Investment
Granite Provides Investment Update and Announces Term Loan Refinancing – Financial Post
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.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191220005232/en/
Contacts
Teresa Neto, Chief Financial Officer
647-925-7560
or
Andrea Sanelli, Manager, Legal & Investor Services
647-925-7504.
Investment
Tense diplomatic relations may not impact trade, investment ties between India, Canada: Experts
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NEW DELHI: The tense diplomatic relations between India and Canada are unlikely to impact trade and investments between the two countries as economic ties are driven by commercial considerations, according to experts. Both India and Canada trade in complementary products and do not compete on similar products.
“Hence, the trade relationship will continue to grow and not be affected by day-to-day events,” Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) Co-Founder Ajay Srivastava said.
Certain political developments have led to a pause in negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two countries.
On September 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau India’s strong concerns about the continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada that were promoting secessionism, inciting violence against its diplomats and threatening the Indian community there.
India on Tuesday announced the expulsion of a Canadian diplomat hours after Canada asked an Indian official to leave that country, citing a “potential” Indian link to the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader in June.
Srivastava said these recent events are unlikely to affect the deep-rooted people-to-people connections, trade, and economic ties between the two nations.
Bilateral trade between India and Canada has grown significantly in recent years, reaching USD 8.16 billion in 2022-23.
India’s exports (USD 4.1 billion) to Canada include pharmaceuticals, gems and jewellery, textiles, and machinery, while Canada’s exports to India (USD 4.06 billion) include pulses, timber, pulp and paper, and mining products.
On investments, he said that Canadian pension funds will continue investing in India on grounds of India’s large market and good return on money invested.
Canadian pension funds, by the end of 2022, had invested over USD 45 billion in India, making it the fourth-largest recipient of Canadian FDI in the world.
The top sectors for Canadian pension fund investment in India include infrastructure, renewable energy, technology, and financial services.
Mumbai-based exporter and Chairman of Technocraft Industries Sharad Kumar Saraf said the present frosty relations between India and Canada are certainly a cause for concern.
“However, the bilateral trade is entirely driven by commercial considerations. Political turmoil is of a temporary nature and should not be a reason to affect trade relations,” Saraf said.
He added that even with China, India has acrimonious relations but bilateral trade continues to remain healthy.
“In fact, bilateral trade is an effective tool to improve political relations. India must make special efforts to increase our bilateral trade with Canada,” Saraf said.
India and Canada have a strong education partnership. There are over 200 educational partnerships between Indian and Canadian institutions.
In addition, over 3,19,000 Indian students are enrolled in Canadian institutions, making them the largest international student cohort in Canada, according to GTRI.
According to the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), Indian students contributed USD 4.9 billion to the Canadian economy in 2021.
Indian students are the largest international student group in Canada, accounting for 20 per cent of all international students in 2021.
Benefits of educational partnerships are mutual and hence the current situation may have no impact on the relationship, Srivastava said.





Investment
Apple supplier Foxconn aims to double India jobs and investment


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Apple supplier Foxconn aims to double its workforce and investment in India by next year, a company executive said on Sunday.
Taiwan-based Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronics, has rapidly expanded its presence in India by investing in manufacturing facilities in the south of the country as the company seeks to move away from China.
V Lee, Foxconn’s representative in India, in a LinkedIn post to mark Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 73rd birthday, said the company was “aiming for another doubling of employment, FDI (foreign direct investment), and business size in India” by this time next year.
He did not give more details.
Foxconn already has an iPhone factory employing 40,000 people in the state of Tamil Nadu.
In August, the state of Karnataka said the firm will invest US$600 million for two projects to make casing components for iPhones and chip-making equipment.
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The company’s Chairman Liu Young-way said in an earnings briefing last month that he sees a lot of potential in India, adding: “several billion dollars in investment is only a beginning”.
Taiwan election: Foxconn’s Terry Gou taps star-powered running mate
Last month, Foxconn’s billionaire founder Terry Gou said he would run for the Taiwanese presidency in next year’s election, as an independent candidate.
He said the ruling and independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was unable to offer a bright future for the island and left Foxconn’s board following his decision to run.
The firm operates the world’s largest iPhone plant, in the city of Zhengzhou in Henan province.





Investment
Foxconn to double workforce, investment in India by ‘this time next year’

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Foxconn, Taiwan-based Apple supplier, has said that they are planning to double their investment and workforce in India within the next twelve months, according to V Lee’s LinkedIn post on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 73rd birthday.
Taiwan-based Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronics, has rapidly expanded its presence in India by investing in manufacturing facilities in the south of the country as the company seeks to move away from China.
Notably, Foxconn already has an iPhone factory in the state of Tamil Nadu, which employs 40,000 people.
V Lee, Foxconn‘s representative in India, in a LinkedIn post to mark Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 73rd birthday, said the company was “aiming for another doubling of employment, FDI (foreign direct investment), and business size in India” by this time next year.
In August this year, Karnataka governments had said that Foxconn has planned to invest $600 million for two projects in the state to make casing components for iPhones and chip-making equipment.
Earlier this month, Young Liu, Chairman and CEO of Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) had said, ‘India will be an important country in terms of manufacturing in future’.
In the past, it took 30 years to build the entire supply chain ecosystem in China, he noted, adding that while it will take an “appropriate amount of time in India” and the process will be shorter given the experience. The environment too is not quite the same, he said pointing to the advent of new technologies like AI and generative AI.
Meanwhile, Apple Inc. has announced plans to make the India-built iPhone 15 available in the South Asian country and some other regions on the global sales debut day, according to a Bloomberg report.
While the vast majority of iPhone 15s will come from China, that would be the first time a latest generation, India-assembled device is available on the first day of sale, they said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private.
Apple introduced the iPhone 15, updated watches and AirPods at a gala event at its US headquarters. Sales of new products begin typically around 10 days after the unveiling.





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