UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

FORM 10‑K  

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

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.

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)



(818) 244‑8080

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None (Title of class)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. 

Yes [X]No [   ]

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

Yes [   ]No [X]

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 the past 90 days.

Yes [X]No [   ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files).

Yes [X]No [   ]

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  [   ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. [   ]



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

Yes [   ]No [X]

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common shares held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of June 30, 2018:  

Common Shares, $0.10 Par Value Per Share – $33,830,475,000  (computed on the basis of $226.86 per share, which was the reported closing sale price of the Company's Common Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) on June 30, 2018).

As of February 25, 2019, there were 174,498,758 outstanding Common Shares, $.10 par value per share.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the definitive proxy statement to be filed in connection with the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held in 2019 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K to the extent described therein.



 

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PART I

ITEM 1.Business

Forward Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  All statements in this document, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements which may be identified by the use of the words "expects,"  "believes,"  "anticipates," "should," "estimates" and similar expressions. 

These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause our actual results and performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements.  Factors and risks that may impact future results and performance include, but are not limited to, those described in Part 1, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) including:

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These forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this report or as of the dates indicated in the statements.  All of our forward-looking statements, including those in this report, are qualified in their entirety by this statement.  We expressly disclaim any obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, new estimates, or other factors, events or circumstances after the date of these forward looking statements, except when expressly required by law.  Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not rely on any forward-looking statements in this report, or which management may make orally or in writing from time to time, neither as predictions of future events nor guarantees of future performance.

General

Public Storage (referred to herein as “the Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), a Maryland REIT, was organized in 1980.

At December 31, 2018, our principal business activities were as follows:

We also manage 33 self-storage facilities for third parties.  We are seeking to expand our third-party management operations to further increase our economies of scale and leverage our brand; however, there is no

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assurance that we will be able to do so.  We also own 0.8 million net rentable square feet of commercial space which is managed primarily by PSB. 

For all periods presented herein, we have elected to be treated as a REIT, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).  As a REIT, we do not incur U.S. 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 (for this purpose, certain distributions paid in a subsequent year may be considered), and if we meet certain organizational and operational rules.  We believe we met these requirements in all periods presented herein and we expect to continue to elect and qualify as a REIT.   

We report annually to the SEC on Form 10-K, which includes financial statements certified by our independent registered public accountants.  We also report quarterly to the SEC on Form 10-Q, which includes unaudited financial statements.  We expect to continue such reporting.

On our website, www.publicstorage.com, we make available, free of charge, our Annual Reports on Form 10- K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after the reports and amendments are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC.  The information contained on our website is not a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Competition

We believe that our customers generally store their goods within a three to five mile radius of their home or business.  Our facilities compete with nearby self-storage facilities owned by other operators using marketing channels similar to ours, including Internet advertising, signage, and banners and offer services similar to ours.  As a result, competition is significant and affects the occupancy levels, rental rates, rental income and operating expenses of our facilities.    

In the last three years, there has been a marked increase in development of new self-storage facilities in many of the markets we operate in, due to the favorable economics of development which we have also taken advantage of.  These newly developed facilities compete with many of the facilities we own, negatively impacting our occupancies, rental rates, and rental growth.  This increase in supply has been most notable in Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York, and Portland.

Ownership and operation of self-storage facilities is highly fragmented.  As the largest owner of self-storage facilities, we believe that we own approximately 7% of the self-storage square footage in the U.S. and that collectively the five largest self-storage owners in the U.S. own approximately 15%, with the remaining 85% owned by numerous regional and local operators. 

We generally own facilities in major markets.  We believe that we have significant market share and concentration in major metropolitan centers, with approximately 71% of our 2018 same-store revenues generated in the 20 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (each, an “MSA”, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau) with the highest population levels.  We believe this is a competitive advantage relative to other self-storage operators, which do not have our geographic concentration and market share in the major MSAs. 

Industry fragmentation also provides opportunities for us to acquire additional facilities; however, we compete with a wide variety of institutions and other investors who also view self-storage facilities as attractive investments.  The amount of capital available for real estate investments greatly influences the competition for ownership interests in facilities and, by extension, the yields that we can achieve on newly acquired investments. 

Business Attributes

We believe that we possess several primary business attributes that permit us to compete effectively:

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Centralized information networks:  Our centralized reporting and information network enables us to identify changing market conditions and operating trends as well as analyze customer data and quickly change each of our individual properties’ pricing and promotions  on an automated basis. 

Convenient shopping experience: Customers can conveniently shop for available storage space, reviewing attributes such as facility location, size, amenities such as climate-control, as well as pricing, through the following marketing channels: 

Managerial economies of scale: The size and scope of our operations have enabled us to achieve high operating margins and a low level of administrative costs relative to revenues through the centralization of many functions, such as facility maintenance, employee compensation and benefits programs, revenue management, as well as the development and documentation of standardized operating procedures.  We also believe that our major market concentration provides managerial efficiencies stemming from having a large percentage of our facilities in close proximity to each other. 

Marketing economies of scale: Our major-market concentration relative to the fragmented ownership and operation of the rest of the industry, combined with our well-recognized brand name, improves our prominence in unpaid online search results for self-storage and reduces our average cost per “click” for multiple-keyword advertising.  The large number of facilities we have in major metropolitan centers enables us to efficiently use television advertising from time to time.  Our competitors generally do not use television advertising because they lack the scale in major metropolitan centers. 

Brand name recognition: We believe that the “Public Storage” brand name is the most recognized and established name in the self-storage industry, due to our national reach in major markets in 38 states, our highly visible facilities, and our facilities’ distinct orange colored doors and signage.  We believe the “Public Storage” name is one of the most frequently used search terms used by customers using Internet search engines for self-storage.  We believe that the “Shurgard” brand, used by Shurgard Europe, is a well-established and valuable brand in Europe.  We believe that the awareness of our brand name results in a high percentage of potential storage customers considering our facilities relative to other operators. 

Growth and Investment Strategies

Our growth strategies consist of: (i) improving the operating performance of our existing self-storage facilities, (ii) acquiring more facilities, (iii) developing new facilities and adding more self-storage space to existing facilities, (iv) participating in the growth of our investment in PSB, and (v) participating in the growth of our

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investment in Shurgard Europe.  While our long-term strategy includes each of these elements, in the short run the level of growth in our asset base in any period is dependent upon the cost and availability of capital, as well as the relative attractiveness of available investment alternatives. 

Improve the operating performance of existing facilities: We seek to increase the net cash flow of our existing self-storage facilities by (i) regularly analyzing our call volume, reservation activity, Internet activity, move-in/move-out rates and other market supply and demand factors and responding by adjusting our Internet marketing spending and intensity, our promotional and other discounts, and the rental rates we charge to new and existing customers,  (ii) attempting to maximize revenues through evaluating the appropriate balance between occupancy, rental rates, and promotional discounting and (iii) controlling operating costs.  We believe that our property management personnel, information technology, our convenient shopping options for the customer, our economies of scale, and our Internet marketing and advertising programs will continue to enhance our ability to meet these goals. 

