WANT TO GO STEADY?

Canada property results improve on deals, leasing
Reuters August 5, 2011
By Ka Yan Ng and Amruta Sabnis

TORONTO/BANGALORE — Canada’s biggest office and retail landlords reported strong quarterly results on Friday, boosted by acquisitions and long-term leasing renewals.

Brookfield Office Properties and RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust REI said funds from operations, the most closely watched performance measure for REITs, rose in the three months to the end of June.

Even so, activity for the Canadian companies could slow if a flagging global economy makes it more difficult to raise capital and complete deals. “We’ve had a ton of acquisition activity and capital raising going on over the last two years,” said Karine Macindoe, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets.

“This market environment is probably going to slow some of that down because … share prices are far more volatile and declining.”

Canada’s resilient economy, rising rents and easy borrowing are fueling a buying spree among real estate investment trusts, highlighted last month by the largest office property deal ever by a Canadian REIT.

STEADY EXPANSION

The second quarter revealed few signs of weakness. Brookfield, a major office landlord in Manhattan and other North American cities, reported a 23 percent jump in leasing activity. It leased 1.6 million square feet of space, compared with 1.3 million square feet leased a year earlier.

FFO rose to $166 million, or 30 Canadian cents a unit, from $156 million, or 30 Canadian cents, a year earlier. FFO strips out the effects of depreciation and other factors from the earnings of property companies, giving a more telling quarterly reading. RioCan REIT, Canada’s largest landlord of retail space, also turned in a strong performance.

FFO rose 12 percent to $93-million, or 36 Canadian cents a unit, from $83-million, or 34 Canadian cents, a year earlier. RioCan has steadily expanded its portfolio in Canada, while looking for opportunities for growth in the United States for more than a year. “RioCan’s acquisition platform remains on track to meet our objectives for the year,” Chief Executive Edward Sonshine said in a statement.

“RioCan has been able to take advantage of historically low interest rates to generate solid growth through acquisitions, development, and increased occupancy and rents.” It renewed 1 million square feet during the quarter at an average rent increase of 13.9 percent, or $1.99-per square foot. It also added five properties in the quarter. In July, Dundee Real Estate Investment Trust said it is buying 29 properties from U.S. private equity giant Blackstone Group for $831.8-million. It was the largest deal ever for a Canadian REIT.

RioCan’s units were up 0.6 percent at $25.05 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Brookfield shares were off 0.3 percent at $16.80 on the Toronto Stock Exchange, but its New York-listed shares were up 1.35 percent to $17.26.

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