Author: tfwee
FCT – BT
FCT launches private placement
Reit to use proceeds to part finance its acquisition of malls
FRASERS Centrepoint Trust (FCT), a shopping centre real estate investment trust (Reit), yesterday launched a private placement of 137 million new units to part finance its acquisition of Northpoint 2 and Yew Tee Point malls.
The issue price range is $1.29 to $1.33 per new unit, which will generate gross proceeds of $176.7 million to $182.2 million. The actual issue price will be determined after a book-building process.
Of these sums, $173.3 million to $177.8 million will be used to pay for the two malls, which are costing FCT about $295 million in total, inclusive of transaction costs. The rest will be funded by debt.
The issue price range of $1.29 to $1.33 per new unit reflects a discount of 3.7 per cent to 6.6 per cent to the adjusted volume-weighted average price of $1.3805 per unit for trades done on the full market day on Jan 25. Trading in FCT units was halted yesterday.
The manager of FCT has appointed DBS Bank as the sole financial adviser and Citigroup Global Markets Singapore and DBS Bank as the joint lead managers and underwriters of the private placement.
Existing unitholders will receive an advance distribution per unit of about 0.71 cent for the period from Jan 1, 2010 to the day immediately before the date of issue of the new units under the private placement.
The books closure date for the advance distribution will be Feb 3 at 5pm.
FCT has in place a range of loan facilities which it may use to part finance the purchase of Northpoint 2 and Yew Tee Point.
These include a total of $185 million in unutilised bridge loan facilities as well as a total of $1.165 billion that remains untapped under two separate multi-currency medium-term note programmes.
The trust – which currently owns Causeway Point in Woodlands, Northpoint in Yishun and Anchor Point in the Queensway/ Alexandra Road area – will see its gearing increase from about 30.4 per cent as at Jan 1, 2010 to 33.2 per cent after the acquisition of the two malls.
The value of the trust’s deposited property is expected to increase by 25.2 per cent from about $1.167 billion as at Jan 1 to $1.462 billion.
AIMSAMPIReit – BT
AIMS AMP to pay special distribution
AIMS AMP Capital Industrial Reit yesterday said a special distribution of 0.95 cent a unit will be paid on March 23. Unitholders with units in their CDP account as at Nov 30 will be entitled to the special distribution with the exception of 221.4 million units issued to AMP Capital Investment and cornerstone investors on Nov 24, ’09.
AIMS AMP Capital Industrial Reit changed its name from MacArthurCook Industrial Reit on Dec 24 following a recapitalisation exercise and the appointment of AMP Capital Holdings as co-sponsor.
The recaptalisation exercise was bitterly opposed by minority unitholders and Cambridge Industrial Reit, which had bought a close to 10 per cent stake after the announcement of the exercise.
They were upset that the deal diluted their holdings severely and was too favourable to new investors as AMP, the various cornerstone investors, and then sponsor AIMS Financial Group. CIT used its units to mount a week-long campaign to get unitholders to reject the refinancing proposal. It wanted unitholders to vote for CIT to manage the Reit instead.
But just days before a crucial meeting to vote on the proposal, CIT said the Monetary Authority of Singapore had blocked its plan to manage both Reits due to a possible conflict of interest.
Suntec – CIMB
Higher office revenue boosted distribution
• Results exceeded expectations; maintain Outperform. FY09 DPU exceeded Street and our expectations (107% of our estimate) mainly due to lower-thanexpected interest expense. As office occupancy strengthened above 95%, we believe management would not be under pressure to cut rents drastically in FY10. We retain our FY10-11 estimates and introduce FY12 estimates. Our DDM-based target price of S$1.59 is intact (discount rate 8.1%). Maintain Outperform as we believe the opening of Circle Line MRT stations next to the Suntec development will boost its retail performance in 2010.
• Full-year DPU of 11.7cts (CIMB-GK 10.9.cts) grew 6% yoy vs. distributable income growth of 13% yoy to S$189.6m. DPU’s weaker growth was due to deferred units paid out to the original vendors of Suntec City. Net property income of S$182.1m was up 5.6% yoy, mainly thanks to higher office rents achieved for Suntec City and Park Mall, including additional revenue from the Suntec City office strata space acquired in 2008. Leases secured in 4Q09 averaged S$7.11 psf, in line with market expectations for Grade A offices.
