UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

FORM 10-Q

[X]Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the quarterly period ended March  31, 2013

or

[   ]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:  001-33519

PUBLIC STORAGE
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:  (818) 244-8080.

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 at least the past 90 days.

 

[X]  Yes  [   ]  No

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).

 

[X]  Yes  [   ]  No

 

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 [   ]            Non-accelerated Filer [   ]            Smaller Reporting Company [   ]

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

 

[   ]  Yes  [X]  No

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Indicate the number of the registrant’s outstanding common shares of beneficial interest, as of May 8,  2013:

Common Shares of beneficial interest, $.10 par value per share – 171,858,839 shares

 

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1.   Description of the Business

Public Storage (referred to herein as “the Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), a Maryland real estate investment trust, was organized in 1980.  Our principal business activities include the acquisition, development, ownership and operation of self-storage facilities which offer storage spaces for lease, generally on a month-to-month basis, for personal and business use. 

 

At March 31, 2013, we have direct and indirect equity interests in 2,080 self-storage facilities (with approximately 133 million net rentable square feet) located in 38 states in the United States (“U.S.”) operating under the “Public Storage” name.  In Europe, we own one self-storage facility in London, England and we have a 49% interest in Shurgard Europe, which owns 187 self-storage facilities (with approximately 10.0 million net rentable square feet) located in seven Western European countries, all operating under the “Shurgard” name.  We also have direct and indirect equity interests in approximately 29.7 million net rentable square feet of commercial space located in 11 states in the U.S. primarily owned and operated by PS Business Parks, Inc. (“PSB”) under the “PS Business Parks” name.  At March 31, 2013, we have an approximate 41% interest in PSB.

Disclosures of the number and square footage of properties, as well as the number and coverage of tenant reinsurance policies are unaudited and outside the scope of our independent registered public accounting firm’s review of our financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).

2.   Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited interim financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) as defined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”), including guidance with respect to interim financial information, and in conformity with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X.  While they do not include all of the disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements, we believe that we have included all adjustments (consisting of normal and recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation.  Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2013 due to seasonality and other factors.  These interim financial statements should be read together with the audited financial statements and related notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.

Certain amounts previously reported in our December 31, 2012 and March 31, 2012 financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the March 31, 2013 presentation, as a result of 1) discontinued operations, 2) to separately present construction in process, and 3) to reflect credit card fees as part of cost of operations rather than as a reduction to revenues. 

Consolidation and Equity Method of Accounting

We consider entities to be Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”) when they have insufficient equity to finance their activities without additional subordinated financial support provided by other parties, or where the equity holders as a group do not have a controlling financial interest.  We have no investments in any VIEs. 

We consolidate all entities that we control (these entities, for the period in which the reference applies, are referred to collectively as the “Subsidiaries”), and we eliminate intercompany transactions and balances. 

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We account for our investments in entities that we have significant influence over, but do not control, using the equity method of accounting (these entities, for the periods in which the reference applies, are referred to collectively as the “Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities”).  When we obtain control of an Unconsolidated Real Estate Entity, we commence consolidating the entity and record a gain representing the differential between the book value and fair value of our preexisting equity interest.  All changes in consolidation status are reflected prospectively.

When we are general partner, we control the partnership unless the third-party limited partners can dissolve the partnership or otherwise remove us as general partner without cause, or if the limited partners have the right to participate in substantive decisions of the partnership. 

Collectively, at March 31, 2013, the Company and the Subsidiaries own 2,066 self-storage facilities in the U.S., one self-storage facility in London, England and six commercial facilities in the U.S.  At March 31, 2013, the Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities are comprised of PSB, Shurgard Europe, as well as limited partnerships that own an aggregate of 14 self-storage facilities in the U.S. with 0.8 million net rentable square feet (these limited partnerships, for the periods in which the reference applies, are referred to as the “Other Investments”).

