External broker reports(aggregated public sources), KGI Securities Singapore

KGI Securities

External broker reports(aggregated public sources)

Equity Bottom-Up

Manulife US REIT (MUST) / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>Upgrade to Outperform. US office properties are likely to see improving demand as more employees return, even if it is on a part time basis. Improving fundamentals may finally lift investor confidence in the sector.</li><li>MUST provides an excellent proxy to ride on the “return to office” theme in the US, while offering an attractive 7.4% forward dividend yield.</li></ul><div class="content-highlight">Content is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.</div>

Upgrade to Outperform. US office properties are likely to see improving demand as more employees return, even if it is on a part time basis. Improving fundamentals may finally lift investor confidence in the sector.MUST provides an excellent proxy to ride on the “return to office” theme in the US, while offering an attractive 7.4% forward dividend yield.Content is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.

Smartkarma Research Team, Smartkarma

Smartkarma Research

Smartkarma Research Team

Smartkarma

Smartkarma unites the fragmented investment industry, connecting institutional investors, independent research providers, and corporates within a single network.

Research Reinvented

For our next Smartkarma Corporate Webinar, we are glad to welcome <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/manulife-us-reit/overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Manulife US REIT (MUST SP)</a>’s CFO, Robert Wong, and Chief IR and Capital Markets Officer, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/carol-fong-69a19943-1750-44db-a68b-1d4ada8be675" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carol Fong</a>.
MUST is the first pure-play U.S. office REIT listed in Singapore, offering investors the opportunity to have a piece of U.S. real estate in their portfolio. The trust has tripled its AUM in the last 5 years.
In this Webinar, Carol will share a short company presentation on MUST’s journey and its strategy moving ahead in a post-COVID-19 world. Afterwards, she and Robert will engage in a fireside chat with Smartkarma Insight Provider, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/angus-mackintosh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angus Mackintosh</a>. This will be followed by a live Q&amp;A session.
<h3>The Corporate Webinar will be hosted on Tuesday, 29 June 2021, 17:00 SGT.</h3>
<div class="content-highlight">
<h2><a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1H9pFZOB-RF2J00kbvMmxcw2c5gj?zoom_webinar_id=87218260193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Register for the Webinar here</a></h2>
</div>
Corporate Webinars by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/home/corporate-solutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smartkarma Corporate Solutions</a> feature discussions with IROs and Executives, discussing their companies, the challenges they face, and the opportunities in their sectors and markets.

For our next Smartkarma Corporate Webinar, we are glad to welcome Manulife US REIT (MUST SP)’s CFO, Robert Wong, and Chief IR and Capital Markets Officer, Carol Fong.
MUST is the first pure-play U.S. office REIT listed in Singapore, offering investors the opportunity to have a piece of U.S. real estate in their portfolio. The trust has tripled its AUM in the last 5 years.
In this Webinar, Carol will share a short company presentation on MUST’s journey and its strategy moving ahead in a post-COVID-19 world. Afterwards, she and Robert will engage in a fireside chat with Smartkarma Insight Provider, Angus Mackintosh. This will be followed by a live Q&amp;A session.
The Corporate Webinar will be hosted on Tuesday, 29 June 2021, 17:00 SGT.

Register for the Webinar here

Corporate Webinars by Smartkarma Corporate Solutions feature discussions with IROs and Executives, discussing their companies, the challenges they face, and the opportunities in their sectors and markets.

Smartkarma Corporate Webinar | Manulife US REIT (MUST SP): US Real Estate During and After COVID-19

SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income, Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Geoff Howie

SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income

Asia’s leading multi-asset exchange

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Singapore Exchange is Asia’s leading and trusted market infrastructure, facilitating the exchange of capital and ideas to create value for people, businesses and economies. As a multi-asset exchange operating equity, fixed income and derivatives markets to the highest regulatory standards, SGX is a vertically integrated business that provides listing, trading, clearing, settlement, depository and data services.

With about 40% of listed companies and over 80% of listed bonds originating outside of Singapore as well as established linkages across the region and in Europe, SGX is Asia’s most international and connected exchange. Offering a full suite of derivatives products across Asian equity indices, commodities and currencies, SGX is the world’s most liquid international market for the benchmark equity indices of China, India, Japan and ASEAN.

As Asia’s pioneering central counterparty, SGX is globally recognised for its risk management and clearing capabilities, and was one of the first globally to adopt the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructure.

