annualized
Contractual
Minimum
Base Rent 
 
% of Annualized Contractual
Minimum
Base Rent
 
Pro Rata Annualized
Contractual
Minimum
Base Rent 
 
% of Pro Rata Annualized
Contractual
Minimum
Base Rent
Top Five Domestic States:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
California
 
$
32,957

 
10
%
 
$
3,981

 
11
%
Texas
 
27,269

 
8
%
 
—

 
—
%
Illinois
 
16,720

 
5
%
 
610

 
2
%
Florida
 
16,140

 
5
%
 
—

 
—
%
Georgia
 
14,519

 
4
%
 
115

 
—
%
Other
 
131,058

 
37
%
 
8,185

 
22
%
Total U.S.
 
238,663

 
69
%
 
12,891

 
35
%
Top Five International Countries:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
France
 
30,609

 
9
%
 
—

 
—
%
Finland
 
23,012

 
7
%
 
—

 
—
%
Germany
 
20,492

 
6
%
 
21,808

 
59
%
Poland
 
18,596

 
5
%
 
—

 
—
%
United Kingdom
 
6,109

 
2
%
 
—

 
—
%
Other
 
7,602

 
2
%
 
2,525

 
6
%
Total International
 
106,420

 
31
%
 
24,333

 
65
%
Total
 
$
345,083

 
100
%
 
$
37,224

 
100
%

Property Diversification

Information regarding the diversification of our net-leased properties at December 31, 2013 is set forth below (dollars in thousands and are based on annualized contractual minimum base rent for the fourth quarter of 2013):
 
 
Consolidated Investments
 
Equity Investments in Real Estate
Property Type
 
Annualized
Contractual
Minimum
Base Rent
 
% of Annualized Contractual
Minimum
Base Rent
 
Pro Rata Annualized
Contractual
Minimum
Base Rent
 
% of Pro Rata Annualized
Contractual
Minimum
Base Rent
Office
 
$
110,023

 
32
%
 
$
8,622

 
23
%
Industrial
 
63,639

 
18
%
 
7,550

 
20
%
Warehouse/Distribution
 
53,757

 
16
%
 
5,836

 
16
%
Retail
 
46,200

 
13
%
 
15,216

 
41
%
Other
 
71,464

 
21
%
 
—

 
—
%
Total
 
$
345,083

 
100
%
 
$
37,224

 
100
%

Tenant/Lease Information

At December 31, 2013, our tenants/leases have the following characteristics:

•
Number of tenants – 128;
•
Investment-grade tenants – 31%;
•
Average remaining lease term – 8.1 years;
•
91% of our leases have rent adjustments as follows:
◦
CPI and similar – 67%
◦
fixed – 24%



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 6



Competition
 
We face active competition in both our Real Estate Ownership segment and our Investment Management segment from many sources for investment opportunities in commercial properties net leased to tenants both domestically and internationally. In general, we believe that our management’s experience in real estate, credit underwriting and transaction structuring should allow us to compete effectively for commercial properties. However, competitors may be willing to accept rates of return, lease terms, other transaction terms or levels of risk that we may find unacceptable.
 
In our Investment Management segment, we face active competition in raising funds for investment by the Managed REITs, from other funds with similar investment objectives that seek to raise funds from investors through publicly registered, non-traded funds, publicly-traded funds and private funds, such as hedge funds. In addition, we face broad competition from other forms of investment. Currently, we raise substantially all of our funds for investment in the Managed REITs within the U.S.
 
Environmental Matters 

We and the Managed REITs have invested, and expect to continue to invest, in properties currently or historically used as industrial, manufacturing and commercial properties. Under various federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, current and former owners and operators of property may have liability for the cost of investigating, cleaning-up or disposing of hazardous materials released at, on, under, in or from the property. These laws typically impose responsibility and liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of or was responsible for the presence of hazardous materials or contamination, and liability under these laws is often joint and several. Third parties may also make claims against owners or operators of properties for personal injuries and property damage associated with releases of hazardous materials. As part of our efforts to mitigate these risks, we typically engage third parties to perform assessments of potential environmental risks when evaluating a new acquisition of property and we frequently obtain contractual protection (indemnities, cash reserves, letters of credit or other instruments) from property sellers, tenants, a tenant’s parent company or another third party to address known or potential environmental issues.

Financial Information About Geographic Areas

See Our Portfolio above and Note 18 for financial information pertaining to our geographic operations.

Available Information
 
All filings we make with the SEC, including this Report, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports, are available for free on our website, www.wpcarey.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed or furnished to the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to be read or copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Information regarding the operation of the Public Reference Room can be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. Our filings can also be obtained for free on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. We are providing our website address solely for the information of investors. We do not intend our website to be an active link or to otherwise incorporate the information contained on our website into this report or other filings with the SEC. We will supply to any stockholder, upon written request and without charge, a copy of this Report as filed with the SEC. Generally, we also post the dates of our upcoming scheduled financial press releases, telephonic investor calls and investor presentations on the Investor Relations portion of our website at least ten days prior to the event. Our investor calls are open to the public and remain available on our website for at least two weeks thereafter.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.
 
Risks Related to Our Business
 
Adverse changes in general economic conditions can adversely affect our business.
 
Our success is dependent upon economic conditions in the U.S. generally, and in the international geographic areas in which a substantial number of our investments are located. Adverse changes in national economic conditions or in the economic conditions of the regions in which we conduct substantial business likely would have an adverse effect on real estate values and, accordingly, our financial performance, the market prices of our securities and our ability to pay dividends.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 7


Changes in investor preferences or market conditions could limit our ability to raise funds or make new investments.
 
The majority of our and the CPA® REITs’ current investments, as well as the majority of the investments that we expect to originate for the CPA® REITs in the near term, are investments in single-tenant commercial properties that are subject to triple-net leases. In addition, we have relied predominantly on raising funds from individual investors through the sale by participating selected dealers to their customers of publicly-registered, non-traded securities of the Managed REITs. Although we have increased the number of broker-dealers we use for fundraising, the majority of our fundraising efforts are through three major selected dealers. If, as a result of changes in market receptivity to investments that are not readily liquid and involve high selected dealer fees, or for other reasons, this capital raising method were to become less available as a source of capital, our ability to raise funds for the Managed REIT programs, and consequently our ability to make investments on their behalf, could be adversely affected. While we are not limited to this particular method of raising funds for investment (and, among other things, the Managed REITs may themselves be able to borrow additional funds to invest), our experience with other means of raising capital is limited. Also, many factors, including changes in tax laws or accounting rules, may make these types of investments less attractive to potential sellers and lessees, which could negatively affect our ability to increase the amount of assets of this type under management.
 
We face active competition for investments.
 
We face active competition for our investments from many sources, including insurance companies, credit companies, pension funds, private individuals, financial institutions, finance companies and investment companies, among others. These institutions may accept greater risk or lower returns, allowing them to offer more attractive terms to prospective tenants. In addition, our evaluation of the acceptability of rates of return on behalf of the Managed REITs is affected by such factors as the cost of raising capital, the amount of revenue we can earn and the performance hurdle rates of the relevant Managed REITs. Such factors may limit the amount of new investments that we make on behalf of the Managed REITs, which will in turn limit the growth of revenues from our investment management operations. The investment community continues to remain risk averse. We believe that the net lease financing market is perceived as a relatively conservative investment vehicle. Accordingly, we expect increased competition for investments, both domestically and internationally. It is possible that further capital inflows into our marketplace will place additional pressure on the returns that we can generate from our investments as well as our willingness and ability to execute transactions.

A significant amount of our leases will expire within the next five years, and we may have difficulty in re-leasing or selling our properties if tenants do not renew their leases.
 
Within the next five years, approximately 28% of our leases, based on annualized contractual minimum base rent, are due to expire. If these leases are not renewed, or if the properties cannot be re-leased on terms that yield payments comparable to those currently being received, then our lease revenues could be substantially adversely affected. The terms of any new or renewed leases of these properties may depend on market conditions prevailing at the time of lease expiration. In addition, if properties are vacated by the current tenants, we may incur substantial costs in attempting to re-lease such properties. We may also seek to sell these properties, in which event we may incur losses, depending upon market conditions prevailing at the time of sale.
 
Real estate investments generally lack liquidity compared to other financial assets, and this lack of liquidity may limit our ability to quickly change our portfolio in response to changes in economic or other conditions. Some of our net leases are for properties that are specially suited to the particular needs of the tenant. With these properties, we may be required to renovate the property or to make rent concessions in order to lease the property to another tenant. In addition, if we are forced to sell the property, we may have difficulty selling it to a party other than the tenant due to the special purpose for which the property may have been designed. These and other limitations may affect our ability to re-lease or sell properties without adversely affecting returns to stockholders.

There may be competition among us and the Managed REITs for business opportunities.

We currently manage, and may in the future manage, REITs and other entities that have investment and/or rate of return objectives similar to our own. Those entities may be in competition with us with respect to properties, potential purchasers, sellers and lessees of properties and mortgage financing for properties. We have agreed to implement certain procedures to help manage any perceived or actual conflicts among us and the Managed REITs, including:

•
allocating funds based on numerous factors, including cash available, diversification / concentration, transaction size, tax, leverage and fund life;
•
all “split transactions” are subject to the approval of the independent directors of the CPA® REITs;


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 8


•
investment allocations are reviewed as part of the annual advisory contract renewal process of each managed entity; and
•
quarterly review of all of our investment activities and the investment activities of the CPA® REITs by the independent directors of the CPA® REITs.

We are not required to meet any diversification standards; therefore, our investments may become subject to concentration of risk.

Subject to our intention to maintain our qualification as a REIT, there are no limitations on the number or value of particular types of investments that we may make. We are not required to meet any diversification standards, including geographic diversification standards. Therefore, our investments may become concentrated in type or geographic location, which could subject us to significant concentration of risk with potentially adverse effects on our investment objectives.

Because we invest in properties located outside the U.S., we are exposed to additional risks.
 
We have invested in and may continue to invest in properties located outside the U.S. At December 31, 2013, on a combined basis with CPA®:16 – Global our directly-owned real estate properties located outside of the U.S. represented 33% of current annualized contractual minimum base rent. These investments may be affected by factors particular to the laws of the jurisdiction in which the property is located. These investments may expose us to risks that are different from and in addition to those commonly found in the U.S., including:
 
•
changing governmental rules and policies;
•
enactment of laws relating to the foreign ownership of property and laws relating to the ability of foreign entities to remove invested capital or profits earned from activities within the country to the U.S.;
•
expropriation of investments;
•
legal systems under which our ability to enforce contractual rights and remedies may be more limited than would be the case under U.S. law;
•
difficulty in conforming obligations in other countries and the burden of complying with a wide variety of foreign laws, which may be more stringent than U.S. laws, including tax requirements and land use, zoning, and environmental laws, as well as changes in such laws;
•
adverse market conditions caused by changes in national or local economic or political conditions;
•
tax requirements vary by country and we may be subject to additional taxes as a result of our international investments;
•
changes in relative interest rates;
•
changes in the availability, cost and terms of mortgage funds resulting from varying national economic policies;
•
changes in real estate and other tax rates and other operating expenses in particular countries;
•
changes in land use and zoning laws;
•
more stringent environmental laws or changes in such laws; and.
•
restrictions and/or significant costs in repatriating cash and cash equivalents held in foreign bank accounts.
 
In addition, the lack of publicly available information in certain jurisdictions in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S., or GAAP, could impair our ability to analyze transactions and may cause us to forego an investment opportunity for ourselves or the CPA® REITs. It may also impair our ability to receive timely and accurate financial information from tenants necessary to meet our and the CPA® REITs’ reporting obligations to financial institutions or governmental or regulatory agencies. Certain of these risks may be greater in emerging markets and less developed countries. Our expertise to date is primarily in the U.S. and Europe, and we have less experience in other international markets. We may not be as familiar with the potential risks to our and the CPA® REITs’ investments outside the U.S. and Europe and we could incur losses as a result.
 
Also, we may engage third-party asset managers in international jurisdictions to monitor compliance with legal requirements and lending agreements with respect to properties we own or manage on behalf of the CPA® REITs. Failure to comply with applicable requirements may expose us or our operating subsidiaries to additional liabilities.
 
Moreover, we are subject to changes in foreign exchange rates due to potential fluctuations in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. Our principal currency exposure is to the euro. We attempt to mitigate a portion of the risk of currency fluctuation by financing our properties in the local currency denominations, although there can be no assurance that this will be effective. Because we generally place both our debt obligation to the lender and the tenant’s rental obligation to us in the same currency, our results of foreign operations benefit from a weaker U.S. dollar and are adversely affected by a


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 9


stronger U.S. dollar relative to foreign currencies; that is, absent other considerations, a weaker U.S. dollar will tend to increase both our revenues and our expenses, while a stronger U.S. dollar will tend to reduce both our revenues and our expenses.