Use of Estimates

The financial statements and accompanying notes reflect our estimates and assumptions.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Income Taxes

We have elected to be treated as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”), as defined in the Internal Revenue Code.  As a REIT, we do not incur federal income tax if we distribute 100% of our REIT taxable income (generally, net rents and gains from real property, dividends, and interest) each year, and if we meet certain organizational and operational rules.  We believe we will meet these REIT requirements in 2013, and that we have met them for all other periods presented herein.  Accordingly, we have recorded no federal income tax expense related to our REIT taxable income.

Our merchandise and tenant reinsurance operations are subject to corporate income tax, and such taxes are included in ancillary cost of operations.  We also incur income and other taxes in certain states, which are included in general and administrative expense. 

We recognize tax benefits of uncertain income tax positions that are subject to audit only if we believe it is more likely than not that the position would be sustained (including the impact of appeals, as applicable), assuming the relevant taxing authorities had full knowledge of the relevant facts and circumstances of our positions.  As of March 31, 2013, we had no tax benefits that were not recognized. 

Real Estate Facilities

Real estate facilities are recorded at cost.  We capitalize all costs incurred to develop, construct, renovate and improve properties, including interest and property taxes incurred during the construction period.  We expense internal and external transaction costs associated with acquisitions or dispositions of real estate, as well as repairs and maintenance costs, as incurred.  We depreciate buildings and improvements on a straight-line basis over estimated useful lives ranging generally between 5 to 25 years.

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We allocate the net acquisition cost of acquired operating self-storage facilities (consisting of the cash paid to third parties for their interests, the fair value of our existing investment, and the fair value of any liabilities assumed) to the underlying land, buildings, identified intangible assets, and remaining noncontrolling interests based upon their respective individual estimated fair values.  Any difference between the net acquisition cost and the estimated fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired is recorded as goodwill.    

Other Assets

Other assets primarily consist of prepaid expenses, accounts receivable, land held for sale and restricted cash. 

Accrued and Other Liabilities

Accrued and other liabilities consist primarily of trade payables, property tax accruals, tenant prepayments of rents, accrued interest payable, accrued payroll, accrued tenant reinsurance losses, casualty losses, and contingent loss accruals which are accrued when probable and estimable.  We disclose the nature of significant unaccrued losses that are reasonably possible of occurring and, if estimable, a range of exposure.

Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities

Cash equivalents represent highly liquid financial instruments such as money market funds with daily liquidity or short-term commercial paper or treasury securities maturing within three months of acquisition.  Cash and cash equivalents which are restricted from general corporate use are included in other assets.  Commercial paper not maturing within three months of acquisition, which we intend and have the capacity to hold until maturity, are included in marketable securities and accounted for using the effective interest method. 

Fair Value Accounting

As used herein, the term “fair value” is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants.  We prioritize the inputs used in measuring fair value based upon a three-tier fair value hierarchy described in Codification Section 820-10-35. 

We believe that, during all periods presented, the carrying values approximate the fair values of our cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, other assets, and accrued and other liabilities, based upon our evaluation of the underlying characteristics, market data, and short maturity of these financial instruments, which involved considerable judgment.  The estimated fair values are not necessarily indicative of the amounts that could be realized in current market exchanges.  The characteristics of these financial instruments, market data, and other comparative metrics utilized in determining these fair values are “Level 2” inputs as the term is defined in Codification Section 820-10-35-47.

We use significant judgment to estimate fair values in recording our business combinations, to evaluate real estate, investments in unconsolidated real estate entities, goodwill, and other intangible assets for impairment, and to determine the fair values of notes payable and receivable.  In estimating fair values, we consider significant unobservable inputs such as market prices of land, capitalization rates for real estate facilities, earnings multiples, projected levels of earnings, costs of construction, functional depreciation, and estimated market interest rates for debt securities with a similar time to maturity and credit quality, which are “Level 3” inputs as the term is defined in Codification Section 820-10-35-52.   We believe that, during all periods presented, the carrying values approximate the fair values of our notes payable and loan receivable.

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Currency and Credit Risk

Financial assets that are exposed to credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, loans receivable, and restricted cash.  Cash equivalents and marketable securities we invest in are either money market funds with a rating of at least AAA by Standard and Poor’s, commercial paper that is  rated A1 by Standard and Poor’s or deposits with highly rated commercial banks.

