SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income, Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Geoff Howie

SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income

Asia’s leading multi-asset exchange

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Singapore Exchange is Asia’s leading and trusted market infrastructure, facilitating the exchange of capital and ideas to create value for people, businesses and economies. As a multi-asset exchange operating equity, fixed income and derivatives markets to the highest regulatory standards, SGX is a vertically integrated business that provides listing, trading, clearing, settlement, depository and data services.

With about 40% of listed companies and over 80% of listed bonds originating outside of Singapore as well as established linkages across the region and in Europe, SGX is Asia’s most international and connected exchange. Offering a full suite of derivatives products across Asian equity indices, commodities and currencies, SGX is the world’s most liquid international market for the benchmark equity indices of China, India, Japan and ASEAN.

As Asia’s pioneering central counterparty, SGX is globally recognised for its risk management and clearing capabilities, and was one of the first globally to adopt the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructure.

Headquartered in AAA-rated Singapore, SGX has over 800 employees including offices in Beijing, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, Mumbai, San Francisco, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Equity Bottom-Up

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 <div class='content-caption'>SREIT asset</div>
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<html><body>Singapore's Central Business District (CBD) saw Grade A office rents record the fastest quarterly growth since rents turned around in Q2 2021, according to JLL Singapore in a recent report. 
Grade A office rents in the CBD rose 2.3 per cent to S$10.46 per square foot (psf) per month (pm) in the latest quarter, up from Q4 2021's S$10.23. Rental rates have recovered by 6.9 per cent from its recent lows in Q1 2021. 
Office Reits may also be poised to benefit from a growth in demand for office space as up to 75 per cent of office workers are allowed to return to their workplaces, even as hybrid working continues. 
Listed on SGX are 5 S-Reits with Singapore office properties in their portfolios. They are, Keppel Reit which is a pure-play office S-Reit, and diversified S-Reits CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT), Suntec Reit, Mapletree Commercial Trust (MCT), and OUE Commercial Reit (OUE C-Reit). Keppel Reit in FY21 had a tenant retention rate of 62 per cent and noted that a majority of new and expansion leases were in Singapore. 
Its weighted average signing rent for Singapore office leases was approximately S$10.56 psf pm. 
Building valuations for Marina Bay Financial Centre Towers 1 &amp; 2, One Raffles Quay and Keppel Bay Tower increased due to higher rental rates. 
OUE C-Reit which has a portfolio of 3 office properties in Singapore's CBD noted in its FY21 results that average passing rents of Singapore office properties at Dec 2021 were higher year on year, with OUE Bayfront hitting a high of S$12.49 psf due to the successful renewal of an anchor tenant. The Reit expects positive leasing momentum to continue in 2022, supported by the technology sector amid a limited supply pipeline. 
CICT recently announced its proposed acquisition of 70 per cent interest in 79 Robinson Road which has a building occupancy rate of 92.9 per cent. The acquisition is expected to offer pro forma annualised net property income yield of 4 per cent, distribution per unit accretion of 2.9 per cent, and is expected to complete in Q2 2022. 
Across the broader S-Reits sector, S-Reits demonstrated resiliency amid the backdrop of rising inflation and a rate hike cycle with the iEdge S-Reit Index posting 1.3 per cent total returns in Q1 2022, outperforming the average decline of 4.9 per cent across global Reit hubs. 
Despite rising interest rates, S-Reits have an average distribution yield of 6.3 per cent, around 400 bps spread over Singapore's 10-year government bond yields. The sector has an average gearing ratio of about 37 per cent (current regulatory ceiling is 50 per cent) and has an average 75 per cent of their borrowings pegged at fixed rates (entered directly in fixed rates or hedged through floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps). 
The top 5 performing S-Reits and property trusts in Q1 2022 averaged 14.1 per cent total returns, outperforming STI's 9.6 per cent, and are mainly from the hospitality and office sub-segments. They are: Suntec Reit (+17.6 per cent), Frasers Hospitality Trust (+15.1 per cent), Far East Hospitality Trust (+13.1 per cent), CDL Hospitality Trusts (+13.0 per cent), and Ascott Residence Trust (+11.5 per cent). 
Drivers that potentially drove the sub-segments were the continued reopening theme and relaxation of Covid measures across Singapore and the region, as well as the positive momentum in office rental rates.  REIT Watch is a weekly column on The Business Times,<a href="https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/singapore-office-s-reits-poised-to-benefit-from-positive-rental-momentum-0"> read </a>the original version.</body></html>


