Federal Realty Investment Trust Prices Offering of $250 Million Senior Unsecured Notes

ROCKVILLE, Md., July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT) today announced the pricing of its public offering of $250 million aggregate principal amount of 3.00% senior unsecured notes due August 1, 2022.  The notes were offered at 98.743% of the principal amount with a yield to maturity of 3.147%.  Interest on the notes will be payable on February 1 and August 1 of each year, beginning February 1, 2013.  The offering is expected to close on or around July 19, 2012, subject to customary closing conditions.

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Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and RBC Capital Markets, LLC are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.  PNC Capital Markets LLC, Capital One Southcoast, Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Raymond James & Associates, Inc., SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc., TD Securities (USA) LLC and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. are acting as co-managers for the offering. 

Federal Realty intends to use the net proceeds to repay any outstanding indebtedness under its revolving credit facility and for general corporate purposes, which may include without limitation funding potential acquisition opportunities or funding its redevelopment pipeline. 

This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus and related prospectus supplement, copies of which may be obtained, when available, by contacting Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 1525 West W.T. Harris Blvd., NC0675, Charlotte, North Carolina 28262, Attn: Capital Markets Client Support, telephone: 1-800-326-5897, email: cmclientsupport@wellsfargo.com, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Brooklyn Army Terminal, 140 58th Street, 8th Floor, Brooklyn, New York 11220, Attn: Prospectus Department, telephone: 1-800-831-9146, email: batprospectusdept@citi.com and RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Three World Financial Center, 200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10281, Attn: Debt Capital Markets, telephone: 1-866-375-6829, email: rbcnyfixedincomeprospectus@rbccm.com.

About Federal Realty

In 2012, Federal Realty celebrates 50 years of being a proven leader in the ownership, operation, and redevelopment of high quality retail real estate in the country's best markets.  As of March 31, 2012, Federal Realty's portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) contained approximately 19.2 million square feet located primarily in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, as well as in California. In addition, the Trust has an ownership interest in approximately 1.0 million square feet of retail space through a joint venture in which the Trust has a 30% interest. Federal Realty's operating portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) was 93.8% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of March 31, 2012, with no single tenant accounting for more than approximately 2.5% of annualized base rent. Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 44 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an S&P MidCap 400 company and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT.

Safe Harbor Language

Certain matters discussed within this press release may be deemed to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Although Federal Realty believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. These factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 16, 2012 and in the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus related to the offering described in this press release, and include the following:

• risks that our tenants may not pay rent, may vacate early or may file for bankruptcy or that we may be unable to renew leases or re-let space at favorable rents as leases expire;
• risks that we may not be able to proceed with or obtain necessary approvals for any redevelopment or renovation project, and that completion of anticipated or ongoing property redevelopment or renovation projects that we do pursue may cost more, take more time to complete, or fail to perform as expected;
• risks that we are investing a significant amount in ground-up development projects that may be dependent on third parties to deliver critical aspects of certain projects, requires spending a substantial amount upfront in infrastructure, and assumes receipt of public funding which has been committed but not entirely funded; 
• risks normally associated with the real estate industry, including risks that occupancy levels at our properties and the amount of rent that we receive from our properties may be lower than expected, that new acquisitions may fail to perform as expected, that competition for acquisitions could result in increased prices for acquisitions, that environmental issues may develop at our properties and result in unanticipated costs, and, because real estate is illiquid, that we may not be able to sell properties when appropriate;
• risks that our growth will be limited if we cannot obtain additional capital; 
• risks associated with general economic conditions, including local economic conditions in our geographic markets; 
• risks of financing, such as our ability to consummate additional financings or obtain replacement financing on terms which are acceptable to us, our ability to meet existing financial covenants and the limitations imposed on our operations by those covenants, and the possibility of increases in interest rates that would result in increased interest expense; and 
• risks related to our status as a real estate investment trust, commonly referred to as a REIT, for federal income tax purposes, such as the existence of complex tax regulations relating to our status as a REIT, the effect of future changes in REIT requirements as a result of new legislation, and the adverse consequences of the failure to qualify as a REIT.

Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements that we make, including those in this press release. Except as may be required by law, we make no promise to update any of the forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You should carefully review the risks and risk factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 16, 2012 and in the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus related to the offering described in this press release.

SOURCE Federal Realty Investment Trust