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TORONTO, Aug. 12, 2020 /CNW/ – Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust (the “REIT”) (TSX: INO.UN) today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020.
Inovalis REIT is in a stable and advantageous position following the COVID-19 crisis of Q2, 2020. Stéphane Amine, President of the REIT, commented ” Our strong operating platform together with a $58 million cash position at quarter end leaves management well-placed to focus on opportunistic growth in the latter half of 2020. Tenants of the REIT in both France and Germany are paying their rent in a timely way despite the onset of disruptions to business caused by the pandemic crisis since the end of Q1.”
HIGHLIGHTS
Net Rental Income
For the portfolio of properties wholly owned by the REIT (“IP Portfolio”), net rental income for Q2 2020, adjusted for IFRIC 21[1], was CAD$6.68 million (EUR4.38 million), an increase over the CAD$5.86 million (EUR3.90 million) adjusted net rental income for the same period in 2019. The gain of CAD$0.82 million (EUR0.48 million) in adjusted net rental income is mainly due to the income contribution following the acquisition of the Trio property and acquisition of the Arcueil property, partially offset by the sale of Vanves and the departure of the main tenant in Courbevoie. In Q2 2020, for the portfolio that includes the REIT’s proportionate share in joint ventures (“Total Portfolio”), net rental income of CAD$8.96 million (EUR5.88 million) adjusted for IFRIC 21 remained stable compared to the same period in the previous year (+CAD$0.06 million).
COVID-19 Related Business Update
Although the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 crisis is difficult to predict, the REIT remains in good financial standing and is currently well-positioned to withstand the economic impact of the pandemic. The REIT is thus reporting near-normal quarterly rent collection for Q2 2020 and will focus on providing support to tenants throughout the coming months as their employees re-enter the workplace. The REIT will continue to assess market conditions and adapt its strategy to address the economic, social and health care impact of the pandemic.
The REIT is confident in the strength of its portfolio, as indicated by its solid Q2 2020 results. However, the REIT’s second quarter results cannot be considered in isolation when formulating an outlook for the remainder of 2020. It is possible that downward pressure on rental revenue may occur in the short-term as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent economic disruption
Rent collection
Rent collection for the French assets is recorded on a quarterly basis and 92% of rent has been received for Q2 2020. This is generally in line with the speed and percentage of pre-COVID-19 rent collection levels with a few minor exceptions. As at July 31, 2020 the REIT has already received 77% of the Q3 rents on its French portfolio. Management expects to collect nearly 90% of the Q3 2020 rents in France by the end of September, the remaining 10% having been deferred after negotiation with tenants to Q4 2020. For the REIT’s German properties, where rents are collected on a monthly basis, 99% of rent was received in Q2 2020. Following quarter-end, 97% of July rent and 98% of August rent has been collected for German assets to date.
Management is actively monitoring rent payment deferral requests to maintain consistent rent collection while supporting tenants’ needs.
Leasing Operations
About 3,000 sq.ft of incremental space was leased during Q2. Efforts continue to lease unoccupied space (154,770 sq.ft) in the portfolio. Management will selectively complete capex improvements on vacant areas to attract tenants and maximize rent.
Funds from Operations (“FFO”), Adjusted Funds from Operations (“AFFO”)
In Q2 2020, the REIT reported Funds from Operations (“FFO”) and Adjusted Funds from Operations (“AFFO)” were $0.16 and $0.15 per unit respectively. Performance was affected by the decision to pause the 2020 investment strategy due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of June 30th, the REIT has CAD$58 million of cash on its balance sheet, of which CAD$12.2 million is the excess profit accrued from the disposition of the Vanves asset in 2019 at a higher price than the fair market recorded until Q2 2019. Management estimates that the opportunity cost of reserving CAD$55 million in cash, previously allocated for investment in 2020, has negative quarterly effect the FFO in the range of CAD$0.03 to $0.04 per unit. The CAD$55 million has been held in Euros since December 2019 and has shown an unrealized foreign exchange gain of CAD$1.8 million (which represents an equivalent of approximately $2.6 per unit of FFO) over the six months of 2020, a gain that we have chosen to exclude from the FFO determination given the volatility of the Canadian dollar against the Euro, despite the REALPAC guidance on this particular matter.
Financing Activity
The weighted average interest rate across the portfolio is 2.06% and the debt ratio is 40.3% (34.9% net of cash), comfortably within the REITs mandated threshold of 60%. The interest-only bullet loan against the Duisburg property, held in joint venture, has been successfully extended for another 3 years at an interest rate of 1.44%, and we are now working on an additional capex line for this asset with the same lender.
This refinancing proves the REIT’s ability to fund operations and acquisitions on a less costly basis than traditional financing in Canada, taking advantage of historically low interest rates in Europe.
In France, banks and financial lessors have been encouraged by the French Government’s measures to ease the debt service conditions of their clients from the start of the pandemic and this has positively benefited the REIT, which has obtained deferrals on Sabliere, Courbevoie, Metropolitain and Delizy properties representing a CAD$1.6 million (EUR1.05 million) positive impact on the Q2 available cash. Deferral on the Arcueil lease liability is still under discussion while the quarterly payment of CAD$1.3 million (EUR0.86 million) due on April 1, 2020 has been suspended.
For the total year 2020, the positive impact on cash of senior debt deferrals represents CAD$4.3 million, including Arcueil pending agreement.