Acquire properties owned by others in the U.S.: We seek to capitalize on the fragmentation of the self-storage business through acquiring attractively priced, well-located existing self-storage facilities.  We believe our presence in and knowledge of substantially all of the major markets in the U.S. enhances our ability to identify attractive acquisition opportunities.  Data on the rental rates and occupancy levels of our existing facilities provide us an advantage in evaluating the potential of acquisition opportunities.  Our aggressiveness in bidding for particular marketed facilities depends upon many factors including the potential for future growth, the quality of construction and location, the cash flow we expect from the facility when operated on our platform, how well the facility fits into our current geographic footprint, as well as our yield expectations.    From 2015 through 2018, we acquired an aggregate of 119 facilities from third parties at an aggregate cost of $929 million.  We will continue to seek to acquire properties in 2019; however, there is significant competition to acquire existing facilities, and self-storage owners’ desire to sell is based upon many variables, including potential reinvestment returns, expectations of future growth, estimated value, the cost of debt financing, as well as personal considerations.  As a result, there can be no assurance as to the level of facilities we may acquire. 

Develop new self-storage facilities and expand  existing facilities:  The development of new self-storage locations and the expansion of existing facilities has been an important source of growth.    Since the beginning of 2013, we have expanded our development efforts due in part to the significant increase in prices being paid for existing facilities, in many cases well above the cost of developing new facilities.  At December 31, 2018, we had a development pipeline to develop new self-storage facilities and expand existing self-storage facilities, which will add approximately 5.2 million net rentable square feet of self-storage space, at a total cost of $607.4 million.  Some of these projects are subject to significant contingencies such as entitlement approval.  We expect to continue to seek additional development projects; however, the level of future development may be limited due to various constraints such as difficulty in finding projects that meet our risk-adjusted yield expectations, challenges in obtaining building permits for self-storage activities in certain municipalities, as well as challenges in sourcing quality construction materials, labor, and design elements. 

Participate in the growth of PS Business Parks, Inc.:  Our investment in PSB provides diversification into another asset type.  PSB is a stand-alone public company traded on the NYSE.  As of December 31, 2018, we have a 42% equity interest in PSB.

PSB seeks to grow its asset base in favorable markets as well as increase the cash flows from its existing portfolio.  As of December 31, 2018, PSB owned and operated approximately 28.2 million rentable square feet of commercial space, and had an enterprise value of approximately $5.5 billion (based upon the trading price of PSB’s common stock combined with the liquidation value of its preferred stock as of December 31, 2018). 

Participate in the growth of Shurgard Europe:  We believe Shurgard Europe is the largest self-storage company in Western Europe.  It owns and operates 232 self-storage facilities with approximately 13 million net rentable square feet in: France (principally Paris), Sweden (principally Stockholm), the United Kingdom (principally London), the Netherlands, Denmark (principally Copenhagen), Belgium and Germany.  On October 15, 2018, Shurgard Europe completed an initial global offering (the “Offering”) of 25.0 million of its common shares for €575 million in gross proceeds, and its shares commenced trading on Euronext Brussels under the “SHUR” symbol. 

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As a result of the Offering (we did not acquire any additional common shares or sell any of our existing shares in the Offering), our equity interest in Shurgard Europe decreased from 49% to 35.2%.

Customer awareness and availability of self-storage is significantly lower in Europe than in the U.S.  However, with more awareness and product supply, we believe there is potential for increased demand for storage space in Europe.  We believe Shurgard Europe can capitalize on potential increased demand through the development of new facilities and acquiring existing facilities.  From 2014 through 2018, Shurgard Europe acquired 36 facilities with an approximate 1.8 million net rentable square feet in Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden and France for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $380.5 million.  In addition, from 2014 through 2018,  Shurgard Europe opened eight development properties in the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden containing 636,000 net rentable square feet at a cost of $100.7 million.

Financing of the Company’s Growth Strategies

Overview of financing strategy and sources of capital:  As a REIT, we generally distribute 100% of our taxable income to our shareholders which, relative to a taxable C corporation, limits the amount of cash flow from operations that we can retain for investments.  As a result, in order to grow our asset base, access to capital is important. 

Our financial profile is characterized by strong credit metrics, including low leverage relative to our total capitalization and operating cash flows.  We are one of the highest rated REITs, as rated by major rating agencies Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s.  Our senior debt has an “A” credit rating by Standard & Poor’s and “A2” by Moody’s.  Our credit ratings on each of our series of preferred shares are “A3” by Moody’s and “BBB+” by Standard & Poor’s.  Our credit profile and ratings enable us to effectively access both the public and private capital markets to raise capital.

Sources of capital available to us include retained operating cash flow, the issuance of preferred and common securities, the issuance of medium and long-term debt, joint venture financing and the sale of properties.  We view our line of credit, as well as short-term bank loans, as bridge financing.  

Historically, we have financed our cash investment activities primarily with retained operating cash flow and the issuance of preferred securities.  While we have issued common shares, such issuances have been minimal, because preferred securities have had a more attractive cost of capital.  In 2015 and 2016, we issued Euro-denominated medium-term debt primarily as a hedge to our Euro-denominated investment in Shurgard Europe.  On September 18, 2017, we completed a public offering of $1.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes in two equal tranches (collectively, the “U.S. Dollar Notes”), one maturing in September 2022 bearing interest at 2.370%, and another maturing in September 2027 bearing interest at 3.094%.    While we have increased the level of debt in our capital structure, we expect to continue to remain conservatively capitalized and not subject ourselves to significant refinancing risk.

We have no current plans to use joint venture financing or the sale of properties as sources of capital.

We select among the sources of capital available to us based upon relative cost, availability, the desire for leverage, and considering potential constraints caused by certain features of capital sources, such as debt covenants.

Retained operating cash flow:  Although we are generally required to distribute 100% of our taxable income to our shareholders, we are nonetheless able to retain operating cash flow to the extent that our tax depreciation exceeds our maintenance capital expenditures.  In recent years, we have retained approximately $200 million to $300 million per year in cash flow. 

Preferred equity:  As noted above, we view preferred equity as an important source of capital over the long term.  However, rates and market conditions for the issuance of preferred securities can be volatile or inefficient from time to time, particularly so in the last few years.  Since 2013, we have issued preferred securities at fixed rates ranging from 4.900% to 6.375%.  Most recently, in August 2017, we issued $300 million of preferred securities at a fixed rate of 5.050%.  We believe that the market coupon rate of our preferred securities is influenced by long-term interest

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rates, as well as demand specifically from retail investors.  Institutional investors are generally not buyers of our preferred securities. 

At December 31, 2018, we have approximately $4.0 billion in preferred securities outstanding.  On February 22, 2019, we called for redemption on March 28, 2019 our 6.375% Series Y Preferred Shares, at par ($285 million).  Our preferred securities outstanding at December 31, 2018, excluding the Series Y Preferred Shares that were called for redemption had an average coupon rate of 5.3% and an average market yield of 5.9%.  As of February 27, 2019, we have the option to redeem, with 30 days’ notice, the following additional series of preferred securities; our 5.625% Series U Preferred Shares  ($288 million), our 5.375% Series V Preferred Shares ($495 million), our 5.200% Series W Preferred Shares ($500 million), and our 5.200% Series X Preferred Shares ($225 million).  Our 6.000% Series Z Preferred Shares ($288 million) become callable on June 4, 2019.  Redemption of such preferred shares will depend upon many factors, including the rate at which we could issue replacement preferred securities.  None of our preferred securities is redeemable at the option of the holders. 

