Federal Realty Investment Trust. 10-K2023 FY Annual report

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 10-K

909 Rose Avenue, Suite 200, North Bethesda, Maryland 20852

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(301) 998-8100

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

The Parent Company is a real estate investment trust ("REIT") that owns 100% of the limited liability company interests of, is the sole member of, and exercises exclusive control over Federal Realty GP LLC (the "General Partner"), which is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. As of December 31, 2023, the Parent Company owned 100% of the outstanding partnership units (the "OP Units") in the Operating Partnership.

The Company believes combining the annual reports on Form 10-K of the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership into this single report provides the following benefits:

Management operates the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership as one business. Since the Operating Partnership is managed by the Parent Company, and the Parent Company conducts substantially all of its operations through the Operating Partnership, the management of the Parent Company consists of the same individuals as the management of the Operating Partnership.

We believe it is important to understand the few differences between the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership in the context of how the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership operate as a consolidated company. The Parent Company is a REIT, whose only material asset is its direct and indirect interest in the Operating Partnership. As a result, the Parent Company does not conduct business itself other than issuing public equity from time to time. The Parent Company is not expected to incur any material indebtedness. The Operating Partnership holds substantially all of our assets and retains the ownership interests in the Company's joint ventures. Except for net proceeds from public equity issuances by the Parent Company, which are contributed to the Operating Partnership in exchange for OP Units, the Operating Partnership generates all capital required by the Company’s business. Sources of this capital include the Operating Partnership’s operations, its direct or indirect incurrence of indebtedness, and the issuance of partnership units.

Shareholders' equity, partner capital, and non-controlling interests are the primary areas of difference between the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Parent Company and those of the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership’s capital currently includes OP Units owned by the Parent, and may in the future include OP Units owned by third parties. OP Units owned by third parties, if any, are accounted for in capital in the Operating Partnership’s financial statements and in non-controlling interests in the Parent Company’s financial statements.

The Parent Company consolidates the Operating Partnership for financial reporting purposes, and the Parent Company does not have assets other than its investment in the Operating Partnership. Therefore, while shareholders’ equity and partners' capital differ as discussed above, the assets and liabilities of the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership are the same on their respective financial statements.

In order to highlight the differences between the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, there are sections in this report that separately discuss the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, including separate financial statements (but combined footnotes), separate controls and procedures sections, and separate Exhibit 31 and 32 certifications. In the sections that combine disclosure for the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, this report refers to actions or holdings as being actions or holdings of the Company.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

Forward-Looking Statements

Federal Realty Investment Trust (the "Parent Company" or the "Trust") is an equity real estate investment trust ("REIT"). Federal Realty OP LP (the "Operating Partnership") is the entity through which the Trust conducts substantially all of its operations and owns substantially off of its assets. The Trust owns 100% of the limited liability company interest of, is sole

member of, and exercises exclusive control over Federal Realty GP LLC (the "General Partner"), which in turn, is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, "we," "our," and "us" means the Trust and its business and operations conducted through its directly and indirectly owned subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership. We specialize in the ownership, management, and redevelopment of high quality retail and mixed-use properties located primarily in communities where we believe retail demand exceeds supply, in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the United States, California, and South Florida. As of December 31, 2023, we owned or had a majority interest in community and neighborhood shopping centers and mixed-use properties which are operated as 102 predominantly retail real estate projects comprising approximately 26.0 million commercial square feet. In total, the real estate projects were 94.2% leased and 92.2% occupied at December 31, 2023. Our revenue is primarily generated from lease agreements with tenants. We have paid quarterly dividends to our shareholders continuously since our founding in 1962 and have increased our dividends per common share for 56 consecutive years.

Our primary business objective is to own, manage, acquire and redevelop a portfolio of high quality retail focused properties that will:

We continuously evaluate and assess our operating strategies to ensure they are effective and put us in the best position to address changes in the market. We actively manage our properties to maximize rents and maintain occupancy levels by attracting and retaining a strong and diverse base of tenants and replacing less relevant, weaker, underperforming tenants with stronger ones. Our properties are generally located in some of the most densely populated and affluent areas of the country. These strong demographics help our tenants generate higher sales, which has generally enabled us to maintain higher occupancy rates, charge higher rental rates, and maintain steady rent growth, all of which increase the value of our portfolio. Our operating strategies also include:

Our investment strategy is to deploy capital at risk-adjusted rates of return that exceed our long-term weighted average cost of capital in projects that have potential for future income growth and increased value. Our investments primarily fall into one of the following four categories:

When we evaluate potential redevelopment, retenanting, expansion, acquisition and development opportunities, we consider such factors as:

Our financing strategies are designed to enable us to maintain an investment grade balance sheet while retaining sufficient flexibility to fund our operating and investing activities in the most cost-efficient way possible. Our financing strategies include:

At February 7, 2024, we had 297 full-time employees and 7 part-time employees. None of our employees are represented by a collective bargaining unit. We believe that our relationship with our employees is good.

We are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative action employer, and strive to maintain a workplace that is free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, or protected Veteran status.

We are committed to the health, safety, and wellness of our employees, and foster an environment that allows our people to succeed while balancing work and life. We provide our employees with access to health and wellness programs, which includes benefits that support both physical and mental health. We have also transitioned to a hybrid work model.

We provide competitive pay and benefits including health, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance and a 401(k) retirement program, as well as a generous paid time off program that includes vacation, sick, and personal leave. In addition to our equity awards program, we also offer a quarterly recognition program, as well as rewarding employees with spot bonuses for stellar performance or going above and beyond the base requirements of their job description.

Employees have access to a variety of different training courses, books, book summaries and audio books, and an array of source materials covering a myriad of different business and soft skills training subjects. Additionally, we provide reimbursement for tuition and professional licensures.

Giving back to the community is an integral part of who we are and what we do. We provide ample ways to give back through programs at our properties or charitable endeavors and volunteer opportunities that also serve as team building exercises for our employees.