Our participation in joint ventures creates additional risk.
 
We have in the past participated, and may in the future participate, in joint ventures to purchase assets jointly with the Managed REITs and may do so as well with third parties. There are additional risks involved in joint venture transactions. As a co-investor in a joint venture, we may not be in a position to exercise sole decision-making authority relating to the property, joint venture or other entity. In addition, there is the potential of our joint venture partner becoming bankrupt and the possibility of diverging or inconsistent economic or business interests of us and our partner. These diverging interests could result in, among other things, exposure to liabilities of the joint venture in excess of our proportionate share of these liabilities. The partition rights of each owner in a jointly-owned property could reduce the value of each portion of the divided property. In addition, the fiduciary obligation that members of our board may owe to our partner in an affiliated transaction may make it more difficult for us to enforce our rights.
 
Our property portfolio has a high concentration of properties in Germany, making us more vulnerable economically to an economic downturn.

Following the consummation of the CPA®:16 Merger, over 12% of total rental revenue will come from properties in Germany. As a result, we may be particularly subject to risks inherent in Germany. A downturn in the commercial real estate industry generally could significantly adversely affect the value of our properties. An economic downturn in Germany could particularly negatively affect lessees’ ability to make lease payments to us and our ability to make distributions to its stockholders.

If we recognize substantial impairment charges on our properties or investments, our net income may be reduced.
 
On a combined basis, we and CPA®:16 – Global recognized impairment charges totaling $57.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, including $15.4 million recognized on the special member interest in CPA®:16 – Global’s operating partnership. In the future, we may incur substantial impairment charges, which we are required to recognize: whenever we sell a property for less than its carrying value or we determine that the carrying amount of the property is not recoverable and exceeds its fair value; for direct financing leases, whenever the unguaranteed residual value of the underlying property has declined; or, for equity investments, whenever the estimated fair value of the investment’s underlying net assets in comparison with the carrying value of our interest in the investment has declined on an other-than-temporary basis. By their nature, the timing or extent of impairment charges are not predictable. We may incur non-cash impairment charges in the future, which may reduce our net income.
 
Because we use debt to finance investments, our cash flow could be adversely affected.
 
Historically, most of our investments have been made by borrowing a portion of the total investment and securing the loan with a mortgage on the property. We generally borrow on a non-recourse basis to limit our exposure on any property to the amount of equity invested in the property. If we are unable to make our debt payments as required, a lender could foreclose on the property or properties securing its debt. Additionally, lenders for our international mortgage loan transactions typically incorporate various covenants and other provisions that can cause a technical loan default, including a loan to value ratio, a debt service coverage ratio and a material adverse change in the borrower’s or tenant’s business. Accordingly, if the real estate value declines or the tenant defaults, the lender would have the right to foreclose on its security. If any of these events were to occur, it could cause us to lose part or all of our investment, which in turn could cause the value of our portfolio, and revenues available for distribution to our stockholders, to be reduced.
 
Some of our financing may also require us to make a balloon payment at maturity. Our ability to make balloon payments on debt will depend upon our ability either to refinance the obligation when due, invest additional equity in the property or to sell the related property. When a balloon payment is due, we may be unable to refinance the balloon payment on terms as favorable as the original loan or sell the property at a price sufficient to cover the balloon payment. Our ability to accomplish these goals will be affected by various factors existing at the relevant time, such as the state of the national and regional economies, local real estate conditions, available mortgage or interest rates, availability of credit, our equity in the mortgaged properties, our financial condition, the operating history of the mortgaged properties and tax laws. A refinancing or sale could affect the rate of return to stockholders and the projected time of disposition of our assets.
 


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 10


Our level of indebtedness increased upon the completion of the CPA®:16 Merger.

In connection with the CPA®:16 Merger, we assumed approximately $1.7 billion of CPA®:16 – Global’s indebtedness, a portion of which was repaid by the New Senior Credit Facility (Note 12). Prior to the consummation of the CPA®:16 Merger, as of December 31, 2013, we had consolidated indebtedness of $2.1 billion, equal to a leverage ratio (total debt less cash to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA) of 6.7. After giving effect to the CPA®:16 Merger, our consolidated indebtedness as of December 31, 2013 was approximately $3.8 billion, equal to a leverage ratio (total debt less cash to EBITDA) of approximately 7.7. As a result of this assumption of debt, we may be subject to an increased risk that our cash flow could be insufficient to meet required payments on our debt. Our increased indebtedness after the CPA®:16 Merger, compared to our level of indebtedness prior to the CPA®:16 Merger, could have important consequences to our stockholders, including:

•
increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
•
limiting our ability to obtain additional financing to fund future working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate requirements;
•
requiring the use of a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations for the payment of principal and interest on its indebtedness, thereby reducing our ability to use our cash flow to fund working capital, acquisitions, capital expenditures and general corporate requirements;
•
limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in its business and its industry; and
•
putting us at a disadvantage compared to our competitors with comparatively less indebtedness

A downgrade in our credit ratings could materially adversely affect our business and financial condition.

We plan to manage our operations to maintain investment grade status with a capital structure consistent with our current profile, but there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain our current credit ratings. Any downgrades in terms of ratings or outlook by any of the noted rating agencies could have a material adverse impact on our cost and availability of capital, which could in turn have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our existing or potential future debt service obligations.    

Our ability to make payments on our existing or potential future indebtedness, including credit facilities or debt securities, and to fund our operations, working capital and capital expenditures, depends on our ability to generate cash in the future. To a certain extent, our cash flow is subject to general economic, industry, financial, competitive, operating, legislative, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.

We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future sources of cash will be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay amounts due on our existing or potential future indebtedness, or to fund our other liquidity needs. Additionally, if we incur additional indebtedness in connection with future acquisitions, development projects, or for any other purpose, our debt service obligations could increase.

We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness or obtain additional financing will depend on, among other things (i) our financial condition and market conditions at the time, and (ii) restrictions in the agreements governing our indebtedness. As a result, we may not be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. If we do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations, and additional borrowings or refinancings or proceeds of asset sales or other sources of cash are not available to us, we may not have sufficient cash to enable us to meet all of our obligations or to fund dividends. Accordingly, if we cannot service our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as seeking additional equity or debt financing or delaying capital expenditures or strategic acquisitions and alliances, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our operations. We cannot assure you that we will be able to effect any of these actions on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

Our leases may permit tenants to purchase a property at a predetermined price, which could limit our realization of any appreciation or result in a loss.
 
In some circumstances, we may grant tenants a right to repurchase the property they lease from us. The purchase price may be a fixed price or it may be based on a formula or the market value at the time of exercise. If a tenant exercises its right to purchase the property and the property’s market value has increased beyond that price, we could be limited in fully realizing the appreciation on that property. Additionally, if the price at which the tenant can purchase the property is less than our carrying value (for example, where the purchase price is based on an appraised value), we may incur a loss.
 


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 11


Our ability to fully control the management of our net-leased properties may be limited.
 
The tenants or managers of net-leased properties are responsible for maintenance and other day-to-day management of the properties. If a property is not adequately maintained in accordance with the terms of the applicable lease, we may incur expenses for deferred maintenance expenditures or other liabilities once the property becomes free of the lease. While our leases generally provide for recourse against the tenant in these instances, a bankrupt or financially troubled tenant may be more likely to defer maintenance and it may be more difficult to enforce remedies against such a tenant. In addition, to the extent tenants are unable to conduct their operation of the property on a financially successful basis, their ability to pay rent may be adversely affected. Although we endeavor to monitor, on an ongoing basis, compliance by tenants with their lease obligations and other factors that could affect the financial performance of our properties, such monitoring may not in all circumstances ascertain or forestall deterioration either in the condition of a property or the financial circumstances of a tenant.
 
The value of our real estate is subject to fluctuation.
 
We are subject to all of the general risks associated with the ownership of real estate. While the revenues from our leases and those of the CPA® REITs are not directly dependent upon the value of the real estate owned, significant declines in real estate values could adversely affect us in many ways, including a decline in the residual values of properties at lease expiration; possible lease abandonments by tenants; a decline in the attractiveness of Managed REIT investments that may impede our ability to raise new funds for investment by the Managed REITs; and a decline in the attractiveness of triple-net lease transactions to potential sellers. We also face the risk that lease revenue will be insufficient to cover all corporate operating expenses and debt service payments on indebtedness we incur. General risks associated with the ownership of real estate include:

•
adverse changes in general or local economic conditions;
•
changes in the supply of or demand for similar or competing properties;
•
changes in interest rates and operating expenses;
•
competition for tenants;
•
changes in market rental rates;
•
inability to lease or sell properties upon termination of existing leases;
•
renewal of leases at lower rental rates;
•
inability to collect rents from tenants due to financial hardship, including bankruptcy;
•
changes in tax, real estate, zoning and environmental laws that may have an adverse impact upon the value of real estate;
•
uninsured property liability, property damage or casualty losses;
•
unexpected expenditures for capital improvements or to bring properties into compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws;
•
exposure to environmental losses;
•
changes in foreign exchange rates; and
•
acts of God and other factors beyond the control of our management.
 
Because most of our properties are occupied by a single tenant, our success is materially dependent upon the tenant’s financial stability.

Most of our properties are occupied by a single tenant and, therefore, the success of our investments is materially dependent on the financial stability of our tenants. Revenues from several of our tenants/guarantors constitute a significant percentage of its lease revenues. On a combined basis with CPA®:16 – Global, the five largest tenants/guarantors represented approximately 26% of total lease revenues for 2013. Lease payment defaults by tenants negatively impact our net income and reduce the amounts available for distributions to stockholders. As some of our tenants may not have a recognized credit rating, these tenants may have a higher risk of lease defaults than if those tenants had a recognized credit rating. In addition, the bankruptcy or default of a tenant could cause the loss of lease payments as well as an increase in the costs incurred to carry the property until it can be re-leased or sold. We have had, and may have in the future, tenants file for bankruptcy protection. In the event of a default, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights as landlord and may incur substantial costs in protecting the investment and re-leasing the property. If a lease is terminated, there is no assurance that we will be able to re-lease the property for the rent previously received or sell the property without incurring a loss.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 12


The bankruptcy or insolvency of tenants or borrowers may cause a reduction in our revenue and an increase in our expenses.
 
Bankruptcy or insolvency of a tenant or borrower could cause:
 
•
the loss of lease or interest and principal payments;
•
an increase in the costs incurred to carry the property;
•
litigation;
•
a reduction in the value of our shares; and
•
a decrease in distributions to our stockholders.
 
Under U.S. bankruptcy law, a tenant who is the subject of bankruptcy proceedings has the option of assuming or rejecting any unexpired lease. If the tenant rejects the lease, any resulting claim we have for breach of the lease (excluding collateral securing the claim) will be treated as a general unsecured claim. The maximum claim will be capped at the amount owed for unpaid rent prior to the bankruptcy unrelated to the termination, plus the greater of one year’s lease payments or 15% of the remaining lease payments payable under the lease (but no more than three years’ lease payments). In addition, due to the long-term nature of our leases and, in some cases, terms providing for the repurchase of a property by the tenant, a bankruptcy court could recharacterize a net lease transaction as a secured lending transaction. If that were to occur, we would not be treated as the owner of the property, but we might have rights as a secured creditor. Those rights would not include a right to compel the tenant to timely perform its obligations under the lease but may instead entitle us to “adequate protection,” a bankruptcy concept that applies to protect against a decrease in the value of the property if the value of the property is less than the balance owed to us.

Insolvency laws outside of the U.S. may not be as favorable to reorganization or to the protection of a debtor’s rights as tenants under a lease as are the laws in the U.S. Our rights to terminate a lease for default may be more likely to be enforceable in countries other than the U.S., in which a debtor/ tenant or its insolvency representative may be less likely to have rights to force continuation of a lease without our consent. Nonetheless, such laws may permit a tenant or an appointed insolvency representative to terminate a lease if it so chooses.
 
However, in circumstances where the bankruptcy laws of the U.S. are considered to be more favorable to debtors and to their reorganization, entities that are not ordinarily perceived as U.S. entities may seek to take advantage of the U.S. bankruptcy laws if they are eligible. An entity would be eligible to be a debtor under the U.S. bankruptcy laws if it had a domicile (state of incorporation or registration), place of business or assets in the U.S. If a tenant became a debtor under the U.S. bankruptcy laws, then it would have the option of assuming or rejecting any unexpired lease. As a general matter, after the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings and prior to assumption or rejection of an expired lease, U.S. bankruptcy laws provide that until an unexpired lease is assumed or rejected, the tenant (or its trustee if one has been appointed) must timely perform obligations of the tenant under the lease. However, under certain circumstances, the time period for performance of such obligations may be extended by an order of the bankruptcy court.
 
