FIRM CAPITAL PROPERTY TRUST PROVIDES PORTFOLIO AND ENTITY UPDATE REGARDING COVID-19, ITS FINANCIAL STABILITY AND NORMAL COURS...
March 30 2020 - 8:00AM
Firm Capital Property Trust (the “
Trust”), (TSXV:
FCD.UN) is issuing this press release regarding the impact of
COVID-19 and information on the financial stability of the Trust.
Over the past several weeks, this pandemic has
driven business, market and economic turmoil to inconceivable
levels. Since 2012 the Trust has demonstrated a track record of
delivering returns to unitholders while maintaining a strong
financial position. In return, unitholders have seen their
distributions increased seven times in seven years by a total of
almost 43% since 2012, representing a 4.5% average annual increase.
However, the effect of the global markets as well as the provisions
and regulations various national authorities have implemented, have
had a negative effect on the Trust’s unit price, alongside many
other similar REITs in the marketplace. Like other entities, the
Trust has been impacted by what management believes is an
overselling of the Trust's trust units.
We would like to assure unitholders that the
Trust has been taking proactive action to mitigate the impact of
COVID-19. As stated in our prior press releases, the Trust is
conservatively levered at a 48% Debt to Gross Book Value ratio
(“Debt/GBV”), has $9 million of cash availability
on its revolving credit facility and is expected to increase
liquidity once it completes several mortgage financings that are in
progress over the next two months. Further, as press released on
March 27, 2020, the Trust plans to file an application with the TSX
Venture Exchange ("TSXV") to commence a Normal
Course Issuer Bid or NCIB to purchase up to 2,824,296 of its trust
units, being 10% of the Public Float (as defined in the policies of
the TSXV). The board of trustees of the Trust is of the opinion
that the recent market prices of its trust units do not reflect the
underlying value of its assets and future prospects, and that
repurchasing trust units is one way of creating unitholder
value.
The Trust remains confident in its financial
position to mitigate the short and long-term challenges of
COVID-19. From a portfolio perspective, as at March 30, 2020, we
provide to you the following update:
- Portfolio Size: The Trust’s investment
portfolio is approximately $465 million, which is slightly over the
$458 million reported as at December 31, 2019. Further, the
investment portfolio is diversified across both geographies and
asset classes as detailed in the Q4/2019 MD&A with 77% of our
retail assets, or 47% of total assets, in solid 50/50 partnerships
with First Capital REIT and Crombie REIT;
- Leverage: The Trust has a strong balance sheet
with a conservative leverage ratio of 48% Debt/GBV;
- Tenant Quality: Approximately 29% of the
Trust’s base rent is derived from retail tenants that are deemed
essential services (Sobey’s, Loblaw, Metro, IGA, LCBO, Shoppers
Drug Mart, Rexall and The Beer Store), a sector which has shown to
have greater stability during these types of crisis. Further,
approximately 35% of the Trust’s base rent is from publicly listed
entities;
- Cash Availability: The Trust is currently
sitting on approximately $9 million of availability on its $22
million credit facility. It should be noted that the Trust expects
to pay down the $13 million drawn on the same credit facility
through the refinancing of four existing properties over the next
two months. This would provide the Trust with total cash
availability of approximately $40 million if these transactions are
completed;
- Tenant Support Program: The Trust is working
with its small commercial tenants to provide a rent deferral option
of up to two months’ rent that would be paid back over the course
of the next twelve months;
- Normal Course Issuer Bid (“NCIB”): As press
released on March 27, 2020, the Trust announced plans to file an
application with the TSXV to commence a NCIB to purchase up to
2,824,296 of its trust units being 10% of the Public Float. The
board of trustees of the Trust is of the opinion that the recent
market prices of its trust units do not reflect the underlying
value of its assets and future prospects, and that repurchasing
trust units is one way of creating unitholder value;
- NAV Per Share: As at December 31, 2019; the
Trust’s NAV was $ 7.47 per share; and
- Highly Experienced Senior Management and Board of
Trustees: The Trust has a highly experienced senior
management team and board of trustees with a combined 100+ years
industry experience in managing real estate throughout various real
estate cycles. Further, the senior management team and board of
trustees have a strong alignment of interests through the direct
investment in assets along-side investors.
Please feel free to contact any member of senior
management with questions or comments.
ABOUT FIRM CAPITAL PROPERTY TRUST (TSXV:
FCD.UN) Firm Capital Property Trust is focused on creating
long-term value for Unitholders, through capital preservation and
disciplined investing to achieve stable distributable income. In
partnership with management and industry leaders, The Trust’s plan
is to co-own a diversified property portfolio of multi-residential,
flex industrial, net lease convenience retail, and core service
provider professional space. In addition to stand alone accretive
acquisitions, the Trust will make joint acquisitions with strong
financial partners and acquisitions of partial interests from
existing ownership groups, in a manner that provides liquidity to
those selling owners and professional management for those
remaining as partners. Firm Capital Realty Partners Inc., through a
structure focused on an alignment of interests with the Trust
sources, syndicates and property and asset manages investments on
behalf of the Trust. For the complete financial statements,
Management’s Discussion & Analysis and supplementary
information, please visit www.sedar.com or the Trust’s website at
www.firmcapital.com
FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATIONThis
press release may contain forward-looking statements. In some
cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of
words such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan",
"anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential",
"continue", and by discussions of strategies that involve risks and
uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this release relate to
the refinancing of certain mortgages, the approval of the NCIB and
the timing and amount of purchases to be made under the NCIB,
The forward-looking statements are based on certain key
expectations and assumptions made by the Trust. By their nature,
forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent
risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute
to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and
various future events will not occur. Although management of the
Trust believes that the expectations reflected in the
forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no
assurance that future results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements will occur as anticipated. Neither the Trust nor any
other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and
completeness of any forward-looking statements, and no one has any
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement,
whether as a result of new information, future events or such other
factors which affect this information, except as required by
law.Neither the TSXV Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release. Additional information about the Trust is
available at www.firmcapital.com or www.sedar.com.For further
information, please contact:
Robert McKeePresident & Chief Executive
Officer(416) 635-0221
Sandy PoklarChief Financial Officer(416)
635-0221
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