2017-03-01 07:00:01 CET

2017-03-01 07:00:01 CET


REGLAMENTUOJAMA INFORMACIJA

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Orava Asuntorahasto Oyj - Financial Statement Release

ORAVA RESIDENTIAL REIT PLC FINANCIAL STATEMENTS BULLETIN 1 JANUARY – 31 DECEMBER 2016


Orava Residential REIT plc

Financial statements bulletin 1 March 2017 at 8:00 a.m.



ORAVA RESIDENTIAL REIT PLC FINANCIAL STATEMENTS BULLETIN 1 JANUARY – 31
DECEMBER 2016 



1 October – 31 December 2016

-      Revenue: EUR 2.6 million (1 October – 31 December 2015 EUR 4.5 million)

-      Comprehensive profit: EUR –0.5 million (EUR 1.3 million)

-      Earnings per share: EUR –0.06 (EUR 0.16)

-      Economic occupancy rate: 93.2% (89.7%)

-      Gross rental yield: 6.8% (7.0%)

-      Net rental yield: 3.7% (3.7%)

-      Profit from assignments and changes in fair value: EUR –0.7 million (EUR
1.8 million) 

-      Total dividends distributed during the period under review: EUR 0.27 per
share (EUR 0.30 per share) 



1 January – 31 December 2016

-      Revenue: EUR 13.9 million (1 January – 31 December 2015: EUR 17.5
million) 

-      Comprehensive profit: EUR 1.5 million (EUR 7.4 million)

-      Earnings per share: EUR 0.17 (EUR 0.96)

-      Economic occupancy rate: 91.3% (90.4%)

-      Gross rental yield: 6.8% (6.8%)

-      Net rental yield: 3.8% (4.0%)

-      Profit from assignments and changes in fair value: EUR 1.4 million (EUR
7.4 million) 

-      Total dividends distributed in 2016: EUR 1.08 per share (EUR 1.20 per
share) 



Adjusted net assets per share of Orava Residential REIT plc amounted to EUR
10.11 on 31/12/2016, while they were EUR 11.63 at the beginning of 2016. The
value of the company’s investment properties rose to EUR 210.9 million at the
end of the period under review (31 December 2015: EUR 195.9 million). 

The debt-free prices of apartments sold by Orava Residential REIT’s after the
period under review (between 1 January and 20 February 2017) totals EUR 2.4
million. 

The Board of Directors’ proposal to the General Meeting concerning dividends to
be paid in 2017 is EUR 0,03 per share for each quarter, i.e., a total of EUR
0,12 per share. 

CEO's comments:

“The financial results of Orava Residential REIT for the fourth quarter and for
the whole of 2016 were poor. As in previous years, the housing prices developed
very little, in addition to which the slow growth of the fund meant that the
impact of acquisitions on the result was decidedly smaller than in the earlier
years following the listing of the company’s shares. 

The slow recovery of the Finnish housing market continued during 2016, albeit
that the prices again took a downward turn during the fourth quarter. The
change in the fair value of the apartments acquired for the housing fund
portfolio was –0.2 percent from the third quarter, while the change for the
year was +0.2 percent. 

The value of housing units acquired during the fourth quarter was EUR 3.8
million, while total acqui­sitions for the year were just over EUR 20 million. 

The economic occupancy rate continued to improve during the fourth quarter and
rose from 92.0 to 93.2 percent. The economic occupancy rate for the whole year
was 91.3 percent. As expected, the proportion of investment property
mainte­nance and repair costs of the value of the portfolio increased again
towards the end of the year and was 3.1 percent for the last quarter, while the
figure for the whole year was 2.7 percent. Correspond­ingly, net rental yield
decreased to 3.7 percent during the fourth quarter and was 3.8 percent for the
whole year. 

Divestments of apartments continued to increase during the fourth quarter and
amounted to a record-breaking figure of EUR 3.9 million; the sum total of
debt-free sales prices of apartments for the year was EUR 11.6 million. 

At the turn of the year, Orava Residential REIT had 7,500 shareholders. Trading
volume of the company's share on the Helsinki Stock Exchange has remained
almost unchanged: the average daily turnover in January–December was slightly
over EUR 240,000. 

The company estimates that its result for 2017 would be positive and in the
range of EUR 2–5 million.” 

Operating environment

National economy

The growth of Finland's GDP in 2016 is estimated to be between +0.9 and +1.5
percent, and it is expected to remain in that bracket in 2017. The growth of
private consumption, very important for the housing market, is estimated to be
between +1.4 and +2.1 percent in 2016, while it is expected to be between +0.8%
and +1.3% this year. The market interest rates in the euro area are still
exceptionally low, and short-term market rates are also expected to remain
below one percent for the next four to five years. 

