APT Axa Property Trust Limited

To:                    Company Announcements
Date:                27 May 2016
Company:         AXA Property Trust Limited

Subject:            Net Asset Value 31 March 2016 (Unaudited)

SUMMARY

CAPITAL REDEMPTIONS

• The Company returned £11.0m to Shareholders by means of a capital redemption on 6 January 2016 bringing the total return amount to £24.1 million.

QUARTERLY RESULTS

• The Company’s unaudited Consolidated Net Asset Value as at 31 March 2016 was £38.55 million (31 December 2015: £47.14 million)

• The unaudited Net Asset Value per share at 31 March 2016 was 66.95 pence (31 December 2015: 62.06 pence per share)

• The Company made a net profit after tax of £1.58 million in the nine months period to 31 March 2016 and £0.27 million in the 3 months period from 1 January to 31 March 2016.

MANAGED WIND-DOWN STATUS

• The Company continues to progress the managed wind-down of its portfolio with a view to realising its investments by December 2016 in a manner that achieves a balance between maximising the value from the Company's investments and making timely returns of capital to shareholders.

• The Company returned £11.0m to Shareholders by means of a capital redemption on 6 January 2016 bringing the total return amount to £24.1 million

• No assets were sold during the quarter. As at the end of the quarter, all assets, with the exception of Rothenburg were on the market available for sale.

• The two Italian assets were marketed on a targeted, open market basis during the quarter and whilst no bids were received, management remain focussed on achieving successful sales during the year.  

• In Germany the potential sale of the Dasing asset was delayed by the proposed purchaser and is now targeted for mid-year. At Rothenberg, negotiations with an anchor tenant continued towards finalising a new long-term lease which is supportive of the value-creation at this asset. Once the lease negotiation is signed, the asset will be placed in the market.

PORTFOLIO UPDATE

Country Allocation at 31 March 2016 (by asset value)

Country                        % of portfolio

Germany                       52%

Italy                              48%

Sector Allocation at 31 March 2016 (by asset value)

Sector                          % of portfolio

Retail                            39%

Industrial                       34%

Leisure                          27%

MARKET UPDATE

German Retail

During 2015 over 525,000 sq m of retail lettings were transacted, approximately 10% less than the previous year.   Prime German retail rents remained stable during the first quarter of 2016 and according to CBRE were largely unchanged compared to the first quarter of 2015. Retail investment volumes amounted to €1.5bn in the first quarter of 2016, down 56% Year-on Year (YoY), reducing the share of retail investments relative to total real estate investment from 37% in Q1 2015 to 18% in Q1 2016. This fall appears to reflect a lack of non-German investors compared to previous years which itself may have been caused by the lower volume of prime retail assets brought to the market.. Overall, portfolios comprised the largest share of retail investment during the quarter, amounting to €860 million (57%). In addition, the major share of retail transactions were across generally secondary and tertiary locations, reflecting also the lack of availability of core investments for sale. Yield compression has continued across all types of locations and properties over the past 12 months. According to Colliers’ recent market indices, prime gross yields for retail-office mixed-use assets in the ‘Big 7’ centres are currently in the order of 3.00% in Munich rising to 4.20% in Cologne.  Warehouse stores and retail parks are currently priced at yields of between 5.50% and 6.00%.

German Logistics

During the first quarter of 2016, Germany benefited from a 45% YoY increase in  logistics and industrial take up, at 1.5m sq m. CBRE reports this as the highest take-up figure for a first quarter and was driven by transactions outside of the top 5 city markets. Of these major markets, Frankfurt recorded the highest level of activity with take-up amounting to approximately 170,500 sq m. Generally, prime rents remained stable, although those in Munich and Berlin each recorded increases of approximately 4%, amounting to €6.75/sq m and €4.80/sq m respectively as at Q1 2016.