At March 31, 2013, due primarily to our investment in and loan receivable from Shurgard Europe, our operating results and financial position are affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates between the Euro, and to a lesser extent, other European currencies, against the U.S. Dollar.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Intangible assets are comprised of goodwill, acquired tenants in place, leasehold interests in land, and the “Shurgard” trade name.

Goodwill totaled $174.6 million at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.  Goodwill has an indeterminate life and is not amortized.

Acquired tenants in place and leasehold interests in land are finite-lived and are amortized relative to the benefit of the tenants in place or the land lease expense to each period.  At March 31, 2013, these intangibles have a net book value of $13.6 million ($15.9 million at December 31, 2012).  Accumulated amortization totaled $26.0 million at March 31, 2013 ($24.8 million at December 31, 2012), and amortization expense of $2.6 million and $2.0 million was recorded in the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  During the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, intangibles were increased $0.3 million and $3.4 million, respectively, in connection with the acquisition of self-storage facilities.

The “Shurgard” trade name, which is used by Shurgard Europe pursuant to a licensing agreement, has a book value of $18.8 million at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.  This asset has an indefinite life and, accordingly, is not amortized. 

Evaluation of Asset Impairment

We evaluate our real estate, finite-lived intangible assets, investments in unconsolidated real estate entities, and loan receivable from Shurgard Europe for impairment on a quarterly basis.  We evaluate indefinite-lived assets (including goodwill) for impairment on an annual basis, or more often if there are indicators of impairment. 

In evaluating our real estate assets or amortized intangible assets for impairment, if there are indicators of impairment, and we determine that the asset is not recoverable from future undiscounted cash flows, an impairment charge is recorded for any excess of the carrying amount over the estimated fair value of the asset.  For long-lived assets that we expect to dispose of prior to the end of their estimated useful lives, we record an impairment charge for any excess of the carrying value of the asset over the expected net proceeds from disposal.

Prior to January 1, 2013, we evaluated indefinite lived intangible assets (other than goodwill) for impairment through a quantitative analysis, and recorded impairment charges to the extent quantitatively estimated fair value was less than the carrying amount.  Beginning January 1, 2013, if we determine, based upon the relevant events and circumstances and other such qualitative factors, that it is more likely than not that the asset is unimpaired, we do not record an impairment charge and no further analysis is performed. 

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Otherwise, we record an impairment charge for any excess of carrying amount over the asset’s quantitatively assessed fair value.  The change made on January 1, 2013, which is not expected to have a material impact upon our net income, resulted from our adoption of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (the “FASB’s”) Accounting Standards Update No. 2012-02, “Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment.”

In evaluating goodwill for impairment, we first evaluate, based upon the relevant events and circumstances and other such qualitative factors, whether the fair value of the reporting unit that the goodwill pertains to is greater than its aggregate carrying amount.  If based upon this evaluation it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is in excess of its aggregate carrying amount, no impairment charge is recorded and no further analysis is performed.  Otherwise, we estimate the goodwill’s implied fair value based upon what would be allocated to goodwill if the reporting unit were acquired at estimated fair value and the acquisition were accounted for as a business combination, and record an impairment charge for any excess of book value over the goodwill’s implied fair value. 

For our investments in unconsolidated real estate entities, if we determine that a decline in the estimated fair value of the investments below carrying amount is other than temporary, we record an impairment charge for any excess of carrying amount over the estimated fair value. 

For our loan receivable from Shurgard Europe, if we determine that it is probable we will be unable to collect all amounts due based on the terms of the loan agreement, we record an impairment charge for any excess of book value over the present value of expected future cash flows.

No impairments were recorded in any of our evaluations for any period presented herein.

Revenue and Expense Recognition

Rental income, which is generally earned pursuant to month-to-month leases for storage space, as well as late charges and administrative fees, are recognized as earned.  Promotional discounts reduce rental income over the promotional period.  Ancillary revenues and interest and other income are recognized when earned.  Equity in earnings of unconsolidated real estate entities represents our pro-rata share of the earnings of the Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities. 