The estimate is based on the most recent economic forecasts by 15 parties
drawing up forecasts on the Finnish economy, compiled by the Federation of
Finnish Financial Services, and the market interest rate expectations
calculated on the basis of the euro interest rate curve published by the
European Central Bank. 

We expect the slow strengthening of the housing market to continue.

Demand in the housing market

According to statistics from the Bank of Finland, during October–December,
households drew down EUR 4.4 billion in new mortgages, or 3 percent more than
the year before. The euro-denominated mortgage base totalled EUR 94.1 billion
at the end of December, and the annual growth in the mortgage base was 2.4%. 

According to the January statistics from the Central Federation of Finnish Real
Estate Agencies, the number of transactions in old apartments was over 8
percent higher than in the corresponding period in the previous year. The
average marketing period for old apartments in the country as a whole,
according to the Finnish marketing service Etuovi. com, increased from 83 days
in October to 104 days in January, while it had been 94 days in January in the
previous year. 

The demand for apartments seems to have continued to strengthen moderately
during the last quarter. 

Supply in the housing market

According to Statistics Finland, building permits for apartment blocks were
granted for 2,000 apart­ments in November, 35 percent more than last year.
Correspondingly, building permits for apartment blocks were granted in
January–November for a total of 26,102 apartments, or 26 percent more than last
year. The annual change in the sliding annual total of building permits granted
for apartment also increased to +26 percent. 

The three-month change in the housing con­struction volume index that describes
the value of on-going new construction was –1 percent in November, and the
change year-on-year was +13 percent. 

According to the February confidence indicator survey of the Confederation of
Finnish Industries, the balance figure for construction production for the past
three months was +8 points in the fourth quarter, while it was +13 points in
the previous quarter and +2 points a year before.The balance figure for the
three-month production expectation was +9 points, compared to 0 points in the
previous quarter and –2 points a year before. The number of unsold residential
apartments, compared to the normal situation, fell from –33 in the third
quarter to –22 in the fourth quarter; a year ago, the balance figure was +10
points. 

The increase of supply in the housing market seems to have slowed down slightly
during the fourth quarter. 

Prices, rents and returns in the housing market

In the fourth quarter of 2016, the rents of non-sub­sidised apartments
increased by 2.4% year-on-year. According to the housing price index from
Statistics Finland, the housing prices increased during the fourth quarter by
1.2 percent year-on-year. The change in housing prices from the previous
quarter calculated by Statistics Finland was –0.4%, which we estimate to
correspond to an increase of approximately 0.5% when converted seasonally. The
ratio of housing prices to rents is slightly below the long-term average; the
ratio calculated from the square metre prices of apartment block apartments in
the fourth quarter and the rents of non-subsidised apartments was 15.0. The
43-year average for the ratio of square metre prices to annual rents in Finland
is 16.9. 

We expect housing prices in the country as a whole to increase by 1 to 3
percent during the next 12 months, and the growth rate in rents for
non-subsidised apartments to remain approximately the same if the market’s
interest rate expectations and economic forecasts are correct with regard to
their essential components affecting the housing market. 

Dividend

Year 2017

The parent company’s distributable funds were EUR 1,281,802.44 on 31 December
2016. 

The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting that a total of
EUR 0.12 per share be distributed from the result for 2016 in dividends total
EUR 1,151,869.20 and that the Board of Directors be authorised to decide on the
amounts of dividends to be paid in each quarter. 

Future outlook

Orava Residential REIT estimates that its result for 2017 would be positive and
in the range of EUR 2–5 million. 

The change in the value of current apartments in the investment portfolio is
expected to be slightly positive during this year. The gross and net rental
yield is expected to remain approximately at its present level, and the volume
of acquisitions is expected to remain at the last year’s level or to increase
slightly. The ratio of maintenance and repair costs to the value of investment
properties is expected to slightly decrease from the previous year. 



The Financial Statements Bulletin 2016 and the current rules for real estate
investment operations are available on the company's website at
www.oravaasuntorahasto.fi, and they are included as an appendix. The audited
Financial Statements and Board of Directors’ Report will be published on the
company’s website on 1 March 2017. 





Helsinki, 28 February 2017



Orava Residential REIT plc

Board of Directors





Additional information:

Pekka Peiponen, CEO, tel. +358 (0)10 420 3104

Veli Matti Salmenkylä, CFO and administrative director, tel. +358 (0)10 420 3102