UK Property Market Trends - August 2018 Contact us - BMO Real Estate Partners

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UK Property Market Trends - August 2018 Contact us - BMO Real Estate Partners
For Professional Clients and/or Qualified Investors only

UK Property
Market Trends
August 2018

Contact us                             BMO REP forecasts show positive total returns, averaging 4.6% per
                                       annum over five years, underpinned by the income return.
UK, London – Head Office
                                       BMO REP has upgraded the 2018 all-property total return forecast to 5.2%, reflecting
BMO Real Estate Partners
                                       the strength of investor demand in the property market. The upgrades have been most
7 Seymour Street
                                       marked for Central London offices and standard industrials. Forecasts for 2019 have
London
                                       been slightly downgraded, reflecting the possible impact on sentiment from interest
W1H 7BA
                                       rate rises and the Brexit negotiations. We are projecting a modest recovery thereafter.
     020 7499 2244

Research
                                                          Components of BMO REP Forecast All-Property
Sue Bjorkegren
                                                                   Total Returns – per cent
     sbjorkegren@bmorep.com

                                           6
                                           5
Business Development                       4
                                           3
Jamie Kellett                              2
                                           1
                                           0
     jkellett@bmorep.com                  -1
                                          -2       2018                 2019                 2020                 2021                 2022

                                               Implied Income Return       Capital Growth      Total Returns
                                          Source: BMO REP July 2018
Telephone calls may be recorded.
                                          Forecasts are provided for illustrative purposes; are not a guarantee of future performance; should
                                          not be relied upon for investment decisions; and are subject to change without notice.

                                         Key Risks
                                         Our review and outlook is a marketing communication providing an overview
                                         of the recent economic and property market environment. It should not be
                                         considered as advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold investments. Nor
                                         is it investment research and has not been prepared in accordance with legal
                                         requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and
                                         is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of its dissemination.
                                         Past performance should not be seen as an indication of future performance.
                                         The value of investments and income derived from them can go down as well as
                                         up as a result of market or currency movements and investors may not get back
                                         the original amount invested.
                                         The value of directly held property reflects the opinion of valuers and is reviewed
                                         periodically. These assets can also be illiquid and significant or persistent
                                         redemptions may require the manager to sell properties at a lower market value
                                         adversely affecting the value of your investment.

                                                                                                                                       Continued
UK Property Market Trends - August 2018 Contact us - BMO Real Estate Partners
PAGE 2

Economic and Property Market Overview
The UK commercial property market is continuing to deliver steady positive total returns but may be at
a plateau.

 Market Snapshot Q2 2018                      All                        Retail                       Offices                       Industrial                   Alternatives
Total Returns                                 2.2                         0.5                         1.6                           5.1                          2.6
Income Return                                 1.3                         1.4                         1.2                           1.2                          1.3
Capital Growth                                0.9                        -1.0                         0.5                           3.9                          1.3
Rental Growth                                 0.2                        -0.5                         0.3                           1.2                          0.2
Gross Rent Passing                            1.0                        -0.3                         2.8                           1.3                          0.0
Net Initial Yield                             5.0                         5.7                         4.5                           4.6                          4.9
Source: IPD Monthly Digest June 2018. The definition of Alternatives is the Portfolio Analysis Service definition of “other” which includes hotels, residential, leisure etc.

The economy is showing signs of improved growth after a weak
start to the year, but it remains lack-lustre. Concerns about Brexit
remain as the March 2019 deadline approaches, with seemingly                                         Total Returns by Segment Q2 2018 per cent
little agreement within the UK government, and much to be
finalised with the EU.
                                                                                              Standard Industrials
                                                                                              Distribution Warehousing
                                                                                              Offices City
       Three Month Rolling Average All-Property Total                                         Alternatives
                                                                                              Offices Rest of UK
              Return – per cent to June 2018                                                  All-Property
                                                                                              Offices Rest of South East
                                                                                              Standard Shops Central London
                                                                                              Offices West End/Midtown
   9
   8                                                                                          Retail Warehousing
   7                                                                                          Standard Shops - Rest of UK
   6                                                                                          Shopping Centres
   5                                                                                          Standard Shops - SEE*
   4
   3                                                                                                                           -1     0    1     2    3      4     5    6       7
   2
   1
   0                                                                                          Source: IPD Monthly Digest June 2018
                                                                                              *SEE – South East and Eastern
       2013         2014         2015          2016          2017         2018