We elected to be taxed as a REIT under the federal income tax laws when we filed our 1962 tax return. As a REIT, we are generally not subject to federal income tax on taxable income that we distribute to our shareholders. Under the Code, REITs are subject to numerous organizational and operational requirements, including the requirement to generally distribute at least 90% of taxable income each year. We will be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income (including, for our taxable years ending on or prior to December 31, 2017, any applicable alternative minimum tax) at regular corporate rates if we fail to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes in any taxable year, or to the extent we distribute less than 100% of our taxable income. We will also generally not qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for four years following the year during which qualification is lost. Even if we qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to certain state and local income and franchise taxes and to federal income and excise taxes on our undistributed taxable income.

We and our properties are subject to a variety of federal, state and local environmental, health, safety and similar laws. Please see Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Risk Factors Related to our REIT Status and Other Laws and Regulations" for further discussion of potential material effects of our compliance with government regulation, including environmental regulations and the rules governing REITs.

Numerous commercial developers and real estate companies compete with us with respect to the leasing and the acquisition of properties. Some of these competitors may possess greater capital resources than we do, although we do not believe that any single competitor or group of competitors in any of the primary markets where our properties are located are dominant in that market. This competition may:

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Also, documents that we “incorporate by reference” into this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including documents that we subsequently file with the SEC will contain forward-looking statements. When we refer to forward-looking statements or information, sometimes we use words such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “plans,” “intends,” “expects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates” and “continues.” In particular, the below risk factors describe forward-looking information. The risk factors describe risks that may affect these statements but are not all-inclusive, particularly with respect to possible future events. Many things can happen that can cause actual results to be different from those we describe. These factors include, but are not limited to the following:

Revenue from our properties depends primarily on the ability of our tenants to pay the full amount of rent and other charges due under their leases on a timely basis. Some of our leases provide for the payment, in addition to base rent, of additional rent above the base amount according to a specified percentage of the gross sales generated by the tenants and generally provide for reimbursement of real estate taxes and expenses of operating the property. Economic, legal, and/or competitive conditions, as well as public health concerns, may impact the success of our tenants’ retail operations and therefore the amount of rent and expense reimbursements we receive from our tenants. Any reduction in our tenants' abilities to pay base rent, percentage rent, or other charges on a timely basis, including the closing of stores prior to the end of the lease term or the filing by any of our tenants for bankruptcy protection, will adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In the event of default by a tenant, we may experience delays and unexpected costs in enforcing our rights as landlord under lease terms, which may also adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our net income could be adversely affected in the event of a downturn in the business, or the bankruptcy or insolvency, of any anchor store or anchor tenant. Anchor tenants generally occupy large amounts of square footage, pay a significant portion of the total rents at a property and contribute to the success of other tenants by drawing significant numbers of customers to a property. The closing of one or more anchor stores at a property could adversely affect that property and result in lease terminations by, or reductions in rent from, other tenants whose leases may permit termination or rent reduction in those circumstances or whose own operations may suffer as a result. Over the past several years, we have seen higher levels of anchor turnover and closings in some markets, which has caused an oversupply of larger retail spaces. Therefore, tenant demand for certain of our anchor spaces may decrease and as a result, we may see an increase in vacancy and/or a decrease in rents for those spaces that could have a negative impact to our net income. As of December 31, 2023, our anchor tenant space is 96.0% leased and 93.9% occupied.

Many retailers operating brick and mortar stores have made online sales a vital piece of their business. The shift to online shopping may cause declines in brick and mortar sales generated by certain of our tenants and may cause certain of our tenants to reduce the size or number of their retail locations in the future. This risk is partially mitigated by our strategy of maintaining a diverse portfolio of retail properties. The trend of retailers utilizing brick and mortar locations for ‘showroom’ and on-line sales distribution purposes (particularly at shopping centers in densely populated areas like ours) may further mitigate this risk. However, there can be no assurance that our shopping centers will not be further impacted by the shift to online shopping. As a result, our cash flow, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.

As of December 31, 2023, our tenants operated in 12 states and the District of Columbia. Any adverse situation that disproportionately affects the the markets where our properties are concentrated may have a magnified adverse effect on our portfolio. Refer to “Properties” (Item 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K) for additional discussion of the geographic concentration. Real estate markets are subject to economic downturns, as they have been in the past, and we cannot predict how economic conditions will impact this market in both the short and long term.

If a tenant or lease guarantor files for bankruptcy, we may not be able to collect all pre-petition amounts owed by that party. In addition, a tenant that files for bankruptcy protection may terminate our lease in which event we would have a general unsecured claim that would likely be for less than the full amount owed to us for the remainder of the lease term, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We derive most of our revenue directly or indirectly from rent received from our tenants. We are subject to the risks that, upon expiration or termination of leases, whether by their terms, as a result of a tenant bankruptcy, general economic conditions or otherwise, leases for space in our properties may not be renewed, space may not be re-leased, or the terms of renewal or re-lease, including the cost of required renovations or concessions to tenants, may be less favorable than current lease terms and may include decreases in rental rates. As a result, our net income could be reduced.

The ground-up development of improvements on real property, as opposed to the renovation and redevelopment of existing improvements, presents substantial risks. We generally do not look to acquire raw land for future development; however, we do intend to complete the development and construction of future phases of projects we already own. We may undertake development of these and other projects on our own or bring in third parties if it is justifiable on a risk-adjusted return basis. We may also choose to delay completion of a project if market conditions do not allow an appropriate return. If conditions arise and we are not able or decide not to complete a project or if the expected cash flows of our project do not exceed the book value, an impairment of the project may be required. If additional phases of any of our existing projects or if any new projects are not successful, it may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our investment strategy includes the redevelopment and acquisition of high quality, retail focused properties in densely populated areas with high average household incomes and significant barriers to adding competitive retail supply. The redevelopment and acquisition of properties entail risks that include the following, any of which could adversely affect our results of operations and our ability to meet our obligations:

Our economic performance and the value of our real estate assets, and consequently, the value of our investments, are subject to the risk that if our properties do not generate revenues sufficient to meet our operating expenses, including debt service and capital expenditures, our cash flow and ability to pay distributions to our shareholders will be adversely affected. As a real estate company, we are susceptible to the following real estate industry risks:

Our financial results depend primarily on leasing space in our properties to tenants on terms favorable to us. Costs associated with real estate investment, such as real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance costs, generally are not reduced even when a property is not fully occupied, rental rates decrease, or other circumstances cause a reduction in income from the property. As a result, cash flow from the operations of our properties may be reduced if a tenant does not pay its rent or we are unable to rent our properties on favorable terms. Under those circumstances, we might not be able to enforce our rights as landlord without delays and may incur substantial legal costs. Additionally, new properties that we may acquire or redevelop may not produce

any significant revenue immediately, and the cash flow from existing operations may be insufficient to pay the operating expenses and debt service associated with such new properties until they are fully occupied.

