Citi Maintains 'Buy' on WHARF REIC, Sets Price Target at HK$31.60

Deep News12:50

WHARF REIC (01997) has maintained a 65% dividend payout ratio since its 2017 listing to support deleveraging, as noted in a Citi research report. With debt reduction and capital management, the company's net debt is expected to fall to around HK$20 billion by the end of 2026, with a gearing ratio of approximately 11%. Management has decided to raise the dividend payout ratio by 25 percentage points to 90% starting from 2026, boosting the interim dividend per share for the first half of this year by 42% year-on-year to HK$0.94, marking a significant positive surprise.

Citi maintains a 'Buy' rating on WHARF REIC with a price target of HK$31.60, based on a 45% discount to its estimated net asset value per share of HK$57.45 for 2026. The firm reports that the company's underlying net profit for the first half of this year rose 6% year-on-year to HK$3.311 billion, supported by a 37% year-on-year decline in financing costs. Investment property operating profit fell 2.5% year-on-year to HK$4.41 billion, with a margin of 83.8%. Retail tenant sales at Harbour City outperformed the market, with the occupancy rate maintained at 92%. Meanwhile, overall revenue for Times Square dropped 12% year-on-year.

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