PRIME US REIT – Higher payout ratio backed by cash flow visibility

 

 

 

 

 

The Positive
+ Higher payout ratio backed by improving portfolio fundamentals. Portfolio occupancy rose
from 80.7% to 82.7% QoQ (FY24: 80%) and is expected to reach at least 85% by end-2026, with
active leasing initiatives continuing. 680k sqft of leases were secured in FY25 at a +5.6% rental
reversion amid improving leasing momentum (FY24: 592k sqft; +1.8%). WALE increased to 5.6
years (FY24: 4.4 years), enhancing income visibility, while only 7.2% of leases by income are due
for renewal in 2026.

+ Portfolio valuations rose 3.5% YoY to US$1.4bn. 11 of 13 assets posted gains, driven by
stronger contracted cash flows and 25-50bps cap rate compression.

The Negative

- Two properties recorded valuation declines due to higher cap and discount rates. 171 17th
Street fell 6% following a comparable sale in May 2025 by a seller undergoing restructuring.
Tower I at Emeryville saw a sharp 48.7% decline after a nearby comparable transaction in Sep
2025 was completed at a c.10% cap rate, leading valuers to apply a c.200bps increase in both
cap and discount rates for the asset. It is located within the San Francisco Bay Area submarket,
where leasing remains subdued, though current conditions likely reflect a cyclical trough.

PRIME US REIT – Recovery on the horizon

 

PRIME US REIT – Raising capital to fund growth

PRIME US REIT – Improving portfolio occupancy

PRIME US REIT – Laying the groundwork for future growth

PRIME US REIT – Unexpected rise in portfolio valuations

PRIME US REIT – Improving leasing volumes

 

 

 

PRIME US REIT – Refinancing finally complete

 

 

 

Prime US REIT – Pricing in some refinancing risk

 

 

 

The Positive

+ Leasing volume more than doubled YoY. Over 171.3k sq ft of leases were signed in 1Q24 (1Q23: 64.4k sq ft; 4Q23: 304.1k sq ft). Rental reversion for 1Q24 was -1.8% due to a 31.8k sq ft 11-year lease renewal in Reston Square with rents below preceding rents but above market rents. Management indicated strong leasing momentum at some of its properties, with notable leasing discussions underway at One Washingtonian Center (OWC), Park Tower, and 101 Hanley, albeit with relatively longer lead times.

 

The Negatives

- Two months left to refinance US$480mn or 69% of total debt due July 2024. Management is actively discussing refinancing this loan with lenders and believes it will be completed before maturity. 79% of total debt are either on fixed rate or hedged, with US$330mn of the US$480mn debt due for refinancing in July 2024 already hedged till June 2026. The cost of debt rose 0.1%pts QoQ to 4.1%. Aggregate leverage stood at 48.1%, with an ICR of 2.9x.

 

- 1Q24 Portfolio occupancy fell to 80.9% (FY23: 85.4%) after Sodexo vacated OWC. OWC is now undergoing an asset enhancement initiative to rejuvenate the asset, which is expected to be completed in 2H24. Excluding OWC, occupancy was 84.7%.

PRIME US REIT – No breach, but refinancing risks persist

 

 

The Positive

+ Leasing activities picked up in 4Q23. Prime signed 304.1k sq ft of leases in 4Q23, more than the previous three quarters combined (9M23: 276.8k sq ft), at 9.6% positive rental reversion. Portfolio occupancy improved 0.4% QoQ to 85.4%, but it will dip in 2024 due to Sodexo (5.4% of income) vacating c.166k sq ft of space (c.3.8% of portfolio occupancy) at One Washingtonian Center (OWC). Management indicated strong leasing momentum at some of its properties, with notable leasing discussions underway at OWC and Park Tower, albeit with relatively longer lead times.

 

The Negatives

- Portfolio valuation fell US$134.3mn or 8.7% YoY, due to an average 54bps expansion in cap rates across the portfolio. The decline in valuation was lower than we anticipated. As a result, there was no breach in financial covenants as gearing increased to 48.4%, just under MAS limit of 50% if ICR is above 2.5x; Prime’s ICR is 3.1x. Prime is now working on deleveraging alternatives and is targeting up to US$100mn of deleveraging in 2024 to pare down gearing.

 

- Yet to refinance US$600mn in credit facilities (US$478 outstanding) due July 24. Management indicated they are actively discussing refinancing this loan with lenders, which constitutes 68% of Prime’s total debt. The cost of debt for the quarter was flat QoQ at 4%, with 79% of debt either on fixed rate or hedged, with 62% of debt hedged or fixed through to 2026 or beyond.

 

Outlook

Prime has not committed to future distributions going forward and will evaluate the situation dynamically, depending on capital requirements. Management continues to prioritize net effective rents with lower capex deals over headline rents in a challenging US office environment. In-place rents are c.6.5% below asking rents, and the potential for favourable rental reversions going forward remains promising. Prime US Reit has no exposure to WeWork, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

 

Maintain BUY, DDM TP lowered from US$0.37 to US$0.30. FY24e DPU estimate lowered by 77% after factoring in the enlarged share base from the bonus issue, a lower portfolio occupancy, and a payout ratio of 25%. Assuming a 25% payout ratio, the current share price implies an FY24e DPU yield of 8%.

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