Vienna
(pta/26.08.2014/21:20 UTC+2)
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+ Like-for-like rental income rises by 2.6%
+ Personnel expenses fall by 18.3% and other operating expenses decline by 7.5%
+ Net finance costs hampered by negative non-cash effects of EUR31.9 mn
+ FFO I at EUR15.4 mn in first half 2014, guidance for 2014 at over EUR30 mn and EUR40 mn for 2015
conwert Immobilien Invest SE, listed on the Austrian ATX, managed to achieve further operating stimuli in the first half 2014.
Rental revenue rose by 7.1% to EUR121.2 mn (1-6/2013: EUR113.2 mn). A key factor in this sharp rise was the consolidation of the residential portfolio acquired from GE Capital Real Estate Germany in the third quarter 2013. On a like-for-like basis, however, rental revenue also rose by 2.6%. In addition, net rental income (NRI) increased from EUR73.0 mn to EUR74.4 mn; however, the NRI margin decreased to 61.4% (1-6/2013: 64.5%) owing to higher property expenses. The net initial yield was 6.3% at the reporting date following on from 6.1% in the reporting period the previous year. The total vacancy rate was 10.2% at the reporting date, thereby representing a decrease of 15% against the comparable period 2013 (1-6/2013: 12.0%).
Sales revenues in the first half 2014 were characterised by the sale of individual residential and commercial units and amounted to EUR36.3 mn (1 6/2013: EUR145.6 mn). The consequent IFRS margin was therefore 19.1% and the IFRS profit on properties sold amounted to EUR5.8 mn. However, conwert is maintaining its guidance for sales revenues of EUR150-200 mn as management is currently involved in advanced sales negotiations with potential purchasers for the Czech and Slovakian portfolio. This necessitated a negative fair value adjustment for individual properties in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Furthermore, conwert also reduced the fair value of a conwert-owned office property in the Ukraine. These developments resulted in negative fair value adjustments totalling EUR7.1 mn.
Personnel expenses fell by 18.3% in relation to the comparable period to EUR13.8 mn; other operating expenses declined by 7.5% to EUR8.5 mn. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) stood at EUR54.9 mn (1-6/2013: EUR65.2 mn), owing to the planned reduction of sales volumes and the concentration on selected service mandates.
As in the first quarter 2014 as a result of the historically low interest rates, net finance costs were hampered by negative non-cash effects totalling EUR31.9 mn and amounted to EUR(73.0) mn 1-6/2013: (EUR(34.1) mn). There was a slightly positive effect last year from the interest rate curve development. The increase in 2014 was mainly due to the decline in the interest rate curve in the first and second quarter 2014 and the consequent change in the market value of swaps which conwert originally concluded in the years 2007-2010 to hedge borrowed capital liabilities against interest rate fluctuations. This resulted in EBT of EUR(25.8) mn (1-6/2013: EUR29.6 mn), hampered by non-cash effects, and the loss for the period was EUR(22.9) mn, following on from a profit of EUR19.1 mn in the previous year.
Loan to value (LTV), i.e. debt in relation to property projects minus cash and cash equivalents, was unchanged at the reporting date at 54.4% against the first quarter 2014 (31/12/2013: 55.9%) and therefore within the target range of 50 to 55%.
Higher property expenses, which resulted mainly from the portfolios acquired in Germany in 2013, led to a 13.5% decline in funds from operations before sales income and one-off costs (FFO I) in the first half 2014 to EUR15.4 mn (1-6/2013: EUR17.8 mn after adjustments to the reporting system, resp. EUR18.4 mn under last year's reporting system). FFO II (FFO I plus sales income) amounted to EUR18.7 mn (1-6/2013: EUR27.1 mn) and was therefore just 31.0% below the figure for the comparable period in the previous year despite a 75.1% reduction in sales revenues.