We accrue for property tax expense based upon actual amounts billed and, in some circumstances, estimates and historical trends when bills or assessments have not been received from the taxing authorities or such bills and assessments are in dispute.  If these estimates are incorrect, the timing and amount of expense recognition could be incorrect.  Cost of operations, general and administrative expense, interest expense, as well as television, yellow page, and other advertising expenditures are expensed as incurred. 

Foreign Currency Exchange Translation

The local currency (primarily the Euro) is the functional currency for our interests in foreign operations.  The related amounts on our balance sheets are translated into U.S. Dollars at the exchange rates at the respective financial statement date, while amounts on our statements of income are translated at the average exchange rates during the respective period.  The Euro was translated at exchange rates of approximately 1.282 U.S. Dollars per Euro at March 31, 2013 (1.322 at December 31, 2012), and average exchange rates of 1.320 and 1.310 for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  Cumulative translation adjustments, to the extent not included in cumulative net income, are included in equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

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Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Total comprehensive income (loss) represents net income, adjusted for changes in other comprehensive income (loss) for the applicable period.  The aggregate foreign currency exchange gains and losses reflected on our statements of comprehensive income are comprised primarily of foreign currency exchange gains and losses on our investment in, and loan receivable from, Shurgard Europe.

Discontinued Operations

Discontinued operations represents the net income of those facilities that have been disposed of as of March 31, 2013, or which we plan to dispose of within a year. 

Net Income per Common Share

Net income is allocated to (i) our noncontrolling interests based upon their respective share of the net income of the Subsidiaries and (ii) preferred shareholders, when a preferred security is called for redemption, to the extent redemption cost exceeds the related original net issuance proceeds (an “EITF D-42 allocation.”), with (iii) the remaining net income allocated to each of our equity securities based upon the dividends declared or accumulated during the period, combined with participation rights in undistributed earnings. 

Basic net income per share, basic net income from discontinued operations per share, and basic net income from continuing operations per share are computed using the weighted average common shares outstanding.  Diluted net income per share, diluted net income from discontinued operations per share, and diluted net income from continuing operations per share are computed using the weighted average common shares outstanding, adjusted for the impact, if dilutive, of stock options outstanding (Note 10). 

The following table reflects the components of the calculations of our basic and diluted net income per share, basic and diluted net income from discontinued operations per share, and basic and diluted net income from continuing operations per share which are not already otherwise set forth on the face of our statements of income:

 

 

 

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Guidance

In January 2013, we adopted ASU No. 2013-02, “Reporting Amounts Classified out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income,” (ASU No. 2013-02”) which requires enhanced disclosures about items reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income.  ASU 2013-02 requires us to report, in one place, information about reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income.  ASU 2013-02 requires that for items reclassified to net income in their entirety, information about the effect of significant reclassification items on line items of net income by component of other comprehensive income.  For other accumulated other comprehensive income reclassification items not required to be reclassified directly to net income in their entirety, we must cross-reference to the note to our financial statements where additional details about the effects of the reclassification are disclosed.  The adoption of ASU No. 2013-02 had no impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

3.            Real Estate Facilities

Activity in real estate facilities is as follows:

 

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2013, we acquired two operating self-storage facilities from third parties (149,000 net rentable square feet of storage space) for $13.5 million in cash, with $13.2 million allocated to real estate facilities and $0.3 million allocated to intangible assets.  Construction in process at March 31, 2013, consists of 19 projects to develop new self-storage facilities and expand existing self-storage facilities, which would add a total of 1.3 million net rentable square feet, for an aggregate estimated cost of approximately $169 million, of which $64 million had been incurred as of March 31, 2013.

4.   Investments in Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities

The following table sets forth our investments in the Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, and our equity in earnings of the Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 (amounts in thousands):

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During the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, we received cash distributions from our investments in the Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities totaling $11.2 million and $11.1 million, respectively. 

