8 August 2024
Alternative Income REIT
PLC
(the
"Company" or
"Group" or
"AIRE")
NET ASSET VALUE, DIVIDEND
DECLARATION AND PORTFOLIO VALUATION UPDATE
TO 30 JUNE
2024
Board's target of a total
annual dividend of 5.9pps for the year ended 30 June 2024 has been
met, as compared to the prior year target of
5.7pps
Resilient portfolio
well-placed to continue to provide secure, index-linked income with
the potential for capital growth
The Board of Directors of
Alternative Income REIT PLC (ticker: AIRE), the owner of a diversified portfolio of UK
commercial property assets, predominantly let on long leases with
index-linked rent reviews, provides a
trading and business update and declares an
interim dividend for the quarter ended 30 June 2024.
Simon Bennett, Non-Executive Chair of Alternative Income REIT
plc, comments:
"The Board
is pleased to announce that it has met its target dividend of 5.9
pence per share ('pps') for the year ended
30 June 2024, following the declaration of
a fourth interim dividend of 1.625 pps for the quarter ended 30
June 2024. The target dividend is covered by cash
earnings.
At 30 June 2024, the Group held 19
properties valued showing a marginal increase from the previous
quarter at £102.7 million (31 March 2024: £102.6
million).
The Group's portfolio is relatively insulated from
market fluctuations, benefiting from being wholly let with 100%
collection of rent due and a 95.8% index-linked rent review
profile. In addition, the
Group presently has low borrowing costs of
3.19%, which are fixed until October 2025. The sum of these factors
continues to provide a secure rental income stream.
The Board remains committed to investing the
remaining net proceeds of £2.2 million from the sale of the Group's
hotel in Glasgow in August 2023, which has taken longer than
anticipated.
As a result of these factors, the
Board considers that the portfolio will continue to generate an
attractive yield as a result of its growing rental income. The
recent fall in the rate of inflation and the resulting cut in UK
interest rates should improve property market sentiment and improve
activity levels."
Overview of Key Financials
|
At 30 June
2024
(unaudited)
|
At 31 March
2024
(unaudited)
|
Change
|
Net Asset Value ("NAV")
|
£65.1 million
|
£64.9 million
|
+0.3%
|
NAV per share
|
80.9p
|
80.6p
|
+0.4%
|
Share price per share
|
66.0p
|
68.0p
|
-2.9%
|
Share price discount to
NAV
|
18.4%
|
15.6%
|
+2.8%
|
Investment property fair
value
(based on external
valuation)
|
£102.7 million
|
£102.6 million
|
+0.1%
|
Loan to gross asset value ("GAV")
A B
|
37.7%
|
37.8%
|
|
|
Quarter
ended
30 June
2024
(unaudited)
|
Quarter
ended
31 March
2024
(unaudited)
|
Change
|
EPRA earnings per share
A
|
1.6p
|
1.5p
|
+6.7%
|
Adjusted earnings per share
A
|
1.6p
|
1.4p
|
+14.3%
|
Dividend cover
A
|
98.0%
|
101.0%
|
-3.0%
|
Total dividends per share
|
1.625p
|
1.425p
|
+14.0%
|
Dividend yield
(annualised)A
|
8.9%
|
8.7%
|
+0.2%
|
Earnings per share
|
1.7p
|
0.4p
|
+325.0%
|
Share price total return
A
|
-0.8%
|
-2.9%
|
|
NAV total return
A
|
2.1%
|
0.5%
|
|
Annualised passing rent
|
£7.7 million
|
£7.7 million
|
-
|
Ongoing charges
A (annualised)
|
1.5%
|
1.5%
|
-
|
A Considered to be an Alternative Performance
Measure.
B The loan facility at 30 June 2024 of £41.0 million (31 March
2024: £41.0 million) with Canada Life Investments, matures on 20
October 2025 and has a weighted average interest cost of
3.19%.
Dividend Declaration, Earnings Per Share and Dividend
Cover
The Board is
pleased to declare a fourth interim quarterly dividend
of 1.625pps
for the quarter ended 30 June 2024. This dividend will be
distributed as Property Income Distribution ("PID") and will be
paid on 30 August 2024 to shareholders on the register on 16
August 2024. The ex-dividend date
will be 15 August 2024.
The Board is pleased to report that
the dividend target of 5.9pps for the year has been met and is a
3.5% increase on the previous year's target dividend of
5.7pps.
The Adjusted EPS was 1.6pps for the
quarter (31 March 2024: 1.4pps) giving a total of 6.0pps for the
year (2023: 6.4 pps). The dividend cover for the quarter was 98.0%
(31 March 2023: 101.0%) and 101.6% for the year (2023:
106.4%).
Property Portfolio
At 30 June 2024, the
Group held 19 properties valued at £102.7 million
(31 March 2024: £102.6 million).
The Company's property values increased by
£0.1 million
or 0.1% for the
quarter ended 30 June 2024.
At 30 June 2024, the Net Initial
Yield on the Group's portfolio was
7.1% (31 March 2024: 7.0%) and the Group's
assets remained 100% let (31 March 2024:
100%). The weighted average unexpired lease
term at 30 June 2024 was 16.5 years to the
earlier of break and expiry (31 March 2024: 16.4 years) and 18.4
years to expiry (31 March 2024: 18.3 years).