Medium or long-term debt:  We have broad powers to issue debt to fund our business.  Our corporate credit ratings are “A” by Standard & Poor’s and “A2” by Moody’s.  We believe these high ratings, combined with our current minimal level of debt, could allow us to issue additional unsecured debt at lower interest rates than the coupon rates on preferred securities. 

At December 31, 2018,  we have $1.0 billion of U.S. Dollar Notes and approximately €342 million of Euro-denominated senior unsecured notes (the “Euro Notes”) outstanding, which were issued to institutional investors in 2015 and 2016.  

Common equity:  Except in connection with mergers, most notably a merger in 2006 with Shurgard Storage Centers, we have not raised capital through the issuance of common equity because lower cost alternatives have been available.  However, we believe that the market for our common equity is liquid and, as a result, common equity is a significant potential source of capital. 

Bridge financing:  We have a $500.0 million revolving line of credit which we occasionally use as temporary “bridge” financing, along with short-term bank loans, until we are able to raise longer-term capital.  As of December 31, 2018, there were no borrowings outstanding on our revolving line of credit and no short-term bank loans.  

Unlikely capital alternatives:  We have issued both our common and preferred securities in exchange for real estate and other investments in the past.  We do not expect such issuances to be a material source of capital in the future, though there can be no assurance. 

We have participated in joint ventures with institutional investors in the past to acquire, develop, and operate self-storage facilities, most notably our joint venture to own Shurgard Europe, prior to its Offering.  We do not presently expect joint venture financing to be a material source of capital in the future because we have other sources of capital that are currently less expensive and because of potential constraints resulting from joint management and ownership.    

Generally, we have disposed of self-storage facilities only when compelled to do so through condemnation proceedings.  Because we believe that we are an optimal operator of self-storage facilities, we have generally found that we cannot obtain sufficient value in selling properties.  As a result, we do not presently expect to raise significant capital selling self-storage facilities; however, there can be no assurance that we will not.

Investments in Real Estate and Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities

Investment Policies and Practices with respect to our investments: Following are our investment practices and policies which, though we do not anticipate any significant alteration, can be changed by our board of trustees (the “Board”) without a shareholder vote:

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Facilities Owned by Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities

At December 31, 2018, we had ownership interests in PSB and Shurgard Europe (each discussed above), which we do not control or consolidate. 

PSB and Shurgard Europe, have debt and other obligations that we do not consolidate in our financial statements.  Such debt or other obligations have no recourse to us.  See Note 4 to our December 31, 2018 financial statements for further disclosure regarding the assets, liabilities and operating results of PSB and Shurgard Europe.  In addition, PSB’s public filings are available at its website, www.psbusinessparks.com and on the SEC website, and Shurgard Europe’s public filings and publicly reported information can be obtained on its website, https://corporate.shurgard.eu and on the website of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, http://www.bourse.lu.

Canadian self-storage facilities owned by Former Chairman and Members of Board of Trustees 

At December 31, 2018, B. Wayne Hughes and Tamara Hughes Gustavson together owned and controlled 62 self-storage facilities in Canada.  These facilities operate under the “Public Storage” tradename, which we license to the owners of these facilities for use in Canada on a royalty-free, non-exclusive basis.  We have no ownership interest in these facilities and we do not own or operate any facilities in Canada.  If we chose to acquire or develop our own facilities in Canada, we would have to share the use of the “Public Storage” name in Canada.  We have a right of first refusal, subject to limitations, to acquire the stock or assets of the corporation engaged in the operation of these facilities if their owners agree to sell them.  Our subsidiaries reinsure risks relating to loss of goods stored by customers in these facilities, and have received approximately $1.3 million, $1.1 million and $848,000 for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.  Our right to continue receiving these premiums may be qualified.

Limitations on Debt

Our revolving credit facility, U.S. Dollar Notes and Euro Notes contain various customary financial covenants, including limitations on our ability to encumber our properties with mortgages and limitations on the level of indebtedness.  We believe we complied with each of these covenants as of December 31, 2018.

Employees

We had approximately 5,600 employees in the U.S. at December 31, 2018 who are engaged primarily in property operations.    

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Seasonality

We experience minor seasonal fluctuations in the demand for self-storage space, with demand and rental rates generally higher in the summer months than in the winter months.  We believe that these fluctuations result in part from increased moving activity during the summer months.

Insurance

We carry property, earthquake, general liability, employee medical insurance and workers compensation coverage through internationally recognized insurance carriers, subject to deductibles.  Our deductible for general liability is $2.0 million per occurrence.  Our annual deductible for property losses is $25.0 million per occurrence. This deductible decreases to $5.0 million once we reach $35.0 million in aggregate losses for occurrences that exceed however, once we reach $35.0 million in aggregate losses for occurrences that exceed $5.0 million.  Insurance carriers’ aggregate limits on these policies of $75.0 million for property losses and $102.0 million for general liability losses are higher than estimates of maximum probable losses 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 exceeded.

We reinsure a program that provides insurance to our customers from an independent third-party insurer.  This program covers customer 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 to cover this exposure for a limit of $15.0 million for losses in excess of $5.0 million per occurrence.  We are subject to licensing requirements and regulations in several states.  Customers participate in the program at their option.  At December 31, 2018, there were approximately 914,000 certificates held by our self-storage customers, representing aggregate coverage of approximately $2.9 billion.

ITEM 1A.  Risk Factors

In addition to the other information in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, you should consider the risks described below that we believe may be material to investors in evaluating the Company.  This section contains forward-looking statements, and in considering these statements, you should refer to the qualifications and limitations on our forward-looking statements that are described in Item 1, “Business.”

We have significant exposure to real estate risk.

Since our business consists primarily of acquiring and operating real estate, we are subject to the risks related to the ownership and operation of real estate that could result in reduced revenues, increased expenses, increased capital expenditures, or increased borrowings, which could negatively impact our operating results, cash flow available for distribution or reinvestment, and our stock price:   

Natural disasters or terrorist attacks could cause damage to our facilities, resulting in increased costs and reduced revenues.  Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, hurricanes and floods, or terrorist attacks could cause significant damage and require significant repair costs, and make facilities temporarily uninhabitable, reducing our revenues.  Damage and business interruption losses could exceed the aggregate limits of our insurance coverage.  In addition, because we self-insure a portion of our risks, losses below a certain level may not be covered by insurance.   See Note 13 to our December 31, 2018 financial statements for a description of the risks of losses that are not covered by third-party insurance contracts.  We may not have sufficient insurance coverage for losses caused by a terrorist attack, or such insurance may not be maintained, available or cost-effective.  In addition, significant natural disasters, terrorist attacks, threats of future terrorist attacks, or resulting wider armed conflicts could have negative impacts on storage demand and/or our revenues. 