  Source: IPD Monthly Digest June 2018                                                     The industrial and distribution sectors continue to drive
                                                                                           performance, together with alternatives and, in this quarter, City
                                                                                           offices. Compared with the previous quarter, standard industrials,
At the all-property level, property delivered a 2.2% all-property                          provincial offices and City offices delivered an improved
total return in the second quarter compared with 2.3% in the                               performance, with retail weakening.
previous quarter. The income return has remained stable and
                                                                                           Most parts of the market have seen a weakening in investment
was 5.4% in the year to June 2018, with annual capital growth
                                                                                           activity in 2018 compared with the like period of 2017, and only
of 5.3%. Rental growth was 0.2% in the quarter compared with
                                                                                           Central London offices, leisure and alternatives saw investment
0.4% in the previous quarter. The quarterly growth in gross rent
                                                                                           levels above the long-run average in the second quarter.
passing, at 1.0% was the highest in almost three years.

                                                                                                                                                                   Continued
UK Property Market Trends - August 2018 Contact us - BMO Real Estate Partners
PAGE 3

Overseas investors bought almost £5.5 billion of property but
sales levels also increased to reduce net investment from
this source to its lowest level since the global financial crisis.            Yield Gap – All-Property Initial Yield versus 10
Institutions are becoming net investors in property once again,                      Year Gilt Yield percentage points
but this reflects a lack of disposals rather than a renewed
appetite to buy. Inflows to retail property funds were positive in
the second quarter.
                                                                       5.0
                                                                       4.0
                                                                       3.0
       UK Property Investment Activity – £ million                     2.0
                                                                       1.0
                                                                       0.0
  25000                                                                -1.0
                                                                      -2.0
  20000

                                                                                                                 2006

                                                                                                                                      2009
                                                                                                                               2008
                                                                                                   2004
                                                                                                          2005
                                                                                     2002
                                                                                            2003

                                                                                                                        2007
                                                                              2001

                                                                                                                                             2010

                                                                                                                                                                                       2016

                                                                                                                                                                                                     2018
                                                                                                                                                                                              2017
                                                                                                                                                                         2014
                                                                                                                                                           2012
                                                                                                                                                                  2013

                                                                                                                                                                                2015
                                                                                                                                                    2011
  15000

  10000                                                                          Yield Gap                              Long-Term Average

   5000                                                               Source: IPD Monthly Digest June 2018, Bank of England
      0
            2013       2014        2015   2016   2017     2018
            Overseas       Domestic
                                                                     The UK commercial property market continues to deliver a solid
                                                                     performance, underpinned by an annual income return of more
 Source: Property Data July 2018                                     than 5%. There is polarisation with industrials pulling further
                                                                     ahead and retail struggling. Given the economic and political
                                                                     headwinds and a move to higher interest rates, the market may
The yield gap between property and the risk-free rate was            have reached a plateau.
broadly stable during the quarter and well above the long-
run average. Demand is strong for prime property with a long
income stream, but some parts of the market, such as industrials
and Central London offices, may be starting to look expensive,
and there are major concerns about the retail sector. There is
a search for yield and genuine value-add opportunities, and
growing interest in alternatives.

          Two Recent
          Acquisitions

                                                           Apollo Aston Road,                                            Units 2 and 4 Estuary Business Park,
                                                              Birmingham                                                               Liverpool

                                                                                                                                                                                       Continued
UK Property Market Trends - August 2018 Contact us - BMO Real Estate Partners
PAGE 4

The Economic and Property Market Outlook
BMO REP forecasts show performance driven by industrials, distribution, alternatives and offices
outside London.