      
    
    SREIT asset

Singapore's Central Business District (CBD) saw Grade A office rents record the fastest quarterly growth since rents turned around in Q2 2021, according to JLL Singapore in a recent report.  
Grade A office rents in the CBD rose 2.3 per cent to S$10.46 per square foot (psf) per month (pm) in the latest quarter, up from Q4 2021's S$10.23. Rental rates have recovered by 6.9 per cent from its recent lows in Q1 2021.  
Office Reits may also be poised to benefit from a growth in demand for office space as up to 75 per cent of office workers are allowed to return to their workplaces, even as hybrid working continues.  
Listed on SGX are 5 S-Reits with Singapore office properties in their portfolios. They are, Keppel Reit which is a pure-play office S-Reit, and diversified S-Reits CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT), Suntec Reit, Mapletree Commercial Trust (MCT), and OUE Commercial Reit (OUE C-Reit). Keppel Reit in FY21 had a tenant retention rate of 62 per cent and noted that a majority of new and expansion leases were in Singapore.  
Its weighted average signing rent for Singapore office leases was approximately S$10.56 psf pm.  
Building valuations for Marina Bay Financial Centre Towers 1 &amp; 2, One Raffles Quay and Keppel Bay Tower increased due to higher rental rates.  
OUE C-Reit which has a portfolio of 3 office properties in Singapore's CBD noted in its FY21 results that average passing rents of Singapore office properties at Dec 2021 were higher year on year, with OUE Bayfront hitting a high of S$12.49 psf due to the successful renewal of an anchor tenant. The Reit expects positive leasing momentum to continue in 2022, supported by the technology sector amid a limited supply pipeline.  
CICT recently announced its proposed acquisition of 70 per cent interest in 79 Robinson Road which has a building occupancy rate of 92.9 per cent. The acquisition is expected to offer pro forma annualised net property income yield of 4 per cent, distribution per unit accretion of 2.9 per cent, and is expected to complete in Q2 2022.  
Across the broader S-Reits sector, S-Reits demonstrated resiliency amid the backdrop of rising inflation and a rate hike cycle with the iEdge S-Reit Index posting 1.3 per cent total returns in Q1 2022, outperforming the average decline of 4.9 per cent across global Reit hubs.  
Despite rising interest rates, S-Reits have an average distribution yield of 6.3 per cent, around 400 bps spread over Singapore's 10-year government bond yields. The sector has an average gearing ratio of about 37 per cent (current regulatory ceiling is 50 per cent) and has an average 75 per cent of their borrowings pegged at fixed rates (entered directly in fixed rates or hedged through floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps).  
The top 5 performing S-Reits and property trusts in Q1 2022 averaged 14.1 per cent total returns, outperforming STI's 9.6 per cent, and are mainly from the hospitality and office sub-segments. They are: Suntec Reit (+17.6 per cent), Frasers Hospitality Trust (+15.1 per cent), Far East Hospitality Trust (+13.1 per cent), CDL Hospitality Trusts (+13.0 per cent), and Ascott Residence Trust (+11.5 per cent).  
Drivers that potentially drove the sub-segments were the continued reopening theme and relaxation of Covid measures across Singapore and the region, as well as the positive momentum in office rental rates.   REIT Watch is a weekly column on The Business Times, read the original version.


REIT Watch - Singapore office S-Reits poised to benefit from positive rental momentum

Research from SooChow CSSD Capital Markets (Asia), SCCM Asia Research

SCCM Asia Research

Research from SooChow CSSD Capital Markets (Asia)

Headquartered in Singapore, SooChow CSSD Capital Markets (Asia) is an investment bank focusing on emerging growth companies across Asia, providing a full suite of investment banking services, including corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions advisory, equity capital markets, institutional equities sales and trading and equities research.

