Lendlease (Lendlease Group (ASX:LLC)) will look to undertake an orderly sale of the remaining assets in its flagship $2.9 billion retail property fund after its investors called for a substantial swath of their capital to be returned. Under the move, the Australian Prime Property Fund Retail will likely wind up over the next year with its manager hoping to capitalise on the strength in the retail property market in which big investors have chased regional mall assets. Although this is well below its peak valuation, Lendlease is betting that mall values will edge up as interest rates decline and consumer spending also surges.
However, the wind-up of the fund is a rebuff for Lendlease's management, which had hoped to persuade investors to back its strategy to transform the malls into mixed-use town centres. That would have had to overcome hurdles, including winning over the co-owners of the remaining four major malls, and these groups will remain a powerful influence in how the assets are carved up. The decision came after a liquidity window for the fund closed.
Lendlease cited the "strong market" for high-quality retail assets and level of redemption requests received as the drivers for making an "orderly realisation" of the portfolio. The orderly sale is also a rebuff to what Lendlease has dubbed an opportunistic bid from Link REIT for most of the assets. The local company said the liquidity strategy would "seek to maximise value through competitive processes in the context of a buoyant Australian retail market as evidenced by recent transactions".
Lendlease managing director investment management Australia Vanessa Orth said the fund had delivered strong long-term returns for unit holders. "The fund's assets are located in strong growth markets and dominate their trade areas," she said. "Premium assets like these are difficult to acquire, with an internal rate of return outlook for the portfolio in excess of 11%." Lendlease last month fought off a bid by superannuation fund Hostplus to sack it as manager and replace it with Mirvac.
Lendlease pointed to the strength of competition for Erina Fair as reason for optimism about the value of the fund's remaining assets. They include 50% stakes in Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore and Macarthur Square in Sydney, which are co-owned by GPT and its main shopping centre fund respectively. The fund also owns 50% interests in Lakeside Joondalup, in Western Australia, and Westfield Carindale in Queensland.
Analysts had thought the sale of the interest in Erina Fair and a $200 million liquidity commitment from Lendlease would be sufficient to cover the liquidity event. While Lendlease has dubbed the Hong Kong group's play opportunistic it shows the depth of demand in the sector. "The proposed transaction from Link REIT highlights the resurgence in demand for retail malls and is a positive read-through for the major mall REITs," JPMorgan analysts said.
They said the implications for Lendlease were more mixed as the company would lose funds.