Headquartered in AAA-rated Singapore, SGX has over 800 employees including offices in Beijing, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, Mumbai, San Francisco, Shanghai and Tokyo.

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SGX lists eight actively traded S-Reits with properties in the United States (US). Five out of the eight S-Reits have pure exposure to the US and among them are three US office S-Reits. 
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 13 announced that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks outdoors and can avoid wearing masks indoors in most places, and updated that life can begin to return to normal despite caution issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Nonetheless, US Office S-Reits remain sanguine about companies' return-to-office plans and are adapting to agile and "new normal" arrangements as the US continues to push for normalcy and re-opening of sectors and industries. 
The three US Office S-Reits trade at an average price-to-book ratio of 0.98 times and average 7.8 per cent in distribution yield. All of the three have average committed occupancy rates of over 90 per cent, above the average Class A US office average of 84 per cent, and have weighted average lease expiry (WALE) that range from 4.3 to 5.3 years. 
Manulife US Reit (MUST), which has an occupancy rate of 92 per cent, has observed more tenants gradually returning to the office with May 2021's portfolio physical occupancy at 20.0 per cent, versus 13.3 per cent seen in Jan 2021. The Reit notes that offices continue to remain relevant as companies adopt a hybrid model and the majority of employers do require the same if not more office space post Covid-19, driven by the demand for rising headcount and social distancing needs.

MUST sees post-Covid-19 themes such as the acceleration of population and company migration to magnet cities, growing tech sector, strong demand for health care, and fast developing knowledge economy to provide uplift for the Reit. MUST has a focus to target magnet cities which are defined as having attributes such as growing tech tenants, population growth, business friendly and lower costs of living.

Prime US Reit (Prime) sees interest in its assets pick up as tenants make longer-term leasing decisions, despite the current low physical occupancy. Its current portfolio occupancy rate is at 91.7 per cent. Some of its tenants which include Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo have also made plans for employees to return to the office by July 2021.

In securing new leases, Prime notes that its new tenants are largely from diverse established and technology sectors. The Reit observes that the US office transaction market has shown signs of activity in recent weeks and it is actively exploring acquisition opportunities in its target markets.

Keppel Pacific Oak US Reit (KORE) has a 91.6 per cent portfolio committed occupancy rate and believes that the rollout of vaccines and removal of restrictions is raising confidence and optimism. LaSalle Network's Office Re-Entry Index shows that 70 per cent of CEOs, human resources and finance leaders are planning for employees to return to the office by fall 2021.

KORE has a focus in markets with exposure to technology hubs and tech-tenancy. Its recent leasing activities are driven mainly by demand from professional services, finance and insurance, and technology. Over 37 per cent of its current portfolio by net lettable area comprises tenants from technology and medical and healthcare.  REIT Watch is a weekly column on The Business Times, <a href="https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/us-office-s-reits-half-empty-or-half-full">read</a> the original version.
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    8 SREIT with exposes to US assets


SGX lists eight actively traded S-Reits with properties in the United States (US). Five out of the eight S-Reits have pure exposure to the US and among them are three US office S-Reits.  
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 13 announced that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks outdoors and can avoid wearing masks indoors in most places, and updated that life can begin to return to normal despite caution issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Nonetheless, US Office S-Reits remain sanguine about companies' return-to-office plans and are adapting to agile and "new normal" arrangements as the US continues to push for normalcy and re-opening of sectors and industries.  
The three US Office S-Reits trade at an average price-to-book ratio of 0.98 times and average 7.8 per cent in distribution yield. All of the three have average committed occupancy rates of over 90 per cent, above the average Class A US office average of 84 per cent, and have weighted average lease expiry (WALE) that range from 4.3 to 5.3 years.  
Manulife US Reit (MUST), which has an occupancy rate of 92 per cent, has observed more tenants gradually returning to the office with May 2021's portfolio physical occupancy at 20.0 per cent, versus 13.3 per cent seen in Jan 2021. The Reit notes that offices continue to remain relevant as companies adopt a hybrid model and the majority of employers do require the same if not more office space post Covid-19, driven by the demand for rising headcount and social distancing needs.

MUST sees post-Covid-19 themes such as the acceleration of population and company migration to magnet cities, growing tech sector, strong demand for health care, and fast developing knowledge economy to provide uplift for the Reit. MUST has a focus to target magnet cities which are defined as having attributes such as growing tech tenants, population growth, business friendly and lower costs of living.

