Singapore REITs: Low risk investments for stable returns, or are they?

• Main Authors: KOH, Benedict S. K., VIJAYARAGHAVAN, Nandini
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2017
• Subjects: REITs; Portfolio Capitalisation; Prudent Equity Fund; Balanced Equity Fund; Wealth Accumulation Fund; Financial Risk; Finance; Finance and Financial Management
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cases_coll_all/184; https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/case/2871
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Sally Tan, an equity analyst with Prospero Asset Management Company (PAMC), is tasked with recommending units of four Singapore REITs (Real Estate Investment Trust) – CapitaLand Mall Trust (CMT), Ascendas REIT (A-REIT), Soilbuild Business Space REIT (Soilbuild REIT), and Parkway Life REIT (P-Life REIT) for three of PAMC’s portfolios: 1. The Prudent Equity Fund that targeted equity investors with a low risk appetite and desired stable, recurring dividend income; 2. The Balanced Equity Fund that targeted equity investors with a moderate risk appetite and expected a combination of dividend income and capital gains; and 3. The Wealth Accumulation Fund that targeted equity investors with a high risk appetite focussing on total returns. These investors were indifferent between dividend income and capital gains and also wanted an exposure to overseas markets. To enable unit selection, the case provides information on the operating and financial performance, the unit prices and distributions of the four Singapore REITs, as well as the underlying macroeconomic drivers. As of November 2016, there were over thirty REITs listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). Singapore listed REITs have a sector focus i.e. their portfolios consisted almost exclusively of assets from one of the following sub-markets – residential, retail, industrial, office, healthcare and hospitality. The REITs chosen in this case study comprise the largest REITs in the retail (CMT), industrial (A-REIT) and healthcare (P-Life REIT sectors, and an industrial REIT whose operating and financial performance is weak (Soilbuild REIT), to enable the class to get an exposure to retail, industrial and healthcare REITs and distinguish REITs with weaker business and financial profiles from stronger ones. The primary learning objective is to familiarise class participants with the economic drivers and risks of REITs investments and the counterparty analysis of their sponsors.