We and certain of the CPA® REITs have had tenants file for bankruptcy protection and have been involved in bankruptcy-related litigation (including several international tenants). Four prior CPA® REITs reduced the rate of distributions to their investors as a result of adverse developments involving tenants.
 
Similarly, if a borrower under one of our loan transactions declares bankruptcy, there may not be sufficient funds to satisfy its payment obligations to us, which may adversely affect our revenue and distributions to our stockholders. The mortgage loans in which we may invest may be subject to delinquency, foreclosure and loss, which could result in losses to us.
 
Because we are subject to possible liabilities relating to environmental matters, we could incur unexpected costs and our ability to sell or otherwise dispose of a property may be negatively impacted.
 
We own commercial properties and are subject to the risk of liabilities under federal, state and local environmental laws. These responsibilities and liabilities also exist for properties owned by the Managed REITs and if they become liable for these costs, their ability to pay for our services could be materially affected. Some of these laws could impose the following on us:
 
•
responsibility and liability for the cost of investigation and removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances released on or from our property, generally without regard to our knowledge of, or responsibility for, the presence of these contaminants;
•
liability for the costs of investigation and removal or remediation of hazardous substances at disposal facilities for persons who arrange for the disposal or treatment of such substances;


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 13


•
liability for claims by third parties based on damages to natural resources or property, personal injuries, or costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances in, on, or migrating from our property;
•
responsibility for managing asbestos-containing building materials, and third-party claims for exposure to those materials; and
•
claims being made against us by the Managed REITs for inadequate due diligence.
 
Our costs of investigation, remediation or removal of hazardous or toxic substances, or for third-party claims for damages, may be substantial. The presence of hazardous or toxic substances at any of our properties, or the failure to properly remediate a contaminated property, could give rise to a lien in favor of the government for costs it may incur to address the contamination or otherwise adversely affect our ability to sell or lease the property or to borrow using the property as collateral. While we attempt to mitigate identified environmental risks by contractually requiring tenants to acknowledge their responsibility for complying with environmental laws and to assume liability for environmental matters, circumstances may arise in which a tenant fails, or is unable, to fulfill its contractual obligations. In addition, environmental liabilities, or costs or operating limitations imposed on a tenant to comply with environmental laws, could affect its ability to make rental payments to us. Also, and although we endeavor to avoid doing so, we may be required, in connection with any future divestitures of property, to provide buyers with indemnification against potential environmental liabilities.
 
Revenue and earnings from our investment management operations are subject to volatility, which may cause our investment management revenue to fluctuate.
 
Growth in revenue from our investment management operations is dependent in large part on future capital raising in existing or future managed entities, as well as on our ability to make investments that meet the investment criteria of these entities, both of which are subject to uncertainty with respect to capital market and real estate market conditions. This uncertainty creates volatility in our earnings because of the resulting fluctuation in transaction-based revenue. Asset management revenue may be affected by factors that include not only our ability to increase the Managed REITs’ portfolio of properties under management, but also changes in valuation of those properties, as well as sales of the Managed REIT properties. In addition, revenue from our investment management operations, including our ability to earn performance revenue, as well as the value of our holdings of the Managed REITs’ interests and dividend income from those interests, may be significantly affected by the results of operations of the Managed REITs. Each of the CPA® REITs has invested the majority of its assets (other than short-term investments) in triple-net leased properties substantially similar to those we hold, and consequently the results of operations of, and cash available for distribution by, each of the CPA® REITs are likely to be substantially affected by the same market conditions, and subject to the same risk factors, as the properties we own. In our history, four of the seventeen CPA® funds temporarily reduced the rate of distributions to their investors as a result of adverse developments involving tenants.
 
Each of the Managed REITs that we currently manage may incur significant debt, which either due to liquidity problems or restrictive covenants contained in their borrowing agreements could restrict their ability to pay revenue owed to us when due. In addition, the revenue payable under each of our current investment advisory agreements is subject to a variable annual cap based on a formula tied to the assets and income of that Managed REIT. This cap may limit the growth of our management revenue. Furthermore, our ability to earn revenue related to the disposition of properties is primarily tied to providing liquidity events for the Managed REIT investors. Our ability to provide such liquidity, and to do so under circumstances that will satisfy the applicable subordination requirements, will depend on market conditions at the relevant time, which may vary considerably over a period of years. In any case, liquidity events typically occur several years apart, and income from our investment management operations is likely to be significantly higher in those years in which such events occur.
 
Because the revenue streams from the advisory agreements with the Managed REITs are subject to limitation or cancelation, any such termination could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
 
The advisory agreements under which we provide services to the Managed REITs are renewable annually and may generally be terminated by each Managed REIT upon 60 days’ notice, with or without cause. The advisory agreements with CPA®:18 – Global and CWI are currently scheduled to expire on September 30, 2014, unless otherwise renewed. CPA®:17 – Global’s advisory agreement is currently scheduled to expire on June 30, 2014, unless otherwise renewed. There can be no assurance that these agreements will not expire or be terminated. CPA®:17 – Global, CPA®:18 – Global and CWI all have the right, but not the obligation, upon certain terminations to repurchase our interests in their operating partnerships at fair market value. If such right is not exercised, we would remain as a limited partner of the respective operating partnerships. Nonetheless, any such termination would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 14


A potential change in U.S. accounting standards regarding operating leases may make the leasing of facilities less attractive to our potential domestic tenants, which could reduce overall demand for our leasing services.
 
A lease is classified by a tenant as a capital lease if the significant risks and rewards of ownership are considered to reside with the tenant. This situation is considered to be met if, among other things, the non-cancelable lease term is more than 75% of the useful life of the asset or if the present value of the minimum lease payments equals 90% or more of the leased property’s fair value. Under capital lease accounting for a tenant, both the leased asset and liability are reflected on their balance sheet. If the lease does not meet any of the criteria for a capital lease, the lease is considered an operating lease by the tenant and the obligation does not appear on the tenant’s balance sheet; rather, the contractual future minimum payment obligations are only disclosed in the footnotes thereto. Thus, entering into an operating lease can appear to enhance a tenant’s balance sheet in comparison to direct ownership. In response to concerns caused by a 2005 SEC study that the current model does not have sufficient transparency, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, and the International Accounting Standards Board, or IASB, issued an Exposure Draft on a joint proposal that would dramatically transform lease accounting from the existing model. In May 2013, the Boards issued a revised exposure draft for public comment and the comment period ended in September 2013. In January 2014, the Boards began their redeliberations of the proposals included in the May 2013 Exposure Draft based on the comments received. As of the date of this Report, the proposed guidance has not yet been finalized. Changes to the accounting guidance could affect both our and the CPA® REITs’ accounting for leases as well as that of our and the CPA® REITs’ tenants. These changes would impact most companies but are particularly applicable to those that are significant users of real estate. The proposal outlines a completely new model for accounting by lessees, whereby their rights and obligations under all leases, existing and new, would be capitalized and recorded on the balance sheet. For some companies, the new accounting guidance may influence whether or not, or the extent to which, they may enter into the type of sale-leaseback transactions in which we specialize.
 
We depend on key personnel for our future success, and the loss of key personnel or inability to attract and retain personnel could harm our business.
 
Our future success depends in large part on our ability to hire and retain a sufficient number of qualified personnel. Our future success also depends upon the continued service of our executive officers: Trevor P. Bond, our President and Chief Executive Officer; Catherine D. Rice, our Chief Financial Officer; Thomas E. Zacharias, our Chief Operating Officer and the head of our Asset Management Department; John D. Miller, our Chief Investment Officer; and Mark Goldberg, President of Carey Financial, LLC. The loss of the services of any of these officers could have a material adverse effect on our operations.
 
Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial position and results of operations, and they require management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions about matters that are inherently uncertain.
 
Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial position and results of operations. We have identified several accounting policies as being critical to the presentation of our financial position and results of operations because they require management to make particularly subjective or complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain and because of the likelihood that materially different amounts would be recorded under different conditions or using different assumptions. Because of the inherent uncertainty of the estimates, judgments and assumptions associated with these critical accounting policies, we cannot provide any assurance that we will not make subsequent significant adjustments to our consolidated financial statements. If our judgments, assumptions and allocations prove to be incorrect, or if circumstances change, our business, financial condition, revenues, operating expense, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends or stock price may be materially adversely affected.
 
Our charter and Maryland law contain provisions that may delay or prevent a change of control transaction.
 
Our charter contains 7.9% ownership limits. Our charter, subject to certain exceptions, authorizes our directors to take such actions as are necessary and desirable to limit any person to beneficial or constructive ownership of either (i) owning more than 7.9% in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the aggregate outstanding shares of our stock excluding any outstanding shares of our stock not treated as outstanding for federal income tax purposes or (ii) owning more than 7.9% in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of our aggregate outstanding shares of common stock excluding any of our outstanding shares of common stock not treated as outstanding for federal income tax purposes. Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may exempt a person from the ownership limits. However, our board of directors may not grant an exemption from the ownership limits to any person unless our board of directors obtains such representations, covenants and undertakings as our board of directors may deem appropriate in order to determine that granting the exemption would not result in losing our status as a REIT. Our board of directors may also increase or decrease the common stock ownership limit and/or the aggregate stock ownership limit so long as the change would not result in five or fewer persons beneficially owning more


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 15


than 49.9% in value of our outstanding stock. The ownership limits and the other restrictions on ownership of our stock contained in our charter may delay or prevent a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.

Our board of directors may modify our authorized shares of stock of any class or series and may create and issue a class or series of common stock or preferred stock without stockholder approval.
 
Our board of directors is empowered under our charter from time to time to amend our charter to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of our stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue, and from time to time to classify any unissued shares of common stock or preferred stock and to or reclassify any previously classified, but unissued, shares of common stock or preferred stock into one or more classes or series of stock and to issue such shares of stock so classified or reclassified, without stockholder approval. Our board of directors may determine the relative rights, preferences and privileges of any class or series of common stock or preferred stock issued. As a result, we may issue series or classes of common stock or preferred stock with preferences, dividends, powers and rights, voting or otherwise, senior to the rights of holders of our common stock. The issuance of any such classes or series of common stock or preferred stock could also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control transaction that might otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.
 
Certain provisions of Maryland law could inhibit changes in control.
 
Certain provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law, or MGCL, may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or impeding a change of control under circumstances that otherwise could provide our stockholders with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of our common stock, including:
 
•
“business combination” provisions that, subject to limitations, prohibit certain business combinations between us and an “interested stockholder” (defined generally as any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of our outstanding voting stock), or an affiliate thereof for five years after the most recent date on which the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, and thereafter impose special appraisal rights and supermajority voting requirements on these combinations; and
•
“control share” provisions that provide that holders of “control shares” of our company (defined as voting shares which, when aggregated with all other shares owned or controlled by the stockholder, entitle the stockholder to exercise one of three increasing ranges of voting power in electing directors) acquired in a “control share acquisition” (defined as the direct or indirect acquisition of ownership or control of issued and outstanding “control shares”) have no voting rights except to the extent approved by our stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding all interested shares.
 
The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by a board of directors prior to the time that the “interested stockholder” becomes an interested stockholder. Our board of directors has, by resolution, exempted any business combination between us and any person who is an existing, or becomes in the future, an “interested stockholder.” Consequently, the five-year prohibition and the supermajority vote requirements will not apply to business combinations between us and any such person. As a result, such person may be able to enter into business combinations with us that may not be in the best interest of our stockholders, without compliance with the super-majority vote requirements and the other provisions of the statute. Additionally, this resolution may be altered, revoked or repealed in whole or in part at any time and we may opt back into the business combination provisions of the MGCL. If this resolution is revoked or repealed, the statute may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer. In the case of the control share provisions of the MGCL, we have elected to opt out of these provisions of the MGCL pursuant to a provision in our bylaws.
 
Additionally, Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the MGCL, permits our board of directors, without stockholder approval and regardless of what is currently provided in our charter or our bylaws, to implement certain governance provisions, some of which (for example, a classified board) we do not currently have. These provisions may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making an acquisition proposal for our company or of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of our common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-current market price. Our charter, our Bylaws and Maryland law also contain other provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.
 


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 16


Future issuances of equity securities could dilute the interest of our stockholders.
 