Prime US Reit (Prime) sees interest in its assets pick up as tenants make longer-term leasing decisions, despite the current low physical occupancy. Its current portfolio occupancy rate is at 91.7 per cent. Some of its tenants which include Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo have also made plans for employees to return to the office by July 2021.

In securing new leases, Prime notes that its new tenants are largely from diverse established and technology sectors. The Reit observes that the US office transaction market has shown signs of activity in recent weeks and it is actively exploring acquisition opportunities in its target markets.

Keppel Pacific Oak US Reit (KORE) has a 91.6 per cent portfolio committed occupancy rate and believes that the rollout of vaccines and removal of restrictions is raising confidence and optimism. LaSalle Network's Office Re-Entry Index shows that 70 per cent of CEOs, human resources and finance leaders are planning for employees to return to the office by fall 2021.

KORE has a focus in markets with exposure to technology hubs and tech-tenancy. Its recent leasing activities are driven mainly by demand from professional services, finance and insurance, and technology. Over 37 per cent of its current portfolio by net lettable area comprises tenants from technology and medical and healthcare.   REIT Watch is a weekly column on The Business Times, read the original version.



REIT Watch - US office S-Reits - half empty or half full?

ARA US Hospitality Trust / Equity Bottom-Up

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WITHIN Singapore's Reits &amp; Property Trusts (S-Reits) that are listed for trading, there are five (ARA US Hospitality Trust, Manulife US Reit, Prime US Reit, United Hampshire US Reit, Keppel Pacific Oak US Reit) with 100 per cent of assets located in the US and three (IReit Global, Cromwell European Reit, Elite Commercial Reit) with 100 per cent of their assets in Europe.

These eight S-Reits have an average distribution yield of 7.5 per cent and generated positive average total returns of 8.9 per cent in the 2021 year-to-date till May 12.

In the past week, Cromwell European Reit (CE Reit), Manulife US Reit (MUST) and United Hampshire US Reit (UHU Reit) published their business/operational updates for the first quarter of 2021. Common outlook expectations revolved around the recovery of economic activities in 2021 as vaccination roll-outs progress, restrictions ease, daily activities resume and employment data rebound.

With most of Europe still under tight restrictions during the quarter, GDP for the eurozone economy fell by 0.6 per cent quarter-on-quarter, based on preliminary data released by Europe's statistics office Eurostat. CE Reit noted that, barring a further deterioration of the current Covid-19 situation, the eurozone's 2021 GDP growth is projected at 4.1 per cent (according to Oxford Economics). 
CE Reit's gross revenue and net property income (NPI) declined marginally by 0.1 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively for Q1 FY2021. This was attributed to prolonged Covid-19 lockdowns in most of CE Reit's countries of operations. However, the Reit believes that there will be higher demand for light industrial /logistics space as e-commerce continues to expand in 2021, supplemented by further demand coming from the reconfiguration and expansion of supply chains so as to be better prepared for future disruptions and consumer demand shocks. In March 2021, CE Reit completed the acquisition of 11 modern logistics assets in Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Reit aims to increase exposure to logistics to 50 per cent of portfolio asset under management (AUM), up from the current 38 per cent. 
In contrast to Europe's GDP contraction in the Q1 2021, the US reported a quarter-on-quarter GDP growth of 1.6 per cent. Both MUST and UHU Reit noted that the GDP rebound indicates momentum coupled with improving unemployment rate, fast-paced vaccination roll-out and two rounds of federal stimulus payments.

In its Q1 FY2021 operational update, MUST reported strong lease renewals (93.6 per cent of leases by NLA) but minimal new leases as prospective tenants continue to stay cautious. Looking forward, MUST expects post Covid-19 themes such as the acceleration of population and company migration, growing technology sector, strong demand for healthcare and fast developing knowledge economy to provide uplift to the Reit. MUST intends to target cities that are business-friendly, have growing technology and healthcare industries as well as robust population growth.

Compared to IPO forecasts, UHU Reit's Q1 FY2021 distributable income was up 1.3 per cent while gross revenue and NPI were down 1.9 per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively. UHU Reit noted that, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), US retail sales are expected to grow between 6.5 per cent and 8.2 per cent in 2021, underpinned by healthy consumer fundamentals, pent-up demand and widespread vaccination. This was evident in the new and renewal leases signed this quarter, most of which were food &amp; beverage and consumer services tenants.

