TORONTO — Granite Real Estate Investment Trust (“Granite”) (TSX: GRT.UN / NYSE: GRP.U) announced today that it has acquired two income producing properties and has agreed to acquire three development properties, together comprising approximately 2.5 million square feet (“SF”) at a combined purchase price of approximately C$246.7 million. Collectively, the acquisitions represent an anticipated stabilized yield of approximately 5.1%.
Granite also announced it has extended its C$300 million term loan to December 11, 2026 and refinanced the related cross-currency interest rate swap resulting in Euro-denominated payments at a 1.355% fixed interest rate.
In addition, Granite announced that it has completed the acquisition of the development property in Dallas, Texas that it had contractually committed to acquire. Further, on December 4,2019, Granite completed the disposition of its five western Michigan assets that were held for sale for gross proceeds of US$29.5 million.
Kevan Gorrie, Granite’s President and CEO, commented that, “consistent with our strategy of acquiring and developing modern e-commerce and distribution facilities in Granite’s target markets, we expect these acquisitions to further enhance the quality of our portfolio, deliver stable and growing cash flow and generate net asset value growth. Further, as evidenced by the recent refinancing outlined herein, we continue to leverage our unique access to lower cost Euro-denominated debt to enhance our returns and cash flow. Following these commitments, we estimate our pro forma liquidity to be approximately C$650 million.”
330 & 440 E. Stateline Rd., Southaven, Mississippi, USA
Granite has acquired 330 & 440 E. Stateline Road, two multi-tenant modern distribution buildings totaling 1.7 million SF, featuring 32’ clear height and situated on 95 acres of land in Southaven, Mississippi for US$87.9 million. Constructed in 2005 and 2007, the properties are 81% leased to established tenants for a remaining weighted average lease term of 5.6 years. The acquisition closed on December 19, 2019.
The properties are located within 2.0 miles of Memphis International Airport, the world’s busiest cargo airport and home to the FedEx World Hub and UPS Airport Facility. The properties benefit from superior access to Interstate 55, Interstate 22 and the BNSF Memphis Intermodal Facility.
De Kroonstraat 1 (Tilburg), Francis Baconstraat 4 (Ede), Oude Graaf 15 (Weert)
Granite has agreed to acquire three state-of-the-art facilities in the Netherlands for approximately €89 million. Currently under construction, the properties will be delivered mid-2020, with the 488,000 SF Tilburg property being delivered in two phases, including a 142,000 SF second phase to be delivered in the first quarter of 2021. The properties have a combined leasable floor area of approximately 852,000 SF and include approximately 1.8 acres of additional land for potential future expansion. The properties are 100% leased to three prominent European tenants for a weighted average lease term of approximately 11 years.
In line with Granite’s European strategy, the properties are located in highly-desirable distribution nodes along the main supply corridor from Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, to Germany and continental Europe. Furthermore, the assets are situated in one of the most densely populated areas in Europe, making them attractive e-commerce locations. The design of these build-to-suit properties incorporates several sustainability features, leading management to expect the properties to receive a BREEAM “Very Good” certification.
Extension of $300M term loan and refinancing of related cross-currency interest rate swap
On November 27, 2019, Granite extended its C$300 million term loan (the “Term Loan”) and refinanced the related cross-currency interest rate swap (the “Euro Swap”). The Term Loan, with an original maturity date of December 12, 2025, has been extended for one year, on the same terms, to December 11, 2026. Concurrently, the previously existing Euro Swap was terminated and Granite entered into a new seven-year cross-currency interest rate swap resulting in Euro-denominated payments at a 1.355% fixed interest rate, approximately 85 basis points lower than the previous rate. The refinancing is expected to result in interest expense savings of approximately C$2.3 million, or C$0.04 of funds from operations per unit, annually.
1301 Chalk Hill Road, Dallas, Texas
On November 19, 2019, Granite acquired 1301 Chalk Hill Road, a state-of-the-art, 2.3 million SF, multi-level e-commerce fulfillment centre, situated on 101 acres of land in Dallas, Texas. The newly constructed property is 100% leased to a leading global e-commerce provider for an initial lease term of 20 years. The previously-announced acquisition closed on November 19, 2019.
The completed acquisitions were funded using cash on hand and the acquisition of the European properties will be funded from Granite’s available liquidity.
About Granite
Granite is a Canadian-based REIT engaged in the acquisition, development, ownership and management of industrial, warehouse and logistics properties in North America and Europe. Granite owns over 90 rental income properties representing approximately 40 million square feet of leasable area.
Other Information
Copies of financial data and other publicly filed documents about Granite are available through the internet on the Canadian Securities Administrators’ Systems for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) which can be accessed at www.sedar.com and on the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (EDGAR) which can be accessed at www.sec.gov.
For further information, please see our website at www.granitereit.com or contact Teresa Neto, Chief Financial Officer, at 647-925-7560 or Andrea Sanelli, Manager, Legal & Investor Services, at 647-925-7504.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain statements that, to the extent they are not recitations of historical fact, constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information may include, among others, statements regarding the expected timing of the closing of the European acquisitions, the expected stabilized yield of the Mississippi and European acquisitions and impact of such acquisitions on Granite’s cash flow and net asset value growth, the expected impact of the extension of the Term Loan and refinancing of the Euro Swap on Granite’s liquidity and interest expense obligations, the expected BREEAM certification of the European acquisition properties, Granite’s intention and ability to make future investments and acquisitions and Granite’s plans, goals, strategies, intentions, beliefs, estimates, costs, objectives, economic performance, expectations, or foresight or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Words such as “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “likely”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “plan”, “forecast”, “project”, “estimate”, “seek”, “objective” and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information should not be read as guarantees of the closing of the European acquisitions, the expected stabilized yield of the Mississippi and European acquisitions and impact of such acquisitions on Granite’s cash flow and net asset value growth, the expected impact of the extension of the Term Loan and refinancing of the Euro Swap on Granite’s liquidity and interest expense obligations, the expected BREEAM certification of the European acquisition properties, Granite’s intention and ability to make future investments and acquisitions or other events, performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or the times at or by which such impact of the acquisitions or other events or performance will be achieved. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith assumptions and analyses made in light of its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances, and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond Granite’s control, that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the risks set forth in the annual information form of Granite Real Estate Investment Trust and Granite REIT Inc. dated March 6, 2019 (the “Annual Information Form”). The “Risk Factors” section of the Annual Information Form also contains information about the material factors or assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information speak only as of the date the statements and information were made and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Granite expressly disclaims any intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained in this press release to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise.
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.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