Our future growth will depend, in part, upon our ability to raise additional capital. If we were to raise additional capital through the issuance of equity securities, we could dilute the interests of a significant number of our stockholders. In addition, we issued shares of our common stock to the former stockholders of both CPA®:15 and CPA®:16 – Global (excluding us and our subsidiaries) as merger consideration in the CPA®:15 Merger and CPA®:16 Merger, respectively. The interests of our stockholders could also be diluted by the issuance of shares of common stock upon the exercise of outstanding options or pursuant to stock incentive plans. Likewise, our board of directors is empowered under our charter from time to time to amend our charter to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of our stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue, and from time to time to classify any unissued shares of common stock or preferred stock and to or reclassify any previously classified, but unissued, shares of common stock or preferred stock into one or more classes or series of stock and to issue such shares of stock so classified or reclassified, without stockholder approval. See the section below titled “Our board of directors may modify our authorized shares of stock of any class or series and may create and issue a class or series of common stock or preferred stock without stockholder approval.”
 
The price of our common stock may fluctuate.

Our current or historical share price may not be indicative of how the market will value shares of our common stock in the future. One of the factors that may influence the price of our common stock will be the yield from distributions on our common stock compared to yields on other financial instruments. If, for example, an increase in market interest rates results in higher yields on other financial instruments, the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected. In addition, our use of taxable REIT subsidiaries, or TRSs, may cause the market to value our common stock differently than the shares of other REITs, which may not use TRSs as extensively as we currently expect to do so. The market price of our common stock will also be affected by general market conditions and will be potentially affected by the economic and market perception of REIT securities.

Compliance or failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other similar regulations could result in substantial costs.
 
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, places of public accommodation must meet certain federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. Noncompliance could result in the imposition of fines by the federal government or the award of damages to private litigants. If we are required to make unanticipated expenditures to one or more of our properties in order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, then our cash flow and the amounts available to make distributions and payments to our stockholders may be adversely affected. We have not conducted an audit or investigation of all of our properties to determine our compliance and we cannot predict the ultimate cost of compliance with the ADA or other legislation.

Our properties are also subject to various federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state and local fire and life-safety requirements. We could incur fines or private damage awards if we fail to comply with these requirements. While we believe that our properties are currently in material compliance with these regulatory requirements, the requirements may change or new requirements may be imposed that could require significant unanticipated expenditures by us that will affect our cash flow and results of operations.

The occurrence of cyber incidents, or a deficiency in our cyber security, could negatively impact our business by causing a disruption to our operations, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information, and/or damage to our business relationships, all of which could negatively impact our financial results.
 
A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of our information resources. More specifically, a cyber incident is an intentional attack or an unintentional event that can include gaining unauthorized access to systems to disrupt operations, corrupt data, or steal confidential information. As our reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to our systems, both internal and those we have outsourced. Our three primary risks that could directly result from the occurrence of a cyber incident include operational interruption, damage to our relationship with our tenants, and private data exposure. We have implemented processes, procedures and controls to help mitigate these risks, but these measures, as well as our increased awareness of a risk of a cyber incident, do not guarantee that our financial results will not be negatively impacted by such an incident.
 


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 17


Goodwill resulting from the consummation of our mergers may adversely affect our results of operations.
 
Potential impairment of goodwill resulting from the CPA®:15 Merger and CPA®:16 Merger could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. We assess our goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment annually and more frequently when required by GAAP. We are required to record an impairment charge if circumstances indicate that the asset carrying values exceed their fair values. Our assessment of goodwill or other intangible assets could indicate that an impairment of the carrying value of such assets may have occurred that could result in a material, non-cash write-down of such assets, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and future earnings. We are also required to write off a portion of goodwill whenever we dispose of a property that constitutes a business under GAAP from a reporting unit with goodwill. We allocate a portion of the reporting unit’s goodwill to that business in determining the gain loss on the disposal of the business. The amount of goodwill allocated to the business is based on the relative fair value of the business for the reporting unit.
 
Following the consummation of the CPA®:16 Merger, our future results may suffer if we do not effectively manage our expanded operations.

Following the consummation of the CPA®:16 Merger, we may continue to expand our operations through additional acquisitions and other strategic transactions, some of which may involve complex challenges. Our future success will depend, in part, upon our ability to manage our expansion opportunities, integrate new operations into our existing business in an efficient and timely manner, successfully monitoring our operations, costs, regulatory compliance and service quality, and maintaining other necessary internal controls. There can be no assurance that our expansion or acquisition opportunities will be successful, or that we will realize our expected operating efficiencies, cost savings, revenue enhancements, synergies or other benefits.

Following the consummation of the CPA®:16 Merger, we cannot assure you that we will be able to continue paying dividends at the current rate.

While we expect to continue our current dividend practices following the consummation of the CPA®:16 Merger, our stockholders may not receive the same dividends following the consummation of the CPA®:16 Merger for various reasons, including the following:

•
as a result of the CPA®:16 Merger and the issuance of shares of our common stock in connection with the CPA®:16 Merger, the total amount of cash required for us to pay dividends at our current rate has increased;
•
we may not have enough cash to pay such dividends due to changes in our cash requirements, capital plans, cash flow or financial position;
•
decisions on whether, when and in which amounts to make any future distributions will remain at all times entirely at the discretion of our board of directors, which reserves the right to change our dividend practices at any time and for any reason; and
•
the amount of dividends that our subsidiaries may distribute to us may be subject to restrictions imposed by state law, restrictions that may be imposed by state regulators and restrictions imposed by the terms of any current or future indebtedness that these subsidiaries may incur.

Risks Related to REIT Structure
 
While we believe that we are properly organized as a REIT in accordance with applicable law, we cannot guarantee that the IRS will find that we have qualified as a REIT.
 
We believe that we are organized in conformity with the requirements for qualification as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code, or the Code, beginning with our 2012 taxable year , and that our current and anticipated investments and plan of operation will enable us to meet and continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code. Investors should be aware, however, that the IRS or any court could take a position different from our own. Given the highly complex nature of the rules governing REITs, the ongoing importance of factual determinations, and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, no assurance can be given that we will so qualify for any particular year.
 
Furthermore, our qualification and taxation as a REIT will depend on our satisfaction of certain asset, income, organizational, distribution, stockholder ownership and other requirements on a continuing basis. Our ability to satisfy the quarterly asset tests under applicable Code provisions and Treasury Regulations will depend in part upon the our board of directors’ good faith analysis of the fair market values of our assets, some of which are not susceptible to a precise determination. Our compliance with the REIT income and quarterly asset requirements also depends upon our ability to successfully manage the composition


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 18


of our income and assets on an ongoing basis. While we believe that we will satisfy these tests, we cannot guarantee that this will be the case on a continuing basis.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT or fail to remain qualified as a REIT, we would be subject to federal income tax at corporate income tax rates and would not be able to deduct distributions to stockholders when computing our taxable income.
 
Prior to the consummation of the REIT Conversion, we were not treated as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. Following the consummation of the REIT Conversion, we believe that we are organized in conformity with the requirements for qualification as a REIT under the Code beginning with our 2012 taxable year. In order to qualify as a REIT, we plan to hold our non-qualifying REIT assets and conduct our non-qualifying REIT income activities in or through one or more TRSs.
 
If, in any taxable year, we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT, and are not entitled to relief under the Code:
 
•
we will not be allowed a deduction for distributions to stockholders in computing our taxable income;
•
we will be subject to federal and state income tax, including any applicable alternative minimum tax, on our taxable income at regular corporate rates; and
•
we would not be eligible to qualify as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which we were so disqualified.
 
Any such corporate tax liability could be substantial and would reduce the amount of cash available for distributions to our stockholders, which in turn could have an adverse impact on the value of our common stock. This adverse impact could last for five or more years because, unless we are entitled to relief under certain statutory provisions, we will be taxed as a corporation, beginning in the year in which the failure occurs, and we will not be allowed to re-elect to be taxed as a REIT for the following four years.
 
If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may need to borrow funds or liquidate some investments to pay the additional tax liability. Were this to occur, funds available for investment would be reduced. REIT qualification involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Code to our operations, as well as various factual determinations concerning matters and circumstances not entirely within our control. There are limited judicial or administrative interpretations of these provisions. Although we plan to continue to operate in a manner consistent with the REIT qualification rules, we cannot assure you that we will so qualify or remain so qualified.
 
If we fail to make required distributions, we may be subject to federal corporate income tax.
 
We intend to declare regular quarterly distributions, the amount of which will be determined, and is subject to adjustment, by our board of directors. To continue to qualify and be taxed as a REIT, we will generally be required to distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gain) each year to our stockholders. Generally, we expect to distribute all or substantially all of our REIT taxable income. If our cash available for distribution falls short of our estimates, we may be unable to maintain the proposed quarterly distributions that approximate our taxable income, and we may fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT. In addition, our cash flows from operations may be insufficient to fund required distributions as a result of differences in timing between the actual receipt of income and the recognition of income for federal income tax purposes, or the effect of nondeductible expenditures, such as capital expenditures, payments of compensation for which Section 162(m) of the Code denies a deduction, the creation of reserves or required debt service or amortization payments.
 
To the extent that we satisfy the 90% distribution requirement, but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on our undistributed taxable income. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax if the actual amount that we pay out to our stockholders for a calendar year is less than a minimum amount specified under the Code.
 
In addition, in order to continue to qualify as a REIT, any C-corporation earnings and profits to which we succeed (such as by a deemed liquidation of a taxable corporate subsidiary) must be distributed as of the close of the taxable year in which the REIT accumulates or acquires such C-corporation’s earnings and profits.
 


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 19


Because certain covenants in our debt instruments may limit our ability to make required REIT distributions, we could be subject to taxation.
 
Our existing debt instruments include, and our future debt instruments may include, covenants that limit our ability to make required REIT distributions. If the limits set forth in these covenants prevent us from satisfying our REIT distribution requirements, we could fail to qualify for federal income tax purposes as a REIT. If the limits set forth in these covenants do not jeopardize our qualification for taxation as a REIT but do nevertheless prevent us from distributing 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax, and potentially a nondeductible excise tax, on the retained amounts.
 
Because we will be required to satisfy numerous requirements imposed upon REITs, we may be required to borrow funds, sell assets, or raise equity on terms that are not favorable to us.
 
In order to meet the REIT distribution requirements and maintain our qualification and taxation as a REIT, we may need to borrow funds, sell assets or raise equity, even if the then-prevailing market conditions are not favorable for these borrowings, sales or offerings. Any insufficiency of our cash flows to cover our REIT distribution requirements could adversely impact our ability to raise short and long term debt, to sell assets, or to offer equity securities in order to fund distributions required to maintain our qualification and taxation as a REIT. Furthermore, the REIT distribution requirements may increase the financing we need to fund capital expenditures, future growth and expansion initiatives. This would increase our total leverage.
 
In addition, if we fail to comply with certain asset ownership tests at the end of any calendar quarter, we must generally correct the failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter or qualify for certain statutory relief provisions to avoid losing our REIT qualification. As a result, we may be required to liquidate otherwise attractive investments. These actions may reduce our income and amounts available for distribution to our stockholders.

Because the REIT rules require us to satisfy certain rules on an ongoing basis, our flexibility or ability to pursue otherwise attractive opportunities may be limited.
 
To qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we must continually satisfy tests concerning, among other things, the sources of our income, the nature and diversification of our assets, the amounts we distribute to our stockholders and the ownership of our common stock. Thus, compliance with these tests will require us to refrain from certain activities and may hinder our ability to make certain attractive investments, including the purchase of non-qualifying assets, the expansion of non-real estate activities, and investments in the businesses to be conducted by our TRSs, and to that extent limit our opportunities and our flexibility to change our business strategy. Furthermore, acquisition opportunities in domestic and international markets may be adversely affected if we need or require the target company to comply with some REIT requirements prior to closing. In addition, our conversion to a REIT may result in investor pressures not to pursue growth opportunities that are not immediately accretive.
 
To meet our annual distribution requirements, we may be required to distribute amounts that may otherwise be used for our operations, including amounts that may otherwise be invested in future acquisitions, capital expenditures or repayment of debt and it is possible that we might be required to borrow funds, sell assets or raise equity to fund these distributions, even if the then-prevailing market conditions are not favorable for these borrowings, sales or offerings.
 
Because the REIT provisions of the Code limit our ability to hedge effectively, the cost of our hedging may increase, and we may incur tax liabilities.
 
The REIT provisions of the Code limit our ability to hedge assets as well as liabilities that are not incurred to acquire or carry real estate. Generally, income from hedging transactions that have been properly identified for tax purposes, and that 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 and income from certain currency hedging transactions related to our non-U.S. operations, does not constitute “gross income” for purposes of the REIT gross income tests. 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 the REIT gross income tests. As a result of these rules, we may need to limit our use of advantageous hedging techniques or implement those hedges through a TRS. This could increase the cost of our hedging activities because our TRSs could be subject to tax on income or gains resulting from hedges entered into by them or expose us to greater risks associated with changes in interest rates than we would otherwise want to bear. In addition, losses in any of our TRSs generally will not provide any tax benefit, except for being carried forward for use against future taxable income in the TRSs.
 