The Reit also expects trends such as increase in consumer awareness of the benefits of self-storage, an increasingly mobile population and the decluttering of homes to create more efficient workspaces to continue even as the country transitions to a post-Covid environment. REIT Watch is a weekly column on The Business Times,<a href="https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/china-poised-to-drive-economic-growth"> </a><a href="https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/western-s-reits-sanguine-on-post-covid-outlook">read</a><a href="https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/bulk-of-s-reits-in-key-global-real-estate-indices"> </a>the original version.
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WITHIN Singapore's Reits &amp; Property Trusts (S-Reits) that are listed for trading, there are five (ARA US Hospitality Trust, Manulife US Reit, Prime US Reit, United Hampshire US Reit, Keppel Pacific Oak US Reit) with 100 per cent of assets located in the US and three (IReit Global, Cromwell European Reit, Elite Commercial Reit) with 100 per cent of their assets in Europe.

These eight S-Reits have an average distribution yield of 7.5 per cent and generated positive average total returns of 8.9 per cent in the 2021 year-to-date till May 12.

In the past week, Cromwell European Reit (CE Reit), Manulife US Reit (MUST) and United Hampshire US Reit (UHU Reit) published their business/operational updates for the first quarter of 2021. Common outlook expectations revolved around the recovery of economic activities in 2021 as vaccination roll-outs progress, restrictions ease, daily activities resume and employment data rebound.

With most of Europe still under tight restrictions during the quarter, GDP for the eurozone economy fell by 0.6 per cent quarter-on-quarter, based on preliminary data released by Europe's statistics office Eurostat. CE Reit noted that, barring a further deterioration of the current Covid-19 situation, the eurozone's 2021 GDP growth is projected at 4.1 per cent (according to Oxford Economics).  
CE Reit's gross revenue and net property income (NPI) declined marginally by 0.1 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively for Q1 FY2021. This was attributed to prolonged Covid-19 lockdowns in most of CE Reit's countries of operations. However, the Reit believes that there will be higher demand for light industrial /logistics space as e-commerce continues to expand in 2021, supplemented by further demand coming from the reconfiguration and expansion of supply chains so as to be better prepared for future disruptions and consumer demand shocks. In March 2021, CE Reit completed the acquisition of 11 modern logistics assets in Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Reit aims to increase exposure to logistics to 50 per cent of portfolio asset under management (AUM), up from the current 38 per cent.  
In contrast to Europe's GDP contraction in the Q1 2021, the US reported a quarter-on-quarter GDP growth of 1.6 per cent. Both MUST and UHU Reit noted that the GDP rebound indicates momentum coupled with improving unemployment rate, fast-paced vaccination roll-out and two rounds of federal stimulus payments.

In its Q1 FY2021 operational update, MUST reported strong lease renewals (93.6 per cent of leases by NLA) but minimal new leases as prospective tenants continue to stay cautious. Looking forward, MUST expects post Covid-19 themes such as the acceleration of population and company migration, growing technology sector, strong demand for healthcare and fast developing knowledge economy to provide uplift to the Reit. MUST intends to target cities that are business-friendly, have growing technology and healthcare industries as well as robust population growth.

Compared to IPO forecasts, UHU Reit's Q1 FY2021 distributable income was up 1.3 per cent while gross revenue and NPI were down 1.9 per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively. UHU Reit noted that, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), US retail sales are expected to grow between 6.5 per cent and 8.2 per cent in 2021, underpinned by healthy consumer fundamentals, pent-up demand and widespread vaccination. This was evident in the new and renewal leases signed this quarter, most of which were food &amp; beverage and consumer services tenants.

The Reit also expects trends such as increase in consumer awareness of the benefits of self-storage, an increasingly mobile population and the decluttering of homes to create more efficient workspaces to continue even as the country transitions to a post-Covid environment.  REIT Watch is a weekly column on The Business Times, read the original version.