Numerous commercial developers and real estate companies compete with us in seeking tenants for our existing properties and properties for acquisition. This competition may:

Real estate investments generally cannot be sold quickly. In addition, there are some limitations under federal income tax laws applicable to real estate and to REITs in particular that may limit our ability to sell our assets. We may not be able to alter our portfolio promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions including being unable to sell a property at a return we believe is appropriate due to the economic environment. Our inability to respond quickly to adverse changes in the performance of our investments could have an adverse effect on our ability to meet our obligations and make distributions to our shareholders.

Our organizational documents do not limit the amount of funds that we may invest in properties and assets owned jointly with other persons or entities. As of December 31, 2023, we held 19 predominantly retail real estate projects jointly with other persons in addition to properties owned in a “downREIT” structure. Additionally, as of December 31, 2023, we owned an interest in the hotel component of Assembly Row. We may make additional joint investments in the future. Our existing and future joint investments may subject us to special risks, including the possibility that our partners or co-investors might become bankrupt, that those partners or co-investors might have economic or other business interests or goals which are unlike or incompatible with our business interests or goals, that those partners or co-investors might be in a position to take action contrary to our suggestions or instructions, or in opposition to our policies or objectives, and that disputes may develop with our joint venture partners over decisions affecting the property or the joint venture, which may result in litigation or arbitration or some other form of dispute resolution. Although as of December 31, 2023, we held the controlling interests in all of our existing co-investments (except the hotel investment discussed above, the investment in the La Alameda shopping center acquired in 2017, and the investment in the Chandler Festival and Chandler Gateway shopping centers acquired in 2022), we generally must obtain the consent of the co-investor or meet defined criteria to sell or to finance these properties. Joint ownership gives a third party the opportunity to influence the return we can achieve on some of our investments and may adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our shareholders. We may also be liable for the actions of our co-investors.

We currently carry comprehensive insurance on all of our properties, including insurance for liability, fire, flood, earthquake, environmental matters, rental loss and acts of terrorism. All of these policies contain coverage limitations. We believe these coverages are of the types and amounts customarily obtained for or by an owner of similar types of real property assets located in the areas where our properties are located. We intend to obtain similar insurance coverage on subsequently acquired properties.

Climate change may add to the unpredictability and frequency of natural disasters and severe weather conditions, impact the availability of natural resources, and create additional uncertainty as to future trends and exposures. Certain of our operations are located in areas that are subject to natural disasters and severe weather conditions such as hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts, snow storms, floods and fires.  The impact of climate change or the occurrence of natural disasters can delay new development projects, increase investment costs to repair or replace damaged properties, increase operating costs, create additional investment costs to make improvements to existing properties to comply with climate change regulations, increase future property insurance costs, impact the availability of water and other natural resources, and negatively impact the tenant demand for space.  If insurance is unavailable to us or is unavailable on acceptable terms, or if our insurance is not adequate to cover business interruption or losses from these events, our earnings, liquidity or capital resources could be adversely affected.

Such risks depend upon the nature and severity of the public health concern, as well as the extent and duration of government-mandated orders and personal decisions to limit travel, economic activity and personal interaction, none of which can be predicted with confidence. In particular, we cannot predict the impact of stay-at-home and other government orders instituted in response to a public health concern, which may vary by jurisdiction, or a public health concerns' short and long term economic effects, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Investors and other stakeholders have become more focused on understanding how companies address a variety of ESG factors. Many of those investors and shareholders look to ESG rating systems, or disclosure frameworks that have been developed by third party groups to allow comparisons between companies on ESG factors as they evaluate investment decisions as well as to company disclosures.

Although we participate in many of these ratings systems, or disclosure frameworks, and generally score relatively well in those in which we do participate, we do not participate in, and would not necessarily score well in, all of the available ratings systems. Further, the criteria used in these ratings systems change frequently, and we cannot guaranty that we will be able to score well as criteria change. We supplement our participation in ratings systems with corporate disclosures of our ESG activities but many investors and stakeholders may look for specific disclosures that we do not provide. Failure to participate in certain of the third party ratings systems, failure to score well in those ratings systems or failure to provide certain ESG

disclosures could result in reputational harm when investors or others compare us against similar companies in our industry and could cause certain investors to be unwilling to invest in our stock which could adversely impact our ability to raise capital.

For more information about the Trust's Corporate Responsibility initiatives, see Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Corporate Responsibility."

As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $4.6 billion of debt outstanding. Of that outstanding debt, approximately $519.1 million was secured by all or a portion of 8 of our real estate projects. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 87.0% of our debt is fixed rate or is fixed via interest rate swap agreements, which includes all of our property secured debt and our unsecured senior notes. Our organizational documents do not limit the level or amount of debt that we may incur. The amount of our debt outstanding from time to time could have important consequences to our shareholders. For example, it could:

Our revolving credit facility, unsecured term loan, and certain series of notes include financial covenants that may limit our operating activities in the future. We are also required to comply with additional covenants that include, among other things, provisions:

Our credit worthiness is rated by nationally recognized credit rating agencies. The credit ratings assigned are based on our operating performance, liquidity and leverage ratios, financial condition and prospects, and other factors viewed by the credit rating agencies as relevant to our industry and the economic outlook in general. Our credit rating can affect the amount of capital we access, as well as the terms of certain existing and future financing we obtain. Since we depend on debt financing to fund the growth of our business, an adverse change in our credit rating, including actual changes in outlook, or even the initiation of review of our credit rating that could result in an adverse change, could have a material adverse effect on us.

