REIT WATCH

CapitaLand Reits average 39% gearing; see operational growth

CANDACE LI
Published Sun, May 14, 2023 · 01:00 PM

CapitaLand : 9CI 0% Investment : 9CI 0%(CLI), one of Singapore’s largest global real estate investment managers, oversees S$133 billion in real estate asset under management (RE AUM) and S$89 billion in fund under management (FUM) as of Mar 31, 2023. CLI’s fund management business includes 36 private funds and six listed real estate investment trusts (Reits) and business trusts, of which five are listed in Singapore.

Aside from CapitaLand Ascendas Reit : A17U 0% (CLAR) which did not disclose financial results in a first-quarter 2023 business update, CLI noted that several of its Singapore listed funds saw year-on-year improvements in Q1 2023 financials.

CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust : C38U 0% (CICT)‘s Q1 2023 net property income (NPI) reached S$276.3 million, increasing 11.3 per cent year on year due to contribution from acquisitions completed in the first half of 2022, but offset by higher operating expenses and absence of income from JCube mall.

CapitaLand India Trust : CY6U 0%(CLINT) reported Q1 2023 NPI of S$42.0 million, up 5 per cent year on year, due to higher occupancy and additional income contributions from Arshiya Warehouse 7, Industrial Facility at MWC and Block A.

CapitaLand Ascott Trust : HMN 0% (CLAS) saw Q1 2023 gross profit increase by 59 per cent year on year due to stronger operating performance and contributions from new properties.

CLI also observed significant operational improvement in the listed funds, particularly in retail and lodging sectors. Both CICT and CapitaLand China Trust : AU8U 0% (CLCT) saw double-digit year-on-year increase in shopper traffic and tenant sales. Similarly, CLAS reported 90 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue per available unit (RevPAU) on higher occupancies and room rates.

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While CLCT reported a 1.6 per cent decrease in NPI for Q1 2023 on a year-on-year basis, it noted strong recovery momentum. CLCT’s retail occupancy increased to 96.4 per cent in Q1 2023, up from 95.4 per cent in Dec 2022. Shopper traffic and tenant sales increased 10.6 per cent and 15.4 per cent year on year, respectively.

CLI noted that all its listed funds have maintained healthy balance sheets, with well-managed debt maturity profiles and over 75 per cent of debt based on fixed interest rates.

The five trusts have an average gearing ratio of 39 per cent as at 31 Mar, 2023. Among them, CICT had the highest gearing ratio at 41 per cent while CLAR had the lowest at 38 per cent.

On average, the five trusts’ weighted average debt to maturity stood at 3.4 years as of 31 Mar, 2023, of which CICT’s was the longest at 4.2 years while CLINT’s was the shortest at 2.1 years. SGX RESEARCH

The writer is a research analyst at SGX. For more research and information on Singapore’s Reit sector, visit sgx.com/research-education/sectors for the monthly S-Reits & Property Trusts Chartbook.

Source: SGX Research S-Reits & Property Trusts Chartbook.

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