REIT Watch - Western S-Reits sanguine on post-Covid outlook

Research from SooChow CSSD Capital Markets (Asia), SCCM Asia Research

SCCM Asia Research

Research from SooChow CSSD Capital Markets (Asia)

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<h2>Singapore</h2><h3>SREITs results in a glance (see detailed spreadsheet and calendar attached)</h3><table class="table table-striped"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;"> </td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">CERT (€)</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">MUST (US$)</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">KORE (US$)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">Period</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">1Q21</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">1Q21</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">1Q21</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">Gross Revenue (S$ m)</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">48.5 (-0.1% YoY)</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">NA</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">34.6 (-2.1% YoY)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">NPI (S$ m)</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">30.8 (-0.4% YoY)</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">NA</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">20.4 (-2.8% YoY)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">DPU (S$ c)</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">0.827 (-9.1% YoY)</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">NA</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">Not Disclosed</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">NAV per Unit (S$)</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">2.445</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">0.730</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">Not Disclosed</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">P/B (x)</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">0.978</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">1.030 (Based on 4Q20 NAV)</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">0.90 (Based on 4Q20 NAV)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">Occupancy (%)</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">94.6</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">92.0</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">91.6</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">Reversion (%)</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">-1.3</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">2.1</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">5.7</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">Gearing (%)</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">38.5</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">41.3</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">37.5</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">Cost of Debt (%)</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">1.72</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">3.18</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">2.82</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">1 Yr Fwd Yield (%)</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">7.95</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">8.00</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">8.3</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">Debt Hedged (%)</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">100</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">NA</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">84.7</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">Target Price</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">NA</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">NA</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">NA</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 167.45pt;">Rating</td><td style="width: 129.85pt;">NA</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">NA</td><td style="width: 117.6pt;">NA</td></tr></tbody></table><h3><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/cromwell-european-real-estate" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:25889" rel="noopener">Cromwell European REIT (CERT SP)</a> 1Q21 Business Update – Weakening operational metrics with negative reversions and falling occupancies</h3><ul><li>1Q21 revenue and NPI decreased by 0.1% and 0.4% YoY, respectively, to €48.5m (28.4% BB est) and €30.8m. Prolonged COVID-19 lockdowns impacted 1Q21 gross revenue and NPI, notably reducing carpark income in the mixed-use Central Plaza in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and resulting in some vacancy in certain light industrial/logistics assets in France and Denmark. The disposal of 12 higher-yielding and higher-risk assets in the Netherlands, France and Denmark also affected gross revenue, though this was partially offset by new income from recently completed acquisitions in Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia</li><li>1Q21 DPU decreased 9.1% YoY to €0.827c (21.8% BB est). This due to the same factors impacting DI as well as the timing of the investment of the €100m private placement proceeds to offset the additional weighted average units on issue in Mar21. 1Q21 DI was €21.7m, 6.5% lower YoY, due to the same factors affecting gross revenue and NPI. It was further impacted by €0.8m of higher interest expenses from the €500m longer-tenured bond issuances and certain one-off trust expenses of €0.4m</li><li>Overall portfolio occupancy decreased slightly to 94.6% in 1Q21 (vs. 95.1% in 4Q20 and 94.3% in 3Q20), mainly due to vacancies in office assets in France and Finland and the departure of an anchor tenant-customer (Nilfisk), which relocated its operations to Belgium from the Priorparken 700 / 800 asset in Copenhagen, Denmark. CERT recorded 37 new leases and 21 renewals for 19,735sqm and 13,428sqm of space, respectively. Portfolio WALE stood at 4.8 years. Rental reversions came in at -1.3% in 1Q21 (vs +2.1% in 4Q20 and +2.8% in 3Q20)</li><li>Office – Occupancy of 94.5% (vs 95.1% in 4Q20 and 94.9% in 3Q20). CERT recorded 9 new leases and 7 renewals for 1,180sqm and 2,189sqm of space, respectively. 