23 July 2024
Warehouse REIT
plc
(the
"Company" or "Warehouse REIT", together with its subsidiaries, the
"Group")
First quarter trading
update
Continued leasing momentum,
15.1% ahead of previous rents; further asset sales ahead of book
value
Warehouse REIT, the multi-let
warehouse investor, reports another positive quarter of leasing
activity for the three months to 30 June 2024. The Company
completed 27 transactions, securing £4.1 million of contracted
rent, and continues to successfully capture portfolio reversion,
with transactions agreed on average 15.1% ahead of previous
contracted rent. Summary below:
Estate
|
No. deals
|
Area let (sq
ft)
|
Contracted rent
(£)
|
Increase over previous
rent
|
New lettings
|
12
|
55,000
|
515,000
|
36.7%
|
Renewals
|
10
|
125,000
|
740,000
|
26.3%
|
Rent reviews
|
5
|
450,000
|
2,885,000
|
9.9%
|
Total
|
27
|
630,000
|
4,140,000
|
15.1%
|
Notable transactions included:
·
A new letting to an online
grocery store at Stadium Industrial Estate in Luton generating
£87,000 of contracted rent, 37.9% ahead of previous
rent;
·
A new letting to an aviation catering
business at Gateway Park in Birmingham at a rent of £86,000, 17.5%
ahead of previous rent;
·
A renewal at Murcar Industrial Estate
in Aberdeen to a Geo-data specialist at a rent of £300,000, an
uplift of 11.7% on the previous rent; and
·
A rent review at Brackmills
Industrial Estate in Northampton, on a single-let asset, to a major
retailer at a rent of £2.0 million. The uplift on previous rent of
4.2% was fixed by the contractual terms of the lease.
Capital activity
At the end of June, we sold Pikelaw
Place, a single-let asset in Skelmersdale, for £4.1 million, 22.0%
or £0.7m ahead of March 2024 valuation. This follows the sale of
£57.5 million of single-let assets announced earlier in the month,
bringing total sales for FY25 to £61.6 million. Following these
disposals, c.90% of leases by contracted rent are on an open market
basis.
£169.3 million of assets have now
been sold since our disposal plan was announced in November
2022.
Simon Hope, Warehouse REIT, commented:
"We have a well-established track record of
capturing reversion and have seen momentum continuing this quarter,
supporting our overall goal of increasing dividend coverage by the
year end. Looking forward, we see further upside in our portfolio
with £7 million of embedded reversion as at 31 March
2024.
Recycling capital out of low
yielding or non-core assets where we have delivered our asset
management plan, can secure a premium price, and reinvest the
capital into well-located, attractively priced warehouse assets
where we can capture rental growth through strong asset management,
has always been central to our strategy. The sale announced today
is an excellent example of that approach and further optimises the
portfolio."
Enquiries
Warehouse REIT plc
|
via FTI Consulting
|
Tilstone Partners Limited
Simon Hope, Peter Greenslade, Jo
Waddingham
|
+44 (0) 1244 470 090
|
|
|
G10 Capital Limited (part of the IQEQ
Group), AIFM
Maria Baldwin
|
+44 (0) 20 7397 5450
|
FTI Consulting (Financial PR & IR
Adviser to the Company)
Dido Laurimore, Richard Gotla, Oliver
Parsons
|
+44 (0) 20 3727 1000
|
Further information on Warehouse REIT
is available on its website: http://www.warehousereit.co.uk
Notes
Warehouse REIT is UK Real Estate
Investment Trust that invests in UK warehouses, focused on
multi-let assets in industrial hubs across the UK.
We provide a range of warehouse
accommodation in key locations which meets the needs of a broad
range of occupiers. Our focus on multi-let assets means we provide
occupiers with greater flexibility so we can continue to match
their requirements as their businesses evolve, encouraging them to
stay with us for longer.
We invest in our business by
selectively acquiring assets with potential and by delivering
opportunities we have created. Through pro-active asset management
we unlock the value inherent in our portfolio, helping to capture
rising rents and driving an increase in capital values to deliver
strong returns for our investors over the long term. Sustainability
is embedded throughout our business, helping us meet the
expectations of our stakeholders today and futureproofing our
business for tomorrow.
The Company is an alternative
investment fund ("AIF") for the purposes of the AIFM Directive and
as such is required to have an investment manager who is duly
authorised to undertake the role of an alternative investment fund
manager ("AIFM"). The AIFM and the Investment Manager is currently
G10 Capital Limited (Part of the IQEQ Group).