SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND PARTNERS' CAPITAL

Common Stock and Common Units

The Company's authorized common stock consists of 350,000,000 shares at $0.01 par value per share. The Company had 171,088,778 and 170,792,645 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Partners in the Operating Partnership hold their ownership through common and special common units of limited partnership interest, hereinafter referred to as "common units." A common unit and a share of CBL's common stock have essentially the same economic characteristics, as they effectively participate equally in the net income and distributions of the Operating Partnership. For each share of common stock issued by CBL, the Operating Partnership has issued a corresponding number of common units to CBL in exchange for the proceeds from the stock issuance. The Operating Partnership had 199,297,151 and 199,085,032 common units outstanding as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Each limited partner in the Operating Partnership has the right to exchange all or a portion of its common units for shares of CBL's common stock, or at the Company's election, their cash equivalent. When an exchange for common stock occurs, the Company assumes the limited partner's common units in the Operating Partnership. The number of shares of common stock received by a limited partner of the Operating Partnership upon exercise of its exchange rights will be equal, on a one-for-one basis, to the number of common units exchanged by the limited partner. If the Company elects to pay cash, the amount of cash paid by the Operating Partnership to redeem the limited partner's common units will be based on the five-day trailing average of the trading price, at the time of exchange, of the shares of common stock that would otherwise have been received by the limited partner in the exchange. Neither the common units nor the shares of CBL's common stock are subject to any right of mandatory redemption.

At-The-Market Equity Program

On March 1, 2013, the Company entered into the Sales Agreements (collectively, the "Sales Agreements") with a number of sales agents to sell shares of CBL's common stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $300,000, from time to time in the ATM equity offerings (as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) or in negotiated transaction (the "ATM program"). In accordance with the Sales Agreements, the Company will set the parameters for the sales of shares, including the number of shares to be issued, the time period during which sales are to be made and any minimum price below which sales may not be made. The Sales Agreements provide that the sales agents will be entitled to compensation for their services at a mutually agreed commission rate not to exceed 2.0% of the gross proceeds from the sales of shares sold through the ATM program. For each share of common stock issued by CBL, the Operating Partnership issues a corresponding number of common units of limited partnership interest to CBL in exchange for the contribution of the proceeds from the stock issuance. The Company includes only share issuances that have settled in the calculation of shares outstanding at the end of each period.

Since inception, the Company has sold $211,493 shares of common stock through the ATM program, at a weighted-average sales price of $25.12, generating net proceeds of $209,596, which were used to reduce the balances on the Company's credit facilities. Since the commencement of the ATM program, the Company has issued 8,419,298 shares of common stock and approximately $88,507 remains available that may be sold under this program as of December 31, 2017. The Company has not sold any shares under the ATM program since 2013. Actual future sales under this program, if any, will depend on a variety of factors including but not limited to market conditions, the trading price of CBL's common stock and the Company's capital needs. The Company has no obligation to sell the remaining shares available under the ATM program.

Common Unit Activity

During 2017, the Operating Partnership elected to pay cash of $656 to five holders of 84,014 common units in the Operating Partnership upon the exercise of their conversion rights.

During 2016, the Operating Partnership elected to pay cash of $11,754 to four holders of 964,796 common units in the Operating Partnership upon the exercise of their conversion rights.

During 2015, no holders of common units exercised their conversion rights.

Preferred Stock and Preferred Units

The Company's authorized preferred stock consists of 15,000,000 shares at $0.01 par value per share. A description of the Company's cumulative redeemable preferred stock is listed below. The Operating Partnership issues an equivalent number of preferred units to CBL in exchange for the contribution of the proceeds from CBL to the Operating Partnership when CBL issues preferred stock. The preferred units generally have the same terms and economic characteristics as the corresponding series of preferred stock.