34% tenant retention rate, 21% of expiries and breaks up to 30Sep21 have been de-risked. Office WALE stood at 4.4 years. Rental reversions came in at -1.0% in 1Q21 (vs +1.7% in 4Q20 and -1.4% in 3Q20)   </li><li>Industrial/logistics – Occupancy of 93.8% (vs 94.1% in 4Q20 and 92.3% in 3Q20). CERT recorded 28 new leases and 13 renewals for 18,556sqm and 10,381sqm of space, respectively. 26% tenant retention rate, 79% of expiries and breaks up to 30Sep21 have been de-risked. Industrial WALE stood at 4.8 years. Rental reversions came in at +1.5% in 1Q21 (vs +3.8% in 4Q20 and +14.4% in 3Q20)   </li><li>Portfolio gearing stands at 38.5% (vs. 38.1% in 4Q20 and 35.9% in 3Q20) with average cost of debt of 1.72% pa. (vs. 1.66% in 4Q20 and 1.5% in 3Q20) with 100% of debt hedged. CERT maintained a strong cash position of €75.8m</li><li>CERT currently trades at 7.95% FY21E yield and 0.978x P/B.</li></ul><h3><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/manulife-us-reit" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:567" rel="noopener">Manulife US REIT (MUST SP)</a> 1Q21 Business Updates – US office market remains muted, mitigated by limited supply and expiry in MUST’s markets</h3><ul><li>Revenue, NPI and DI were not disclosed in 1Q21</li><li>Overall portfolio occupancy dipped further to 92.0% in 1Q21 (vs. 93.4% in 4Q20 and 94.3% in 3Q20), but is still above the US Class-A average of ~82%</li><li>MUST signed 270,000sqft (~5.8% of NLA) of leases in 1Q21 with +2.1% rental reversions (vs. +0.1% in full-year FY20 and +7.9% in 9M20). These leases are mainly from renewals (93.6%), followed by expansion (5.3%) and new leases (1.1%), supported by finance and insurance, administrative, advertising and legal sectors. It has a long WALE of 5.3 years with ~4.4% (by GRI) or 4.3% (by NLA) of leases up for renewal for the remaining of FY21E. Nonetheless, its current portfolio has a 2.1% in-place rental escalations. Given limited supply in MUST’s markets over the next 12 months, these markets is expected to see a 2.5% rent growth, in line with the overall US average</li><li>Tenants’ collection rate remains healthy (98% collection), but challenges for 2021 include: 1) Low physical occupancy at 5-25% (low carpark income), and 2) existing vacancies remain a challenge to fill (larger space takes longer to fill and it’s still a tenant’s market with higher incentive and rent free)</li><li>Portfolio gearing stands at 41.3% (vs. 41.0% in 4Q20 and 39.9% in 3Q20) with average cost of debt of 3.18% pa. (vs. 3.18% in 4Q20 and 3.21% in 3Q20). In Apr21, MUST has refinanced its loans due FY21E at lower interest rate, bringing weighted average interest rate to 3.0% and increasing weighted average debt maturity to 3.4 years</li><li>MUST currently trades at 8.00% FY21E yield and 1.03x P/B. </li></ul><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=03e35791bb&amp;attid=0.0.3&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1699422834728702566&amp;th=1795901073311266&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ8sEKl6WDAe8N9__qHKBNe6-08vbrc8QfHwJamRBTAaR_dON_UK1yOULc7lIYoAqOLnG1bIt-bZRfkFUmsv6mNgGuwGup4IAMyZuiuu1S3HH7pcwGFiu6yseig&amp;disp=emb" width="403" height="199" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-image-whitelisted=""></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&amp;ik=03e35791bb&amp;attid=0.0.4&amp;permmsgid=msg-f:1699422834728702566&amp;th=1795901073311266&amp;view=fimg&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ_0APJf80bwv3E2S_EiRYN8qcm-reP1OQ2z06j7ZbYooytHl5IJJso0tnZEZ2wCt-YWmA-nXxQk1VnMuNtz5DfMAf0FyvFj2bW9VWWOmPzOeJvwjpGsNdafsus&amp;disp=emb" width="364" height="196" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-image-whitelisted=""></figure><h3><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/propnex-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27209" rel="noopener">Propnex Ltd (PROP SP)</a> 1Q21 PATMI almost doubled to S$16.2m; Debt free balance sheet  </h3>PROP reported a 96.7% YoY growth in net profit after tax for 1Q21 to S$16.2m(vs S$8.2m in 1Q20), on the back of a 63.3% YoY growth in revenue to S$220.6m (vs S$135.1m in 1Q20). The performance was driven by higher number of transactions completed in 1Q21 following the recovery of private residential market from the property cooling measures in Jul18. Revenue growth was mainly driven due to the increase in commission income from agency services of ~S$47.5m and increase in project marketing services of ~S$38.0m. The results translate to an EPS growth of 95.6% YoY to S$4.01c in 1Q21. PROP remained debt free, and its balance sheet remained robust with cash and cash equivalents of S$118.9m as at 31Mar21, compared to S$105.8m as at 31Dec20. PROP has also taken 70% interest in Ovvy, The People Marketplace, a technology platform that connects service providers to consumers.<h3><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lh-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4397" rel="noopener">Pacific Star Development (PSTAR SP)</a> 3Q21 net loss increases, identified uncertainty over operating as going concern</h3>PSTAR, whose management is voicing uncertainty over its ability to operate as a going concern, sank further into the red in 3Q21. Net loss widened to S$8.2m as revenue came in 81% YoY lower at S$674,000 due to lower number of Puteri Cove Residences units sold. Gross profit plunged 90% YoY to S$56,000. The group booked an increase of S$1.28m in other expenses largely due to an increase in trade receivables written off as a result of cancellation of sales and purchase agreements for Puteri Cove Residences units. Loss per share was S$1.64c, higher than S$1.6c the year before. As at 31Mar, the group's net liability position was S$69.3m. PSTAR said there is uncertainty as to whether the group is able to meet its contractual obligations in the next 12 months as and when they fall due, and hence there is uncertainty over its ability to operate as a going concern for the next 12 months.

