Core Insights - Piedmont Realty Trust reported a record leasing volume in 2025, leasing 2.5 million square feet, which is about 16% of its portfolio, exceeding guidance by approximately 1 million square feet [2] - The company ended 2025 with an occupancy rate of 89.6%, up 120 basis points from the previous year, and has a significant backlog of signed-but-uncommenced leases totaling nearly 2 million square feet, representing $68 million in future annualized cash rents [1][7] Leasing Activity - In Q4 2025, Piedmont completed approximately 679,000 square feet of leasing, with around 70% attributed to new tenants [1] - The company has leased about 75% of its portfolio over the last five years, totaling approximately 11.6 million square feet, while maintaining positive cash same-store net operating income (NOI) growth each year [2] Market Trends - The national office market showed signs of improvement in late 2025, with a notable increase in demand for high-quality assets, as indicated by a JLL survey showing that 55% of Fortune 100 companies now require a five-day in-office workweek, up from 5% two years ago [3] - Supply constraints, such as lower sublet availability and limited new deliveries, are also impacting the market [3] Financial Performance - For Q4 2025, Piedmont reported core funds from operations (Core FFO) of $0.35 per diluted share, a slight decline from $0.37 per diluted share in Q4 2024, primarily due to the sale of two projects and higher net interest expenses [16] - The company issued $400 million in bonds to repurchase $245 million of higher-coupon bonds, which is expected to save approximately $0.04 per year [17] 2026 Guidance - Piedmont's management targets a Core FFO of $1.47 to $1.53 per share for 2026, reflecting an increase of $0.08 at the midpoint compared to 2025 [18] - The company anticipates leasing activity of 1.7 to 2.0 million square feet in 2026, with a year-end portfolio lease percentage projected to be between 89.5% and 90.5% [18] Market-Level Insights - Atlanta and Orlando are highlighted as key markets, with Atlanta being the most productive, accounting for about half of the company's leasing volume in Q4 2025 [9] - The out-of-service redevelopment portfolio was reported to be 62% leased at year-end 2025, with expectations for stabilization by the end of 2026 or early 2027 [12] Operational Developments - The company has made significant progress in retaining tenants for major expirations in 2026, including Epsilon in Dallas and the City of New York at 60 Broad [13] - Management noted that leasing momentum has continued into 2026, with over 200,000 square feet of leases already signed [15]