by millionairemind » Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:42 am
Published July 23, 2009
CCT distributable income rises 33.2% for Q2
Trust will pay unitholders DPU of 3.33cents for first half of this year
By KALPANA RASHIWALA
CAPITACOMMERCIAL Trust (CCT), one of the island's biggest office landlords, has posted distributable income of $48 million for the second quarter ended Q2 2009, up 33.2 per cent from the same year-ago period.
For the first half of this year, the trust will pay unitholders a distribution per unit (DPU) of 3.33 cents (adjusted for its recent rights issue). On an annualised basis, the payout works out to 6.72 cents, reflecting a distribution yield of 7.72 per cent based on yesterday's closing price of 87 cents.
Q2 revenue rose 34.4 per cent or $25.6 million year-on-year to $99.97 million, due mainly to the acquisition of One George Street and Wilkie Edge as well as higher rental income due to positive rent reversions. Net property income improved 42.2 per cent to $73.3 million.
First-half gross revenue of $197.4 million was 35.6 per cent above that in the same period last year. CCT achieved net property income of $143.2 million in H1 2009, around 42 per cent higher than the same year-ago period. More than half of this increase came from acquisitions and the rest from organic growth.
The H1 2009 net property income was 4.3 per cent above the trust manager's forecast, due largely to higher contribution from Capital Tower, 6 Battery Road, Starhub Centre and Market Street Car Park and the 60 per cent interest in Raffles City, offset partly by lower contribution from One George Street, Robinson Point, Bugis Village and Wilkie Edge. The trust also benefited from lower property tax, utilities and maintenance expenses. As well, borrowing costs were $14.1 million or 22.4 per cent lower than projected due to lowering borrowings and lower average cost of funds than forecast.
Of the $804.2 million net proceeds raised under CCT's recent one-for-one rights issue, $664 million were used to repay part of CCT's borrowings on July 3. Following this, gearing has been trimmed to 31 per cent. CapitaCommercial Trust Management Ltd said it can use up to $140 million of the remaining rights proceeds to repay much of the $235 million borrowings due next year.
In addition, the trust has an untapped balance of $665 million from its $1 billion multicurrency medium term note programme and about $3 billion worth of unencumbered properties - giving it enhanced financial flexiblity.
With its balance sheet bolstered from the rights issue, the immediate priority for CCT going forward is to 'continue to focus on strengthening our fundamentals through astute asset management and prudent capital management to entrench CCT's competitive edge' said CapitaCommercial Trust Management Ltd's (CCTML's) CEO Lynette Leong.
In May and June this year, renewals and new leases for nearly 140,000 sq ft or 4.1 per cent of the trust's portfolio net lettable area were inked at rental rates 45 per cent above the previous rent levels for the space involved on a weighted average basis.
As at end-June 2009, 92 per cent of this year's forecast gross rental income has been locked in with committed leases.
Analysts expect challenging times ahead for office landlords like CCT amidst the massive new office supply to be completed in the next few years from a slew of projects, including Marina Bay Financial Centre, Ocean Financial Centre and 50 Collyer Quay.
However, Ms Leong argued that there is still possibility of positive rental reversion for CCT given that the average monthly passing office rent for its portfolio of $8.14 per square foot as at Q2 is below the average monthly market rental values - of $8.60 psf for prime office space and $10.15 psf for Grade A space as at Q2.
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