SingaporeSREITs results in a glance (see detailed spreadsheet and calendar attached) CERT (€)MUST (US$)KORE (US$)Period1Q211Q211Q21Gross Revenue (S$ m)48.5 (-0.1% YoY)NA34.6 (-2.1% YoY)NPI (S$ m)30.8 (-0.4% YoY)NA20.4 (-2.8% YoY)DPU (S$ c)0.827 (-9.1% YoY)NANot DisclosedNAV per Unit (S$)2.4450.730Not DisclosedP/B (x)0.9781.030 (Based on 4Q20 NAV)0.90 (Based on 4Q20 NAV)Occupancy (%)94.692.091.6Reversion (%)-1.32.15.7Gearing (%)38.541.337.5Cost of Debt (%)1.723.182.821 Yr Fwd Yield (%)7.958.008.3Debt Hedged (%)100NA84.7Target PriceNANANARatingNANANACromwell European REIT (CERT SP) 1Q21 Business Update – Weakening operational metrics with negative reversions and falling occupancies1Q21 revenue and NPI decreased by 0.1% and 0.4% YoY, respectively, to €48.5m (28.4% BB est) and €30.8m. Prolonged COVID-19 lockdowns impacted 1Q21 gross revenue and NPI, notably reducing carpark income in the mixed-use Central Plaza in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and resulting in some vacancy in certain light industrial/logistics assets in France and Denmark. The disposal of 12 higher-yielding and higher-risk assets in the Netherlands, France and Denmark also affected gross revenue, though this was partially offset by new income from recently completed acquisitions in Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia1Q21 DPU decreased 9.1% YoY to €0.827c (21.8% BB est). This due to the same factors impacting DI as well as the timing of the investment of the €100m private placement proceeds to offset the additional weighted average units on issue in Mar21. 1Q21 DI was €21.7m, 6.5% lower YoY, due to the same factors affecting gross revenue and NPI. It was further impacted by €0.8m of higher interest expenses from the €500m longer-tenured bond issuances and certain one-off trust expenses of €0.4mOverall portfolio occupancy decreased slightly to 94.6% in 1Q21 (vs. 95.1% in 4Q20 and 94.3% in 3Q20), mainly due to vacancies in office assets in France and Finland and the departure of an anchor tenant-customer (Nilfisk), which relocated its operations to Belgium from the Priorparken 700 / 800 asset in Copenhagen, Denmark. CERT recorded 37 new leases and 21 renewals for 19,735sqm and 13,428sqm of space, respectively. Portfolio WALE stood at 4.8 years. Rental reversions came in at -1.3% in 1Q21 (vs +2.1% in 4Q20 and +2.8% in 3Q20)Office – Occupancy of 94.5% (vs 95.1% in 4Q20 and 94.9% in 3Q20). CERT recorded 9 new leases and 7 renewals for 1,180sqm and 2,189sqm of space, respectively. 34% tenant retention rate, 21% of expiries and breaks up to 30Sep21 have been de-risked. Office WALE stood at 4.4 years. Rental reversions came in at -1.0% in 1Q21 (vs +1.7% in 4Q20 and -1.4% in 3Q20)   Industrial/logistics – Occupancy of 93.8% (vs 94.1% in 4Q20 and 92.3% in 3Q20). CERT recorded 28 new leases and 13 renewals for 18,556sqm and 10,381sqm of space, respectively. 26% tenant retention rate, 79% of expiries and breaks up to 30Sep21 have been de-risked. Industrial WALE stood at 4.8 years. Rental reversions came in at +1.5% in 1Q21 (vs +3.8% in 4Q20 and +14.4% in 3Q20)   Portfolio gearing stands at 38.5% (vs. 38.1% in 4Q20 and 35.9% in 3Q20) with average cost of debt of 1.72% pa. (vs. 1.66% in 4Q20 and 1.5% in 3Q20) with 100% of debt hedged. CERT maintained a strong cash position of €75.8mCERT currently trades at 7.95% FY21E yield and 0.978x P/B.Manulife US REIT (MUST SP) 1Q21 Business Updates – US office market remains muted, mitigated by limited supply and expiry in MUST’s marketsRevenue, NPI and DI were not disclosed in 1Q21Overall portfolio occupancy dipped further to 92.0% in 1Q21 (vs. 93.4% in 4Q20 and 94.3% in 3Q20), but is still above the US Class-A average of ~82%MUST signed 270,000sqft (~5.8% of NLA) of leases