(EDITOR’S NOTE: The cap rate on th proposed sale is 4.4 percent as was stated in the call. Also, the plan by Prologis is to sell about 7 percent or $550 million of the DCT assets in a 24-month time period when the DCT transaction is closed. The sale of these properties would be in non-strategic markets and would not include any assets either in the San Francisco Bay Area or Seattle, which Prologis believes are prime markets for the company.)
Deepens presence in core, high-growth U.S. markets
Annual stabilized core funds from operations* expected to increase $0.06-$0.08 per share
Prologis, Inc. (NYSE: PLD) and DCT Industrial Trust Inc. (NYSE: DCT) today announced that the two companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement by which Prologis will acquire DCT for $8.4 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction, including the assumption of debt. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction.
“For some time, we have considered DCT’s realigned portfolio to be the most complementary to our own in terms of product quality, market position and growth potential,” said Prologis chairman and chief executive officer Hamid R. Moghadam. “This high level of strategic fit will allow us to capture significant scale economies immediately. In addition, our current platform initiatives, particularly in the areas of advanced analytics, customer experience and procurement and ancillary revenues, will enable us to extract significant upside from the combined portfolios.”
The 71 million square foot operating portfolio deepens Prologis’ presence in high-growth markets including Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York/New Jersey, Seattle and South Florida. The acquisition also includes:
- 7.1 million square feet of development, redevelopment and value-added projects
- 195 acres of land in pre-development, predominantly in Seattle, Atlanta, South Florida and Southern California with build-out potential of over 2.9 million square feet
- 215 acres of land under contract or option, predominately in New York/New Jersey, Southern California, Northern California and Chicago, with a build-out potential of over 3.3 million square feet
“This transaction underscores the exceptional quality of DCT’s portfolio, platform and customer relationships, which our talented team has worked hard to create,” said DCT Industrial president and chief executive officer Philip L. Hawkins. “Our shared commitment to quality, exceeding expectations and enhancing customer experience makes this a perfect combination.”
“DCT’s team is as good as it gets, and we expect a number to join us to help manage the portfolio, execute on capital deployment activities and make long-term contributions to the Prologis platform,” said Prologis chief executive officer for the Americas Eugene F. Reilly. “This deal also diversifies our customer roster through the addition of some 500 new relationships.”
The transaction is anticipated to create substantial synergies, including near-term synergies of approximately $80 million in corporate general and administrative cost savings, operating leverage, interest expense and lease adjustments, which are forecast to increase annual stabilized core funds from operations* (Core FFO) per share by $0.06-$0.08. A combination of revenue synergies and incremental development volume has the potential to generate $40 million of additional annual revenue and development profit in the future.
“This all-stock transaction enables us to maintain our strong balance sheet and significant financial flexibility,” said Prologis chief financial officer Thomas S. Olinger. “In addition, the transaction increases our U.S. dollar net equity and drives additional core FFO growth.”
Under the terms of the agreement, DCT shareholders will receive 1.02 Prologis shares for each DCT share they own. The transaction, which is currently expected to close in the third quarter of 2018, is subject to the approval of DCT stockholders and other customary closing conditions. At closing, it is anticipated that Philip L. Hawkins will join the Prologis board of directors.
J.P. Morgan is acting as an exclusive financial advisor, and Mayer Brown LLP is serving as legal advisor to Prologis. BofA Merrill Lynch is acting as an exclusive financial advisor, and Goodwin Procter LLP is serving as legal advisor to DCT.
About Prologis Prologis, Inc. is the global leader in logistics real estate with a focus on high-barrier, high-growth markets. As of March 31, 2018, the company owned or had investments in, on a wholly owned basis or through co-investment ventures, properties and development projects expected to total approximately 683 million square feet (63 million square meters) in 19 countries. Prologis leases modern distribution facilities to a diverse base of approximately 5,000 customers across two major categories: business-to-business and retail/online fulfillment.
About DCT® DCT is a leading logistics real estate company specializing in the ownership, development, acquisition, leasing and management of bulk-distribution and light-industrial properties in high-demand distribution markets in the United States. DCT’s actively managed portfolio is strategically located near population centers and well-positioned to take advantage of market dynamics. As of March 31, 2018, the company owned interests in approximately 73.7 million square feet of properties leased to approximately 840 customers. DCT maintains a Baa2 rating from Moody’s Investors Service and a BBB from S&P Global Ratings. Additional information is available at www.DCTindustrial.com.