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 20


Because the REIT rules limit our ability to receive distributions from TRSs, our ability to fund distribution payments using cash generated through our TRSs may be limited.
 
Our ability to receive distributions from our TRSs is limited by the rules with which we must comply to maintain our status as a REIT. In particular, at least 75% of our gross income for each taxable year as a REIT must be derived from real estate-related sources, which principally includes gross income from the leasing of our properties. Consequently, no more than 25% of our gross income may consist of dividend income from our TRSs and other non-qualifying types of income. Thus, our ability to receive distributions from our TRSs may be limited and may impact our ability to fund distributions to our stockholders using cash flows from our TRSs. Specifically, if our TRSs became highly profitable, we might become limited in our ability to receive net income from our TRSs in an amount required to fund distributions to our stockholders commensurate with that profitability.

We intend to use TRSs, which may cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT.
 
The net income of our TRSs is not required to be distributed to us, and income that is not distributed to us generally will not be subject to the REIT income distribution requirement. However, there may be limitations on our ability to accumulate earnings in our TRSs and the accumulation or reinvestment of significant earnings in our TRSs could result in adverse tax treatment. In particular, if the accumulation of cash in our TRSs causes the fair market value of our securities in our TRSs and certain other non-qualifying assets to exceed 25% of the fair market value of our assets, we would fail to qualify as a REIT or not be as tax efficient.
 
Our ownership of our TRSs will be subject to limitations that could prevent us from growing our investment management business and our transactions with our TRSs could cause us to be subject to a 100% penalty tax on certain income or deductions if those transactions are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis.
 
Overall, no more than 25% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more TRSs, and compliance with this limitation could limit our ability to grow our investment management business. In addition, the Code limits 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 Code also imposes a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis. We will monitor the value of our respective investments in our TRSs for the purpose of ensuring compliance with TRS ownership limitations and will structure our transactions with our TRSs on terms that we believe are arm’s-length to avoid incurring the 100% excise tax described above. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to comply with the 25% TRS limitation or to avoid application of the 100% excise tax.
 
Because our board of directors determines in its sole discretion our dividend rate on a quarterly basis, our cash distributions are not guaranteed and may fluctuate.
 
Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, will determine on a quarterly basis the amount of cash to be distributed to our stockholders based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, our results of operations, cash flow and capital requirements, economic conditions, tax considerations, borrowing capacity, applicable provisions of the MGCL and other factors, including debt covenant restrictions that may impose limitations on cash payments, and future acquisitions and divestitures. Consequently, our distribution levels may fluctuate.
 
Because distributions payable by REITs generally do not qualify for reduced tax rates, the value of our common stock could be adversely affected.
 
Certain distributions payable by domestic or qualified foreign corporations to individuals, trusts and estates that are U.S. stockholders are currently eligible for federal income tax at a maximum rate of 20%. Distributions payable by REITs, in contrast, generally are not eligible for the current reduced rates unless the distributions are attributable to dividends received by the REIT from other corporations that would be eligible for the reduced rates. The more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate distributions could cause investors who are individuals, trusts and estates to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stock of non-REIT corporations that pay distributions, which could adversely affect the value of the stock of REITs, including our common stock.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 21


Even if we continue to qualify as a REIT, certain of our business activities will be subject to corporate level income tax and foreign taxes, which will continue to reduce our cash flows, and we will have potential deferred and contingent tax liabilities.
 
Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may be subject to certain federal, state, local and foreign taxes on our income and assets, including alternative minimum taxes, taxes on any undistributed income, and state, local or foreign income, franchise, property and transfer taxes. In addition, we could in certain circumstances be required to pay an excise or penalty tax, which could be significant in amount, in order to utilize one or more relief provisions under the Code to maintain qualification for taxation as a REIT.
 
Any TRS assets and operations would continue to be subject, as applicable, to federal and state corporate income taxes and to foreign taxes in the jurisdictions in which those assets and operations are located. Any of these taxes would decrease our earnings and our cash available for distributions to stockholders.
 
We will also be subject to a federal corporate level tax at the highest regular corporate rate (35% for year 2013) on all or a portion of the gain recognized from a sale of assets formerly held by any C-corporation that we acquire in a carry-over basis transaction occurring within a specified period (generally, ten years) after we acquire such assets, to the extent the built-in gain based on the fair market value of those assets on the effective date of the REIT election is in excess of our then tax basis. The tax on subsequently sold assets will be based on the fair market value and built-in gain of those assets as of the beginning of our holding period. Gains from a sale of an asset occurring after the specified period ends will not be subject to this corporate level tax. We expect to have only a de minimis amount of assets subject to these corporate tax rules and do not expect to dispose of any significant assets subject to these corporate tax rules.

Because dividends received by non-U.S. stockholders are generally taxable, we may be required to withhold a portion of our distributions to such persons.
 
Ordinary dividends received by non-U.S. stockholders that are not effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business generally are subject to United States withholding tax at a rate of 30%, unless reduced by an applicable income tax treaty. Additional rules will apply to any non-U.S. stockholders that will own more than 5% of our common stock with respect to certain capital gain distributions.
 
The ability of our board of directors to revoke our REIT qualification, without stockholder approval, may cause adverse consequences to our stockholders.
 
Our charter provides that the board of directors may revoke or otherwise terminate the REIT election, without the approval of our stockholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interest to continue to qualify as a REIT. If we cease to be a REIT, we will not be allowed a deduction for dividends paid to stockholders in computing our taxable income, and we will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates and state and local taxes, which may have adverse consequences on the total return to our stockholders.

Federal income tax laws governing REITs and related interpretations may change at any time, and any such legislative or other actions affecting REITs could have a negative effect on us and our stockholders.

At any time, the federal income tax laws governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws may be amended. Federal and state tax laws are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process, the IRS, the United States Department of the Treasury, and state taxing authorities. Changes to the tax laws, regulations and administrative interpretations, which may have retroactive application, could adversely affect us or our stockholders. We cannot predict with certainty whether, when, in what forms, or with what effective dates, the tax laws, regulations and administrative interpretations applicable to us or our stockholders may be changed. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that any such change will not significantly affect our ability to qualify for taxation as a REIT or the federal income tax consequences to you or us of such qualification.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 22



Item 2. Properties.
 
Our principal corporate offices are located at 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020, and our primary international investment offices are located in London and Amsterdam. We also have office space domestically in Dallas, Texas and internationally in Hong Kong and Shanghai. We lease all of these offices and believe these leases are suitable for our operations for the foreseeable future.
 
See Item 1, Business — Our Portfolio for a discussion of the properties we hold for rental operations and Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplemental Data — Schedule III — Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation for a detailed listing of such properties.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
 
On December 31, 2013, Ira Gaines and entities affiliated with him commenced a purported class action (Ira Gaines, et al. v. Corporate Property Associates 16 – Global Incorporated, Index. No. 650001/2014, N.Y. Sup. Ct., N.Y. County) against us, our subsidiary WPC REIT Merger Sub Inc., CPA®:16 – Global, and the directors of CPA®:16 – Global. The complaint alleges (i) that the CPA®:16 Merger was unfair to CPA®:16 – Global stockholders, (ii) breaches of fiduciary duty by the individual defendants, all of whom are members of the board of directors of CPA®:16 – Global, (iii) that the entity defendants aided and abetted the directors in breaching their fiduciary duties, and (iv) that the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus relating to the CPA®:16 Merger, or the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, contained inadequate disclosure about certain matters.
 
The complaint demands (i) that a class be certified and plaintiffs named as class representatives, (ii) supplemental disclosures to the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, be issued, (iii) the CPA®:16 Merger be rescinded, (iv) damages be awarded, and (v) plaintiffs’ attorneys fees and other costs be reimbursed.

On January 10, 2014, the plaintiffs asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order enjoining the vote of the stockholders of CPA®:16 – Global pending the completion of expedited discovery and a preliminary injunction hearing. On January 13, 2014 after a hearing, the court denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order enjoining the vote of CPA®:16 – Global’s stockholders.

We believe that these claims are without merit and are defending the case vigorously.

Various other claims and lawsuits arising in the normal course of business are pending against us. The results of these proceedings are not expected to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
 
Not applicable.


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 23


PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
 
Common Stock and Distributions
 
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “WPC.” At December 31, 2013 there were 8,955 holders of record of our common stock. The following table shows the high and low prices per share and quarterly cash distributions declared for the past two fiscal years:
 
 
2013
 
2012
Period
 
High
 
Low
 
Cash
Distributions
Declared
 
High
 
Low
 
Cash
Distributions
Declared
First quarter
 
$
68.99

 
$
51.60

 
$
0.820

 
$
49.70

 
$
41.28

 
$
0.565

Second quarter
 
79.34

 
61.90

 
0.840

 
48.39

 
39.66

 
0.567

Third quarter
 
72.19

 
63.20

 
0.860

 
53.85

 
43.25

 
0.650

Fourth quarter (a)
 
67.84

 
59.75

 
0.980

 
54.70

 
45.94

 
0.660

 ____________
(a)
Cash distributions declared in the fourth quarter of 2013 include a special distribution of $0.110 per share paid in January 2014 to stockholders of record at December 31, 2013.

Our New Senior Credit Facility (as described in Item 7) contains covenants that restrict the amount of distributions that we can pay.
 
Stock Price Performance Graph
 
The graph below provides an indicator of cumulative total stockholder returns for our common stock for the period December 31, 2008 to December 31, 2013 compared with the S&P 500 Index and the FTSE NAREIT Equity REITs Index. The graph assumes a $100 investment on December 31, 2008, together with the reinvestment of all dividends.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 24


 
 
At December 31,
 
 
2008
 
2009
 
2010
 
2011
 
2012
 
2013
W. P. Carey Inc. (a)
 
$
100.00

 
$
128.95

 
$
156.15

 
$
215.99

 
$
289.33

 
$
358.91

S&P 500 Index
 
100.00

 
126.46

 
145.51

 
148.59

 
172.37

 
228.19

FTSE NAREIT Equity REITs Index
 
100.00

 
127.99

 
163.78

 
177.36

 
209.39

 
214.56

 
___________
(a)
Prices in the tables above reflect the price of the Listed Shares of our predecessor through the date of the CPA®:15 Merger and the REIT Conversion (Note 3) and the price of our common stock thereafter.
 
The stock price performance included in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.
 
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
 
This information will be contained in our definitive proxy statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed within 120 days following the end of our fiscal year, and is incorporated by reference.
 



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 25


Item 6. Selected Financial Data.
 
The following selected financial data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes in Item 8 (in thousands, except per share data):
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
 
2010
 
2009
Operating Data (a)
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Revenues from continuing operations (b) (c)
$
489,851

 
$
352,361

 
$
309,711

 
$
246,105

 
$
201,734

Income from continuing operations (b) (c)
93,985

 
87,514

 
153,041

 
83,870

 
58,615

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income
132,165

 
62,779

 
139,138

 
74,951

 
70,568

Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests
(32,936
)
 
(607
)
 
1,864

 
314

 
713

Net income attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests
(353
)
 
(40
)
 
(1,923
)
 
(1,293
)
 
(2,258
)
Net income attributable to W. P. Carey
98,876

 
62,132

 
139,079

 
73,972

 
69,023

Basic Earnings Per Share:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Income from continuing operations attributable to W. P. Carey
1.22

 
1.83

 
3.78

 
2.09

 
1.44

Net income attributable to W. P. Carey
1.43

 
1.30

 
3.44

 
1.86

 
1.74

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Diluted Earnings Per Share:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Income from continuing operations attributable to W. P. Carey
1.21

 
1.80

 
3.76

 
2.08

 
1.47

Net income attributable to W. P. Carey
1.41

 
1.28

 
3.42

 
1.86

 
1.74

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cash distributions declared per share (d)
3.50

 
2.44

 
2.19

 
2.03

 
2.30

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balance Sheet Data
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total assets
$
4,678,950

 
$
4,609,042

 
$
1,462,623

 
$
1,172,326

 
$
1,093,336

Net investments in real estate (e)
3,333,654

 
3,241,199

 
1,217,931

 
946,975

 
884,460

Long-term obligations (f)
2,067,410

 
1,968,397

 
589,369

 
396,982

 
326,330

Other Information
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
$
207,908

 
$
80,643

 
$
80,116

 
$
86,417

 
$
74,544

Cash distributions paid
220,395

 
113,867

 
85,814

 
92,591

 
78,618

Payments of mortgage principal (g)
391,764

 
54,964

 
25,327

 
14,324

 
9,534

 
_______________
(a)
Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified from continuing operations to discontinued operations.
(b)
The years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 include the impact of the CPA®:15 Merger, which was completed on September 28, 2012 (Note 3).
(c)
The year ended December 31, 2011 includes $52.5 million of incentive, termination and subordinated disposition revenue recognized in connection with the merger between CPA®:16 – Global and Corporate Property Associates 14 Incorporated, or CPA®:14, in May 2011, referred to as the CPA®:14/16 Merger.
(d)
The year ended December 31, 2013 includes a special distribution of $0.11 per share paid in January 2014 to stockholders of record at December 31, 2013. The year ended December 31, 2009 includes a special distribution of $0.30 per share paid in January 2010 to shareholders of record at December 31, 2009.
(e)
Net investments in real estate consists of Net investments in properties, Net investments in direct financing leases, Equity investments in real estate and the Managed REITs, Real estate under construction and Assets held for sale, as applicable.
(f)
Represents non-recourse mortgages and note obligations. The year ended December 31, 2013 includes the $300.0 million unsecured term loan obtained in July 2013, or the Unsecured Term Loan, and the year ended December 31, 2012 includes the $175.0 million term loan facility, or the Term Loan Facility (Note 12), which was drawn down in full in connection with the CPA®:15 Merger (Note 3).
(g)
Represents scheduled mortgage principal payments.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 26


Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
 
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, or MD&A, is intended to provide the reader with information that will assist in understanding our financial statements and the reasons for changes in certain key components of our financial statements from period to period. MD&A also provides the reader with our perspective on our financial position and liquidity, as well as certain other factors that may affect our future results. The discussion also provides information about the financial results of the segments of our business to provide a better understanding of how these segments and their results affect our financial condition and results of operations.
 