in 1Q21 with +2.1% rental reversions (vs. +0.1% in full-year FY20 and +7.9% in 9M20). These leases are mainly from renewals (93.6%), followed by expansion (5.3%) and new leases (1.1%), supported by finance and insurance, administrative, advertising and legal sectors. It has a long WALE of 5.3 years with ~4.4% (by GRI) or 4.3% (by NLA) of leases up for renewal for the remaining of FY21E. Nonetheless, its current portfolio has a 2.1% in-place rental escalations. Given limited supply in MUST’s markets over the next 12 months, these markets is expected to see a 2.5% rent growth, in line with the overall US averageTenants’ collection rate remains healthy (98% collection), but challenges for 2021 include: 1) Low physical occupancy at 5-25% (low carpark income), and 2) existing vacancies remain a challenge to fill (larger space takes longer to fill and it’s still a tenant’s market with higher incentive and rent free)Portfolio gearing stands at 41.3% (vs. 41.0% in 4Q20 and 39.9% in 3Q20) with average cost of debt of 3.18% pa. (vs. 3.18% in 4Q20 and 3.21% in 3Q20). In Apr21, MUST has refinanced its loans due FY21E at lower interest rate, bringing weighted average interest rate to 3.0% and increasing weighted average debt maturity to 3.4 yearsMUST currently trades at 8.00% FY21E yield and 1.03x P/B. Propnex Ltd (PROP SP) 1Q21 PATMI almost doubled to S$16.2m; Debt free balance sheet  PROP reported a 96.7% YoY growth in net profit after tax for 1Q21 to S$16.2m(vs S$8.2m in 1Q20), on the back of a 63.3% YoY growth in revenue to S$220.6m (vs S$135.1m in 1Q20). The performance was driven by higher number of transactions completed in 1Q21 following the recovery of private residential market from the property cooling measures in Jul18. Revenue growth was mainly driven due to the increase in commission income from agency services of ~S$47.5m and increase in project marketing services of ~S$38.0m. The results translate to an EPS growth of 95.6% YoY to S$4.01c in 1Q21. PROP remained debt free, and its balance sheet remained robust with cash and cash equivalents of S$118.9m as at 31Mar21, compared to S$105.8m as at 31Dec20. PROP has also taken 70% interest in Ovvy, The People Marketplace, a technology platform that connects service providers to consumers.Pacific Star Development (PSTAR SP) 3Q21 net loss increases, identified uncertainty over operating as going concernPSTAR, whose management is voicing uncertainty over its ability to operate as a going concern, sank further into the red in 3Q21. Net loss widened to S$8.2m as revenue came in 81% YoY lower at S$674,000 due to lower number of Puteri Cove Residences units sold. Gross profit plunged 90% YoY to S$56,000. The group booked an increase of S$1.28m in other expenses largely due to an increase in trade receivables written off as a result of cancellation of sales and purchase agreements for Puteri Cove Residences units. Loss per share was S$1.64c, higher than S$1.6c the year before. As at 31Mar, the group's net liability position was S$69.3m. PSTAR said there is uncertainty as to whether the group is able to meet its contractual obligations in the next 12 months as and when they fall due, and hence there is uncertainty over its ability to operate as a going concern for the next 12 months.

ASEAN Builder's Scoop (11May21) - CERT weakening operational metrics

Singapore

Manulife US REIT is a Singapore listed REIT established with the investment strategy principally to invest, directly or indirectly, in a portfolio of income-producing office real estate in key markets in the United States, as well as real estate-related assets.

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Manulife US REIT (MUST) (MUST SP)

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