COPT Defense Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results

Stephen E. Budorick, President and Chief Executive Officer of COPT Defense

“Our track record of outperformance continued in the third quarter, as FFO per share exceeded the midpoint of our guidance by $0.02. The portfolio continues to benefit from strong tenant demand for specialized space across all of our markets, driven by growth in programs supporting the defense of our nation. We increased the midpoint of guidance for 2026 FFO per share, as adjusted for comparability, by $0.02 to $2.80, which is $0.05 above our initial guidance, and absorbs $0.03 of incremental dilution from our Exchangeable Notes, resulting from our 20% share price increase over the first nine months of the year. We increased the midpoint of 2026 guidance for Same Property cash NOI growth by 25 basis points to 4.25%, capital commitment to new investments by $40 million to $375 million, and capital invested in development and acquisitions by $15 million to $240 million. We decreased the midpoint of tenant retention by 2.5%, to 80%, taking advantage of opportunities to re-lease space to high value tenants with a track record of strong growth. We raised our target for vacancy leasing by over 30% from 475,000 square feet to 625,000 square feet, which is over 50% higher than our initial target of 400,000 square feet. This increased leasing target is driven in part by our decision to proactively capture space to accommodate new higher growth tenancy in Columbia Gateway and in Huntsville, which impacts our retention guidance but de-risks future lease expirations. We expect the FY 2026 defense budget, along with the FY 2027 base budget request in which a 28% year-over-year increase is proposed, will provide a very supportive backdrop for demand in our portfolio to support priority missions, including intelligence, cybersecurity, and missile defense.”