Investment in PSB

PSB is a REIT traded on the New York Stock Exchange.  We have an approximate 41% common equity interest in PSB as of March 31, 2013 (41% at December 31, 2012), comprised of our ownership of 5,801,606 shares of PSB’s common stock and 7,305,355 limited partnership units in an operating partnership controlled by PSB.  The limited partnership units are convertible at our option, subject to certain conditions, on a one-for-one basis into PSB common stock.  Based upon the closing price at March 31, 2013 ($78.92 per share of PSB common stock), the shares and units we owned had a market value of approximately $1.0 billion. 

The following table sets forth selected financial information of PSB; the amounts represent all of PSB’s balances and not our pro-rata share.

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Investment in Shurgard Europe

For all periods presented, we had a 49% equity investment in Shurgard Europe.    

Changes in foreign currency exchange rates caused our investment in Shurgard Europe to decrease approximately  $18.6 million during the three months ended March 31, 2013 and increase approximately $10.9 million during the three months ended March 31, 2012. 

We classify 49% of interest income and trademark license fees received from Shurgard Europe as equity in earnings of unconsolidated real estate entities and the remaining 51% as interest and other income, as set forth in the following table:

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The following table sets forth selected consolidated financial information of Shurgard Europe.  These amounts are based upon all of Shurgard Europe’s balances for all periods rather than our pro rata share, and are based upon our historical acquired book basis.

 

 

 

Other Investments

At March 31, 2013, the “Other Investments” include an aggregate common equity ownership of approximately 26% in various limited partnerships that collectively own 14 self-storage facilities. 

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The following table sets forth certain condensed combined financial information (representing all of these entities’ balances and not our pro-rata share) with respect to these limited partnerships:

 

 

 

 

 

5.   Loan Receivable from Unconsolidated Real Estate Entity

As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, we had a Euro-denominated loan receivable from Shurgard Europe with a balance of €311.0 million at both periods ($398.6 million at March 31, 2013 and $411.0 million at December 31, 2012), which bears interest at a fixed rate of 9.0% per annum matures February 15, 2015, and can be prepaid at any time without penalty.  Because we expect repayment of this loan in the foreseeable future, foreign exchange rate gains or losses due to changes in exchange rates between the Euro and the U.S. Dollar are recognized on our income statements as “foreign currency exchange (loss) gain.”  For each of the three month periods ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, we recorded interest income with respect to this loan (representing 51% of the aggregate interest received; see Note 4) of approximately $4.7 million.

We believe that the interest rate on the loan to Shurgard Europe approximates the market rate for loans with similar terms, conditions, subordination features, and tenor, and that the fair value of the loan approximates book value.  In our evaluation of market rates and fair value, we considered that Shurgard Europe has sufficient operating cash flow, liquidity and collateral, and we have sufficient creditor rights such that credit risk is mitigated.  We have received a total of €80.9 million in principal repayments on this loan since its inception on March 31, 2008.

6.   Line of Credit and Notes Payable

We have a $300 million revolving line of credit (the “Credit Facility”) that expires on March 21, 2017.  Amounts drawn on the Credit Facility bear annual interest at rates ranging from LIBOR plus 0.925% to LIBOR plus 1.850% depending on our credit ratings (LIBOR plus 0.950% at March 31, 2013).  In addition, we are required to pay a quarterly facility fee ranging from 0.125% per annum to 0.400% per annum depending on our credit ratings (0.125% per annum at March 31, 2013).  At December 31, 2012, outstanding borrowings under this Credit Facility totaled $133.0 million, which was repaid in full on January 16, 2013.  We had no outstanding borrowings on our Credit Facility at either March 31, 2013 or May 9, 2013.  We had undrawn standby letters of credit, which reduce our borrowing capacity, totaling $15.3 million at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.  The Credit Facility has various customary restrictive covenants, all of which we were in compliance with at March 31, 2013.

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The carrying amounts of our notes payable at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 consist of the following (dollar amounts in thousands):

 

 

 

Substantially all of our debt was assumed in connection with the acquisition of real estate.  An initial premium or discount is established for any difference between the stated note balance and estimated fair value of the debt assumed.  This initial premium or discount is amortized over the remaining term of the debt using the effective interest method. 