Operating costs, including property taxes, could increase.  We could be subject to increases in insurance premiums, property or other taxes, repair and maintenance costs, payroll, utility costs, workers compensation, and other operating expenses due to various factors such as inflation, labor shortages, commodity and energy price increases, weather, increases to minimum wage rates, changes to governmental safety and real estate use limitations,

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as well as other governmental actions.  Our property tax expense, which totaled approximately $256.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2018, generally depends upon the assessed value of our real estate facilities as determined by assessors and government agencies, and accordingly could be subject to substantial increases if such agencies changed their valuation approaches or opinions or if new laws are enacted.  

The acquisition of existing properties is subject to risks that may adversely affect our growth and financial results.    We have acquired self-storage facilities from third parties in the past, and we expect to continue to do so in the future.    We face significant competition for suitable acquisition properties from other real estate investors.  As a result, we may be unable to acquire additional properties we desire or the purchase price for desirable properties may be significantly increased.    Failures or unexpected circumstances in integrating newly acquired properties into our operations or circumstances we did not detect during due diligence, such as environmental matters, needed repairs or deferred maintenance, or the effects of increased property tax following reassessment of a newly-acquired property, as well as the general risks of real estate investment, could jeopardize realization of the anticipated earnings from an acquisition. 

Development of self-storage facilities can subject us to risks.  At December 31, 2018, we have a pipeline of development projects totaling $607.4 million (subject to contingencies), and we expect to continue to seek additional development projects.  There are significant risks involved in developing self-storage facilities, such as delays or cost increases due to changes in or failure to meet government or regulatory requirements, failure of revenue to meet our underwriting estimates, weather issues, unforeseen site conditions, or personnel problems.  Self-storage space is generally not pre-leased, and rent-up of newly developed space can be delayed or ongoing cash flow yields can be reduced due to competition, reductions in storage demand, or other factors. 

There is significant competition among self-storage operators and from other storage alternatives.  Our self-storage facilities generate most of our revenue and earnings.  Competition in the local market areas in which many of our properties are located is significant and has affected our occupancy levels, rental rates and operating expenses.  Development of self-storage facilities has increased in recent years, which has intensified competition and will continue to do so as newly developed facilities are opened.  Development of self-storage facilities by other operators could continue to increase, due to increases in availability of funds for investment or other reasons, and further intensify competition.  

We may incur significant liabilities from environmental contamination or moisture infiltration.   Existing or future laws impose or may impose liability on us to clean up environmental contamination on or around properties that we currently or previously owned or operated, even if we were not responsible for or aware of the environmental contamination or even if such environmental contamination occurred prior to our involvement with the property.  We have conducted preliminary environmental assessments on most of our properties, which have not identified material liabilities.  These assessments, commonly referred to as “Phase 1 Environmental Assessments,” include an investigation (excluding soil or groundwater sampling or analysis) and a review of publicly available information regarding the site and other nearby properties.   

We are also subject to potential liability relating to moisture infiltration, which can result in mold or other damage to our or our customers’ property, as well as potential health concerns.  When we receive a complaint or otherwise become aware that an air quality concern exists, we implement corrective measures and seek to work proactively with our customers to resolve issues, subject to our contractual limitations on liability for such claims. 

We are not aware of any environmental contamination or moisture infiltration related liabilities that could be material to our overall business, financial condition, or results of operation.  However, we may not have detected all material liabilities, we could acquire properties with material undetected liabilities, or new conditions could arise or develop at our properties, any of which would result in a cash settlement or adversely affect our ability to sell, lease, operate, or encumber affected facilities.  

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Economic conditions can adversely affect our business, financial condition, growth and access to capital.

Our revenues and operating cash flow can be negatively impacted by reductions in employment and population levels, household and disposable income, and other general economic factors that lead to a reduction in demand for rental space in each of the markets in which we operate.   

Our ability to raise capital to fund our activities may be adversely affected by challenging market conditions.  If we were unable to raise capital at reasonable rates, prospective earnings growth through expanding our asset base could be limited. 

We have exposure to European operations through our ownership in Shurgard Europe.

We own a 35.2% equity interest in Shurgard Europe, with our investment having a $349.5 million book value at December 31, 2018, and $14.1 million in equity in earnings in 2018.  As a result, we are exposed to additional risks related to international operations that may adversely impact our business and financial results, including the following: 

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The Hughes Family could control us and take actions adverse to other shareholders.  

At December 31, 2018, B. Wayne Hughes, our former Chairman and his family, which includes his daughter, Tamara Hughes Gustavson and his son, B. Wayne Hughes, Jr., who are both members of our Board of Trustees (collectively, the “Hughes Family”), owned approximately 14.5% of our aggregate outstanding common shares. Our declaration of trust permits the Hughes Family to own up to 35.66% of our outstanding common shares while it generally restricts the ownership by other persons and entities to 3% of our outstanding common shares. Consequently, the Hughes Family may significantly influence matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, including electing trustees, amending our organizational documents, dissolving and approving other extraordinary transactions, such as a takeover attempt, resulting in an outcome that may not be favorable to other shareholders.

Takeover attempts or changes in control could be thwarted, even if beneficial to shareholders.

In certain circumstances, shareholders might desire a change of control or acquisition of us, in order to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of our shares or for other reasons.  However, the following could prevent, deter, or delay such a transaction:  

If we failed to qualify as a REIT, we would have to pay substantial income taxes.

REITs are subject to a range of complex organizational and operational requirements.  A qualifying REIT does not generally incur federal income tax on its net income that is distributed to its shareholders.  Our REIT status is also dependent upon the ongoing REIT qualification of PSB as a result of our substantial ownership interest in it. We believe we have qualified as a REIT and we intend to continue to maintain our REIT status.

There can be no assurance that we qualify or will continue to qualify as a REIT, because of the highly technical nature of the REIT rules, the ongoing importance of factual determinations, the possibility of unidentified issues in prior periods or changes in our circumstances, as well as share ownership limits in our articles of incorporation that do not necessarily ensure that our shareholder base is sufficiently diverse for us to qualify as a REIT. For any year we fail to qualify as a REIT, unless certain relief provisions apply (the granting of such relief could nonetheless result in significant excise or penalty taxes), we would not be allowed a deduction for dividends paid, we would be subject to corporate tax on our taxable income, and generally we would not be allowed to elect REIT status until the fifth year after such a disqualification. Any taxes, interest, and penalties incurred would reduce

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our cash available for distributions to shareholders and could negatively affect our stock price. However, for years in which we failed to qualify as a REIT, we would not be subject to REIT rules which require us to distribute substantially all of our taxable income to our shareholders.

Holders of our preferred shares have dividend, liquidation and other rights that are senior to the rights of the holders of shares of our common stock.

