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Equity
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Equity [Abstract]  
Equity
Equity

Preferred Stock—The Company had the following series of Cumulative Redeemable and Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock outstanding as of December 31, 2014 and 2013:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cumulative Preferential Cash
Dividends(1)(2)
Series
 
Shares Issued and
Outstanding
(in thousands)
 
Par Value
 
Liquidation Preference
 
Rate per Annum
 
Equivalent to
Fixed Annual
Rate (per share)
D
 
4,000

 
$
0.001

 
$
25.00

 
8.000
%
 
$
2.00

E
 
5,600

 
0.001

 
25.00

 
7.875
%
 
1.97

F
 
4,000

 
0.001

 
25.00

 
7.8
%
 
1.95

G
 
3,200

 
0.001

 
25.00

 
7.65
%
 
1.91

I
 
5,000

 
0.001

 
25.00

 
7.50
%
 
1.88

J
 
4,000

 
0.001

 
50.00

 
4.50
%
 
2.25

 
 
25,800

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 


Explanatory Notes:
_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)
Holders of shares of the Series D, E, F, G, I and J preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends, when and as declared by the Board of Directors, out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends. Dividends are cumulative from the date of original issue and are payable quarterly in arrears on or before the 15th day of each March, June, September and December or, if not a business day, the next succeeding business day. Any dividend payable on the preferred stock for any partial dividend period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. Dividends will be payable to holders of record as of the close of business on the first day of the calendar month in which the applicable dividend payment date falls or on another date designated by the Board of Directors of the Company for the payment of dividends that is not more than 30 nor less than 10 days prior to the dividend payment date.
(2)
The Company declared and paid dividends of $8.0 million, $11.0 million, $7.8 million, $6.1 million and $9.4 million on its Series D, E, F, G and I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013. The Company declared and paid dividends of $9.0 million and $6.7 million on its Series J Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. All of the dividends qualified as return of capital for tax reporting purposes. There are no dividend arrearages on any of the preferred shares currently outstanding.
High Performance Unit Program
In May 2002, the Company's shareholders approved the iStar Financial High Performance Unit ("HPU") Program. The program entitled employee participants ("HPU Holders") to receive distributions if the total rate of return on the Company's Common Stock (share price appreciation plus dividends) exceeded certain performance thresholds over a specified valuation period. The Company established seven HPU plans that had valuation periods ending between 2002 and 2008 and the Company has not established any new HPU plans since 2005. HPU Holders purchased interests in the High Performance Common Stock for an aggregate initial purchase price of $9.8 million. The remaining four plans that had valuation periods which ended in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, did not meet their required performance thresholds, none of the plans were funded and the Company redeemed the participants' units.
The 2002, 2003 and 2004 plans all exceeded their performance thresholds and are entitled to receive distributions equivalent to the amount of dividends payable on 819,254 shares, 987,149 shares and 1,031,875 shares, respectively, of the Company's Common Stock as and when such dividends are paid on the Company's Common Stock. Each of these three plans has 5,000 shares of High Performance Common Stock associated with it, which is recorded as a separate class of stock within shareholders' equity on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. High Performance Common Stock carries 0.25 votes per share. Net income allocable to common shareholders is reduced by the HPU holders' share of earnings.
Dividends—In order to maintain its election to qualify as a REIT, the Company must currently distribute, at a minimum, an amount equal to 90% of its taxable income, excluding net capital gains, and must distribute 100% of its taxable income (including net capital gains) to avoid paying corporate federal income taxes. The Company has recorded net operating losses and may record net operating losses in the future, which may reduce its taxable income in future periods and lower or eliminate entirely the Company's obligation to pay dividends for such periods in order to maintain its REIT qualification. As of December 31, 2013, the Company had $759.8 million of net operating loss carryforwards at the corporate REIT level that can generally be used to offset both ordinary and capital taxable income in future years and will expire through 2033 if unused. The amount of net operating loss carryforwards as of December 31, 2014 will be determined upon finalization of the Company's 2014 tax return. Because taxable income differs from cash flow from operations due to non-cash revenues and expenses (such as depreciation and certain asset impairments), in certain circumstances, the Company may generate operating cash flow in excess of its dividends or, alternatively, may need to make dividend payments in excess of operating cash flows. The Company's 2012 Tranche A-2 Facility permits the Company to distribute 100% of its REIT taxable income on an annual basis, for so long as the Company maintains its qualification as a REIT. The 2012 Tranche A-2 Facility restricts the Company from paying any common dividends if it ceases to qualify as a REIT. The Company did not declare or pay any Common Stock dividends for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

Stock Repurchase Programs—In September 2013, the Company's Board of Directors approved an increase in the repurchase limit under the Company's previously approved stock repurchase program to $50.0 million. The program authorizes the repurchase of Common Stock from time to time in open market and privately negotiated purchases, including pursuant to one or more trading plans. During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company repurchased 1.7 million shares of its outstanding Common Stock for $21.0 million, at an average cost of $12.35 per share. There were no stock repurchases during the year ended December 31, 2014. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had up to $29.0 million of Common Stock available to repurchase under its Board authorized stock repurchase program.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)—"Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)" reflected in the Company's shareholders' equity is comprised of the following ($ in thousands):
 
As of December 31,
 
2014
 
2013
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities
$
2,983

 
$
(294
)
Unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges
(409
)
 
662

Unrealized losses on cumulative translation adjustment
(3,545
)
 
(4,644
)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
$
(971
)
 
$
(4,276
)