Our growth strategy is focused on the development and redevelopment of properties we already own and the acquisition of additional properties. We believe that it will be difficult to fund our expected growth with cash from operating activities because, in addition to other requirements, we are generally required to distribute to our shareholders at least 90% of our taxable income each year to continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a result, we must rely primarily upon the availability of debt or equity capital, which may or may not be available on favorable terms or at all. Debt could include the sale of debt securities and mortgage loans from third parties. If economic conditions and conditions in the capital markets are not favorable at the time we need to raise capital, we may need to obtain capital on less favorable terms. Additionally, we cannot guarantee that additional financing, refinancing or other capital will be available in the amounts we desire or on favorable terms. Our access to debt or equity capital depends on a number of factors, including the market’s perception of our growth potential and risk profile, our ability to pay dividends, and our current and potential future earnings. Depending on the outcome of these factors as well as the impact of the economic environment, we could experience delay or difficulty in implementing our growth strategy on satisfactory terms, or be unable to implement this strategy.

Of our $4.6 billion of debt outstanding as of December 31, 2023, approximately $853.6 million bears interest at a variable rate, of which, $600.0 million is our unsecured term loan that bears interest at a variable rate of SOFR plus 85 basis points plus 0.10%. The remaining $253.6 million is comprised of a $200.0 million mortgage payable that bears interest at a variable rate of SOFR plus 95 basis points, which is effectively fixed by three interest rate swap agreements through the initial maturity date, and $53.6 million in mortgages payable that bear interest at a variable rate of SOFR plus 195 basis points and are effectively fixed by two interest rate swap agreements. We also have a $1.25 billion revolving credit facility, on which no balance was outstanding at December 31, 2023, that bears interest at SOFR plus 77.5 basis points, plus 0.10%. We may borrow additional funds at variable interest rates in the future. Increases in interest rates would increase the interest expense on our variable rate debt and reduce our cash flow, which could adversely affect our ability to service our debt and meet our other obligations and also could reduce the amount we are able to distribute to our shareholders. We may enter into additional hedging arrangements or other transactions for all or a portion of our variable rate debt to limit our exposure to rising interest rates. However, the amounts we are required to pay under variable rate debt to which hedging or similar arrangements relate may increase in the event of non-performance by the counterparties to any such hedging arrangements. In addition, an increase in market interest rates may lead purchasers of our debt securities and preferred shares to demand a higher annual yield, which could adversely affect the market price of our outstanding debt securities and preferred shares and the cost and/or timing of refinancing or issuing additional debt securities or preferred shares.

We may use derivative instruments to manage exposure to variable interest rate risk. We generally enter into interest rate swaps to manage our exposure to variable interest rate risk and treasury locks to manage the risk of interest rates rising prior to the issuance of debt. These and similar hedging arrangements involve risks, including the risks that counterparties may fail to honor their obligations under these arrangements, that these arrangements may not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes, that the amount of income we earn from hedging transactions may be limited by federal tax provisions governing REITs, and that these arrangements may reduce the benefits to us if interest rates decline. Developing and implementing an interest rate risk strategy is complex, and there can be no assurance that our hedging activities will be completely effective at insulating us from risks associated with interest rate fluctuations.

Additionally, in connection with our offering in January 2024 of 3.25% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2029, we have entered into capped call transactions with certain option counterparties. The capped call transactions cover, subject to customary

adjustments, the number of common shares initially underlying the notes. The capped call transactions are expected generally to reduce the potential dilution to our common shares upon any exchange of notes and/or offset any cash payments we are required to make in excess of the principal amount of exchanged notes, as the case may be, with such reduction and/or offset subject to a cap. The option counterparties are financial institutions, and we are subject to the risk that any or all of them might default under the capped call transactions. Our exposure to the credit risk of the option counterparties is not secured by any collateral. Global economic conditions have resulted in the actual or perceived failure or financial difficulties of certain financial institutions and could adversely impact the option counterparties’ performance under the capped call transactions. If an option counterparty becomes subject to insolvency proceedings, we will become an unsecured creditor in those proceedings with a claim equal to the termination amount at that time as determined pursuant to the capped call documentation with such option counterparty. Our exposure will depend on many factors but, generally, an increase in our exposure will be correlated to an increase in the market price and in the volatility of the common shares. In addition, upon a default by an option counterparty, we may suffer adverse tax consequences and more dilution than we currently anticipate with respect to the common shares. We can provide no assurances as to the financial stability or viability of the option counterparties.

All real property and the operations conducted on real property are subject to federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations relating to hazardous materials, environmental protection and human health and safety. Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, we and our tenants may be responsible for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic substances released on or in properties we own or operate, as well as certain other potential costs relating to hazardous or toxic substances (including governmental fines and injuries to persons and property). This liability may be imposed whether or not we knew about, or were responsible for, the presence of hazardous or toxic substances. Further, the presence of contamination on our properties or the failure to properly remediate contamination at any of our properties may adversely affect our ability to sell or lease those properties or to borrow funds by using those properties as collateral. The costs or liabilities could exceed the value of the affected real estate. We are not aware of any environmental condition with respect to any of our properties that management believes would have a material adverse effect on our business, assets or results of operations taken as a whole.

Our existing properties, as well as properties we may acquire, as commercial facilities, are required to comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Investigation of a property may reveal non-compliance with this Act. The requirements of this Act, or of other federal, state or local laws or regulations, also may change in the future and restrict further renovations of our properties with respect to access for disabled persons. Future compliance with this Act may require expensive changes to the properties.

We and our tenants are subject to a wide range of federal, state and local laws and regulations, such as local licensing requirements, consumer protection laws and state and local fire, life-safety and similar requirements that affect the use of the properties. The leases typically require that each tenant comply with all laws and regulations. Failure to comply could result in fines by governmental authorities, awards of damages to private litigants, or restrictions on the ability to conduct business on such properties. Non-compliance of this sort could reduce our revenues from a tenant, could require us to pay penalties or fines relating to any non-compliance, and could adversely affect our ability to sell or lease a property.

We believe that we are organized and qualified as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and currently intend to operate in a manner that will allow us to continue to qualify as a REIT under the Code. However, we cannot assure you that we will remain qualified as such in the future.