Holders of our preferred shares are entitled to cumulative dividends before any dividends may be declared or set aside on our common stock.  Upon liquidation, holders of our preferred shares will receive a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share (or $25.00 per depositary share) plus any accrued and unpaid distributions before any payment is made to the common shareholders.  These preferences may limit the amount received by our common shareholders either from ongoing distributions or upon liquidation.  In addition, our preferred shareholders have the right to elect two additional directors to our Board whenever dividends are in arrears in an aggregate amount equivalent to six or more quarterly dividends, whether or not consecutive.

Preferred Shareholders are subject to certain risks

Holders of our preferred shares have preference rights over our common shareholders with respect to liquidation and distributions, which give them some assurance of continued payment of their stated dividend rate, and receipt of their principal upon liquidation of the Company or redemption of their securities.  However, holders of our Preferred Shares should consider the following risks:

Changes in tax laws could negatively impact us.

The United States Treasury Department and Congress frequently review federal income tax legislation, regulations and other guidance.  We cannot predict whether, when or to what extent new federal tax laws, regulations, interpretations or rulings will be adopted.  Any legislative action may prospectively or retroactively modify our tax treatment and, therefore, may adversely affect taxation of us or our shareholders. 



Changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”), signed into law on December 22, 2017, will limit our ability to deduct compensation in excess of $1 million paid to certain senior executives.  This could require us to increase distributions to our shareholders in order to avoid paying tax and to maintain our REIT status.

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We may pay some taxes, reducing cash available for shareholders.

Even if we qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to some federal, foreign, state and local taxes on our income and property.  Since January 1, 2001, certain consolidated corporate subsidiaries of the Company have elected to be treated as “taxable REIT subsidiaries” for federal income tax purposes, and are taxable as regular corporations and subject to certain limitations on intercompany transactions.  If tax authorities determine that amounts paid by our taxable REIT subsidiaries to us are not reasonable compared to similar arrangements among unrelated parties, we could be subject to a 100% penalty tax on the excess payments, and ongoing intercompany arrangements could have to change, resulting in higher ongoing tax payments.  To the extent the Company is required to pay federal, foreign, state or local taxes or federal penalty taxes due to existing laws or changes thereto, we will have less cash available for distribution to shareholders. 

In addition, certain local and state governments have imposed taxes on self-storage rent.  While in most cases those taxes are paid by our customers, they increase the cost of self-storage rental to our customers and can negatively impact our revenues.  Other local and state governments may impose self-storage rent taxes in the future. 

We have exposure to increased property tax in California.

Approximately $565 million of our 2018 net operating income is from our properties in California, and we incurred approximately $41 million in related property tax expense.  Due to the impact of Proposition 13, which generally limits increases in assessed values to 2% per year, the assessed value and resulting property tax we pay is less than it would be if the properties were assessed at current values.  From time to time,  proposals have been made to reduce the beneficial impact of Proposition 13, particularly with respect to commercial and industrial (non-residential) real estate, which would include self-storage facilities.  In late 2018, an initiative qualified for California’s November 2020 statewide ballot that would create a “split roll,” generally making Proposition 13’s protections only applicable to residential real estate.  We cannot predict whether the initiative will actually be on the ballot in 2020, or what the prospects for passage might be, or whether other changes to Proposition 13 may be proposed or adopted.  If the initiative or a similar proposal were to be adopted, it would end the beneficial effect of Proposition 13 for our properties, and our property tax expense could increase substantially, adversely affecting our cash flow from operations and net income. 

We are exposed to ongoing litigation and other legal and regulatory actions, which may divert management’s time and attention, require us to pay damages and expenses or restrict the operation of our business.

We have over 5,600 employees, more than 1.4 million customers, and we conduct business at facilities with 162 million net rentable square feet of storage space.  As a result, we are subject to the risk of legal claims and proceedings (including class actions) and regulatory enforcement actions in the ordinary course of our business and otherwise, and we could incur significant liabilities and substantial legal fees as a result of these actions.  Resolution of these claims and actions may divert time and attention by our management could involve payment of damages or expenses by us, all of which may be significant, and could damage our reputation and our brand.  In addition, any such resolution could involve our agreement to terms that restrict the operation of our business.  The results of legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty.  We cannot guarantee losses incurred in connection with any current or future legal or regulatory proceedings or actions will not exceed any provisions we may have set aside in respect of such proceedings or actions or will not exceed any available insurance coverage.  The impact of any such legal claims, proceedings, and regulatory enforcement actions and could negatively impact our operating results, cash flow available for distribution or reinvestment, and/or the price of our common shares.  

We are heavily dependent on computer systems, telecommunications and the Internet to process transactions, summarize results and manage our business.  The failure or disruption of our computer and communications systems could significantly harm our business.



We are heavily dependent upon automated information technology and Internet commerce, with more than half of our new customers coming from the telephone or over the Internet.  We centrally manage significant components of our operations with our computer systems, including our financial information, and we also rely extensively on third-party vendors to retain data, process transactions and provide other systems services.  These

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systems are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, computer and telecommunications failures, hackers, computer worms, viruses and other destructive or disruptive security breaches and catastrophic events.  Such incidents could also result in significant costs to repair or replace such networks or information systems.  As a result, our operations could be severely impacted by a natural disaster, terrorist attack, attack by hackers, acts of vandalism, data theft, misplaced or lost data, programming or human error, or other circumstance that results in a significant outage of our systems or those of our third party providers, despite our use of back up and redundancy measures. 

If our confidential information is compromised or corrupted, including as a result of a cybersecurity breach, our reputation and business relationships could be damaged, which could adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.



In the ordinary course of our business we acquire and store sensitive data, including personally identifiable information of our prospective and current customers and our employees.  The secure processing and maintenance of this information is critical to our operations and business strategy.  Although we believe we have taken commercially reasonable steps to protect the security of our confidential information, information security risks have generally increased in recent years due to the rise in new technologies and the increased sophistication and activities of perpetrators of cyberattacks.  Despite our security measures, our information technology and infrastructure could be vulnerable to a cyberattack or other data security breach which would penetrate our network security and our or our customers’ or employees’ confidential information could be compromised or misappropriated.  Our confidential information may also be compromised due to programming or human error or malfeasance.  Ever-evolving threats mean we must continually evaluate and adapt our systems and processes, and there is no guarantee that they will be adequate to safeguard against all data security breaches or misuses of data.  In addition, as the regulatory environment related to information security, data collection and use, and privacy becomes increasingly rigorous, with new and changing requirements applicable to our business from multiple regulatory agencies at the local, state, federal, or international level, compliance with those requirement could also result in additional costs, or we could fail to comply with those requirements due to various reasons such as not being aware of them.   



Any such access, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, regulatory penalties, disruption to our operations and the services we provide to customers or damage our reputation, any of which could adversely affect our results of operations, reputation and competitive position.  In addition, our customers could lose confidence in our ability to protect their personal information, which could cause them to discontinue leasing our self-storage facilities.  Such events could lead to lost future revenues and adversely affect our results of operations and could result in remedial and other costs, fines or lawsuits, which could be in excess of any available insurance that we have procured.

We are subject to laws and governmental regulations and actions that require us to incur compliance costs affecting our operating results and financial condition.

