Suntec Reit
July 1 close: $0.89
PHILLIP SECURITIES RESEARCH, July 1
OUR fundamental view of Suntec Reit has not changed. We feel revenue is still being subjected to pressure as Singapore goes through the recession. We feel key issues for the management will be to maintain the rental while keeping occupancy of the portfolio stable.
Suntec Reit has 64 per cent of its portfolio net lettable area (NLA) exposed to the office sector and 34 per cent exposed to the retail sector. 77 per cent of office leases are expiring over the next three years and we are concern about falling reversionary rent achieved by the expiring office leases.
Although expiring leases rent is lower than the passing average rent, average rent for leases secured has peaked out in Q2 2008 and has fallen 26 per cent in Q1 2009. Furthermore, Suntec Reit office portfolio could come under pressure from the completion of over 9.2 million sq ft of office space in the core downtown area over the next five years. Given that our outlook is for a bottoming of office rent in Q4 2010, we would expect the gap between expiring leases and renewal leases to converge with a negative bias.
Suntec has no near term refinancing concern. It has successfully secured $825 million of term loan in April 2009. The current gearing is 35 per cent. Although management has not indicated any acquisition plans, we believe that Suntec will build up its equity balance for two reasons: in anticipation of asset devaluation and to ready itself for any opportunities that arise for its next phase of growth. Currently, Suntec owns approximately 57 per cent of Suntec City Office Towers, it may resume its programme to acquire strata office units not presently owned.
We revise our average rent and occupancy assumptions and reduce our distribution per unit forecasts over FY2009F-FY2011F by 4-9 per cent. We maintain our 'hold' rating and raise our fair value from $0.69 to $0.94 mainly on lower weighted average cost of capital assumptions.
HOLD