The Code imposes certain limitations on the ownership of the stock of a REIT. For example, not more than 50% in value of our outstanding shares of capital stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code) during the last half of any taxable year. To protect our REIT status, the Parent Company's declaration of trust prohibits any one shareholder from owning (actually or constructively) more than 9.8% in value of the outstanding common shares or of any class or series of outstanding preferred shares. The constructive ownership rules are complex. Shares of the Parent Company's capital stock owned, actually or constructively, by a group of related individuals and/or entities may be treated as constructively owned by one of those individuals or entities. As a result, the acquisition of less than 9.8% in value of the outstanding common shares and/or a class or series of preferred shares (or the acquisition of an interest in an entity that owns common shares or preferred shares) by an individual or entity could cause that individual or entity (or another) to own constructively more than 9.8% in value of the outstanding capital stock. If that happens, either the transfer of ownership would be void or the shares would be transferred to a charitable trust and then sold to someone who can own those shares without violating the 9.8% ownership limit.

The rules dealing with U.S. federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process, and by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”). Changes to the tax laws or interpretations thereof by the IRS and the Treasury, with or without retroactive application, could materially and adversely affect us and our investors. No prediction can be made as to the likelihood of passage of new tax legislation or other provisions, or the direct or indirect effect on us and our shareholders. Accordingly, such new legislation, Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions could significantly and negatively affect our ability to qualify to be taxed as a REIT and/or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to us and our investors of such qualification.

Certain provisions contained in the Parent Company's declaration of trust and bylaws and the Maryland General Corporation Law, as applicable to Maryland REITs, may discourage a third party from making a tender offer or acquisition proposal to us. If this were to happen, it could delay, deter or prevent a change in control or the removal of existing management. These provisions also may delay or prevent the shareholders from receiving a premium for their common shares over then-prevailing market prices. These provisions include:

As a REIT, we must generally make annual distributions to shareholders of at least 90% of our taxable income. We are subject to income tax on amounts of undistributed taxable income and net capital gain. In addition, we would be subject to a 4% excise tax if we fail to distribute sufficient income to meet a minimum distribution test based on our ordinary income, capital gain and aggregate undistributed income from prior years. We intend to make distributions to shareholders to comply with the Code’s distribution provisions and to avoid federal income and excise tax. We may need to borrow funds to meet our distribution requirements because:

As with other publicly traded securities, the market price of our debt and equity securities depends on various factors, which may change from time to time and/or may be unrelated to our financial condition, operating performance or prospects that may cause significant fluctuations or volatility in such prices. These factors include, among others:

Our ability to continue to pay dividends on our common shares at historical rates or to increase our common share dividend rate, and our ability to pay preferred share dividends and service our debt securities, will depend on a number of factors, including, among others, the following:

We are dependent on the efforts of our key management. Although we believe qualified replacements could be found for any departures of key executives, the loss of their services could adversely affect our performance and the value of our common shares.

We may modify our approach to investment, financing, borrowing, and other operating strategies without shareholder approval. A change in the approach to any of these items could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, and the market price of our securities.

We rely extensively on information technology systems to process transactions and manage our business, and our business is at risk from and may be impacted by cybersecurity incidents. These could include attempts to gain unauthorized access to our data and computer systems as well as attacks on third party's information technology systems that we rely on to provide important information technology services relating to key business functions, such as payroll. Cyber attacks can be both individual and/or highly organized attempts by very sophisticated hacking organizations. A cyber attack could compromise the confidential information of our employees, tenants, and vendors. A successful attack could adversely affect our business operations, results of operations, or financial condition by, among other things, disrupting our collection of revenue, interfering with our ability to satisfy our financial obligations by restricting access to our assets, or causing inaccuracies in our financial reporting. We employ a number of measures to prevent, detect, and mitigate these threats, which include password encryption, multi-factor authentication, frequent password change events, firewall detection systems, anti-virus software in-place, frequent backups, a redundant data system for core applications, and penetration testing; however, there is no guarantee such efforts will be successful in preventing a material cybersecurity incident.

None.

Please see Item 7. "Managements's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Cyber Security" for discussion regarding the cyber security policies of the Company.

General

As of December 31, 2023, we owned or had a majority ownership interest in community and neighborhood shopping centers and mixed-used properties which are operated as 102 predominantly retail real estate projects comprising approximately 26.0 million commercial square feet. These properties are located primarily in densely populated and affluent communities in strategic metropolitan markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, California, and South Florida. No single commercial or residential property accounted for over 10% of our 2023 total revenue. We believe that our properties are adequately covered by commercial general liability, fire, flood, earthquake, terrorism and business interruption insurance provided by reputable companies, with commercially reasonable exclusions, deductibles and limits.

As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 3,300 commercial leases and 3,100 residential leases, with tenants ranging from sole proprietors to major national and international retailers. No one tenant or affiliated group of tenants accounted for more than 2.7% of our annualized base rent as of December 31, 2023. As a result of our tenant diversification, we believe our exposure to any one bankruptcy filing has not been and will not be significant, however, multiple filings by a number of tenants could have a significant impact.

Our 102 real estate projects are located in 12 states and the District of Columbia. The following table shows the number of projects, the gross leasable area (“GLA”) of commercial space and the percentage of total portfolio gross leasable area of commercial space in each state as of December 31, 2023.

Our leases are classified as operating leases and typically are structured to require the monthly payment of minimum rents in advance, subject to periodic increases during the term of the lease, percentage rents based on the level of sales achieved by tenants, and reimbursement of a majority of on-site operating expenses and real estate taxes. These features in our leases generally reduce our exposure to higher costs and allow us to participate in improved tenant sales.

Commercial property leases generally range from three to ten years; however, certain leases, primarily with anchor tenants, may be longer. Many of our leases contain tenant options that enable the tenant to extend the term of the lease at expiration at pre-established rental rates that often include fixed rent increases, consumer price index adjustments or other market rate adjustments from the prior base rent. Leases on residential units are generally for a period of one year or less and, in 2023, represented approximately 9.7% of total rental income.

