Market Snapshot
Singapore stocks opened lower on Monday. STI fell 0.5%, SIA fell 0.3%; Seatrium fell 0.7%; NIO fell 1.6%; UOB fell 0.6%.
Mapletree Logistics Trust : M44U (MLT): The trust’s distribution per unit (DPU) fell 8.9 per cent to S$0.02068 for its first quarter ended Jun 30. MLT’s manager reported a fall in revenue to S$181.7 million in Q1 FY2025, from S$182.2 million the year before. This was mainly due to a weaker performance in China, the absence of revenue from divested properties, and currency depreciation of the yen and renminbi. Units of MLT closed flat at S$1.35 on Wednesday.
Frasers Centrepoint Trust : J69U (FCT): The manager of the trust said that the committed occupancy for its retail portfolio grew one percentage point year on year to 99.7 in the third quarter ended Jun 30. All its retail malls now have more than 99 per cent committed occupancy. The asset enhancement initiative at its Tampines 1 mall is on track to be done by September. Units of Frasers Centrepoint Trust ended Wednesday down 0.5 per cent or S$0.01 at S$2.19.
Mandarin Oriental : M04: The group’s net loss narrowed to US$52 million for the first half ended Jun 30, 2024, from US$69.2 million in the year-earlier period, based on a Wednesday night bourse filing. Group revenue per available room was up 5 per cent year on year, with positive growth charted in all regions. The counter closed flat at US$1.65, before the announcement.
OUE Real Estate Investment Trust : TS0U (OUE Reit): The Reit reported a DPU of S$0.0093 for the first half of its fiscal year ended Jun 30, down 11.4 per cent from S$0.0105 in the corresponding year-ago period, its manager announced on Wednesday. This is despite higher revenue and net property income for the six-month period. The counter closed at S$0.29, down S$0.005 or 1.7 per cent, before the announcement.
Digital Core Reit : DCRU: The data centre Reit reported a 6.3 per cent fall in DPU to US$0.018 for H1 FY2024 from US$0.0192 in H1 FY2023. Its manager said that revenue fell 9.6 per cent to US$48.3 million. Units of Digital Core Reit closed 0.8 per cent or US$0.005 lower at US$0.62 on Wednesday.
Oxley : 5UX: The property developer on Wednesday said that the alleged involvement of its chief executive officer and executive chairman, Ching Chiat Kwong, in a corruption investigation of public officials in Venice, Italy, is “unfounded and untrue”. The company clarified that Ching was involved in his personal capacity, and that operations of the group are not affected. Shares of Oxley closed 1.3 per cent or S$0.001 lower at S$0.079, before the announcement.
United Overseas Insurance : U13 (UOI): UOB’s insurance subsidiary reported an 18.8 per cent year-on-year growth in its earnings for H1 FY2024 to S$14.2 million from S$11.9 million. In a bourse filing on Wednesday, the insurer reported a 9.8 per cent rise in revenue to S$51 million from S$46.4 million. Shares of UOI closed 1.6 per cent or S$0.12 lower at S$7.35, before the announcement.
SG Local News
Singapore Seen Holding Monetary Policy, Easing Eyed in 2025
Singapore’s central bank will likely maintain tight monetary policy settings, while signaling an extended pause to help blunt imported inflation amid lingering risks from geopolitical shocks.
Eighteen of 19 economists surveyed by Bloomberg forecast the Monetary Authority of Singapore, which uses the exchange rate rather than interest rates to stabilize prices, will keep its overall policy settings unchanged on Friday. DBS Group Holdings Ltd. was alone in predicting a slight easing to the slope in the policy band of Singapore dollar’s nominal effective exchange rate, or S$NEER.
Mapletree Logistics Trust Q1 FY2025 DPU Falls on Higher Borrowing Costs
MAPLETREE Logistics Trust’s (MLT) distribution per unit (DPU) fell 8.9 per cent to S$0.02068 for its first quarter ended Jun 30, from S$0.02271 in Q1 FY2024.
MLT’s manager on Wednesday (Jul 24) reported a fall in revenue to S$181.7 million in Q1 FY2025, from S$182.2 million in the year-ago period. This was mainly due to weaker performance in China, the absence of revenue from divested properties, and currency depreciation of the yen and renminbi.
Net property income declined 0.9 per cent to S$156.7 million in Q1 FY2025, from S$158.1 million in Q1 FY2024. The fall was mitigated by higher contributions from the trust’s Singapore and Hong Kong properties, and acquisitions completed within the quarter.
Mandarin Oriental’s H1 Loss Shrinks to US$52 Million
MANDARIN Oriental saw its net loss narrow to US$52 million for the six months ended Jun 30, 2024, from US$69.2 million in the year-earlier period, based on a Wednesday (Jul 24) night bourse filing.
Group revenue per available room was up 5 per cent year on year, with positive growth charted in all regions, said the hotel investment and management group. This was driven by both occupancy and rates in Asia, continued strength in leisure demand and occupancy in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and growth in corporate occupancy in the US.
Frasers Centrepoint Trust’s Retail Portfolio Q3 Occupancy Hits 99.7%
THE manager of Frasers Centrepoint Trust : J69U (FCT) on Wednesday (Jul 24) announced that its committed occupancy for its retail portfolio grew one percentage point year on year to 99.7 in the third quarter ended Jun 30.
All its retail malls now have more than 99 per cent committed occupancy.
MAS Proposes 1.5x ICR for All REITs
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has published a consultation paper to subject all REITs to a minimum interest coverage ratio (ICR) threshold of 1.5 times and an aggregate leverage limit of 50%, as it simplifies leverage requirements for the sector. MAS proposes that a minimum ICR of 1.5 times apply to all REITs. Currently, the ICR requirement of 2.5 times is to be met only by REITs which intend to increase their aggregate leverage from 45% to 50%. To simplify the requirements, MAS proposes that a single aggregate leverage limit of 50% apply to all REITs going forward. A leverage limit of 50%, together with the ICR floor, will continue to foster prudent borrowing by REITs, the MAS says.