The Company has 6,900,000 depositary shares, each representing 1/10^th of a share of CBL's 6.625% Series E Preferred Stock with a par value of $0.01 per share, outstanding as of December 31, 2017 and 2016. The Series E Preferred Stock has a liquidation preference of $250.00 per share ($25.00 per depositary share). The dividends on the Series E Preferred Stock are cumulative, accrue from the date of issuance and are payable quarterly in arrears at a rate of $16.5625 per share ($1.65625 per depositary share) per annum. The Series E Preferred Stock generally has no stated maturity, is not subject to any sinking fund or mandatory redemption, and is not convertible into any other securities of the Company, except under certain circumstances in connection with a change of control. Owners of the depositary shares representing Series E Preferred Stock generally have no voting rights except under dividend default. The Company may redeem shares, in whole or in part, at any time for a cash redemption price of $250.00 per share ($25.00 per depositary share) plus accrued and unpaid dividends.

The Company has 18,150,000 depositary shares, each representing 1/10^thof a share of CBL's 7.375% Series D Preferred Stock with a par value of $0.01 per share, outstanding as of December 31, 2017 and 2016. The Series D Preferred Stock has a liquidation preference of $250.00 per share ($25.00 per depositary share). The dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock are cumulative, accrue from the date of issuance and are payable quarterly in arrears at a rate of $18.4375 per share ($1.84375 per depositary share) per annum. The Series D Preferred Stock has no stated maturity, is not subject to any sinking fund or mandatory redemption, and is not convertible into any other securities of the Company. The Company may redeem shares, in whole or in part, at any time for a cash redemption price of 250.00 per share ($25.00 per depositary share) plus accrued and unpaid dividends.

Dividends - CBL

CBL paid first, second and third quarter 2017 cash dividends on its common stock of $0.265 per share on April 17^th, July 17^th and October 16^th 2017, respectively. On November 2, 2017, CBL's Board of Directors declared a fourth quarter cash dividend of $0.200 per share that was paid on January 16, 2018, to shareholders of record as of December 29, 2017. The dividend declared in the fourth quarter of 2017, totaling $34,217, is included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at December 31, 2017. The total dividend included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at December 31, 2016 was $45,259.

The allocations of dividends declared and paid for income tax purposes are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2017				2016				2015
Dividends declared:
Common stock	$	0.98		⁽¹⁾	$	0.88		⁽²⁾	$	1.06
Series D preferred stock	$	18.44			$	18.44			$	18.44
Series E preferred stock	$	16.56			$	16.56			$	16.56

Allocations:
Common stock
Ordinary income	85.37		%		100.00		%		100.00		%
Capital gains 25% rate	—		%		—		%		—		%
Return of capital	14.63		%		—		%		—		%
Total	100.00		%		100.00		%		100.00		%

Preferred stock ⁽³⁾
Ordinary income	100.00		%		100.00		%		100.00		%
Capital gains 25% rate	—		%		—		%		—		%
Total	100.00		%		100.00		%		100.00		%


(1)	Of the $0.200 per share dividend declared on November 2, 2017 and paid January 16, 2018, $0.200 will be reported and is taxable in 2018.


(2)	Of the $0.265 per share dividend declared on November 3, 2016 and paid January 16, 2017, $0.081 is taxable in 2016 and $0.184 per share will be reported and is taxable in 2017.


(3)	The allocations for income tax purposes are the same for each series of preferred stock for each period presented.

Distributions - The Operating Partnership

The Operating Partnership paid first, second and third quarter 2017 cash distributions on its redeemable common units and common units of $0.7322 and $0.2692 per share, respectively, on April 17^th, July 17^th and October 16^th2017, respectively. On November 2, 2017, the Operating Partnership declared a fourth quarter cash distribution on its redeemable common units and common units of $0.7322 and $0.2048 per share, respectively, that was paid on January 16, 2018. The distribution declared in the fourth quarter of 2017, totaling $7,412, is included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at December 31, 2017. The total dividend included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at December 31, 2016 was $9,054.