Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Trent Ltd Considers Sale Leaseback of Retail Portfolio in India to Fund Expansion

mydigitalfc.com - November 16, 2008

Trent Ltd, the fashion retailer headed by Noel Naval Tata, is considering sale of some of its prime properties to raise cash for expansion. Because the retail business needs physical space, Trent will take the properties back on lease.

Senior Trent officials told Financial Chronicle that, at current realty prices, up to Rs 700 crore ($9 Billion) could be raised by selling its properties across India, the combined space of which is almost 300,000 sq ft.

The properties include an office building in Mumbai’s suburban business district of Bandra Kurla complex, Spencer’s Plaza in Chennai and a property each in Delhi and Ahmedabad.

“We could enter into a sale and leaseback agreement, thus freeing up a considerable amount of cash for our expansion without having to raise fresh equity through a rights issue,” a top Trent official said.

The money along with internal accruals is expected to help Trent fund its Rs 2,000 crore investment in the Star India Bazaar hypermarket chain and Westside retail stores. The company also needs money to expand its Landmark book and music stores and for its new value-retail format and investments in setting up or expanding its upmarket Sisley, Topman and Topshop retail stores.

Among listed retailers in India, Trent has the highest gross margins in terms of percentages of sales and per sq ft of space used, according to a recent study by the brokerage, CLSA. Sphere: Related Content

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Banco Sabadell Considering EUR 500 Million Sale Leaseback of 600 Bank Branches Across Spain

Monereo Meyer Marinel Web Site - November 14, 2008

Banco Sabadell is considering selling approximately 50% of their branch offices. The entity is planning to sell 600 offices in its network under the sale and leaseback model, a transaction that provides investors with great security and a potential payoff of between 500 and 600 million Euros.

According to data from the Spanish newspaper Expansión, Banco Sabadell has confirmed that the transaction of the sale of up to 600 branches currently owned by the bank is in its initial phase, and would not take place until 2009. The transaction would involve the sale of blocks or parts of these assets, under the sale and leaseback model, with Sabadell remaining as a tenant for a period of between 25 and 30 years, with a final option of buying the property back, thus guaranteeing safe and steady income for the buyer. This type of transaction offers great security to investors since it is backed by an entity with a good rating. Market experts have said that the entity could earn between 500 and 600 million Euros.

According to preliminary plans, the corporate offices would not be included in the transaction although sources close to the entity note that they have also been appraised. Banco Sabadell began appraising their real estate assets a year ago and confirms that they are in no hurry to sell and intend to wait for an interesting opportunity to present itself. In fact, the bank has strengthened its balance sheet this year by selling half of its bank insurance business to Zurich, with a capital gain of 512 million Euros.

Banco Sabadell will thus join Spanish financial institutions that have decided to sell off part of their real estate holdings, a trend Banco Santander started with BBVA, Banco Popular and Caixa Galicia following suit. Sphere: Related Content

Friday, November 14, 2008

Taylor Wimpey Pursuing £100m Sale Leaseback of 350 UK Show Homes

Property Week - November 14, 2008

Taylor Wimpey is to carry out a sale and leaseback of around 350 of its show homes in a bid to reduce debt and improve cashflow. The listed housebuilder plans to sell the UK-wide show home portfolio for between £70m and £100m and pay rental income to the buyer for up to three years. It is thought to have instructed King Sturge and last Wednesday sent details to selected institutional-type investors.

Taylor Wimpey needs working capital and access to the show homes, which have an average value of around £200,000, to market its developments. The buyer would gain a sizeable portfolio and a guaranteed three-year income stream without voids, and eventual ownership of 350 homes at a time when the housing market could be in recovery. It could provide investors with an initial yield of between 6% and 7%.

Packaging the homes up as a portfolio is thought to be an innovative way for Taylor Wimpey, led by chief executive Peter Redfearn, to reduce its £1.9bn debt burden. In an interim management statement on Tuesday, Taylor Wimpey said it was unlikely to agree a new debt package by January, when its covenants may be tested. Redfearn said Taylor Wimpey was ready to sell parts of its UK land banks or non-core parts of the business if necessary. The sale-and-leaseback plan would be one such option.