The following table sets forth the schedule of lease expirations for our commercial leases in place as of December 31, 2023 for each of the 10 years beginning with 2024 and after 2033 in the aggregate assuming that none of the tenants exercise future renewal options. Annualized base rents reflect in-place contractual rents as of December 31, 2023.

During 2022, we signed leases for a total of 2,048,000 square feet of retail space including 1,985,000 square feet of comparable space leases (leases for which there was a prior tenant) at an average rental increase of 6% on a cash basis. New leases for comparable spaces were signed for 757,000 square feet at an average rental increase of 8% on a cash basis. Renewals for comparable spaces were signed for 1,228,000 square feet at an average rental increase of 4% on a cash basis. Tenant improvements and incentives for comparable spaces were $31.65 per square foot, of which, $75.12 per square foot was for new leases and $4.86 per square foot was for renewals in 2022.

The following table sets forth information concerning all real estate projects in which we owned an equity interest, had a leasehold interest, or otherwise controlled and are consolidated as of December 31, 2023. Except as otherwise noted, we are the sole owner of our real estate projects. Principal tenants are the largest tenants in the project based on square feet leased or are tenants important to a project’s success due to their ability to attract retail customers.

Our common shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FRT.” Listed below are the high and low sales prices of our common shares as reported on the New York Stock Exchange and the dividends declared for each of the periods indicated.

The following performance graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return on Federal Realty's common shares with the S&P 500 Index and the index of equity real estate investment trusts prepared by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT") for the five fiscal years commencing December 31, 2018, and ending December 31, 2023, assuming an investment of $100 and the reinvestment of all dividends into additional common shares during the holding period. Equity real estate investment trusts are defined as those that derive more than 75% of their income from equity investments in real estate assets. The FTSE NAREIT Equity REIT Total Return Index includes all tax qualified real estate investment trusts listed on the NYSE, NYSE MKT, or the NASDAQ National Market. Stock performance for the past five years is not necessarily indicative of future results.

Under the terms of various operating partnership agreements of certain of our affiliated limited partnerships, the interest of limited partners in those limited partnerships may be redeemed, subject to certain conditions, for cash or an equivalent number of our common shares, at our option. During the three months ended December 31, 2023, we did not issue any common shares in connection with the redemption of downREIT operating partnership units. Any equity securities sold by us during 2023 that were not registered have been previously reported in a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

During 2023, 5,930 restricted common shares were forfeited by former employees.

From time to time, we could be deemed to have repurchased shares as a result of shares withheld for tax purposes upon a stock compensation related vesting event.

Certain statements in this section or elsewhere in this report may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this report for important information regarding these forward-looking statements and certain risk and uncertainties that may affect us. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.

Federal Realty Investment Trust (the "Parent Company" or the "Trust") is an equity real estate investment trust ("REIT"). Federal Realty OP LP (the "Operating Partnership") is the entity through which the Trust conducts substantially all of its operations and owns substantially all of its assets. The Trust owns 100% of the limited liability company interest of, is sole member of, and exercises exclusive control over Federal Realty GP LLC (the "General Partner"), which in turn, is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, "we," "our," and "us" means the Trust and its business and operations conducted through its directly and indirectly owned subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership. We specialize in the ownership, management, and redevelopment of high quality retail and mixed-use properties located primarily in communities where we believe demand exceeds supply, in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, California, and South Florida. As of December 31, 2023, we owned or had a majority interest in community and neighborhood shopping centers and mixed-use properties which are operated as 102 predominantly retail real estate projects comprising approximately 26.0 million commercial square feet. In total, the real estate projects were 94.2% leased and 92.2% occupied at December 31, 2023. We have paid quarterly dividends to our shareholders continuously since our founding in 1962 and have increased our dividends per common share for 56 consecutive years.

We actively endeavor to operate and develop our properties in a sustainable, responsible, and effective manner with the objective being to drive long-term growth and aid in value creation for our shareholders, tenants, employees, and local communities. We have aligned our program and efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as described in our ESG Policy and our 2022 Environmental Social and Governance Report, which are provided only for informational purposes on our website and not incorporated by reference herein.

Our chief information officer, who has over 30 years of experience in managing information systems for real estate companies, heads our internal team of technology professionals who are responsible for managing our cybersecurity risks, which includes identifying our primary areas of risk, establishing processes, procedures, and systems to mitigate those risks and identifying and remediating any breaches that may occur. Cybersecurity risk management falls under our general counsel as part of our overall risk management program, which is ultimately overseen by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees. Our team is supported by a third party company that we have retained to act as our chief information security officer based on the third party company's experience in preventing cybersecurity incidents, advising clients about appropriate cybersecurity procedures and processes, and assessing the integrity of those procedures and processes. The assessment and management of our cybersecurity risks covers all of our internal systems as well as the systems of third parties who maintain our data.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, referred to as “GAAP”, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that in certain circumstances affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and revenues and expenses. These estimates are prepared using management’s best judgment, after considering past and current events and economic conditions. In addition, information relied upon by management in preparing such estimates includes internally generated financial and operating information, external market information, when available, and when necessary, information obtained from consultations with third party experts. Actual results could differ from these estimates. A discussion of possible risks which may affect these estimates is included in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this report. Management considers an accounting estimate to be critical if changes in the estimate could have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations or financial condition.

Collectibility of Lease Income

Our leases with our tenants are classified as operating leases. When collection of substantially all lease payments during the lease term is considered probable, the lease qualifies for accrual accounting. When collection of substantially all lease payments during the lease term is not considered probable, total lease revenue is limited to the lesser of revenue recognized under accrual accounting or cash received. Determining the probability of collection of substantially all lease payments during a lease term requires significant judgment. This determination is impacted by numerous factors including our assessment of the tenant’s credit worthiness, economic conditions, tenant sales productivity in that location, historical experience with the tenant and tenants operating in the same industry, future prospects for the tenant and the industry in which it operates, and the length of the lease term. If leases currently classified as probable are subsequently reclassified as not probable, any outstanding lease receivables (including straight-line rent receivables) would be written-off with a corresponding decrease in rental income. For example, in the event that our collectibility determinations were not accurate and we were required to write off additional receivables equaling 1% of rental income, our rental income and net income would decrease by $11.3 million. If leases currently classified as not probable are subsequently changed to probable, any lease receivables (including straight-line rent receivables) are re-instated with a corresponding increase to rental income.