Business Overview
 
We provide long-term financing via sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions for companies worldwide and manage a global investment portfolio of 1,021 properties, including our owned portfolio. Our business operates in two segments – Real Estate Ownership and Investment Management, as described below.
 
Real Estate Ownership – We own and invest in commercial properties in the U.S. and Europe that are then leased to companies, primarily on a triple-net lease basis, which requires the tenant to pay substantially all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the property. We earn lease revenues from our wholly-owned and co-owned real estate investments. In addition, we generate equity income through our investments in the shares of the Managed REITs and certain co-owned real estate investments that we do not control. In addition, through our ownership of special member interests in the operating partnerships of the Managed REITs, we participate in the cash flows of those REITs. 

Investment Management – We earn revenue as the advisor to the Managed REITs. Under the advisory agreements with the Managed REITs, we perform various services, including but not limited to the day-to-day management of the Managed REITs and transaction-related services. We structure and negotiate investments and debt placement transactions for the Managed REITs, for which we earn structuring revenue, and we manage their portfolios of real estate investments, for which we earn asset-based management revenue. While we are raising funds for a Managed REIT, the REIT reimburses us for certain costs, primarily broker-dealer commissions paid on its behalf and marketing and personnel costs. We also earn dealer manager fees in connection with the initial public offerings of the Managed REITs.

2013 Economic Overview

In 2013, the economic recovery in the U.S. continued. While unemployment remained relatively high, the general business environment, the lending markets and the housing sector all improved. The CPI, which generally reflects changes in economic growth and inflation, increased 1.5% during 2013. This is a change from the negative growth, or recessionary conditions, experienced in 2009 and 2010. The slow but steady improvement in the economy caused the Federal Reserve to consider altering its current monetary policy and to slow or taper its acquisition of Treasury and other debt securities in anticipation of better economic conditions in coming quarters. This announcement in May 2013 resulted in a sharp increase in longer term interest rates, which in turn caused interest rate sensitive stocks, such as REITs, to decline. Despite this increase, both short- and long-term interest rates remain historically low. Commercial property yields, or capitalization rates, which typically react more slowly and tend to lag changes in interest rates, remained fairly steady throughout the course of the year. Competition for net-leased properties, particularly retail assets leased to investment grade tenants, remained strong despite the change in the cost of investment capital.

In Europe, the economic picture was more mixed. The northern European countries, where fiscal conditions are generally more stable, saw modest economic growth rates. However, many of the southern European countries – and those considered emerging economies, such as the eastern European countries – experienced very low growth or recessionary conditions. The harmonized index of consumer price, or HICP, increased 0.9% during 2013. In addition, the financial sector in Europe remains under stress and lending remains constrained. The euro has strengthened since the euro crisis in 2011 and the euro/dollar exchange rate was more stable in 2013. Capitalization rates in many European markets remain attractive, particularly relative to property assets with similar risk profiles in the U.S.

The impact of these economic conditions on us is discussed under Results of Operations below.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 27


Significant Developments

Real Estate Ownership

Investment Transactions

During 2013, we acquired seven properties for a total of $347.1 million. Three of these properties are located in the U.S. and four are in Europe. One of these properties is a warehouse/distribution facility and the remaining six are office facilities. As part of our active asset management program, we sold 28 domestic properties and our interest in an equity investment in 2013 for total proceeds of $175.6 million. Properties sold in 2013 included two office facilities, two education facilities, a retail property, two industrial properties, two warehouse/distribution facilities, 19 self-storage properties and a hotel.

Financing Transactions

•
During 2013, we obtained $115.6 million of mortgage debt to finance our acquisitions and to refinance maturing mortgage debt.
•
In connection with the CPA®:16 Merger discussed below and to assist in our migration to becoming an unsecured borrower, we renegotiated the terms and increased the capacity of our unsecured line of credit from $625.0 million to $1.25 billion, which is comprised of a $1.0 billion revolving line of credit and a $250.0 million term loan. The revolving line of credit will mature in four years and the term loan will mature in two years. We completed this transaction in January 2014. As part of this transaction, we increased the size of our bank syndicate from ten to 14 lenders.

CPA®:16 Merger

On July 25, 2013, we and CPA®:16 – Global entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which CPA®:16 – Global would merge with and into one of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, subject to the approval of our stockholders and the stockholders of CPA®:16 – Global. On January 24, 2014, our stockholders and the stockholders of CPA®:16 – Global approved the CPA®:16 Merger and we completed the CPA®:16 Merger on January 31, 2014 as described in Note 20.

Credit Ratings

In January 2014, we received an investment grade corporate rating of BBB with stable outlook from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and an investment grade issuer rating of Baa2 with stable outlook from Moody’s Investors Service.

Distributions

Our quarterly cash distributions totaled $3.18 per share in 2013. In addition, during the fourth quarter of 2013, we declared a quarterly distribution of $0.87 per share and a special distribution of $0.11 per share, which were paid on January 15, 2014 to stockholders of record on December 31, 2013. The special distribution was declared in order to maintain our REIT status, which requires that we distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income to our stockholders.

Investment Management

During 2013, we managed four active funds: CPA®:16 – Global, CPA®:17 – Global, CPA®:18 – Global and CWI.

Investment Transactions

•
On July 25, 2013, CPA®:16 – Global, which commenced operations in 2003, entered into a definitive merger agreement with us, which was completed on January 31, 2014 (Note 20).
•
We structured investments in 28 properties for a total of $513.4 million on behalf of CPA®:17 – Global. Approximately $352.4 million was invested in the U.S. and $161.0 million was invested in Europe. The 28 properties acquired consisted of: ten self-storage properties, five office facilities, seven retail facilities, two warehouse/distribution facilities, two industrial properties, one automotive dealership and one parcel of land.
•
We structured investments in nine properties for a total of $152.0 million on behalf of CPA®:18 – Global. Two of these investments are jointly-owned with CPA®:17 – Global. Approximately $80.7 million was invested in the U.S. and $71.3 million was invested in Europe. Of the nine properties acquired, five are retail facilities, one is an office facility and three are industrial facilities.
•
During 2013, we structured investments in 12 hotels located in the U.S. for a total of $758.1 million on behalf of CWI.


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 28



Financing Transactions

•
During 2013, we arranged mortgage financing totaling $16.0 million for CPA®:16 – Global, $314.6 million for CPA®:17 – Global, $85.1 million for CPA®:18 – Global and $474.0 million for CWI.

Investor Capital Inflows

•
CPA®:17 – Global, which completed fundraising in its follow-on offering in January 2013 with a total of over $2.9 billion raised since inception, continued to invest its offering proceeds during 2013, of which $359.5 million remained uninvested as of December 31, 2013.
•
CPA®:18 – Global commenced its initial public offering in May 2013 and through December 31, 2013 raised approximately $237.3 million.
•
CWI completed fundraising in September 2013 in its initial public offering, with a total of $575.8 million raised, of which $112.4 million remained uninvested at December 31, 2013. CWI’s follow-on offering commenced in December 2013.

Financial Highlights
 
Our results for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 included the following significant items:

•
A $39.6 million gain on the sale of 19 self-storage properties during 2013, inclusive of amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests of $24.4 million;
•
A decrease in total General and administrative expenses of $2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to 2012, primarily due to a decrease in offering costs related to the termination of the CPA®:17 – Global follow-on offering in January 2013, partially offset by an increase in acquisition fees paid to the subadvisor in the connection with the higher level of CWI’s acquisitions during the current year;
•
Increased lease revenue and property level contribution of $166.5 million and $96.5 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to 2012, respectively, and $54.8 million and $31.2 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to 2011, respectively, primarily due to revenue generated from the properties acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger on September 28, 2012;
•
A decrease in Asset management revenue of $18.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to 2012 and $7.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to 2011, as a result of the CPA®:15 Merger in September 2012, which reduced the asset base from which we earn Asset management revenue;
•
Costs incurred in connection with the CPA®:16 Merger of $5.0 million in 2013 and CPA®:15 Merger of $31.7 million in 2012;
•
Increases in cash distributions paid of $89.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to 2012 and $18.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to 2011, primarily due to distributions made on shares issued in connection with the CPA®:15 Merger in September 2012;
•
Issuance of 28,170,643 shares on September 28, 2012 to stockholders of CPA®:15 in connection with the CPA®:15 Merger; and
•
Revenues of $52.5 million earned in 2011 in connection with providing a liquidity event for CPA®:14 stockholders, through the CPA®:14/16 Merger, in May 2011.
 


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 29


(In thousands, except shares)
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
Total revenues (excluding reimbursed costs from affiliates)
$
416,279

 
$
254,116

 
$
244,882

Net income attributable to W. P. Carey
98,876

 
62,132

 
139,079

 
 
 
 
 
 
Cash distributions paid
220,395

 
113,867

 
85,814

 
 
 
 
 
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
207,908

 
80,643

 
80,116

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities
(6,374
)
 
126,466

 
(126,084
)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
(210,588
)
 
(113,292
)
 
10,502

 
 
 
 
 
 
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding
69,708,008

 
48,078,474

 
40,098,095

 
 
 
 
 
 
Supplemental financial measure:
 

 
 

 
 

Funds from operations – as adjusted (AFFO) (a)
294,151

 
180,631

 
188,853

___________
(a)
We consider the performance metrics listed above, including Funds from operations, as adjusted, or AFFO, a supplemental measure that is not defined by GAAP, or non-GAAP, to be important measures in the evaluation of our results of operations and capital resources. We evaluate our results of operations with a primary focus on the ability to generate cash flow necessary to meet our objective of funding distributions to stockholders. See Supplemental Financial Measures below for our definition of this non-GAAP measure and a reconciliation to its most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Total revenues and Net income attributable to W. P. Carey increased significantly in 2013 as compared to 2012, due to increases within our Real Estate Ownership segment. The growth in revenues and income was generated substantially from the properties we acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger in September 2012 (Note 3). These increases were partially offset by decreases in Total revenues and Net income in our Investment Management segment, primarily due to the CPA®:15 Merger, which reduced the asset base from which we earn asset management revenue.

Net cash provided by operating activities increased in 2013 as compared to the same period in 2012, primarily due to operating cash flow generated from the properties we acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger, which was partially offset by a decrease in cash received for providing asset-based management services to the Managed REITs because we no longer provided such services to CPA®:15 after the completion of the CPA®:15 Merger.

AFFO increased in 2013 as compared to 2012, primarily due to income generated from the properties we acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger, partially offset by the cessation of asset management revenue received from CPA®:15 after the CPA®:15 Merger was completed.

Results of Operations
 
We have two reportable segments – Real Estate Ownership and Investment Management. We evaluate our results of operations with a primary focus on increasing and enhancing the value, quality and amount of assets in our Real Estate Ownership segment as well as assets under management by our Investment Management segment. We focus our efforts on improving underperforming assets through re-leasing efforts, including negotiation of lease renewals, or selectively selling assets in order to increase value in our real estate portfolio. The ability to increase assets under management by structuring investments on behalf of the Managed REITs is affected, among other things, by the Managed REITs’ ability to raise capital and our ability to identify and enter into appropriate investments and financing.
 