Taylor Wimpey is valued at around £142m, down from a high of £4.3bn last year. It has significantly reduced costs with 1,900 job cuts, land sales and a construction slowdown. Neil Batty, Knight Frank’s new homes investment head, said all housebuilders were looking at ways to extract value. Sphere: Related Content

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Eroski Agrees to EUR 361 Million Sale Leaseback of 15 Hypermarkets in Spain

Property Week - November 5, 2009

Topland has agreed the purchase of a 15-strong retail portfolio with Spanish retailer Eroski in Spain’s biggest hypermarket sale and leaseback deal.

Topland has paid €361m (£289m) for the portfolio, comprising 13 hypermarkets and two shopping centres, totalling 1.55m sq ft, in a deal which reflects a yield of approximately 6%. The properties are in the Basque area of Spain near the Pyrenees mountains.

The deal could be the first phase in a three-part sale and leaseback agreement between the two parties which could see Topland buying more than 50 Eroski properties for about €1bn (£808m).

Topland will provide equity for 30% of the first purchase with the remaining 70% coming from bank debt from a consortium of La Caixa, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Banco De Sabadell, Banco Espanol De Credito, Banco De Vasconia and Caja Madrid.

Eroski has signed 25-year leases with fixed rental increases as part of the deal.

The company has been sitting on the sidelines of the investment market having amassed £1bn of equity from refinancing parts of its £5bn portfolio and through the sale of its 50% interest in a 35-strong, £950m Tesco portfolio, to Pearl Group’s Axial Investment Management in September last year. Sphere: Related Content

Friday, November 07, 2008

Eroski Completes €361 Million Sale Leaseback of 15 Hypermarkets in Spain

Property Week - November 5, 2008

Topland has paid €361m (£289m) for the portfolio, comprising 13 hypermarkets and two shopping centres, totalling 1.55m sq ft, in a deal which reflects a yield of approximately 6%. The properties are in the Basque area of Spain near the Pyrenees mountains.

The deal could be the first phase in a three-part sale and leaseback agreement between the two parties which could see Topland buying more than 50 Eroski properties for about €1bn (£808m).

Topland will provide equity for 30% of the first purchase with the remaining 70% coming from bank debt from a consortium of La Caixa, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Banco De Sabadell, Banco Espanol De Credito, Banco De Vasconia and Caja Madrid.

Eroski has signed 25-year leases with fixed rental increases as part of the deal.
The company has been sitting on the sidelines of the investment market having amassed £1bn of equity from refinancing parts of its £5bn portfolio and through the sale of its 50% interest in a 35-strong, £950m Tesco portfolio, to Pearl Group’s Axial Investment Management in September last year.

Cushman & Wakefield advised both parties. Sphere: Related Content

Sunday, November 02, 2008

British Land Selling Debenhams Flagship Store in London for £150 Million

Property Week - October 31, 2008

A Ukrainian investor is under offer to buy the British Land-owned Debenhams block in London’s West End for £150m.

It is thought the investor is the same Ukrainian company which recently purchased 1 Old Bond STreet for around £14m from Scottish Widows Investment Partnership in a deal reflecting a net initial yield of 3.9%.

The company approached British Land to buy the 366,700 sq ft building which occupies a prime position on London’s main shopping street and is the department store operator’s flagship store. It has been known for some time that British Land is seeking to reduce its in-town retail exposure.

British Land, the UK’s second-largest REIT, is an investor in 36 department stores, 24 owned directly and 12 owned within the British Land Fraser joint venture.

Of those owned directly, 22 are subject to leaseback to Debenhams for a minimum of 26 years unexpired. In total these comprise 3.3m sq ft in locations including the flagship London store, a 466,000 sq ft store on Market Street in Manchester, and a 140,000 sq ft store in St Davids, Cardiff.

The total gross annual rent passing is £30.3m. The leases provide for minimum 2.5% per annum rental increases and five-yearly open market reviews from 2019 onwards.

British Land declined to comment. Sphere: Related Content

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