At March 31, 2013, approximate principal maturities of our notes payable are as follows (amounts in thousands):

 

 

Cash paid for interest totaled $4.3 million and $6.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  Interest capitalized as real estate totaled $0.6 million in the three months ended March 31, 2013 (no interest was capitalized for the same period in 2012).

7.   Noncontrolling Interests

Third party interests in the net assets of the Subsidiaries that can require us to redeem their interests, other than pursuant to a liquidation, are presented at estimated fair value as “Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests,” with changes in the fair value of these interests recorded against retained earnings.  We estimate fair value by applying the liquidation provisions of the governing documents to our estimate of the fair value of the underlying net assets (principally real estate assets).  All other noncontrolling interests are presented as a component of equity, “Equity of Permanent Noncontrolling Interests.”

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Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests

During the three months ended March 31, 2012, we acquired all the outstanding Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests for $19.9 million in cash. During the three months ended March 31, 2012, we allocated a total of $0.2 million of income to these interests and paid distributions to these interests totaling $0.6 million. 

Permanent Noncontrolling Interests

At March 31, 2013, the Permanent Noncontrolling Interests have ownership interests in Subsidiaries that owned 15 self-storage facilities and 231,978 partnership units (the “Convertible Partnership Units”) in a subsidiary that are convertible on a one-for-one basis (subject to certain limitations) into common shares of the Company at the option of the unitholder.  During the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, we allocated a total of $1.0 million and $0.6 million, respectively, in income to these interests; and we paid $1.7 million and $1.1 million, respectively, in distributions to these interests. 

During the three months ended March 31, 2012, we acquired Permanent Noncontrolling Interests for $0.3 million in cash.

8.   Shareholders’ Equity

Preferred Shares

At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, we had the following series of Cumulative Preferred Shares (“Preferred Shares”) outstanding:

 

 

 

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The holders of our Preferred Shares have general preference rights with respect to liquidation, quarterly distributions and any accumulated unpaid distributions.  Except under certain conditions and as noted below, holders of the Preferred Shares will not be entitled to vote on most matters.  In the event of a cumulative arrearage equal to six quarterly dividends, holders of all outstanding series of preferred shares (voting as a single class without regard to series) will have the right to elect two additional members to serve on our Board of Trustees until the arrearage has been cured.  At March 31, 2013, there were no dividends in arrears.

Except under certain conditions relating to the Company’s qualification as a REIT, the Preferred Shares are not redeemable prior to the dates indicated on the table above.  On or after the respective dates, each of the series of Preferred Shares are redeemable at our option, in whole or in part, at $25.00 per depositary share, plus accrued and unpaid dividends.  Holders of the Preferred Shares do not have the right to require the Company to redeem such shares.

Upon issuance of our Preferred Shares, we classify the liquidation value as preferred equity on our balance sheet with any issuance costs recorded as a reduction to paid-in capital.

During the three months ended March 31, 2013, we issued an aggregate 29.0 million depositary shares, each representing 1/1,000 of a share of our Series W and Series X Preferred Shares, at an issuance price of $25.00 per depositary share, for a total of $725.0 million in gross proceeds, and we incurred an aggregate of $23.3 million in issuance costs. 

During the three months ended March 31, 2012, we issued an aggregate 36.9 million depositary shares, each representing 1/1,000 of a share of our Series S and Series T Preferred Shares, at an issuance price of $25.00 per depositary share, for a total of $922.5 million in gross proceeds, and we incurred an aggregate of $29.3 million in issuance costs.

In the three months ended March 31, 2012, we redeemed our Series E, Series L, and Series Y Cumulative Preferred Shares, at par.  The aggregate redemption amount, before payment of accrued dividends, was $356.7 million.  In March 2012, we called for redemption our Series M Cumulative Preferred Shares.  On April 11, 2012, we redeemed this series, at par.  We recorded a $24.9 million EITF D-42 allocation of income from our common shareholders to the holders of our Preferred Shares in the three months ended March 31, 2012 in connection with these redemptions. 