Our business is subject to regulation under a wide variety of U.S. federal, state and local laws, regulations and policies including those imposed by the SEC, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and NYSE, as well as applicable local, state, and national labor laws. Although we have policies and procedures designed to comply with applicable laws and regulations, failure to comply with the various laws and regulations may result in civil and criminal liability, fines and penalties, increased costs of compliance, restatement of our financial statements and could also affect the marketability of our real estate facilities.

In response to current economic conditions or the current political environment or otherwise, laws and regulations could be implemented or changed in ways that adversely affect our operating results and financial condition, such as legislation that could facilitate union activity or that would otherwise increase operating costs.

All of our properties must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and with related regulations and similar state law requirements, as well as various real estate and zoning laws and regulations, which are subject to change and could become more costly to comply with in the future.  Compliance with these requirements can require us to incur significant expenditures, which would reduce cash otherwise available for distribution to shareholders.  A failure to comply with these laws could lead to fines or possible awards of damages to individuals affected by the non-compliance.  Failure to comply with these requirements could also affect the marketability of our real estate facilities.

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Our tenant reinsurance business is subject to governmental regulation which could reduce our profitability or limit our growth.

We hold Limited Lines Self-Service Storage Insurance Agent licenses from a number of individual state departments of insurance and are subject to state governmental regulation and supervision.  Our continued ability to maintain these Limited Lines Self-Service Storage Insurance Agent licenses in the jurisdictions in which we are licensed depends on our compliance with related rules and regulations.  The regulatory authorities in each jurisdiction generally have broad discretion to grant, renew and revoke licenses and approvals, to promulgate, interpret, and implement regulations, and to evaluate compliance with regulations through periodic examinations, audits and investigations of the affairs of insurance agents.  As a result of regulatory or private action in any jurisdiction, we may be temporarily or permanently suspended from continuing some or all of our reinsurance activities, or otherwise fined or penalized or suffer an adverse judgment, which could reduce our net income. 

ITEM 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

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ITEM 2.Properties

At December 31, 2018,  we had controlling ownership interests in 2,429 self-storage facilities located in 38 states within the U.S., and we have a 35.2% interest in Shurgard Europe which owns 232 storage facilities located in seven Western European nations:



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We seek to maximize our facilities’ cash flow through the regular review and adjustment of rents charged and promotions granted to our existing and new incoming customers, and controlling expenses.  For the year ended December 31, 2018,  the weighted average occupancy level and the average realized rent per occupied square foot for our self-storage facilities were approximately 91.3% and $17.01, respectively, in the U.S. and 87.0% and $22.47, respectively, in Europe.    

At December 31, 2018, 30 of our U.S. facilities with a net book value of $111 million were encumbered by an aggregate of $27 million in mortgage notes payable. 

We have no specific policy as to the maximum size of any one particular self-storage facility.  However, none of our facilities involves, or is expected to involve, 1% or more of our total assets, gross revenues or net income.

Description of Self-Storage Facilities: Self-storage facilities, which comprise the majority of our investments, offer accessible storage space for personal and business use at a relatively low cost.  A user rents a fully enclosed space, securing the space with their lock, which is for the user's exclusive use and to which only the user has access.  Property managers operate the facility and are supervised by district managers.  Some self-storage facilities also include rentable uncovered parking areas for vehicle storage.  Space is rented on a month-to-month basis and rental rates vary according to the location of the property, the size of the storage space and other characteristics that affect the relative attractiveness of each particular space, such as whether the space has “drive-up” access, its proximity to elevators, or if the space is climate controlled.  All of our self-storage facilities in the U.S. are operated under the "Public Storage" brand name, while our facilities in Europe are operated under the “Shurgard” brand name.

Users include individuals from virtually all demographic groups, as well as businesses.  Individuals usually store furniture, household appliances, personal belongings, motor vehicles, boats, campers, motorcycles and other household goods.  Businesses normally store excess inventory, business records, seasonal goods, equipment and fixtures.

Our self-storage facilities generally consist of between 350 to 750 storage spaces.  Most spaces have between 25 and 400 square feet and an interior height of approximately eight to 12 feet.

We experience minor seasonal fluctuations in the occupancy levels of self-storage facilities with occupancies generally higher in the summer months than in the winter months.  We believe that these fluctuations result in part from increased demand from moving activity during the summer months and incremental demand from college students.

Our self-storage facilities are geographically diversified and are located primarily in or near major metropolitan markets in 38 states in the U.S.  Generally our self-storage facilities are located in heavily populated areas and close to concentrations of apartment complexes, single family residences and commercial developments. 

Competition from other self-storage facilities is significant and affects the occupancy levels, rental rates, rental income and operating expenses of our facilities. 

We believe that self-storage facilities, upon achieving stabilized occupancy levels of approximately 90%, have attractive characteristics consisting of high profit margins, a broad tenant base, low levels of capital expenditures to maintain their condition and appearance and excellent returns on invested capital.  Historically, upon reaching stabilization, our U.S. self-storage facilities have generally shown a high degree of stability in generating cash flows. 

Description of Commercial Properties: We have an interest in PSB, which, as of December 31, 2018, owns and operates approximately 28.2 million rentable square feet of commercial space in six states.  At December 31, 2018,  the $434.5 million book value and $1.9 billion market value, respectively, of our investment in PSB represents approximately 4% and 17%, respectively, of our total book value assets.  We also directly own 0.8 million net rentable square feet of commercial space managed primarily by PSB. 

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The commercial properties owned by PSB consist primarily of flex, multi-tenant office and industrial space.  Flex space is defined as buildings that are configured with a combination of office and warehouse space and can be designed to fit a wide variety of uses (including office, assembly, showroom, laboratory, light manufacturing and warehouse space). 

Environmental Matters:  We accrue environmental assessments and estimated remediation cost when it is probable that such efforts will be required and the related costs can be reasonably estimated.  Our current practice is to conduct environmental investigations in connection with property acquisitions.  Although there can be no assurance, we are not aware of any environmental contamination of any of our facilities, which individually or in the aggregate would be material to our overall business, financial condition, or results of operations.

ITEM 3.Legal Proceedings

We are a party to various legal proceedings and subject to various claims and complaints; however, we believe that the likelihood of these contingencies resulting in a material loss to the Company, either individually or in the aggregate, is remote.

ITEM 4.Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

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PART II

ITEM 5.Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Our Common Shares of beneficial interest (the “Common Shares”) (NYSE: PSA) have been listed on the NYSE since October 19, 1984.  As of February 25, 2019, there were approximately 12,193 holders of record of our Common Shares. 

Our Board of Trustees has authorized management to repurchase up to 35,000,000 of our common shares on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions.  From the inception of the repurchase program through February 27, 2019, we have repurchased a total of 23,721,916 common shares (all purchased prior to 2010) at an aggregate cost of approximately $679.1 million.  Our common share repurchase program does not have an expiration date and there are 11,278,084 common shares that may yet be repurchased under our repurchase program as of December 31, 2018.  We have no current plans to repurchase shares; however, future levels of common share repurchases will be dependent upon our available capital, investment alternatives, and the trading price of our common shares. 

