Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

v3.21.1
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Equity [Abstract]  
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS
Shareholders' Equity
Forward Equity Offering
On September 22, 2020, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement, as well as certain forward sale agreements, with a syndicate of banks acting as underwriters, forward sellers, and/or forward purchasers in connection with an underwritten public offering of 4,500,000 common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share of the Company ("common shares") at a public offering price of $33.15 per share (the "forward offering"). The underwriters were granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 675,000 common shares at the same price, which they partially exercised for an additional 400,000 common shares on October 6, 2020. Therefore, the forward sellers or their affiliates, at the Company's request, borrowed from third parties and sold to the underwriters an aggregate of 4,900,000 common shares, which the underwriters sold at an offering price of $33.15 per share, for proceeds of approximately $162.4 million. As a result of this forward construct, the Company did not receive any proceeds from the sale of such shares at closing. The Company has determined that the forward sale agreements are not considered to be derivative instruments under the guidance within ASC 815.
On December 30, 2020, the Company settled a portion of the forward offering by physically delivering 1,850,510 common shares to the forward purchasers for net proceeds of approximately $60.0 million. On March 22, 2021, the Company settled the remaining portion of the forward offering by physically delivering 3,049,490 common shares to the forward purchasers for net proceeds of approximately $97.3 million.
At the Market ("ATM") Program
On February 27, 2019, the Company entered into a sales agreement with certain sales agents, pursuant to which the Company may sell from time to time up to an aggregate of $250.0 million common shares and 6.000% Series A cumulative redeemable preferred shares of beneficial interest ("Series A preferred shares") in sales deemed to be "at the market" offerings. The sales agreement contemplates that, in addition to the issuance and sale by the Company of offered shares to or through the sale agents, the Company may enter into separate forward sale agreements with any forward purchaser. Forward sale agreements, if any, will include only the Company's common shares and will not include any Series A preferred shares. If the Company enters into a forward sale agreement with any forward purchaser, such forward purchaser will attempt to borrow from third parties and sell, through the related agent, acting as sales agent for such forward purchaser (each, a "forward seller"), offered shares, in an amount equal to the offered shares subject to such forward sale agreement, to hedge such forward purchaser’s exposure under such forward sale agreement. The Company may offer the common shares and Series A preferred shares through the agents, as the Company's sales agents, or, as applicable, as forward seller, or directly to the agents or forward sellers, acting as principals, by means of, among others, ordinary brokers’ transactions on the NYSE or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at negotiated prices.
During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company sold 642,726 common shares through the ATM program at an average offering price of $39.41 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $25.1 million, after deducting compensation payable by the Company to such agents and offering expenses.
Noncontrolling Interests
All of the OP equity in the Company's operating partnership not held by the Company are reflected as noncontrolling interests. Noncontrolling interests also include ownership interests in DownREIT partnerships held by entities other than the Company's operating partnership. NSA is the general partner of its operating partnership and is authorized to cause its operating partnership to issue additional partner interests, including OP units and subordinated performance units, at such prices and on such other terms as it determines in its sole discretion.
As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, units reflecting noncontrolling interests consisted of the following:
March 31, 2021 December 31, 2020
Series A-1 preferred units 637,382  637,382 
OP units 29,921,057  29,616,809 
Subordinated performance units 9,197,259  9,030,872 
LTIP units 798,782  734,196 
DownREIT units
DownREIT OP units 1,924,918  1,924,918 
DownREIT subordinated performance units 4,337,111  4,337,111 
Total 46,816,509  46,281,288 
Series A-1 Preferred Units
The 6.000% Series A-1 Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units ("Series A-1 preferred units") rank senior to OP units and subordinated performance units in the Company's operating partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation. The Series A-1 preferred units have a stated value of $25.00 per unit and receive distributions at an annual rate of 6.000%. These distributions are cumulative. The Series A-1 preferred units are redeemable at the option of the holder after the first anniversary of the date of issuance, which redemption obligations may be satisfied at the Company’s option in cash in an amount equal to the market value of an equivalent number of the Series A preferred shares or the issuance of Series A preferred shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustments. The Series A preferred shares are redeemable by the Company for a cash redemption price of $25.00 per share, plus accrued but unpaid dividends.
OP Units and DownREIT OP units
OP units in the Company's operating partnership are redeemable for cash or, at the Company's option, exchangeable for the Company's common shares on a one-for-one basis, and DownREIT OP units are redeemable for cash or, at the Company's option, exchangeable for OP units in its operating partnership on a one-for-one basis, subject to certain adjustments in each case. The holders of OP units are generally not entitled to elect redemption until one year after the issuance of the OP units. The holders of DownREIT OP units are generally not entitled to elect redemption until five years after the date of the contributor's initial contribution.
The increase in OP units outstanding from December 31, 2020 to March 31, 2021 was due to the issuance of 351,457 OP units in connection with the acquisition of self storage properties, 80,006 LTIP units which were converted into an equivalent number of OP units and 63,033 OP units issued upon the conversion of 32,741 subordinated performance units (as discussed further below) partially offset by the redemption of 190,248 OP units for an equal number of common shares.
Subordinated Performance Units and DownREIT Subordinated Performance Units
Subordinated performance units may also, under certain circumstances, be convertible into OP units which are exchangeable for common shares as described above, and DownREIT subordinated performance units may, under certain circumstances, be exchangeable for subordinated performance units on a one-for-one basis. Subordinated performance units are only convertible into OP units after a two year lock-out period and then generally (i) at the holder’s election only upon the achievement of certain performance thresholds relating to the properties to which such subordinated performance units relate or (ii) at the Company's election upon a retirement event of a PRO that holds such subordinated performance units or upon certain qualifying terminations. The holders of DownREIT subordinated performance units are generally not entitled to elect redemption until at least five years after the date of the contributor's initial contribution.
Following such lock-out period, a holder of subordinated performance units in the Company's operating partnership may elect a voluntary conversion one time each year on or prior to December 1st to convert a pre-determined portion of such subordinated performance units into OP units in the Company's operating partnership, with such conversion effective January 1st of the following year, with each subordinated performance unit being converted into the number of OP units determined by dividing the average cash available for distribution, or CAD, per unit on the series of specific subordinated performance units over the one-year period prior to conversion
by 110% of the CAD per unit on the OP units determined over the same period. CAD per unit on the series of specific subordinated performance units and OP units is determined by the Company based generally upon the application of the provisions of the LP Agreement applicable to the distributions of operating cash flow and capital transactions proceeds.
The increase in subordinated performance units outstanding from December 31, 2020 to March 31, 2021 was due to the issuance of 199,128 subordinated performance units for co-investment by the Company's PROs in connection with the acquisition of self storage properties partially offset by the voluntary conversion of 32,741 subordinated performance units into 63,033 OP units.
LTIP Units
LTIP units are a special class of partnership interest in the Company's operating partnership that allow the holder to participate in the ordinary and liquidating distributions received by holders of the OP units (subject to the achievement of specified levels of profitability by the Company's operating partnership or the achievement of certain events). LTIP units may also, under certain circumstances, be convertible into OP units on a one-for-one basis, which are then exchangeable for common shares as described above.
The increase in LTIP units outstanding from December 31, 2020 to March 31, 2021 was due to the issuance of 144,592 compensatory LTIP units to employees and trustees, net of forfeitures, partially offset by the conversion of 80,006 LTIP units into an equivalent number of OP units