Developers report mixed results in Q3
Property developer UOL Group has posted a 14 percent drop in net attributable profit for the third quarter.
Singapore developers posted mixed results in the third quarter of 2016, with City Developments Limited (CDL) reporting a profit increase and UOL Group registering a decline.
CDL saw its net profit for Q3 soar 60.1 percent to $170.3 million, from $106.4 million over the same period last year.
The group attributed the increase to robust sales in the property development segment, as well as gains from the divestment of its entire 52.52 percent stake in Hong Kong-listed City e-Solutions Limited.
Revenue climbed 14 percent to $922.8 million, driven by the property development segment, including maiden contributions from the Gramercy Park project in Singapore and Hanover House in the UK, as well as contributions from Coco Palms, D’Nest and The Venue Residences and Shoppes projects in Singapore.
As at 30 September 2016, CDL’s net gearing stood at 27 percent, excluding any fair value surpluses on investment properties, with $3 billion of cash and cash equivalents.
To enhance shareholder returns, CDL Executive Chairman Kwek Leng Beng revealed that the company is reviewing its asset portfolio and business model.
“We are accelerating our diversification initiatives and will continue to focus on improving the group’s performance wherever possible, across all segments – property development, hotel operations, investment properties and funds management,” he said.
“We have an exceptionally robust balance sheet and are building our war chest to capture attractive opportunities during this period of market dislocation.”
Meanwhile, UOL posted a 14 percent drop in net attributable profit to $87.1 million in Q3, due mainly to lower gross profit margin and contributions from joint venture companies.
The share of profit from associated and joint venture companies declined 35 percent to $29.1 million on the back of lower contribution from Archipelago and Thomson Three, which were completed in September 2015 and May 2016, respectively.
Group revenue, however, rose 11 percent to $393.4 million with the property development segment witnessing an increase of 19 percent to $206.6 million due to higher progressive revenue recognition from Botanique at Bartley, Principal Garden and Riverbank@Fernvale.
“Although new loans were secured to fund the group’s acquisition of 110 High Holborn in London and for advances to a joint venture company to fund The Clement Canopy at Clementi Avenue 1, these were largely offset by repayments with funds from operations,” the company said in an SGX filing.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