The UK GDP consensus forecast for 2018 has been revised lower       The domestic political climate and the lack of clarity regarding
over the last quarter, but the economic outlook is predicted to     the Brexit terms remains a major concern for the market. At
be fairly benign on consensus forecasts with positive, if modest,   present, investors seem to regard this as a drag on growth
GDP growth being sustained. Inflation is predicted to decelerate    rather than presaging a recession. The outcome of the October
towards the Bank of England target. Interest rates are expected     2018 negotiations and EU summit and the approach of the March
to move higher, but at a gradual pace. Consensus expectations       2019 deadline are key milestones which could potentially change
are for the official rate to be only 1% by mid-2019. Analysts       matters for better or worse. We believe that a “no deal” Brexit
expect some easing in fiscal policy over the coming year.           would be negative for property across the board.
Sentiment is being supported by the strength of the global
economy and hopes that a weaker sterling will boost export
prospects. Consensus forecasts are for the UK to out-perform the
Eurozone after 2019 and by around 0.5 percentage points per                    Forecast Yield Gap – percentage points
annum in the longer-term. However, the protectionist stance of
President Trump and the possible intensification of tariff wars
have added an element of uncertainty.                                 7
                                                                      6
                                                                      5
                                                                      4
         Consensus Real GDP Forecasts – per cent                      3
                                                                      2
                                                                      1

 3.5                                                                  0
                                                                                2018           2019            2020          2021               2022
 3.0
 2.5                                                                            Long-Term Risk Premium 2001-2018
 2.0
                                                                               Consensus Gilt Yield Forecast          Initial Yield June 2018
  1.5
  1.0
                                                                     Sources: IPD Monthly Digest June 2018, Consensus Economics July 2018, April
 0.5                                                                 2018, Bank of England
 0.0
           2018          2019          2020           2021   2022
         UK            Eurozone         US
                                                                    The longevity of the property cycle upswing has been extended
 Sources: Consensus Economics July 2018, April 2018                 by the prolonged period of low interest rates and the weight
                                                                    of money moving into property. Although official interest rates
                                                                    were raised after quarter-end, consensus expectations indicate
                                                                    that upward pressure on property yields is not imminent,
                                                                    although the period after 2020, may prove more challenging.

                                                                                                                                        Continued
UK Property Market Trends - August 2018 Contact us - BMO Real Estate Partners
PAGE 5

Industrial, distribution and some alternative assets are expected                  There are longer-term issues affecting property. This has
to deliver superior performance, along with offices outside                        been seen most starkly for retail property where a number of
London. We still expect Central London retail to perform                           administrations, company voluntary arrangements and store
creditably, but we believe that regional shops and shopping                        rationalisations have combined to turn sentiment against the
centres could continue to struggle. Retail warehousing and                         sector. In offices, the growth of flexible working is affecting the
regional offices could benefit from their generally higher yields.                 demand for space and while some disadvantages of serviced
Despite its recent resilience, we are forecasting that Central                     offices are becoming apparent, the trend towards shorter leases
London offices will be affected by weaker occupier demand and                      and demand for higher quality space appears more durable. The
the return of second-hand space.                                                   industrials market remains attractive but is expensive and some
                                                                                   rental growth assumptions by purchasers could prove optimistic.
                                                                                   Alternative property sectors are expected to continue to grow in
                                                                                   importance as investors seek long income or higher yields, but
       BMO REP Forecast Total Returns by Segment                                   this is a diverse market.
        end 2017-end 2022 – per cent per annum
                                                                                   The period of annual double-digit total returns may be drawing
                                                                                   to a close, but property still benefits from a relatively high
                                                                                   and stable income return, long-term contracted income and
  Standard retail
                                                                                   an established, large and mature investment market. We are
  Shopping centres
  Retail warehouses                                                                forecasting a period of positive total returns, underpinned by the
  City offices                                                                     income return.
  West End offices
  South Eastern offices
  Rest of UK offices
  Standard industrial
  Distribution
  Alternatives
  All-Property
                          0       2          4          6          8          10

 Source: BMO REP July 2018

 Forecasts are provided for illustrative purposes; are not a guarantee of future
 performance; should not be relied upon for investment decisions; and are
 subject to change without notice.