Dividends

Common share dividends including amounts paid to our restricted share unitholders totaled $215.1 million ($1.25 per share) and $188.1 million ($1.10 per share), for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  Preferred share dividends totaled $48.6 million and $55.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

9.   Related Party Transactions

The Hughes Family owns approximately 15.8% of our common shares outstanding at March 31, 2013.

The Hughes Family has ownership interests in, and operates, approximately 53 self-storage facilities in Canada (“PS Canada”) using the “Public Storage” brand name pursuant to a non-exclusive, royalty-free trademark license agreement with the Company.  We currently do not own any interests in these facilities.  We have a right of first refusal, subject to limitations, to acquire these 53 facilities if the Hughes Family or the underlying corporation agrees to sell them.  We reinsure risks relating to loss of goods stored by tenants in these facilities.  During each of the three month periods ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, we received $0.1 million in

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reinsurance premiums attributed to these facilities.  There is no assurance that these premiums will continue, as our rights to reinsure these risks may be qualified.

PS Canada holds approximately a 2.2% interest in Stor-RE, a consolidated entity that provides liability and casualty insurance for PS Canada, the Company, and certain affiliates of the Company for occurrences prior to April 1, 2004. 

10.  Share-Based Compensation

Under various share-based compensation plans and under terms established by a committee of our Board of Trustees, the Company grants non-qualified options to purchase the Company’s common shares, as well as restricted share units (“RSUs”), to trustees, officers, service providers and key employees.  

Stock options and RSUs are considered “granted” and “outstanding” as the terms are used herein, when i) the Company and the recipient reach a mutual understanding of the key terms of the award, ii) the award has been authorized, iii) the recipient is affected by changes in the market price of our stock, and iv) it is probable that any performance and service conditions will be met.  

We amortize the grant-date fair value of awards (net of anticipated forfeitures) as compensation expense over the service period.  The service period begins on the grant date and ends on the vesting date. For awards that are earned solely upon the passage of time and continued service, the entire cost of the award is amortized on a straight-line basis over the service period. For awards with performance conditions, the individual cost of each vesting is amortized separately over each individual service period (the “accelerated attribution” method).

Stock Options

Stock options vest over a three to five-year period, generally expire ten years after the grant date, and the exercise price is equal to the closing trading price of our common shares on the grant date.  Employees cannot require the Company to settle their award in cash.  We use the Black-Scholes option valuation model to estimate the fair value of our stock options. 

Outstanding stock option grants are included on a one-for-one basis in our diluted weighted average shares, to the extent dilutive, after applying the treasury stock method (based upon the average common share price during the period) to assumed exercise proceeds and measured but unrecognized compensation.

For each of the three month periods ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, we recorded $0.7 million in compensation expense related to stock options. 

During the three months ended March 31, 2013, 200,000 stock options were granted, 61,739 options were exercised and 24,000 options were forfeited.  A total of 2,367,771 stock options were outstanding at March 31, 2013 (2,253,510 at December 31, 2012). 

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Restricted Share Units

RSUs generally vest ratably over a three to eight-year period from the grant date.  The grantee receives dividends for each outstanding RSU equal to the per-share dividends received by our common shareholders.  We expense any dividends previously paid upon forfeiture of the related RSU.  Upon vesting, the grantee receives common shares equal to the number of vested RSUs, less common shares withheld in exchange for tax deposits made by the Company to satisfy the grantee’s statutory tax liabilities arising from the vesting. 

The fair value of our RSUs is determined based upon the applicable closing trading price of our common shares.

During the three months ended March 31, 2013, 174,925 RSUs were granted, 15,071 RSUs were forfeited and 127,341 RSUs vested.  This vesting resulted in the issuance of 84,932 common shares.  In addition, tax deposits totaling $6.4 million were made on behalf of employees in exchange for 42,409 common shares withheld upon vesting. 

RSUs outstanding at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 were 675,160 and 642,647, respectively.  A total of $5.2 million and $4.6 million in RSU expense was recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, which includes approximately $0.8 million in employer taxes incurred upon vesting, for each of the three month periods ended March 31, 2013 and 2012.