SooChow CSSD Capital Markets (Asia)

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/dasin-retail-trust" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23743" rel="noopener">Dasin Retail Trust (DASIN SP)</a> enters into MOU for potential divestment of 2 retail properties</li><li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mapletree-commercial-trust" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:106" rel="noopener">Mapletree Commercial Trust (MCT SP)</a> offers Cash-Only Alternative to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mapletree-north-asia-commercial-trust" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5127" rel="noopener">Mapletree North Asia Commercial Trust (MAGIC SP)</a> unitholders</li><li>Quarz requests for MAS intervention; claims <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mapletree-north-asia-commercial-trust" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5127" rel="noopener">Mapletree North Asia Commercial Trust (MAGIC SP)</a> has responsibility to seek better price</li></ul>

Dasin Retail Trust (DASIN SP) enters into MOU for potential divestment of 2 retail propertiesMapletree Commercial Trust (MCT SP) offers Cash-Only Alternative to Mapletree North Asia Commercial Trust (MAGIC SP) unitholdersQuarz requests for MAS intervention; claims Mapletree North Asia Commercial Trust (MAGIC SP) has responsibility to seek better price

ASEAN Builder's Scoop (21Mar22) - DASIN Enters MOU to Divest 2 Properties

Singtel (Singapore Telecommunications) / Equity Bottom-Up

Commodity Plays Led Singapore Stocks in February 

<ul><li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ec-world-reit" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22842" rel="noopener">EC World Reit (ECWREIT SP)</a> 4Q21 DPU +7.7% YoY; Driven largely by absence of DI retention and strengthening RMB</li><li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ara-us-hospitality-trust" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28048" rel="noopener">ARA US Hospitality Trust (ARAUS SP)</a> 2H21 DPU of US$0.36c declared; Road to recovery continues</li><li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/united-hampshire-us-reit" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28874" rel="noopener">United Hampshire US REIT (UHU SP)</a> 2H21 DPU +0.7% YoY; Portfolio valuation rose 3.7% YoY, divesting of 2 Self Storage properties</li></ul>

EC World Reit (ECWREIT SP) 4Q21 DPU +7.7% YoY; Driven largely by absence of DI retention and strengthening RMBARA US Hospitality Trust (ARAUS SP) 2H21 DPU of US$0.36c declared; Road to recovery continuesUnited Hampshire US REIT (UHU SP) 2H21 DPU +0.7% YoY; Portfolio valuation rose 3.7% YoY, divesting of 2 Self Storage properties

ASEAN Builder's Scoop (24Feb22) - ECWREIT Driven by Absence of DI Retention

Far East Hospitality Trust (FEHT SP) 2H21 DPU +10.9% YoY; Encouraging signs of recovery on RevPAR and RevPAU QoQLendlease Global Commercial REIT (LREIT SP) to acquire remaining stake at JEM; DPU accretive by ~10%Real estate blockchain firm Fraxtor receives capital markets services (CMS) licence from MAS

Far East Hospitality Trust (FEHT SP) 2H21 DPU +10.9% YoY; Encouraging signs of recovery on RevPAR and RevPAU QoQLendlease Global Commercial REIT (LREIT SP) to acquire remaining stake at JEM; DPU accretive by ~10%Real estate blockchain firm Fraxtor receives capital markets services (CMS) licence from MAS

ASEAN Builder's Scoop (15Feb22) - FEHT Encouraging Signs of Recovery QoQ

Singapore

Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust is a Singapore-focused real estate investment trust. The Trust invests on a long-term basis, directly or indirectly, in a diversified portfolio of income-producing real estate used primarily for office and/or retail purposes, whether wholly or partially, as well as real estate-related assets.

Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust (MCT SP)

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Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust (MCT SP)

REIT Watch - Singapore office S-Reits poised to benefit from positive rental momentum

Singapore's Central Business District (CBD) saw Grade A office rents record the fastest quarterly growth since rents turned...

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

ASEAN Builder's Scoop (21Mar22) - DASIN Enters MOU to Divest 2 Properties

MCT offers Cash-Only option to MAGIC; Metro diversification strategy; ECW robust sales YTD; S TB earmarks THB11bn capex in 2022; FILRT boost from...

SCCM Asia Research

Commodity Plays Led Singapore Stocks in February

Singapore’s 100 most traded stocks averaged a 2.5% gain in Feb, bringing their average 2022 YTD decline to 1.0%, following on from averaging...

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

ASEAN Builder's Scoop (24Feb22) - ECWREIT Driven by Absence of DI Retention

ARAUS back to declaring dividend; UHU portfolio valuation rising; LHN another Co-living expansion; RGE buys Tangling SC; HOBEE buys London office;...

SCCM Asia Research

ASEAN Builder's Scoop (15Feb22) - FEHT Encouraging Signs of Recovery QoQ

LREIT buys remaining JEM stake; RE blockchain Fraxtor obtains CMS license; DD Hotel to expand outside Phils; LLC acquires another plot at TRX City KL

SCCM Asia Research

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