                                                                                                                                          Continued
PAGE 6

Key Transactions Data

          5 Broadgate, London                           One Park Row, Leeds                   The Mint office building, Edinburgh

Several large deals involving overseas        Strong demand for some regional               Forward funding and purchasing
buyers but they are also selling assets       office assets
                                                                                            Hines is to forward purchase The Mint
CK Asset Holdings of Hong Kong has            Atlantic Quay 1, Glasgow said to be under     office building in Edinburgh.
bought 5 Broadgate for £1bn at a              offer at well above the asking price, at a
                                                                                            Tritax is to forward fund a £121m
3.95% yield from British Land and GIC         5.25% yield, and following strong bidding,
                                                                                            industrial scheme in Darlington, pre-let to
(Singapore).                                  to a Middle Eastern investor.
                                                                                            Amazon, at a 5% yield.
Ho Bee of Singapore has bought                One Park Row, Leeds has been sold to
Ropemaker Place in London for £650m –         CCLA for £35.6m at a 4.43% yield.
from a consortium of overseas investors.

A divestment from shopping centres            A search for yield                            Industrials still favoured
Hammerson is preparing to sell a 50%          M7, an industrial specialist, is set to buy   LondonMetric has bought a portfolio of
stake in Highcross, Leicester to a Japanese   the Alpha portfolio of retail warehousing     assets for £55m at a 4.4% yield
bank for £240m at a 5.5% yield.               at a 7.15% yield.
                                                                                            L&G has purchased a £182.3m industrial
Lone Star is planning to sell shopping        Regional REIT has bought a portfolio of       estate in Dunstable at a 5.02% yield.
centres in Southampton, Falkirk and           primarily regional office assets for £35m
Gloucester from its Tiger portfolio.          at an 8.4% yield.

Alternatives in demand                        Local authority buying at keen yields         Investors attracted to long income but
                                                                                            stock is sparse
Student accommodation – Allianz is            Liverpool Council has bought Central
buying a 40% stake for £350m in the           shopping centre in the city from Aviva for    The Supermarket REIT has bought a Tesco
Chapter London portfolio.                     £17m at a 4.8% yield.                         Extra in Scunthorpe for £53m at a 5.1%
                                                                                            yield with 22 years unexpired and RPI-
Fonciere des Regions has bought a             Portsmouth Council has bought an office
                                                                                            linked uplifts.
portfolio of 14 hotels from Starwood for      building in Queen St, Manchester for £9m
£858m.                                        at a 4.75% yield.

                                                                                                                           Continued
PAGE 7

LEGAL INFORMATION
This document:
• has been issued and approved by, and is the sole responsibility of, BMO REP Asset Management plc of 5 Wigmore Street, London
  W1U 1PB (“BMO REP”) which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom (registration no.
  119283).
• is for professional investors/advisers only and the information in it may not be appropriate for all persons in all jurisdictions in
  the world. By accepting this document, you represent and warrant to BMO REP that you are an appropriate person to receive such
  information.
• should not be considered as nor constitute as any investment, tax, legal or other advice and you should obtain specific professional
  advice before making any investment decision. Nor is it an offer or solicitation to deal in any of the investments or funds
  mentioned in it, by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful or in which the person making
  such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.
• contains confidential information belonging to BMO REP and/or third parties and is supplied to you solely for your information and
  may not be forwarded to any other person, reproduced or published in whole or in part for any purpose.

No representation or warranty, express or implied, is given by BMO REP or any other person as to the accuracy or completeness of
the information or opinions contained in this document. Save in the case of fraud, no liability is accepted for loss arising whether
directly or indirectly as a result of the reader, any person or group of persons acting on any information or opinion contained in this
document.

BMO REP Asset Management plc is a subsidiary of BMO Real Estate Partners LLP and are members of the BMO Financial Group, which
is itself wholly-owned by the Bank of Montreal.

© 2018 BMO Real Estate Partners LLP. Registered in England and Wales with number OC338377. Registered Office: 7 Seymour Street, London W1H 7BA. BMO Real Estate Partners LLP,
BMO REP Asset Management Plc and BMO REP Property Management Limited are members of the BMO Financial Group and are subsidiaries of the Bank of Montreal.
CM17479 (08/18) UK, CH.
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