Upon acquisition of operating real estate properties, we estimate the fair value of assets and liabilities acquired including land, building, improvements, leasing costs, intangibles such as acquired leases, assumed debt, and current assets and liabilities, if any. Based on these estimates, we allocate the purchase price to the applicable assets and liabilities. We utilize methods similar to those used by independent appraisers in estimating the fair value of acquired assets and liabilities. The value allocated to acquired leases is amortized over the related lease term and reflected as rental income in the statement of operations. We consider qualitative and quantitative factors in evaluating the likelihood of a tenant exercising a below market renewal option and include such renewal options in the calculation of in-place lease value when we consider these to be bargain renewal options. If the value of below market lease intangibles includes renewal option periods, we include such renewal periods in the amortization period utilized. If a tenant vacates its space prior to contractual termination of its lease, the unamortized balance of any acquired lease value is written off to rental income.

There are estimates and assumptions made by management in preparing the consolidated financial statements for which the actual results will be determined over long periods of time. This includes the recoverability of long-lived assets, including our properties that have been acquired or redeveloped and our investment in certain joint ventures. Management’s evaluation of impairment includes review for possible indicators of impairment as well as, in certain circumstances, undiscounted and discounted cash flow analysis. Since most of our investments in real estate are wholly-owned or controlled assets which are held for use, a property with impairment indicators is first tested for impairment by comparing the undiscounted cash flows, taking into account the anticipated hold period, including residual value, to the current net book value of the property. If the undiscounted cash flows are less than the net book value, the property is written down to expected fair value.

See Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold one retail property and one portion of a property for sales prices totaling $30.4 million, resulting in net gains totaling approximately $9.7 million.

For the three months ended December 31, 2023, we sold 1,220,842 common shares (of which, 62,895 settled on January 2, 2024) at a weighted average price per share of $101.30 for net cash proceeds of $122.4 million including paying $1.2 million in commissions and $0.1 million in additional operating expenses related to the sales of these common shares. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold 1,372,889 common shares (of which, 62,895 settled on January 2, 2024) at a weighted average price per share of $101.89 for net cash proceeds of $138.3 million including paying $1.4 million in commissions and $0.2 million in additional offering expenses related to the sales of these common shares. As of December 31, 2023, we had the capacity to issue up to $312.1 million in common shares under our ATM equity program.

On April 12, 2023, we issued $350.0 million of fixed rate senior unsecured notes that mature on May 1, 2028 and bear interest at 5.375%. The notes were offered at 99.590% of the principal amount with a yield to maturity of 5.468%. The net proceeds, after issuance discount, underwriting fees, and other costs were $345.7 million. The net proceeds of these notes, or "green bonds," will be allocated to the financing and refinancing of recently completed and future eligible green projects, which includes (i) investments in acquisitions of buildings; (ii) building developments or redevelopments; (iii) renovations in existing buildings; and (iv) tenant improvement projects, in each case that have received, or are expected to receive, in the three years prior to the issuance of the notes or during the term of the notes, a LEED Gold or Platinum certification (or environmentally equivalent successor standards). Net proceeds will be available for repayment of indebtedness, or may be invested in short-term income-producing investments or may be used to temporarily repay current and/or future amounts outstanding under our revolving credit facility.

Effective May 4, 2023, our Declaration of Trust was amended to increase the number of authorized common shares of beneficial interest to 200,000,000.

On June 1, 2023, we repaid our $275.0 million 2.75% senior unsecured notes at maturity.

On December 28, 2023, one of our wholly-owned subsidiaries entered into a $200.0 million mortgage loan, which bears interest at SOFR, plus a 95 basis point spread, matures on December 28, 2025, plus two one-year extensions, at our option, and is

secured by our Bethesda Row property. The interest rate is effectively fixed at 5.03% through the initial maturity date, as a result of three interest rate swap agreements. Our net proceeds were $199.1 million, after debt issuance costs. Our subsidiary's obligations under the mortgage loan are guaranteed by the Operating Partnership.

On January 11, 2024, our Operating Partnership issued $485.0 million aggregate principal amount of 3.25% Exchangeable Senior Notes (the “Notes”) that mature on January 15, 2029, unless earlier exchanged, purchased or redeemed. On or after July 15, 2028, the Notes will be exchangeable for cash up to the principal amount of the Notes and, if applicable, cash, common shares of the Trust, or a combination thereof at our option, in respect of the remainder, if any, of the exchange obligation in excess of the principal amount. The exchange rate initially equals 8.1436 common shares per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes (equivalent to an exchange price of approximately $122.80 per common share). Net proceeds after the initial purchaser’s discount and estimated offering costs were approximately $471 million.

In connection with the Notes, we entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions with certain of the initial purchasers of the notes or their affiliates or other financial institutions. The capped call transactions cover, subject to customary adjustments, the number of our common shares that initially underlie the Notes. The capped call transactions are expected generally to reduce the potential dilution to our common shares upon exchange of any Notes and/or offset any cash payments we are required to make in excess of the principal amount of the Notes, with such reduction and/or offset subject to a cap. The cap price of the capped call transaction initially is approximately $143.26 per share, which represents a premium of approximately 40% over the last reported sale price of our common shares of $102.33 on the New York Stock Exchange on January 8, 2024, and is subject to certain adjustments under the terms of the capped call transactions. A portion of the proceeds from the Notes were used to pay the capped call premium of $19.4 million, which will be recorded in shareholders' equity for the Trust and capital for the Operating Partnership.

On January 16, 2024, we repaid the $600.0 million 3.95% senior unsecured notes at maturity.

