Investment Thesis
- Improving underlying conditions, although some uncertainty remains.
- Solid portfolio across Retail, Office and Logistics but short-term risk around valuations and property fundamentals due to Covid-19.
- Diversified with Funds Management business generating income.
- Balance sheet strength with gearing ratio at 28.2%, well within target range of 25-35%.
- Strong tenant demand for the GPT east coast assets.
Key Risks
- Breach of debt covenants.
- Inability to repay debt maturities as they fall due.
- Deterioration in property fundamentals, especially delays with developments.
- Environment of expected interest rate hikes.
- Downward asset revaluations.
- Retailer bankruptcies and rising vacancies.
- Outflow of funds in the Funds Management business reducing GPT’s income.
- Tenant defaults as the economic landscape changes.
1H22 results summary. Relative to the pcp:
- Funds from Operations (FFO) of $554.5m was flat over pcp, despite the Company continuing to provide Covid-19 rent relief to tenants, with a +3.6% YoY increase in Retail, +11% increase in Logistics and +2.3% increase in Funds Management combined with -17% YoY decline in finance costs were offset by -4.5% YoY decline in Office and +80.4% YoY increase in corporate overheads due to not having the benefit of pcp savings from the withdrawal of bonus schemes and the support of JobKeeper. FFO per security increased +1.2% to 28.82 cents, driven by on-market security buy-back.
- NPAT improved to $1,422.8m (vs loss of $213.2m in pcp), driven by investment property valuation increases of $924.3m (vs valuation declines of $712.5m in pcp), with 60% of coming from the Logistics portfolio and the balance from Office portfolio.
- Total 12-month return was 14.1% vs -2.4% in pcp, amid investment property revaluation gains, driving an increase in NTA per stapled security of +9.3% YoY to $6.09.
- Operating cashflow increased +7.2% YoY to $520.4m and FCF grew +6.7% to $467.5m, resulting from higher cash collections and no payment for variable remuneration schemes, partially offset by higher transaction costs and taxation payments.
Capital management:
- Strong shareholder returns with the Board buying back ~32.3 million securities (1.7% of securities on issue) at an average price of $4.54 per security for a total consideration of $146.8m (on-market security buy-back program formally concluded).
- The Company declared a final distribution of 9.9cps, taking FY21 distribution to 23.2cps, up +3.1% over pcp and representing a distribution payout of 95.1% of FCF.
- Ample liquidity with $934.7m held in cash and undrawn bank facilities.
- Well managed debt profile with weighted average cost of debt down -70bps over pcp to 2.4%, with modest increase expected in FY22 because of potential interest rate increases.
- Gearing increased by +500bps to 28.2% YoY (well within gearing range of 25-35%) primarily driven by debt funded acquisition of the Ascot Capital portfolio, resulting in S&P/Moody’s rating of A (negative)/A2 (stable) vs A (stable)/A2 (stable) in pcp, within GPT’s target A-rating band.
Company Profile
GPT Group (GPT) owns and manages a portfolio of high-quality Australian property assets, these include Office, Business Parks and Prime Shopping Centres. Whilst the core business is focused around the Retail, Office and Logistics, it also has a Funds Management (FM) business that generates income for the company through funds management, property management and development management fees. GPT’s FM business has the following funds, GPT Wholesale Office Fund (GWOF – A$6.1b) launched in July 2006, GPT Wholesale Shopping Centre Fund (GWSCF – A$3.9b) launched in March 2007 and GPT Metro Office fund (GMF – A$400m) launched in 2014.
(Source: Banyantree)
General Advice Warning
Any advice/ information provided is general in nature only and does not take into account the personal financial situation, objectives or needs of any particular person.