Investment volumes into German logistics and industrial properties during the quarter amounted to €910m, almost twice the amount invested during Q1 2015. According to Colliers,  this sector accounted for 11% of the overall commercial investment volume in Q1 2016, higher than the 7.2% achieved over the whole of 2015.This may reflect a desire by investors to maintain yield in a low-return environment and a consequent switch away from other commercial sectors.  As with the leasing markets, a large majority (75%) of transactions occurred outside of the top 7 markets. Colliers report gross initial yields declined by 50 basis points over the quarter, to 5.9%. The lowest prime level was registered in Munich at 5.4%

Italian Industrial

The Italian industrial market is continuing to benefit from the country’s economic recovery and  its central location along the European logistics corridor. The north of Italy, in particular Lombardy and Emilia Romagna continue to benefit from  healthy industrial take-up. Q1 2016 prime rents grew by 4.2%  YoY in the  Milan region , whilst remaining stable in Rome. Current prime rents now stand at €52.00/sq m/year in Rome and at 50/sq m/year in Milan. Investment into the Italian logistics sector amounted to a quarterly volume of €30 million, down 65% YoY according to CBRE.  Prime yields remaining unchanged at 6.5% in both Milan and Rome, however CBRE comment that this is a 80bps reduction from Q1 2015, reflecting sustained overall demand from international investors.

CONSOLIDATED PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

Total net profit £0.27 million (0.46 pence per share) for the three months from 1 January to 31 March 2016 analysed as follows:

NET ASSET VALUE

The Company’s unaudited Consolidated Net Asset Value decreased by £8.59 million during the quarter mainly as a result of the £11.00 million of capital redemption and a favourable  movements in the Euro/Sterling exchange rate (£2.09 million):

Net Asset Value per share as at 31 March 2016 was 66.95 pence (62.06 pence as at 31 December 2015).

The Net Asset Value attributable to the Ordinary Shares is calculated under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). It includes all current year income after the deduction of dividends and capital redemptions paid prior to 31 March 2016.

On a like-for-like basis the Euro valuation of the property portfolio decreased by 0.87% to €57.1 million for the quarter. In Sterling currency terms, the property valuation was £45.2 million in March 2016 (including the effects of valuation movements, capital expenditure and foreign exchange movements). The £/EUR foreign exchange rate applied to the Company’s Euro investments in its subsidiary companies at 31 March 2016 was 1.261 (31 December 2015: 1.357).

The Company’s net property yield on current market valuation (after acquisition and operating costs) as at 31 March 2016 was 9.0%.

SHARE PRICE AND DISCOUNT TO NET ASSET VALUE

As at close of business on 31 March 2016, the mid-market price of the Company’s shares on the London Stock Exchange was 53.88 pence, representing a discount of 19.5% to the Net Asset Value of 66.95 pence per share.

FUND GEARING

Fund gearing is included to provide an indication of the overall indebtedness of the Company and does not relate to any covenant terms in the Company’s loan facilities.

LOAN FACILITIES

As at 31 March 2016, the loan-to-value ratio on the main loan facility was 42.6% based on the bank asset valuation. The loan has an LTV covenant of 60%.

Interest Cover Ratio (ICR) is calculated as net financing expense payable as a percentage of net rental income less movement in arrears.

CASH POSITION

The Company and its subsidiaries (Agnadello included) held total cash of £8.93 million at 31 March 2016. The Company returned £11.00 million to shareholders in January 2015. Cash is held within the Trust’s holding structure to cover potential liabilities arising from  outstanding representations and warranties, as well as running costs.

MATERIAL EVENTS

Except for those noted above, the Board of the Company is not aware of any significant event or transaction which occurred between 31 March 2016 and the date of the publication of this Statement which would have a material impact on the financial position of the Company.

Company website:

http://www.axapropertytrust.com

All Enquiries:

Investment Manager 
AXA Investment Managers UK Limited
Broker Services
7 Newgate Street
London EC1A 7NX
Tel: +44 (0)20 7003 2345
Email: broker.services@axa-im.com

Sponsor and Broker
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited
150 Cheapside
London EC2V 6ET
Tel: +44 (0)20 7710 7600

Company Secretary
Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited
Trafalgar Court
Les Banques
St Peter Port
GY1 3QL
Tel: +44 (0)1481 745324