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 30


Real Estate Ownership

The following tables present other operating data that management finds useful in evaluating results of operations:
 
As of December 31,
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
Occupancy (a)
98.9
%
 
98.7
%
 
93.0
%
Total net-leased properties (a)
418

 
423

 
157

Total operating properties (b)
2

 
22

 
22

 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
Financings (millions) (c)
415.6

 
198.8

 
469.8

New consolidated investments (millions) (d)
347.1

 
24.6

 
—

New equity investments (millions)
—

 
1.3

 
—

Average U.S. dollar/euro exchange rate (e)
1.3284

 
1.2861

 
1.3926

Increases in U.S. CPI (f)
1.5
%
 
1.7
%
 
3.0
%
Increases in Germany CPI (f)
1.4
%
 
2.0
%
 
2.0
%
Increases in France CPI (f)
0.7
%
 
1.3
%
 
2.5
%
Increases in Finland CPI (f)
1.6
%
 
2.4
%
 
2.9
%
 
____________

(a)
Amounts as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 reflect 305 properties acquired from CPA®:15 in the CPA®:15 Merger in September 2012 with a total fair value of approximately $1.8 billion (Note 3).
(b)
Operating properties were a consolidated investment, that was jointly-owned with an unrelated third-party and two employees, in 20 jointly-owned self-storage properties as well as a hotel and a wholly-owned self-storage property. We sold 19 of the jointly-owned self-storage properties and the hotel in the fourth quarter of 2013.
(c)
The year ended December 31, 2013 includes the $300.0 million Unsecured Term Loan and the year ended December 31, 2012 includes the $175.0 million Term Loan Facility obtained in connection with the CPA®:15 Merger (Note 3), each of which was repaid in full and terminated on January 31, 2014 when we entered into our New Senior Credit Facility. The year ended December 31, 2011 includes a $200.0 million increase in borrowing capacity obtained on our then-existing unsecured line of credit.
(d)
Amount for the year ended December 31, 2012 does not include our acquisition of a 52.63% ownership interest in Marcourt Investments Inc., or Marcourt, in connection with the CPA®:15 Merger.
(e)
The average conversion rate for the U.S. dollar in relation to the euro increased during the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to 2012 and decreased during the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to 2011, resulting in a positive impact on earnings in 2013 and a negative impact on earnings in 2012 from our euro-denominated investments.
(f)
Many of our lease agreements and those of the Managed REITs include contractual increases indexed to changes in the CPI or other similar index.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 31


Below is a summary of comparative results of our Real Estate Ownership segment (in thousands):
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2013
 
2012
 
Change
 
2012
 
2011
 
Change
Revenues
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Lease revenues
$
299,624

 
$
119,296

 
$
180,328

 
$
119,296

 
$
59,896

 
$
59,400

Other real estate income:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Reimbursed tenant costs
13,314

 
7,468

 
5,846

 
7,468

 
5,784

 
1,684

Lease termination fees and others
2,072


1,492


580


1,492


518


974

Operating property revenues
955

 
925

 
30

 
925

 
866

 
59

Total other real estate income
16,341

 
9,885

 
6,456

 
9,885

 
7,168

 
2,717

 
315,965

 
129,181

 
186,784

 
129,181

 
67,064

 
62,117

Operating Expenses
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Depreciation and amortization:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Leased properties
117,271

 
40,479

 
76,792

 
40,479

 
16,804

 
23,675

Operating properties
178


204


(26
)

204


213


(9
)
Total depreciation and amortization
117,449

 
40,683

 
76,766

 
40,683

 
17,017

 
23,666

Property expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Reimbursed tenant costs
13,314

 
7,468

 
5,846

 
7,468

 
5,784

 
1,684

Leased properties
6,349

 
3,736

 
2,613

 
3,736

 
1,668

 
2,068

Property management fees
1,156


325


831


325


1,382


(1,057
)
Operating property expenses
577

 
494

 
83

 
494

 
496

 
(2
)
Total property expenses
21,396

 
12,023

 
9,373

 
12,023

 
9,330

 
2,693

General and administrative
25,831


7,885


17,946


7,885


4,321


3,564

Merger and acquisition expenses
9,230


31,639


(22,409
)

31,639


33


31,606

Stock-based compensation expenses
315


211


104


211


—


211

Impairment charges
4,741


—


4,741


—


(1,365
)

1,365

 
178,962

 
92,441

 
86,521

 
92,441

 
29,336

 
63,105

Segment Net Operating Income
137,003

 
36,740

 
100,263

 
36,740

 
37,728

 
(988
)
Other Income and Expenses
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Net income from equity investments in real estate and the Managed REITs
52,731

 
62,392

 
(9,661
)
 
62,392

 
51,228

 
11,164

Other income and (expenses)
7,918

 
3,201

 
4,717

 
3,201

 
4,413

 
(1,212
)
Other interest income
170

 
247

 
(77
)
 
247

 
86

 
161

Gain on change in control of interests
—

 
20,744

 
(20,744
)
 
20,744

 
27,859

 
(7,115
)
Interest expense
(103,728
)
 
(46,448
)
 
(57,280
)
 
(46,448
)
 
(18,210
)
 
(28,238
)
 
(42,909
)
 
40,136

 
(83,045
)
 
40,136

 
65,376

 
(25,240
)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes
94,094

 
76,876

 
17,218

 
76,876

 
103,104

 
(26,228
)
Provision for income taxes
(4,703
)
 
(4,001
)
 
(702
)
 
(4,001
)
 
(2,243
)
 
(1,758
)
Income from continuing operations
89,391

 
72,875

 
16,516

 
72,875

 
100,861

 
(27,986
)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations
38,180

 
(24,735
)
 
62,915

 
(24,735
)
 
(13,903
)
 
(10,832
)
Net income from Real Estate Ownership
127,571

 
48,140

 
79,431

 
48,140

 
86,958

 
(38,818
)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
(33,056
)
 
(3,245
)
 
(29,811
)
 
(3,245
)
 
(678
)
 
(2,567
)
Net income from Real Estate Ownership
attributable to W. P. Carey
$
94,515

 
$
44,895

 
$
49,620

 
$
44,895

 
$
86,280

 
$
(41,385
)
AFFO
$
263,657

 
$
159,511

 
$
104,146

 
$
159,511

 
$
102,748

 
$
56,763




W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 32


Lease Composition and Leasing Activities

As of December 31, 2013, 91% of our net leases, based on annualized contractual minimum base rent, have rent increases, comprised of 67% that have CPI and similar rent adjustments based on formulas indexed to changes in the CPI, or other similar indices for the jurisdiction in which the property is located, some of which have caps and/or floors, and 24% that have fixed rent increases for which contractual minimum base rent is scheduled to increase by an average of 0.3% in the next 12 months.
We own international investments and, therefore, lease revenues from these investments are subject to fluctuations in exchange rate movements in foreign currencies.

The following discussion presents a summary of our leasing activity for the periods presented and does not include new acquisitions for our portfolio during the years presented or properties acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger.

2013 — During 2013, we signed 16 leases totaling approximately 0.8 million square feet of leased space. Of these leases, four were with new tenants, nine were lease renewals or extensions with existing tenants, and three were lease restructurings. The average new rent for this leased space is $8.49 per square foot and the average former rent was $10.53 per square foot, reflecting current market conditions. We provided total tenant improvement allowances of $0.6 million on two of these leases. In addition, in January 2013 we entered into a lease extension regarding a 0.4 million square foot building and committed to an expansion of 0.1 million square feet at an expected cost of $6.4 million. The expansion was completed in September 2013.

2012 — During 2012, we signed 22 leases totaling approximately 2.0 million square feet of leased space. Of these leases, three were with new tenants and 19 were lease renewals or extensions with existing tenants. The average new rent for these leases is $7.37 per square foot and the average former rent was $8.80 per square foot, reflecting then-current market conditions. We provided tenant improvement allowances and other incentives totaling $3.0 million on two of these leases. 

2011 — During 2011, we signed 20 leases, totaling approximately 0.9 million square feet of leased space. Of these leases, there were two new tenants and there were 18 lease renewals or short-term extensions with existing tenants. Under the 20 leases, the average new rent is $9.75 per square foot, and the average former rent was $9.06 per square foot. Five of the 22 tenants had tenant improvement allowances or concessions totaling approximately $6.9 million, of which $6.4 million related to a lease of a repositioned asset to a tenant.


W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 33


Property Level Contribution

Property level contribution includes lease and operating property revenues, less property expenses, depreciation and amortization. When a property is leased on a net-lease basis, reimbursable tenant costs are recorded as both income and property expense and, therefore, have no impact on property level contribution. The following table presents property level contribution for our consolidated leased and operating properties as well as a reconciliation to Segment net operating income (in thousands):
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2013
 
2012
 
Change
 
2012
 
2011
 
Change
Same Store Leased Properties:
 

 
 

 


 
 

 
 

 
 

Lease revenues
$
51,673

 
$
52,550

 
$
(877
)
 
$
52,550

 
$
52,341

 
$
209

Property expenses
(1,712
)
 
(2,182
)
 
470

 
(2,182
)
 
(1,629
)
 
(553
)
Depreciation and amortization
(11,404
)
 
(11,036
)
 
(368
)
 
(11,036
)
 
(12,107
)
 
1,071

Property level contribution
38,557


39,332


(775
)

39,332


38,605


727

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Properties Acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lease revenues
221,342

 
54,812

 
166,530

 
54,812

 
—

 
54,812

Property expenses
(4,310
)
 
(1,508
)
 
(2,802
)
 
(1,508
)
 
—

 
(1,508
)
Depreciation and amortization
(89,398
)
 
(22,127
)
 
(67,271
)
 
(22,127
)
 
—

 
(22,127
)
Property level contribution
127,634

 
31,177

 
96,457

 
31,177

 
—

 
31,177

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recently Acquired Leased Properties:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lease revenues
26,609

 
11,934

 
14,675

 
11,934

 
7,555

 
4,379

Property expenses
(327
)
 
(46
)
 
(281
)
 
(46
)
 
(39
)
 
(7
)
Depreciation and amortization
(16,469
)
 
(7,316
)
 
(9,153
)
 
(7,316
)
 
(4,696
)
 
(2,620
)
Property level contribution
9,813

 
4,572

 
5,241

 
4,572

 
2,820

 
1,752

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating Properties:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Revenues
955

 
925

 
30

 
925

 
866

 
59

Property expenses
(577
)
 
(494
)
 
(83
)
 
(494
)
 
(496
)
 
2

Depreciation and amortization
(178
)
 
(204
)
 
26

 
(204
)
 
(214
)
 
10

Property level contribution
200

 
227

 
(27
)
 
227

 
156

 
71

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total Property Level Contribution:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lease revenues
299,624

 
119,296

 
180,328

 
119,296

 
59,896

 
59,400

Property expenses
(6,349
)
 
(3,736
)
 
(2,613
)
 
(3,736
)
 
(1,668
)
 
(2,068
)
Operating property — revenues
955

 
925

 
30

 
925

 
866

 
59

Operating property — expenses
(577
)
 
(494
)
 
(83
)
 
(494
)
 
(496
)
 
2

Depreciation and amortization
(117,449
)
 
(40,683
)
 
(76,766
)
 
(40,683
)
 
(17,017
)
 
(23,666
)
Property Level Contribution
176,204

 
75,308

 
100,896

 
75,308

 
41,581

 
33,727

Lease termination fees and Others
2,072

 
1,492

 
580

 
1,492

 
518

 
974

Property management fees
(1,156
)
 
(325
)
 
(831
)
 
(325
)
 
(1,382
)
 
1,057

General and administrative
(25,831
)
 
(7,885
)
 
(17,946
)
 
(7,885
)
 
(4,321
)
 
(3,564
)
Merger and acquisition expenses
(9,230
)
 
(31,639
)
 
22,409

 
(31,639
)
 
(33
)
 
(31,606
)
Stock-based compensation expenses
(315
)
 
(211
)
 
(104
)
 
(211
)
 
—

 
(211
)
Impairment charges
(4,741
)
 
—

 
(4,741
)
 
—

 
1,365

 
(1,365
)
Segment Net Operating Income
$
137,003

 
$
36,740

 
$
100,263

 
$
36,740

 
$
37,728

 
$
(988
)



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 34


Same Store Leased Properties

Same store leased properties are those we owned for 36 months or more.

2013 vs. 2012 — For the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to 2012, property level contribution from same store leased properties decreased by $0.8 million, primarily due to a decrease in lease revenues of $0.9 million. Lease revenues decreased by $1.8 million as a result of restructuring of leases at several properties. This decrease was partially offset by an increase in lease revenues of $0.9 million as a result of scheduled rent increases at several properties.

2012 vs. 2011 — For the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to 2011, property level contribution from same store leased properties increased by $0.7 million, primarily due to a year-over-year decrease in depreciation and amortization expenses as a result of an out-of-period adjustment recorded in 2011 (Note 2). Lease revenues increased by $0.5 million as a result of scheduled rent increases at several properties. This increase in lease revenues was substantially offset by a decrease in lease revenues as a result of fluctuation in foreign currency exchange rates.

