Valuation and Returns
Portfolio valuation up 6.6% like-for-like to GBP 5.4bn; total accounting return around 9% and total property return around 10%; ERV increased c.6.2% to GBP 270m.
Rental and Leasing Performance
Gross rents up c.5.9% like-for-like to GBP 195.6m; lettings and renewals on aggregate 10% ahead of ERV and 14% up on previous passing rents; 434 leasing transactions in the year representing nearly GBP 40m of contracted rent; portfolio vacancy very low at 2.6%.
Earnings, Dividends and Finance Costs
Underlying earnings increased 12% to GBP 81.9m (c.4.5p per share); total dividend up 14% to 4.0p per share with a proposed final dividend of 2.1p; finance costs reduced by almost 30% to GBP 41.4m.
Balance Sheet Strength and Liquidity
Net debt reduced from GBP 1.4bn to GBP 0.8bn (group share); loan-to-value c.17%; net tangible assets up c.7% year-on-year; new GBP 300m 5‑year Covent Garden facility, extended undrawn facilities of GBP 450m and a GBP 300m SONIA exposure cap at 3% to protect finance costs.
High-Quality, High-Demand Portfolio
Irreplaceable West End portfolio of ~2.8m sq ft, 640 buildings and ~1,900 lettable units with strong retail and F&B mix; retail valuation growth of c.10.4%; customer sales materially ahead of 2019 levels; average ERV below GBP 100/sq ft supporting affordability and demand.
Strategic Partnership and Capital Deployment
Formed a long-term partnership on Covent Garden with Norway's sovereign wealth fund (NBIM) enhancing capital optionality; invested in acquisitions and capex (cited >GBP 100m across activity) and completed targeted acquisitions of ~GBP 80m while disposing c. GBP 12m of assets.