Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Equity - COPT and Subsidiaries

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Equity - COPT and Subsidiaries
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]  
Equity - COPT and Subsidiaries
Equity - COPT and Subsidiaries

Preferred Shares

As of December 31, 2018, COPT had 25.0 million preferred shares authorized and unissued at $0.01 par value per share. In 2017, COPT redeemed all of its outstanding preferred shares, including:

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the 5.600% Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares (the “Series K Preferred Shares”) redeemed effective January 21, 2017 at a price of $50.00 per share, or $26.6 million in the aggregate, plus accrued and unpaid dividends thereon through the date of redemption. Concurrently with this redemption, COPLP redeemed its Series K Preferred Units on the same terms. Since we made an irrevocable notification to holders of the Series K Preferred Shares in December 2016 of our intention to redeem such shares, we presented the liquidation preference of the shares as a liability on COPT’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016; we also recognized a $17,000 decrease to net income available to common shareholders in 2016 pertaining to the original issuance costs incurred on the shares; and
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the 7.375% Series L Cumulative Preferred Shares (the “Series L Preferred Shares”) redeemed effective June 27, 2017 at a price of $25.00 per share, or $172.5 million in the aggregate, plus accrued and unpaid dividends thereon up to but not including the date of redemption. Concurrently with this redemption, COPLP redeemed its Series L Preferred Units on the same terms. We also recognized a $6.8 million decrease to net income available to common shareholders in 2017 pertaining to the original issuance costs incurred on the shares.

Common Shares

In September 2016, COPT established an at-the-market (“ATM”) stock offering program under which it may, from time to time, offer and sell common shares in “at the market” stock offerings having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $200.0 million (the “2016 ATM Program”). COPT issued the following common shares under this ATM program:

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992,000 shares in 2018 at a weighted average price of $30.46 per share. Net proceeds from the shares issued totaled $29.8 million, after payment of $0.5 million in commissions to sales agents;
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591,000 shares in 2017 at a weighted average price of $33.84 per share. Net proceeds from the shares issued totaled $19.7 million, after payment of $0.3 million in commissions to sales agents; and
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3.7 million shares in the three months ended December 31, 2016 at a weighted average price of $29.56 per share. Net proceeds from the shares issued totaled $109.1 million, after payment of $0.9 million in commissions to sales agents.

COPT contributed the net proceeds from these issuances to COPLP in exchange for an equal number of units in COPLP.

In November 2018, COPT replaced its 2016 ATM Program with a new program under which it may offer and sell common shares in at-the-market stock offerings having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $300 million (the “2018 ATM Program”). Under the 2018 ATM Program, COPT may also, at its discretion, sell common shares under forward equity sales agreements. As of December 31, 2018, COPT has not issued any shares under the 2018 ATM Program.

On November 2, 2017, COPT entered into forward equity sale agreements to issue 9.2 million common shares at an initial gross offering price of $285.2 million, or $31.00 per share, before underwriting discounts, commissions and offering expenses. The forward sale price that we expect to receive upon physical settlement of the agreements will be subject to adjustment on a daily basis based on a floating interest rate factor equal to the overnight bank funding rate less a spread, and will be decreased on each of certain dates specified in the agreements during the term of the agreements. COPT issued the following common shares under these forward equity sale agreements:

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5.9 million shares in 2018 for net proceeds of $172.5 million; and
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1.7 million shares in 2017 for net proceeds of $50.0 million.

COPT contributed the net proceeds from these issuances to COPLP in exchange for an equal number of units in COPLP. COPT’s remaining capacity under the forward equity sale agreements was 1.6 million common shares, with a settlement value of $46.4 million as of December 31, 2018.

Certain holders of COPLP common units converted their units into COPT common shares on the basis of one common share for each common unit in the amount of 1.9 million in 2018, 339,513 in 2017 and 87,000 in 2016.

COPT declared dividends per common share of $1.10 in 2018, 2017 and 2016.

COPT pays dividends at the discretion of its Board of Trustees. COPT’s ability to pay cash dividends will be dependent upon: (1) the cash flow generated from our operations; (2) cash generated or used by our financing and investing activities; and (3) the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Code described in Note 2 and such other factors as the Board of Trustees deems relevant. COPT’s ability to make cash dividends will also be limited by the terms of COPLP’s Partnership Agreement, as well as by limitations imposed by state law. In addition, COPT is prohibited from paying cash dividends in excess of the amount necessary for it to qualify for taxation as a REIT if a default or event of default exists pursuant to the terms of our Revolving Credit Facility; this restriction does not currently limit COPT’s ability to pay dividends, and COPT does not believe that this restriction is reasonably likely to limit its ability to pay future dividends because it expects to comply with the terms of our Revolving Credit Facility.

See Note 15 for disclosure of common share activity pertaining to our share-based compensation plans.