NOT
FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO
DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR
REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE
INFORMATION
Home REIT
plc
("Home REIT" or the
"Company")
Update on
Re-financing
On 5 February 2024, the Company
announced that it had commenced a refinancing process to consider
alternative finance options for the Company, as part of its stated
stabilisation strategy. AEW UK Investment Management LLP ("AEW")
and JLL Debt Advisory have conducted a comprehensive process on
behalf of the Company, but the Board has now concluded that it will
not be able to secure a re-financing of the existing facility with
the Company's lender, Scottish Widows, on terms that it could
recommend to shareholders, despite extensive and advanced
discussions with a potential lender.
As highlighted in the Company's
monthly announcements, the Board and AEW continue to engage with
Scottish Widows, who have advised that their objective is for
repayment of the loan balance in the short term. The Company will
therefore be implementing a strategy to repay the outstanding
borrowings in a timely manner, focused on further property sales.
The Company anticipates ongoing support of Scottish Widows as it
completes this repayment strategy.
As at 31 May 2024, the Company had
total borrowings of £131.8m which will be further reduced by the
proceeds of the most recent property sales, which have exchanged
but are yet to complete, totalling approximately £27m, which would
reduce total borrowings to approximately £104.8m
In conjunction with the strategy to
repay the Company's debt, the Board together with AEW, continue to
take action to stabilise the Company's property portfolio and
financial position. As at the date of this announcement, the
Company's property portfolio comprises of 1,765 properties with a
value of £314.1m (based on JLL's August 2023 draft valuation). As a
result of the stabilisation strategy progress to date, the Company
has assumed direct control of 1,193 properties.
Michael O'Donnell, Non-Executive
Chairman of Home REIT, said:
"Whilst the stabilisation strategy
adopted in August 2023 has progressed from an operational
perspective, re-financing of the debt was a key component of its
continued advancement. As a re-financing has not been possible, the
Board is considering a number of options both to re-pay the
outstanding debt and provide an optimised resolution for
shareholders, which may include a more extensive realisation
strategy."
The person responsible for arranging
the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company is Apex
Group.
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
FTI Consulting (Communications
Adviser)
Dido Laurimore
Eve Kirmatzis
Oliver Harrison
|
HomeREIT@fticonsulting.com
+44 (0)20
3727 1000
|
The Company's LEI is:
213800A53AOVH3FCGG44.
For more information, please visit
the Company's website: www.homereituk.com