2024 is anticipated to be the
turning point for UK commercial property investment, with an
expectation for increased activity due to interest rate cuts, lower
inflation, and enhanced debt financing opportunities. The
industrial sector is showing continued strength, with occupiers
driving demand, and the tech sector's rapid growth is translating
to a growing need for office space. The Group's portfolio is
relatively insulated from market fluctuations, benefiting from
being wholly let, with 100% collection of rent due and 95.8%
index-linked rent review profile and continues to provide a secure
and growing rental income stream.
Over the past year, excluding the
sale in Glasgow and acquisition in Streatham, London, the value of
the Group's portfolio has fallen by a total of £2.5 million or
2.5%. AIRE continues to outperform relative
to most other commercial real estate companies, as demonstrated by
MSCI UK Monthly Data (All Property), which reported a fall of 4.6%
over the same period.
The Group's contracted annualised
rent increased by 0.8% during the quarter
to 30 June 2024. This was due to annual indexation on three leases
and the five yearly index-linked rent review on the lease on one
lease. 95.8% of leases within our portfolio are index-linked, with
35.9% of this rental income reviewed annually. The portfolio continues to be actively managed
and dialogue is taking place with five tenants who are considering
re-gearing their leases, extending lease lengths and
undertaking asset
improvements - in particular with respect of ESG initiatives and
EPC improvements.
During the
quarter to 30 September 2024, 20.1% of the Group's income will be
reviewed with one annual and two five yearly index-linked rent reviews.
Net
Asset Value, Share Price and Share Price discount to
NAV
At 30 June
2024, the Group's unaudited NAV was
£65.1 million, 80.9pps
(31 March
2024: £64.9 million, 80.6pps), representing
a 0.3% increase over
the previous quarter.
When combined with the
1.425pps dividend paid in
the quarter, this produces an unaudited NAV total return for the
quarter of 2.1% (31 March 2024: 0.5%).
The Company's share price
decreased by 2.9% to 66.0pps, reflecting the increase in discounts
generally in the sector but specifically the Company's
discount increasing from 15.6% to 18.4%. Despite this increase, the
Company's discount remains one of the lowest in the
sector.
The table below sets out the
movement in NAV during the quarter.
|
Pence per
share
|
£ million
|
NAV
at 31 March 2024
|
80.6
|
64.9
|
Valuation movement in property
portfolio
|
0.1
|
0.1
|
Income earned for the
period
|
2.5
|
2.0
|
Expenses for the period
|
(0.5)
|
(0.4)
|
Net finance costs for the
period
|
(0.4)
|
(0.4)
|
Interim dividend paid during the
quarter ended 31 March 2024
|
(1.4)
|
(1.1)
|
NAV
at 30 June 2024
|
80.9
|
65.1
|
The NAV attributable to the ordinary
shares has been calculated under International Financial Reporting
Standards as adopted by the United Kingdom and incorporates both
the Group's property portfolio individually valued on a 'Red Book'
basis at 30 June 2024 and net income for the quarter but does not
include a provision for the interim dividend declared today (see
above).
The income earned for the period
includes an accrual for the minimum contractual uplifts contained
in the index-linked leases. In the event that inflation is greater
than these minimum contractual uplifts, the actual income will be
greater than the income currently accrued.
Rent Collection
Rent collection remains resilient
with 100%
collection of rent
due for the quarter ended 30
June 2024.
91.2% of the portfolio's
rent is payable quarterly in advance
and 8.8% payable
monthly in advance.
ENQUIRIES
Alternative Income REIT PLC
|
via H/Advisors Maitland
below
|
Simon Bennett
- Chair
|
|
|
|
Martley Capital Real Estate Investment Management
Ltd
Richard Croft
Jane Blore
|
020 4551 1240
|
|
|
Panmure Liberum Limited
|
020 3100 2000
|
Alex Collins
|
|
Tom Scrivens
|
|
|
|
H/Advisors Maitland (Communications Advisor)
|
07747 113 930 / 020 7379
5151
|
James Benjamin
Rachel Cohen
|
aire-maitland@h-advisors.global
|
Billy Moran
|
|
The Company's LEI is
213800MPBIJS12Q88F71.
Further information on Alternative
Income REIT PLC is available at www.alternativeincomereit.com1.
1 Neither the content of
the Company's website, nor the content on any website accessible
from hyperlinks on its website or any other website, is
incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement nor, unless
previously published on a Regulatory Information Service, should
any such content be relied upon in reaching a decision as to
whether or not to acquire, continue to hold, or dispose of,
securities in the Company.
NOTES
Alternative Income REIT PLC
aims to generate a sustainable, secure and
attractive income return for shareholders from a diversified
portfolio of UK property investments, predominately in alternative
and specialist sectors. The majority of the assets in the Group's
portfolio are let on long leases which contain index linked rent
review provisions.
The Company's asset manager is
Martley Capital Real Estate Investment Management Limited ("Martley
Capital"). Martley Capital is a full-service real estate investment
management platform whose activities cover real estate investing,
lending, asset management and fund management. It has over 40
employees across five offices in the UK and Europe. The team
manages assets with a value of circa £900 million across 19
mandates (at 30 June 2024).