Leased Properties Acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger

In September 2012, we acquired 305 properties in the CPA®:15 Merger, of which one was sold in 2012 and nine were sold or held for sale in 2013.

2013 vs. 2012 — For the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to 2012, property level contribution from leased properties acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger in September 2012 increased by $96.5 million, primarily due to the impact of a full year of ownership of the assets acquired as compared to that of one quarter in the prior year.

2012 vs. 2011 — For the year ended December 31, 2012, property level contribution from leased properties acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger was $31.2 million representing one quarter of activity since the date of the CPA®:15 Merger on September 28, 2012.

Recently Acquired Leased Properties

Recently acquired leased properties are those that we owned for less than 36 months.

2013 vs. 2012 — For the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to 2012, property level contribution from leased properties acquired recently increased by $5.2 million. During 2013, we acquired seven investments with a total annual contractual minimum base rent of approximately $21.5 million. During 2012, we acquired one investment with annual contractual minimum base rent of $1.7 million.

2012 vs. 2011 — For the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to 2011, property level contribution from recently acquired leased properties increased by $1.8 million. During 2011, in connection with the CPA®:14/16 Merger in May 2011, we purchased the remaining interests in two jointly-owned investments from CPA®:14. Since the acquisition, we consolidate these two investments, which had a contractual minimum base rent of $10.8 million at the time of purchase.

Operating Properties

Operating properties consist of two self-storage properties as of December 31, 2013. In November 2013, we sold 19 self-storage properties (Note 17). Results of operations for these properties are reflected in Income (loss) from discontinued operations.
 
For the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, property level contribution from operating properties was substantially unchanged.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 35


Other Revenues and Expenses

General and Administrative

2013 vs. 2012 — For the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to 2012, general and administrative expenses in the Real Estate Ownership segment increased by $17.9 million. Effective October 1, 2012, personnel costs and other shared expenses such as office rent expenses have been charged to CPA®:16 – Global and CPA®:17 – Global based on the trailing 12-month reported revenues of the CPA® REITs, CWI and us rather than the method utilized before that date, which involved an allocation of personnel costs based on the time incurred by our personnel for CPA®:14, CPA®:15, CPA®:16 – Global, and CPA®:17 – Global (Note 4). This new methodology reflected changes in our advisory agreements with the CPA® REITs. Prior to this change, CPA®:15 was also charged general and administrative expenses based on the former methodology. After the CPA®: 15 Merger on September 28, 2012, the portfolio that was formerly held by CPA®:15 was included in our Real Estate Ownership Segment and, as such, the Real Estate Ownership’s entire portfolio was subject to the new allocation methodology based on revenues. As a result, $14.2 million of additional general and administrative expenses were allocated to the Real Estate Ownership segment from the Investment Management Segment during 2013 as compared to 2012.
 
2012 vs. 2011 — For the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to 2011, general and administrative expenses in the Real Estate Ownership segment increased by $3.6 million, primarily due an increase in personnel costs of $2.9 million as a result of the higher allocation of personnel costs to the Real Estate Ownership segment described above.

Merger and Acquisition Expenses

2013 — For the year ended December 31, 2013, merger and acquisition expenses were $9.2 million, which consisted of merger-related expenses of $5.0 million and acquisition-related expenses of $4.2 million. Merger-related expenses during 2013 represent costs incurred in connection with the CPA®:16 Merger. Acquisition expenses consist of acquisition-related costs incurred on three investments we entered into during 2013 that were accounted for as business combinations, for which such costs were required to be expensed under current accounting guidance.

2012 — For the year ended December 31, 2012, merger and acquisition expenses were $31.6 million, which comprised costs incurred in connection with the CPA®:15 Merger.

Impairment Charges
 
For the year ended December 31, 2013, we recognized an impairment charge of $4.7 million on a French property. This impairment was the result of writing down the property’s carrying value to its estimated fair value in connection with the tenant vacating the property. Our impairment charges are more fully described in Note 10.
 
Where the undiscounted cash flows for an asset, when considering and evaluating the various alternative courses of action that may occur, are less than the asset’s carrying value, we recognize an impairment charge to reduce the carrying value of the asset to its estimated fair value. Further, it is possible that we may sell an asset for a price below its estimated fair value and record a loss on sale.

See Net Income from Equity Investments in Real Estate and the Managed REITs and Loss from Discontinued Operations below for additional impairment charges incurred.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 36


Net Income from Equity Investments in Real Estate and the Managed REITs
 
Net income from equity investments in real estate and the Managed REITs is recognized in accordance with each respective investment agreement. In addition, we are entitled to receive distributions of Available Cash (Note 4) from the operating partnerships of each of the Managed REITs. The net income of our unconsolidated investments fluctuates based on the timing of transactions, such as new leases and property sales, as well as the level of impairment charges. The following table presents the details of our net income from equity investments in real estate and the Managed REITs (in thousands):
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
Equity earnings from equity investments in the Managed REITs:
 
 
 
 
 
CPA®:14 (a)
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
8,243

CPA®:15 (b)
—

 
4,541

 
3,394

CPA®:16 – Global (a) (c)
2,732

 
610

 
4,993

Other Managed REITs
154

 
358

 
298

Other-than-temporary impairment charges on the Special Member Interest in CPA®:16 – Global’s operating partnership (a)
(15,383
)
 
(9,910
)
 
—

Distributions of Available Cash (d)
34,121

 
30,009

 
15,535

Deferred revenue earned (a)
8,492

 
8,492

 
5,662

Equity income from the Managed REITs
30,116

 
34,100

 
38,125

Equity earnings from other equity investments:
 
 
 
 
 
Equity investments sold (e)
17,486

 
16,480

 
2,648

Equity investments acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger (b) (f)
(1,950
)
 
1,113

 
—

Equity investments consolidated after the CPA®:15 Merger and CPA®:14/16 Merger (b)
—

 
3,853

 
3,892

Same store equity investments (g)
7,079

 
6,846

 
6,563

Total equity earnings from other equity investments
22,615

 
28,292

 
13,103

Total income from equity investments in real estate and the Managed REITs
$
52,731

 
$
62,392

 
$
51,228

___________
(a)
CPA®:14 merged with and into CPA®:16 – Global on May 2, 2011 (Note 4). In connection with the CPA®:14/16 Merger, we acquired a special member interest, or the Special Member Interest, in CPA®:16 – Global’s operating partnership, which we recorded as an equity investment at fair value with an equal amount recorded as deferred revenue (Note 4).
(b)
CPA®:15 merged with and into us on September 28, 2012 (Note 3). See Gain on Change in Control of Interests below for discussion on the gain recognized.
(c)
Amount for 2012 includes a loss of $4.4 million representing our share of the $23.9 million of impairment charges recognized by CPA®:16 – Global.
(d)
We are entitled to receive distributions of our proportionate share of earnings up to 10% of the Available Cash, as defined in the respective advisory agreements, from the operating partnerships of each of the Managed REITs. Distributions of Available Cash received and earned increased primarily as a result of new investments that CPA®:17 – Global entered into during 2012 and 2013. Distributions of Available Cash received and earned from CPA®:16 – Global increased in 2012 as compared to 2011 as a result of its reorganization as an umbrella partnership real estate investment trust, or the UPREIT Reorganization, in May 2011 (Note 4). We also received our first distribution of Available Cash from CWI of $1.9 million during 2013.
(e)
Amount for 2013 includes a net gain of $19.5 million recognized on the sale of an investment, partially offset by an other-than-temporary impairment charge of $3.9 million recognized on another investment in connection with the sale of its properties (Note 7). Amount for 2012 includes our $15.1 million share of the net gain recognized by a jointly-owned entity upon selling its equity shares in an investment in the second quarter of 2012 (Note 7).
(f)
Amount for 2013 includes our $8.4 million share of the German real estate transfer tax incurred by Hellweg Die Profi-Baumärkte GmbH & Co. KG, or Hellweg 2, in connection with its restructuring (Note 7).
(g)
Represents equity investments we held for 36 months or more.



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 37


Other Income and (Expenses)
 
Other income and (expenses) consists primarily of gains and losses on foreign currency transactions and derivative instruments. We and certain of our foreign consolidated subsidiaries have intercompany debt and/or advances that are not denominated in the functional currency of those subsidiaries. When the intercompany debt or accrued interest thereon is remeasured against the functional currency of the respective subsidiaries, an unrealized gain or loss on foreign currency translation may result. For intercompany transactions that are of a long-term investment nature, the gain or loss is recognized as a cumulative translation adjustment in other comprehensive income. We also recognize gains or losses on foreign currency transactions when we repatriate cash from our foreign investments.
 
2013 — For the year ended December 31, 2013, other income was $7.9 million, primarily due to unrealized gains of $5.1 million recognized on the interest rate swaps acquired from CPA®:15 in the CPA®:15 Merger that did not qualify for hedge accounting, as well as net realized gains of $1.5 million on foreign currency transactions as a result of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on notes receivable from international subsidiaries. We also recognized a $1.2 million net gain on extinguishment of debt in connection with the settlement of several mortgage loans on the aforementioned disposed properties.

2012 — For the year ended December 31, 2012, other income was $3.2 million, comprised of a net gain of $2.5 million recorded on the disposals of three parcels of land, a net realized and unrealized gain of $0.5 million on foreign currency transactions and a $0.4 million gain on derivatives acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger.
 
2011 — For the year ended December 31, 2011, other income was $4.4 million. In connection with the CPA®:14/16 Merger, we agreed to receive shares of CPA®:16 – Global in respect of our shares of CPA®:14. As a result, during 2011, we recognized a gain of $2.8 million on the conversion of our shares of CPA®:14 to shares of CPA®:16 – Global in order to reflect the carrying value of our investment at its estimated fair value. In addition, we recognized a gain of $1.0 million on the conversion of our termination revenue to shares of CPA®:14 because the fair value of the shares received exceeded the termination revenue. Other income during 2011 also included a net gain of $0.6 million as a result of exercising certain warrants granted to us by lessees.

Gain on Change in Control of Interests
 
2012 — In connection with the CPA®:15 Merger in September 2012, we acquired additional interests in five investments from CPA®:15, which we had previously accounted for under the equity method, and we adjusted the carrying value of our previously held interest in shares of CPA®:15 common stock to its estimated fair market value. In connection with our acquisition of these investments, we recognized a net gain of $20.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2012 in order to adjust the carrying value of previously-held equity interests in these investments to their estimated fair values (Note 3).
 
2011 — In connection with the CPA®:14/16 Merger in May 2011, we purchased the remaining interests in two investments from CPA®:14, which we had previously accounted for under the equity method. In connection with our purchase of these properties, we recognized a net gain of $27.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2011 to adjust the carrying value of our existing interests in these investments to their estimated fair values.

Interest Expense
 
2013 vs. 2012 — For the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to 2012, interest expense increased by $57.3 million, primarily due to an increase of $53.1 million as a result of mortgage loans assumed in connection with our acquisition of properties from CPA®:15 in the CPA®:15 Merger and $2.5 million of interest expense incurred in 2013 on mortgage loans acquired and assumed in connection with our acquisition of properties. In addition, interest expense on our Prior Senior Credit Facility and Unsecured Term Loan increased by $2.6 million in the aggregate as a result of a higher average outstanding balance in the current year period.
 
2012 vs. 2011 — For the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to 2011, interest expense increased by $28.2 million. Interest expense increased by $20.2 million and $1.7 million as a result of mortgage loans assumed in connection with our acquisition of properties from CPA®:15 in the CPA®:15 Merger and from CPA®:14 in the CPA®:14/16 Merger, respectively. In addition, interest expense on our Prior Senior Credit Facility increased by $5.5 million as a result of the amortization of financing costs incurred in connection with obtaining the facility in December 2011, as well as a higher average outstanding balance and a higher average interest rate on our Prior Senior Credit Facility in 2012, compared to those under our prior lines of credit in 2011 (Note 12).



W. P. Carey 2013 10-K – 38


Provision for Income Taxes

2013 vs. 2012 — For the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to 2012, provision for income taxes increased by $0.7 million, primarily due to increases in foreign income taxes of $3.1 million related to the foreign properties we acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger, partially offset by a deferred income tax benefit of $2.7 million recognized in connection with an out-of-period adjustment (Note 2).

2012 vs. 2011 — For the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to 2011, provision for income taxes increased by $1.8 million, primarily due to increases in foreign income taxes related to the foreign properties we acquired in the CPA®:15 Merger.

Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations
 
During 2013, we sold 27 properties and reclassified nine properties to Assets held for sale. During 2012 and 2011, we sold 14 and seven propert