Refer to Item 12. “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters” for information about our equity compensation plans.



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ITEM 6.Selected Financial Data









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ITEM 7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and notes thereto.

Critical Accounting Policies

Our MD&A discusses our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), and are affected by our judgments, assumptions and estimates.  The notes to our December 31, 2018 financial statements, primarily Note 2, summarize our significant accounting policies.

We believe the following are our critical accounting policies, because they have a material impact on the portrayal of our financial condition and results, and they require us to make judgments and estimates about matters that are inherently uncertain.

Income Tax Expense:  We have elected to be treated as a REIT, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).  As a REIT, we do not incur federal income tax on our REIT taxable income that is fully distributed each year (for this purpose, certain distributions paid in a subsequent year may be considered), and if we meet certain organizational and operational rules.  We believe we have met these REIT requirements for all periods presented herein.  Accordingly, we have recorded no federal income tax expense related to our REIT taxable income.

Our evaluation that we have met the REIT requirements could be incorrect, because compliance with the tax rules requires factual determinations, and circumstances we have not identified could result in noncompliance with the tax requirements in current or prior years.  For any taxable year that we fail to qualify as a REIT and for which applicable statutory relief provisions did not apply, we would be taxed at the regular corporate rates on all of our taxable income for at least that year and the ensuing four years, we could be subject to penalties and interest, and our net income would be materially different from the amounts estimated in our financial statements. 

In addition, certain of our consolidated corporate subsidiaries have elected to be treated as “taxable REIT subsidiaries” for federal income tax purposes, which are taxable as regular corporations and subject to certain limitations on intercompany transactions.  If tax authorities determine that amounts paid by our taxable REIT subsidiaries to us are not reasonable compared to similar arrangements among unrelated parties, we could be subject to a 100% penalty tax on the excess payments.  Such a penalty tax could have a material adverse impact on our net income.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets:  The analysis of impairment of our long-lived assets involves identification of indicators of impairment, projections of future operating cash flows, and estimates of fair values, all of which require significant judgment and subjectivity.  Others could come to materially different conclusions.  In addition, we may not have identified all current facts and circumstances that may affect impairment.  Any unidentified impairment loss, or change in conclusions, could have a material adverse impact on our net income.

Accrual for Uncertain and Contingent Liabilities:  We accrue for certain contingent and other liabilities that have significant uncertain elements, such as property taxes, workers compensation claims, tenant reinsurance claims, as well as other legal claims and disputes involving customers, employees, governmental agencies and other third parties.  We estimate such liabilities based upon many factors such as assumptions of past and future trends and our evaluation of likely outcomes.  However, the estimates of known liabilities could be incorrect or we may not be aware of all such liabilities, in which case our accrued liabilities and net income could be misstated. 

Accounting for Acquired Real Estate Facilities:    We estimate the fair values of the land, buildings and intangible assets acquired for purposes of allocating the purchase price.  Such estimates are based upon many assumptions and judgments, including (i) market rates of return and capitalization rates on real estate and intangible assets, (ii) building and material cost levels, (iii) comparisons of the acquired underlying land parcels to recent land

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transactions, and (iv) future cash flows from the real estate and the existing tenant base.  Others could come to materially different conclusions as to the estimated fair values, which would result in different depreciation and amortization expense, gains and losses on sale of real estate assets, and real estate and intangible assets.

Overview

Our self-storage operations generate most of our net income, and we believe that our earnings growth is most impacted by the level of organic growth in our existing self-storage portfolio.  Accordingly, a significant portion of management’s time is devoted to maximizing cash flows from our existing self-storage facilities. 

Most of our facilities compete with other well-managed and well-located competitors and we are subject to general economic conditions, particularly those that affect the spending habits of consumers and moving trends.  We believe that our centralized information networks, national telephone and online reservation system, the brand name “Public Storage,” and our economies of scale enable us to meet such challenges effectively.

In the last three years, there has been a marked increase in development of new self-storage facilities in many of the markets we operate in, due to the favorable economics of development which we have also taken advantage of.  These newly developed facilities compete with many of the facilities we own, negatively impacting our occupancies, rental rates, and rental growth.  This increase in supply has been most notable in Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York, and Portland.

We plan on growing organically as well as through the acquisition and development of new facilities and expanding our existing self-storage facilities.  Since the beginning of 2013 through December 31, 2018, we acquired a total of 296 facilities with 20.6 million net rentable square feet from third parties for approximately $2.7 billion, and we opened newly developed and expanded self-storage space for a total cost of $1.2 billion, adding approximately 11.3 million net rentable square feet. 

Subsequent to December 31, 2018, we acquired or were under contract to acquire (subject to customary closing conditions) 14 self-storage facilities for $102.4 million.  We will continue to seek to acquire properties; however, there is significant competition to acquire existing facilities and there can be no assurance as to the level of facilities we may acquire. 

As of December 31, 2018, we had additional development and redevelopment projects to build approximately 5.2 million net rentable square feet at a total cost of approximately $607.4 million.  We expect to continue to seek additional development projects; however, the level of such activity may be limited due to various constraints such as difficulty in finding available sites that meet our risk-adjusted yield expectations, as well as challenges in obtaining building permits for self-storage activities in certain municipalities. 

We believe that our development and redevelopment activities are beneficial to our business over the long run.  However, in the short run, such activities dilute our earnings due to the three to four year period that it takes to fill up newly developed and redeveloped storage facilities and reach a stabilized level of cash flows offset by the cost of capital to fund the cost, combined with related overhead expenses flowing through general and administrative expense.  We believe the level of dilution incurred in 2018 will continue at similar levels in 2019 and beyond, assuming realization of our current expectation of maintaining our current level of development for the foreseeable future. 

On July 13, 2018, we received a cash distribution from Shurgard Self Storage SA (“Shurgard Europe”) totaling $145.4 million. 

On September 18, 2017, we completed a public offering of $1.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes in two equal tranches (collectively, the “U.S. Dollar Notes”), one maturing in September 2022 bearing interest at 2.370%, and another maturing in September 2027 bearing interest at 3.094%.  This was our first public offering of debt, which should also serve to facilitate future offerings. 

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On October 15, 2018, Shurgard Europe completed an initial global offering (the “Offering”) of its common shares, and its shares commenced trading on Euronext Brussels under the “SHUR” symbol.  In the Offering, Shurgard Europe issued 25.0 million of its common shares to third parties at a price of €23 per share, for €575 million in gross proceeds.  The gross proceeds were used to repay short-term borrowings, invest in real estate assets, and for other corporate purposes.  Our equity interest, comprised of a direct and indirect pro-rata ownership interest in 31.3 million shares, decreased from 49% to 35.2% as a result of the Offering.  While we did not sell any of our shares in the Offering, we did record a gain on disposition in 2018 of $151.6 million, as if we had sold a proportionate share of our investment in Shurgard Europe.  See “Investment in Shurgard Europe” below for more information. 

On October 18, 2018, we sold our property in West London to Shurgard Europe for $42.1 million and recorded a related gain on sale of real estate of approximately $31.5 million. 

