Wheeler REIT (NASDAQ: WHLR) swaps preferred for new shares

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. reported private exchange transactions affecting its equity and preferred stock. The company agreed to issue 60,000 shares of common stock to an unaffiliated investor in exchange for 2,000 shares of Series D Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock and 4,000 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock. These exchanges were cashless, and the preferred shares received were retired and cancelled.

Separately, Wheeler issued 80,000 shares of Series D Preferred Stock to another unaffiliated investor in exchange for 120,000 shares of 6.50% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock of subsidiary Cedar Realty Trust, Inc. The Cedar Series C Preferred Stock was then contributed to Cedar and retired. The common stock exchange relied on the Section 3(a)(9) exemption, and the Series D issuance relied on the Section 4(a)(2) exemption from Securities Act registration.

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

  CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of report (date of earliest event reported): February 26, 2026

 WHEELER REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)  

Maryland

001-35713

45-2681082

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

(Commission File Number)

(IRS Employer Identification No.)

2529 Virginia Beach Blvd. Virginia Beach, VA						23452
(Address of principal executive offices)						(Zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (757) 627-9088

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations of the registrant under any of the following provisions: 

☐			Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐			Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐			Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐			Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share

WHLR

Nasdaq Capital Market

Series B Convertible Preferred Stock

WHLRP

Nasdaq Capital Market

Series D Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock

WHLRD

Nasdaq Capital Market

7.00% Subordinated Convertible Notes due 2031

WHLRL

Nasdaq Capital Market

Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

Exchange Transactions

On February 26, 2026 Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) agreed to issue a total of 60,000 shares of its common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), to an unaffiliated holder of the Company’s securities (the “Exchange Investor”) in separate exchanges for a total of 2,000 shares of the Company’s Series D Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series D Preferred Stock”) and 4,000 shares of the Company's Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock” and, together with the Series D Preferred Stock, the “Preferred Stock”). Each transaction involved the issuance of thirty shares of Common Stock in exchange for two shares of Series B Preferred Stock and one share of Series D Preferred Stock. The transactions settled in accordance with customary settlement cycles.

The Company did not receive any cash proceeds in these transactions, and the shares of the Preferred Stock exchanged have been retired and cancelled.

The Company issued the Common Stock to the Exchange Investor in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), contained in Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act on the basis that the issuance of Common Stock to the Exchange Investor constituted an exchange with an existing holder of the Company’s securities, and no commission or other remuneration was paid or given directly or indirectly for soliciting such transactions.

Sale of Series D Preferred Stock

On February 26, 2026, the Company entered into a subscription agreement with an unaffiliated investor (the “Series D Investor”) pursuant to which the Company issued 80,000 shares of its Series D Preferred Stock in consideration for 120,000 shares of 6.50% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (the “Cedar Series C Preferred Stock”) of the Company’s subsidiary Cedar Realty Trust, Inc. (“Cedar”) held by the Series D Investor. Immediately following the closing of such transaction, the Company contributed the acquired Cedar Series C Preferred Stock to Cedar and those shares were retired.

The Company issued the Series D Preferred Stock to the Series D Investor in reliance upon the exemption provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act as a transaction not involving a public offering.

This Current Report on Form 8-K does not constitute an offer to exchange any securities of the Company for the Common Stock, the Series D Preferred Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock or other securities of the Company, nor an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

WHEELER REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, INC.
By:						/s/ M. Andrew Franklin
						Name: M. Andrew Franklin
						Title: Chief Executive Officer and President

Dated: March 4, 2026

FAQ

What equity transactions did WHLR report in this 8-K filing?

Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust reported two private exchange deals. It issued common and Series D preferred shares to unaffiliated investors in cashless transactions, retiring existing Series B, Series D and Cedar Series C preferred shares held at the parent and subsidiary levels.

How many WHLR common shares were issued and what preferred stock was exchanged?

The company issued 60,000 common shares. These were exchanged with one investor for 2,000 shares of Series D Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock and 4,000 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, with all preferred shares received retired and cancelled after settlement.

What were the terms of Wheeler’s new Series D Preferred Stock issuance?

Wheeler issued 80,000 shares of Series D Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock. In return, an unaffiliated investor transferred 120,000 shares of 6.50% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock of subsidiary Cedar Realty Trust, Inc., which were contributed to Cedar and retired immediately afterward.

Did Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust receive any cash proceeds?

The company did not receive cash from the common stock exchange. It explicitly states that no cash proceeds were received when issuing 60,000 common shares, as the consideration consisted solely of Series B and Series D Preferred Stock that were then retired.

What Securities Act exemptions did WHLR rely on for these transactions?

The common stock issued in exchange for Series B and Series D Preferred Stock relied on the Section 3(a)(9) exemption, covering exchanges with existing security holders. The 80,000 Series D Preferred shares issued for Cedar Series C Preferred relied on Section 4(a)(2) for a non-public offering.

What happened to the Cedar Realty Trust preferred shares involved in the deal?

The investor transferred 120,000 shares of Cedar’s 6.50% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock to Wheeler. Wheeler then contributed those Cedar Series C Preferred shares to Cedar Realty Trust, Inc., and Cedar retired the contributed preferred shares following the transaction’s closing.

Filing Exhibits & Attachments

4 documents

Other Documents

• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION SCHEMA DOCUMENT 2.1 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION DEFINITION LINKBASE DOCUMENT 16.2 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION LABEL LINKBASE DOCUMENT 28.6 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION PRESENTATION LINKBASE DOCUMENT 16.9 KB