Capitalized Costs

Certain external and internal costs directly related to the development, redevelopment and leasing of real estate, including pre-construction costs, real estate taxes, insurance, and construction costs and salaries and related costs of personnel directly involved, are capitalized. We capitalized external and internal costs related to both development and redevelopment activities of $183 million and $10 million, respectively, for 2023 and $278 million and $11 million, respectively, for 2022. We capitalized external and internal costs related to other property improvements of $91 million and $4 million, respectively, for 2023 and $111 million and $4 million, respectively, for 2022. We capitalized external and internal costs related to leasing activities of $20 million and $3 million, respectively, for 2023 and $18 million and $4 million, respectively, for 2022. The amount of capitalized internal costs for salaries and related benefits for development and redevelopment activities, other property improvements, and leasing activities were $9 million, $4 million, and $3 million, respectively, for 2023 and $10 million, $3 million, and $4 million, respectively, for 2022. Total capitalized costs were $312 million for 2023 and $425 million for 2022, respectively.

Our long-term growth strategy is focused on growth in earnings, funds from operations, and cash flows primarily through a combination of the following:

Throughout this section, we have provided certain information on a “comparable property” basis. Information provided on a comparable property basis includes the results of properties that we owned and operated for the entirety of both periods being compared except for properties that are currently under development or are being repositioned for significant redevelopment and investment. For the year ended December 31, 2023 and the comparison of 2023 and 2022, all or a portion of 94 properties, were considered comparable properties and eight were considered non-comparable properties. For the year ended December 31, 2023, one property was moved from comparable properties to non-comparable properties, four properties and one portion of a

property were moved from acquisitions to comparable properties, and one property and one portion of a property were removed from comparable properties, as they were sold, compared to the designations as of December 31, 2022. While there is judgment surrounding changes in designations, we typically move non-comparable properties to comparable properties once they have stabilized, which is typically considered 90% physical occupancy or when the growth expected from the redevelopment has been included in the comparable periods. We typically remove properties from comparable properties when the repositioning of the asset has commenced and has or is expected to have a significant impact to property operating income within the calendar year. Acquisitions are moved to comparable properties once we have owned the property for the entirety of comparable periods and the property is not under development or being repositioned for significant redevelopment and investment.

Total property revenue increased $57.8 million, or 5.4%, to $1.13 billion in 2023 compared to $1.07 billion in 2022. The percentage occupied at our shopping centers was 92.2% at December 31, 2023 compared to 92.8% at December 31, 2022. Changes in the components of property revenue are discussed below.

Rental income consists primarily of minimum rent, cost reimbursements from tenants and percentage rent, and is net of collectibility related adjustments. Rental income increased $57.7 million, or 5.4%, to $1.13 billion in 2023 compared to $1.07 billion in 2022 due primarily to the following:

Total property expenses increased $6.3 million, or 1.8%, to $363.1 million in 2023 compared to $356.8 million in 2022. Changes in the components of property expenses are discussed below.

Rental expenses increased $2.7 million, or 1.2%, to $231.7 million in 2023 compared to $229.0 million in 2022. This increase is primarily due to the following:

Real estate tax expense increased $3.6 million, or 2.8% to $131.4 million in 2023 compared to $127.8 million in 2022 due primarily to the following:

Depreciation and amortization expense increased $19.4 million, or 6.4%, to $321.8 million in 2023 from $302.4 million in 2022. This increase is due primarily to property acquisitions, our investment in comparable properties, placing redevelopment properties into service, and the reconsolidation of Escondido Promenade during the second quarter of 2023, partially offset by 2022 property sales.

The $70.4 million gain on deconsolidation of VIE for the year ended December 31, 2022 is the result of the deconsolidation of Escondido Promenade during the third quarter of 2022 (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information).

The $9.9 million gain on sale of real estate for the year ended December 31, 2023 is due primarily to the sale of one retail property and one portion of a property (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information).

The $93.5 million gain on sale of real estate for the year ended December 31, 2022 is due primarily to a net gain of $84.1 million from the sale of two residential properties (including an adjacent retail pad), one retail property, and one parcel of land (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information), and a $9.3 million gain related to the reduction of our liability for estimated condemnation and transaction costs associated with the sale under threat of condemnation in December 2019 at San Antonio Center.

Operating income decreased $119.9 million, or 22.8%, to $406.5 million in 2023 compared to $526.4 million in 2022. This decrease is primarily driven by lower gains on sale of real estate, the prior year gain on the deconsolidation of a VIE, and property sales, partially offset by higher rental rates and occupancy, 2022 and 2023 acquisitions, and the 2022 and 2023 openings at our non-comparable properties.

Other interest income increased $3.6 million, or 337.2%, to $4.7 million in 2023 compared to $1.1 million in 2022. This increase is primarily driven by interest earned on the proceeds of our April 2023 senior unsecured note issuance until the June 1, 2023 payoff of our 2.75% senior unsecured notes and higher interest earned on cash balances.

Interest expense increased $30.8 million, or 22.5%, to $167.8 million in 2023 compared to $137.0 million in 2022. This increase is due primarily to the following:

Income from partnerships decreased $1.3 million or 25.2% to $3.9 million in 2023 compared to $5.2 million in 2022. This decrease is primarily driven by lower income at our restaurant joint ventures largely attributable to higher forgiveness of certain loans in the prior year.

Discussions of year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021 can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 8, 2023.

Due to the nature of our business and strategy, we typically generate significant amounts of cash from operations which is largely paid to our common and preferred shareholders in the form of dividends because as a REIT, the Trust is generally required to make annual distributions to shareholders of at least 90% of our taxable income (cash dividends paid in 2023 were approximately $360.9 million). Remaining cash flow from operations after regular debt service requirements (including debt service relating to additional or replacement debt, as well as scheduled debt maturities) and dividend payments is used to fund recurring and non-recurring capital projects (such as tenant improvements and redevelopments). We maintain an unsecured $1.25 billion revolving credit facility to fund short term cash flow needs and also look to the public and private debt and equity markets, joint venture relationships, and property dispositions to fund capital expenditures on a long-term basis.

At December 31, 2023, we have four real estate related equity method investments with total debt outstanding of $153.3 million, of which our share is $63.4 million. Our investment in these ventures at December 31, 2023 was $30.9 million.

Other than the items disclosed in the Cash Requirements table, we have no off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2023 that are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, cash requirements, or capital resources.

The following is a summary of our total debt outstanding as of December 31, 2023: