Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 21 OCTOBER 2014

Australian real estate investment trusts (AREITS)

On balance, the outlook for the sector is mixed, so we recommend that investors retain a modest underweight exposure.

AustraliaStrategy

Overview

The ASX 200 AREIT Accumulation index rose by 1.06% over the quarter ending 30 September 2014.

ASX200 AREIT Accumulation Index

Outlook

Overall, the sector recorded earnings per share growth of 5.8% over FY14. Debt to total assets for the sector increased from 29% to 32%, mainly due to the restructure of Westfield Retail Trust (22% gearing) into Scentre Group (37% gearing). Net tangible assets for the sector grew by 3.3%.

The outlook for key property sectors is as follows:

Office

  • The Office sector experienced net operating income growth of 0.1% for FY14.
  • Data compiled in July 2014 confirm CBD office vacancy rate increases in Brisbane (14.2% of floor space) and Perth (11.8%). Sydney (8.4%) and Melbourne recorded a modest improvement (8.7%).

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

See more popular content from