See also “net income per common share” in Note 2 for further discussion regarding the impact of RSUs and stock options on our net income per common and income allocated to common shareholders.

11.  Segment Information

Our reportable segments reflect the significant components of our operations that are evaluated separately by our chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) and have discrete financial information available.  We organize our segments based primarily upon the nature of the underlying products and services, and whether the operation is located in the U.S. or outside the U.S.  In making resource allocation decisions, our CODM considers the net income from continuing operations of each reportable segment included in the tables below, excluding the impact of depreciation and amortization, gains or losses on disposition of real estate facilities, and asset impairment charges.  The amounts for each reportable segment included in the tables below are in conformity with GAAP and our significant accounting policies as denoted in Note 2.  Ancillary revenues and expenses, interest and other income (other than from Shurgard Europe), interest expense, general and administrative expense and gains and losses on the early repayment of debt are not allocable to any of our reportable segments.  Our CODM does not consider the book value of assets in making resource allocation decisions.  

Following is the description of and basis for presentation for each of our segments.

Domestic Self-Storage Segment

The Domestic Self-Storage Segment includes the operations of the 2,067 self-storage facilities owned by the Company and the Subsidiaries, as well as our equity share of the Other Investments.  For all periods presented, substantially all of our real estate facilities, goodwill and other intangible assets, other assets, and accrued and other liabilities are associated with the Domestic Self-Storage Segment.

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European Self-Storage Segment

The European Self-Storage segment comprises our interest in Shurgard Europe, which has a separate management team reporting directly to our CODM and our joint venture partner.  The European Self-Storage segment includes our equity share of Shurgard Europe’s operations, the interest and other income received from Shurgard Europe, and foreign currency exchange gains and losses that are attributable to Shurgard Europe.  Our balance sheet includes an investment in Shurgard Europe (Note 4) and a loan receivable from Shurgard Europe (Note 5). 

Commercial Segment

The Commercial segment comprises our investment in PSB, a publicly-traded REIT with a separate management team that makes its financing, capital allocation and other significant decisions.  The Commercial segment also includes our direct interest in certain commercial facilities, substantially all of which are managed by PSB.  The Commercial segment presentation includes our equity earnings and interest income from PSB, as well as the revenues and expenses of our commercial facilities.  At March 31, 2013, the assets of the Commercial segment are comprised principally of our investment in PSB (Note 4).

Presentation of Segment Information

The following tables reconcile the performance of each segment, in terms of segment income, to our net income (amounts in thousands):

 

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For the three months ended March 31, 2013

 

 

 

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For the three months ended March 31, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

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12.Commitments and Contingencies

Contingent Losses

We are a party to various legal proceedings and subject to various claims and complaints that have arisen in the normal course of business.  We believe that the likelihood of these pending legal matters and other contingencies resulting in a material loss to the Company, either individually or in the aggregate, is remote.

Insurance and Loss Exposure

We have historically carried customary property, earthquake, general liability, medical insurance provided to our employees, and workers compensation coverage through internationally recognized insurance carriers, subject to customary levels of deductibles.  The aggregate limits on these policies of approximately $75 million for property losses and $102 million for general liability losses are higher than estimates of maximum probable loss that could occur from individual catastrophic events determined in recent engineering and actuarial studies; however, in case of multiple catastrophic events, these limits could be exhausted.  

We reinsure a program that provides insurance to our tenants from an independent third-party insurer.  This program covers tenant claims for losses to goods stored at our facilities as a result of specific named perils (earthquakes are not covered by this program), up to a maximum limit of $5,000 per storage unit.  We reinsure all risks in this program, but purchase insurance from an independent third party insurance company for aggregate claims between $5.0 million and $15.0 million per occurrence.  We are subject to licensing requirements and regulations in several states.  At March 31, 2013, there were approximately 726,000 certificate holders held by our self-storage tenants, representing aggregate coverage of approximately $1.6 billion.

13.Subsequent Events

As of May 9, 2013, we are under contract to acquire (subject to contingencies) a self-storage facility (located in Phoenix, Arizona) with 80,000 net rentable square feet, for approximately $8.0 million in cash.