Clemens Schneider, conwert CEO, on the results: "Following the purchases in Germany in 2013, conwert has succeeded in securing operating stimuli in the first half 2014. The improvements in vacancy rates and rental revenues, while simultaneously cutting costs, underline the positive operating developments in the first half 2014. Nevertheless, we have a lot of work ahead in order to achieve attractive returns for our shareholders."
The focus of conwert's business activities in 2014 will be on integrating the portfolios acquired in 2013 (KWG and GE). The focus on the six core markets (Vienna, Berlin, Potsdam, Dresden, Leipzig, North Rhine-Westphalia) should facilitate further improvements to the operating profitability of the portfolio and is tied to continuing sales activities for the ECO, commercial and CEE portfolios. conwert continues to forecast sales revenues of EUR150-200 mn for the full year 2014. Management expects to achieve FFO I of over EUR30 mn for 2014 and FFO I of EUR40 mn for 2015.
Key performance indicators
1-6/2014 | 1-6/2013 (adjusted)*) | Change | 2013 | |||
Rental income | mn EUR | 121.2 | 113.2 | 7.1% | 227.3 | |
Proceeds from sale of properties | mn EUR | 36.3 | 145.6 | -75.1% | 273.9 | |
Revenues from property services | mn EUR | 4.5 | 9.9 | -54.5% | 15.2 | |
Total revenues | mn EUR | 162.0 | 268.6 | -39.7% | 516.4 | |
EBITDA | mn EUR | 54.9 | 65.2 | -15.8% | 116.8 | |
EBIT | mn EUR | 47.1 | 63.7 | -26.1% | 123.4 | |
EBT | mn EUR | (26.0) | 29.6 | - | 48.7 | |
Funds from operations before sales income and one-off items (FFO I) **) | mn EUR | 15.4 | 17.8 | -13.5% | 36.2 | |
Funds from operations after net finance income/costs (FFO II) ***) | mn EUR | 18.7 | 27.1 | -31.0% | 52.1 | |
Net rental income (NRI) | mn EUR | 74.4 | 73.0 | 1.9% | 141.4 | |
NRI margin | % | 61.4 | 64.5 | -4.8% | 62.2 | |
Basic earnings/share | EUR | (0.30) | 0.21 | - | 0.09 | |
Diluted earnings/share | EUR | (0.19) | 0.22 | - | 0.18 | |
FFO I **) / share | EUR | 0.19 | 0.22 | -13.6% | 0.44 |
30/06/2014 | 31/12/2013 | Change | |||
Total assets | mn EUR | 3,034.6 | 3,165.7 | -4.1% | |
Non-current loans and borrowings | mn EUR | 1,132.6 | 1,081.6 | 4.7% | |
Current loans and borrowings | mn EUR | 240.1 | 378.0 | -36.5% | |
Equity | mn EUR | 1,096.4 | 1,128.6 | -2.9% | |
Equity ratio | % | 36.1 | 35.7 | -1.2% | |
Gearing | % | 159.5 | 154.2 | 3.4% | |
EPRA NAV (basic)/share | EUR | 15.23 | 15.40 | -1.1% |
30/06/2014 | 30/06/2013 | Change | 31/12/2013 | |||
Rental units | No. | 31,451 | 29,243 | 7.6% | 32,120 | |
Parking spaces | No. | 14,011 | 13,181 | 6.3% | 14,187 | |
Total usable space | 1'000 sqm | 2,561.0 | 2,441.5 | 4.9% | 2,603.5 | |
Property assets | mn EUR | 2,843.4 | 2,795.1 | 1.7% | 2,868.1 |
(end)
Emitter: |
conwert Immobilien Invest SE Alserbachstraße 32 1090 Vienna Austria |
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Contact Person: | Clemens Billek | |
Phone: | +43 1 52145-700 | |
E-Mail: | cwi@conwert.at | |
Website: | www.conwert.at | |
ISIN(s): | AT0000697750 (Share) | |
Stock Exchange(s): | Vienna Stock Exchange (Official Trade) |