• Occupancy and rental reversions positive. Office occupancy as at Dec 09 was 96.8%, down 1.9% pts yoy. However, occupancy had improved steadily from its trough of 94.8% in 2Q09. Retail occupancy as at Dec 09 was 98.1%, down 1% pt yoy. With vacancy at less than 5% for both office and retail space, we believe the manager would not be under pressure to cut rents significantly in FY10.
• Assets written down by 3%. Suntec’s portfolio was revalued at S$5.2bn (including One Raffles Quay) as at Dec 09. This was a write-down of S$151m or 3.2% of its portfolio value mainly for ORQ. Valuers applied cap rates of 4.5-4.75% for office valuations, and 5.6-5.75% for retail valuations. Portfolio-wise, Suntec’s offices were valued at S$1,733 psf, and retail space at S$1,833 psf. One Raffles Quay was valued at S$2,100 psf.
FSL – DBS
All set for a take off
• 4Q09 DPU payout of 1.50 UScts in line with expectations, maintains similar guidance for 1Q10
• Potential bond issue may be expensive, but will provide acquisition war chest in excess of US$100m
• Poised for re-rating, share price lagging the recovery in shipping stocks across the world
• Limited downside; maintain BUY; TP raised to S$0.78
No surprises in 4Q09. FSLT delivered another quarter of steady results. Revenue of US$24.5m was stable q-o-q, and the Trust generated cash of US$16.2m, 8% below US$17.6m in 3Q09, owing to the higher interest costs. Of this, the Trust will distribute US$9m to shareholders, or a DPU of 1.50UScts for 4Q09.
Bond issue still in the offing. FSLT had to can its earlier US$200m bond offering owing to the higher spreads in the wake of the Dubai debt crisis last year. However, management plans to go ahead with the same offering when market improves. Key concern for the bond is pricing. About half of the bond proceeds will be used to repay existing borrowings, which will help resolve the LTV covenants issue to a greater extent. The rest will build up to a US$130m war chest, together with US$30m from the share placement last year, to pursue DPU accretive acquisitions.
Laggard stock, poised for re-rating. With economic numbers improving and container freight rates on the rise, most container shipping stocks have seen a steady reversal in fortunes of late. Even the US-listed shipping trusts have risen 10-20% since the beginning of 2010, whereas FSLT has stayed largely flat, despite promising much better yields in excess of 13%. Thus, we re-iterate our BUY call at a revised TP of S$0.78 (pegged to 10% target yield). Even if we assume the whole US$200m bond is used to repay existing (cheaper) bank debt, with continuing loan amortization payments and no acquisitions, the worst outcome would be higher interest expenses of ~US$12m p.a, which would imply a FY10 DPU of ~5.0Scts, or a worst case yield of 8.3%.
Suntec – DBS
Treading in line
At a Glance
• 4Q DPU of 2.88 Scts in line with expectations
• DPU +5% on higher occupancy and rental assumptions, lower interest costs
• Maintain BUY, TP S$1.47
Comment on Results
4Q09 DPU of 2.88 Scts in line. Revenues of S$61.8m (-2.7%,flat qoq) was largely due to lower retail revenue in 4Q09. Net property income of S$47.2m (-1.4%,flat qoq) declined by a smaller extent
due to lower property tax expenses. Distributable income of S$47.8m (+8% yoy, 0% qoq) translated to a DPU of 2.88 Scts. Portfolio was revalued down by 3% to S$150m leading to gearing to inch up to 33%.
Office outlook remains weak. While Suntec’s office portfolio occupancy strengthened slightly to 95.3%, average renewal rents continued to dip, albeit at a slower pace. As at 4Q09, leases were secured at a rate of S$7.11 psf pm (-37% yoy, -2.6% qoq) and are expected to continue to weaken in 2010 due to the increasingly competitive office leasing environment. In FY10F, Suntec will be renewing c0.37m sqft of office space, representing c20% of its total office portfolio NLA.
Retail revenues are growing steadily. We expect retail revenues to grow steadily, with the buzz generated at the Marina Bay area post the completion of Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and completion of 2 MRT stations nearby. Its portfolio is mostly targeted at the mid-end consumer market and will complement the higher end retail option in MBS. In addition, enhancement works at Suntec City will help lift its retail revenues slightly when completed.
Recommendation
Maintain BUY, TP S$1.47. We adjust our office/retail rental and occupancy assumptions (+3 to 5%) on improved outlook and lower interest costs (-20bps) assumptions. Maintain BUY, TP S$1.47 based
on DCF, which reflects a prospective yield of 6.7-6.9%.