As of December 31, 2018, our capital resources over the next year are expected to be approximately $1.1 billion which exceeds our current planned capital needs over the next year of approximately $711.4 million.  Our capital resources include: (i) $361.2 million of cash as of December 31, 2018, (ii) $483.8 million of available borrowing capacity on our revolving line of credit, and (iii) approximately $200 million to $250 million of expected retained operating cash flow for the next twelve months.  Retained operating cash flow represents our expected cash flow provided by operating activities, less shareholder distributions and capital expenditures to maintain our real estate facilities. 

Our planned capital needs over the next year consist of (i) $322.1 million of remaining spend on our current development pipeline, (ii) $102.4 million in property acquisitions currently under contract, (iii) $285.0 million for the redemption of our Series Y Preferred Shares on March 28, 2019, and (iv)  $1.9 million in principal repayments on existing debt.  Our capital needs may increase over the next year as we expect to add projects to our development pipeline and acquire additional properties.  In addition to other investment activities, we may also redeem outstanding preferred securities or repurchase shares of our common stock in the future. 

See Liquidity and Capital Resources for further information regarding our capital requirements and anticipated sources of capital to fund such requirements. 

Results of Operations

Operating results for 2018 and 2017

In 2018, net income allocable to our common shareholders was $1,488.9 million or $8.54 per diluted common share, compared to $1,171.6 million or $6.73 per diluted common share in 2017 representing an increase of $317.3 million or $1.81 per diluted common share.  The increase is due primarily to (i) $183.1 million in aggregate gains due to Shurgard Europe’s initial public offering and the sale of our facility in West London to Shurgard Europe, (ii) a $47.1 million increase in self-storage net operating income (described below), (iii) our $37.7 million equity share of gains recorded by PS Business Parks in 2018, (iv) a $68.2 million increase due to the impact of foreign currency exchange gains and losses associated with our euro denominated debt, (v) a $29.3 million allocation to preferred shareholders associated with preferred share redemptions in 2017 and (vi) a $7.8 million casualty loss and $5.2 million in incremental tenant reinsurance losses related to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017.  These impacts were offset partially by a $36.1 million increase in general and administrative expense due to the acceleration of share-based compensation expense accruals for our former CEO and CFO in 2018 as a result of their retirement on December 31, 2018 and the reversal of share-based compensation accruals forfeited by retiring senior executive officers in 2017.

The $47.1 million increase in self-storage net operating income is a result of a $15.6 million increase in our Same Store Facilities and $31.5 million increase in our Non Same Store Facilities.  Revenues for the Same Store Facilities increased 1.5% or $33.3 million in 2018 as compared to 2017, due primarily to higher realized annual rent per occupied square foot.  Cost of operations for the Same Store Facilities increased by 3.2% or $17.7 million in 2018 as compared to 2017, due primarily to increased property taxes.  The increase in net operating income of $31.5 million for the Non Same Store Facilities is due primarily to the impact of 164 self-storage facilities acquired and developed since January 2016.

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Operating results for 2017 and 2016

In 2017, net income allocable to our common shareholders was $1,171.6 million or $6.73 per diluted common share, compared to $1,183.9 million or $6.81 per share in 2016 representing a decrease of $12.3 million or $0.08.  The decrease primarily reflects (i) a $67.6 million reduction due to the impact of foreign exchange translation gains and losses associated with our euro denominated debt, (ii) an $8.5 million increase in interest expense associated with higher outstanding debt balances and (iii) a $7.8 million casualty loss and $5.2 million in incremental tenant reinsurance losses related to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma offset partially by (iv) a $66.9 million increase in self-storage net operating income (described below) and (v) an $18.9 million increase in our equity in earnings of unconsolidated real estate entities.

The $66.9 million increase in self-storage net operating income is a result of a $46.2 million increase in our Same Store Facilities (as defined below) and a $20.7 million increase in our Non Same Store Facilities (as defined below).  Revenues for the Same Store Facilities increased 3.0% or $64.6 million in 2017 as compared to 2016, due primarily to higher realized annual rent per occupied square foot.  Cost of operations for the Same Store Facilities increased by 3.4% or $18.3 million in 2017 as compared to 2016, due primarily to increased property taxes, advertising and selling expense and repairs and maintenance costs, offset partially by lower snow removal costs.  The increase in net operating income for the Non Same Store Facilities is due primarily to the impact of recently acquired, developed or expanded facilities.

Funds from Operations and Core Funds from Operations

Funds from Operations (“FFO”) and FFO per share are non-GAAP measures defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts and are considered helpful measures of REIT performance by REITs and many REIT analysts.  FFO represents GAAP net income before depreciation and amortization, which is excluded because it is based upon historical costs and assumes that building values diminish ratably over time, while we believe that real estate values fluctuate due to market conditions.  FFO also excludes gains or losses on sale of real estate assets and real estate impairment charges, which are also based upon historical costs and are impacted by historical depreciation.  FFO and FFO per share are not a substitute for net income or earnings per share.  FFO is not a substitute for GAAP net cash flow in evaluating our liquidity or ability to pay dividends, because it excludes investing and financing activities presented on our statements of cash flows.  In addition, other REITs may compute these measures differently, so comparisons among REITs may not be helpful.

For the year ended December 31, 2018, FFO was $10.45 per diluted common share, as compared to $9.70 per diluted common share for each of the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, representing an increase in 2018 of 7.7%, or $0.75 per diluted common share.

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The following tables reconcile diluted earnings per share to FFO per share and set forth the computation of FFO per share:

We also present “Core FFO per share,” a non-GAAP measure that represents FFO per share excluding the impact of (i) foreign currency exchange gains and losses, (ii) EITF D-42 charges related to the redemption of preferred securities, (iii) acceleration of accruals due to the retirement of our former CEO and CFO and reversals of accruals with respect to share-based awards forfeited by retiring senior executive officers, and (iv) certain other non-cash and/or nonrecurring income or expense items.  We review Core FFO per share to evaluate our ongoing operating performance and we believe it is used by investors and REIT analysts in a similar manner.  However, Core FFO per share is not a substitute for net income per share.  Because other REITs may not compute Core FFO per share in the same manner as we do, may not use the same terminology or may not present such a measure, Core FFO per share may not be comparable among REITs.

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The following table reconciles FFO per share to Core FFO per share:



Analysis of Net Income by Reportable Segment

The following discussion and analysis is presented and organized in accordance with Note 11 to our December 31, 2018 financial statements, “Segment Information.”  Accordingly, refer to the tables presented in Note 11 in order to reconcile such amounts to our total net income and for further information on our reportable segments.

Self-Storage Operations

Our self-storage operations are analyzed in two groups: (i) the 2,046 facilities that we have owned and operated on a stabilized basis since January 1, 2016 (the “Same Store Facilities”), and (ii) all other facilities, which are newly acquired, newly developed, recently redeveloped, or are otherwise not stabilized with respect to occupancies or rental rates since January 1, 2016 (the “Non Same Store Facilities”).  See Note 11 to our December 31, 2018 financial statements “Segment Information,” for a reconciliation of the amounts in the tables below to our total net income.

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