Rueil acquisition loan
The delivery of the Rueil property development project is well under way and our budgetary assumptions related to the valuation of the REIT’s profit participation component in the Rueil development loan have been confirmed. The property development is now in its final three months of completion and, subsequent to the quarter, on July 30, 2020, EUR12.4 million out of the initial EUR17.2 million loan has been returned to the REIT by the borrowing entity. Management forecasts that the 2020 fund inflows should be in line as per the initial loan plan. An additional gain of CAD$0.15 million in fair value was recognized in relation to the profit participation component of the loan for Q2 2020 in addition to the CAD$9.6 million accrued since the inception of the loan in December 2016.
Bad Homburg
Subsequent to the quarter, an agreement has been reached between management of the REIT and its JV co-owner of the Bad Homburg asset for the REIT to acquire full ownership of the asset by end of Q3 2020, for a total purchase price of EUR5,873(CAD$8,957). The asset has been jointly held since 2015.
Stuttgart
Subsequent to the quarter, the REIT and its JV partner have taken steps to sell the Stuttgart asset which has been jointly held by the parties since 2017. A top-tier international broker has been engaged for the sale and a marketing plan is underway. The disposition of this asset will contribute to the REIT’s positioning for future opportunistic investments and further simplify its asset ownership structure.
Normal Course Issuer Bid
On April 20, 2020, the TSX approved the REIT’s Normal Course Issuer Bid (NCIB) which was undertaken in response to the extreme volatility that affected the trading price of the REIT in Q2. Management believes that the purchase by the REIT of a portion of its outstanding Units may be an appropriate use of available resources and in the best interests of the REIT and its unitholders. Between April 22 and June 30, 2020, the REIT bought back 510,500 Units at Unit prices ranging between $6.41 and $8.00 for a total $3.9 million buyback of Units. On June 29, 2020, the REIT entered into an automatic purchase plan with a broker to repurchase a daily limit of 20,890 units at a maximum price of $8.00 per unit, for the period of June 30 to August 14, 2020.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan Suspension
Until further notice, in response to the market disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the REIT has suspended its DRIP effective May 15, 2020 to unitholders of record as at April 30, 2020.
ABOUT INOVALIS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST
Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust established pursuant to a declaration of trust under the laws of the Province of Ontario. The REIT has been created for the purpose of acquiring and owning office properties primarily located in France and Germany but also opportunistically in other European countries where assets meet the REIT’s investment criteria.
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1 Net rental Income adjusted for IFRIC 21 is non-IFRS information. (Refer to the “Non-IFRS financial measures” section for further details.)
SOURCE Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust
For further information: David Giraud, Chief Executive Officer, Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust, Tel: +33 1 5643 3323, [email protected]; Khalil Hankach, Chief Financial Officer, Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust, Tel:+33 1 5643 3313, [email protected]
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was higher in late-morning trading, helped by strength in energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also moved up.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 34.91 points at 23,736.98.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 178.05 points at 41,800.13. The S&P 500 index was up 28.38 points at 5,661.47, while the Nasdaq composite was up 133.17 points at 17,725.30.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.56 cents US compared with 73.57 cents US on Monday.
The November crude oil contract was up 68 cents at US$69.70 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up three cents at US$2.40 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$7.80 at US$2,601.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.28 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
TORONTO – Strength in the base metal and technology sectors helped Canada’s main stock index gain almost 100 points on Friday, while U.S. stock markets climbed to their best week of the year.
“It’s been almost a complete opposite or retracement of what we saw last week,” said Philip Petursson, chief investment strategist at IG Wealth Management.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 297.01 points at 41,393.78. The S&P 500 index was up 30.26 points at 5,626.02, while the Nasdaq composite was up 114.30 points at 17,683.98.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 93.51 points at 23,568.65.
While last week saw a “healthy” pullback on weaker economic data, this week investors appeared to be buying the dip and hoping the central bank “comes to the rescue,” said Petursson.
Next week, the U.S. Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut its key interest rate for the first time in several years after it significantly hiked it to fight inflation.
But the magnitude of that first cut has been the subject of debate, and the market appears split on whether the cut will be a quarter of a percentage point or a larger half-point reduction.
Petursson thinks it’s clear the smaller cut is coming. Economic data recently hasn’t been great, but it hasn’t been that bad either, he said — and inflation may have come down significantly, but it’s not defeated just yet.
“I think they’re going to be very steady,” he said, with one small cut at each of their three decisions scheduled for the rest of 2024, and more into 2025.
“I don’t think there’s a sense of urgency on the part of the Fed that they have to do something immediately.
A larger cut could also send the wrong message to the markets, added Petursson: that the Fed made a mistake in waiting this long to cut, or that it’s seeing concerning signs in the economy.
It would also be “counter to what they’ve signaled,” he said.
More important than the cut — other than the new tone it sets — will be what Fed chair Jerome Powell has to say, according to Petursson.
“That’s going to be more important than the size of the cut itself,” he said.
In Canada, where the central bank has already cut three times, Petursson expects two more before the year is through.
“Here, the labour situation is worse than what we see in the United States,” he said.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.61 cents US compared with 73.58 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down 32 cents at US$68.65 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was down five cents at US$2.31 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$30.10 at US$2,610.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents US$4.24 a pound.
— With files from The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
