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CENTURIA CAPITAL GROUP — Capital/Financing Update 2009
Jun 2, 2009
64677_rns_2009-06-02_cb41d6db-01bb-478b-b599-839256b33e79.pdf
Capital/Financing Update
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VIA ELECTRIC LODGEMENT
3 June 2009
Australian Stock Exchange Company Announcements Platform
OVER FIFTY GROUP - MARKET UPDATE
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$15.8 million industrial sale
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Major long term lease in Sydney Olympic Park
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OFG property group returning to acquisition mode
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Corporate debt falling steadily
Diversified funds manager, Over Fifty Group Ltd has been quietly working on its $900 million Australian commercial property portfolio of unlisted managed trusts with remarkable results.
In a subdued investment market, OFG’s property division – Century Funds Management - has concluded two major transactions
Sale of 35 Bessemer Street, Blacktown, Sydney
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35 Bessemer Street sold to an owner occupier today for $15.8 million. The 17,300 sq metre industrial property was originally purchased for a stand-alone trust in 2000 for $13.525 million.
The property was stapled into the $180 million Century Balanced Fund No.1 in 2006 and sale proceeds will be used to further reduce gearing within the fund and as additional working capital.
The Balanced Fund is Century’s largest diversified commercial trust which has a current cash return of 6.1 cents per unit paid quarterly, which equates to 9.5% at the current unit price. These returns have been 100% tax-deferred to date.
Lease of 2 Australia Avenue - Sydney Olympic Park
This property is owned within the 2 Australia Avenue Partnership, which was established in 2000. The 6,100 square metre property has been the head office and manufacturing facility for BP Solar since 2000 and is located adjacent to the Olympic Park railway station and the recently completed Commonwealth Bank Olympic Park campus.
BP Solar have ceased manufacturing at the site and with a lease expiry imminent in September ’09. Century Funds Management has already secured a new 8 year lease with listed research and development company Silex Systems Limited. This agreement is subject to final documentation of the transfer of the existing operations to Silex.
Over Fifty Group Limited ABN 22 095 454 336
call 1300 50 50 50 fax (03) 9629 3397 visit Level 30, 367 Collins St, Melbourne, Vic 3000. post GPO Box 695, Melbourne, Vic 3001
Silex have secured the support of the NSW Government to re-commence solar product manufacturing at the site and it is expected that all approvals will be in place by the end of June 2009 to allow recommissioning and product qualification to commence.
OFG chief executive John McBain commented;
“It is pleasing to see the OFG is delivering high-value transactions in the current climate. We have a continued focus on core operations, being property funds management and friendly society management and we are now seeing signs that this strategy is paying off.
“We have made significant cost savings at both the group and friendly society level which will impact positively on recurring earnings and in addition we have progressively reduced corporate debt by $4.5 million during the last 6 months to approximately $19.5 million. We foresee this balance reducing by a further $9 -$10 million over the next 6 to 7 months as we recoup legacy on-balance sheet mortgage funds advanced on a land subdivision in Sunbury, Victoria. The property group has been successful in turning around this project, completing works, securing titles and to date 50% of the available sites are now pre-sold into the first home buyer market.
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“The final terms of the corporate loan facility have now been settled on commercial terms with the next roll-over date being February 2010 (ie a 12 month extension) and provision for a corporate charge over the parent entity. OFG’s relationship with its corporate banker, NAB, during this restructuring period has been professional and supportive and OFG has now transferred all its retail banking requirements to NAB.
“These steps alone are only part of the key to unlocking the further potential of OFG and we look forward to demonstrating to our stakeholders steadily improving earnings from the core operating divisions”, he added.
The property division (both Century and subsidiary Eclipse Property Group) is also in due diligence on the launch of the first of a new series of unlisted commercial property funds, which is reflective of OFG’s expectation that property yields for long term investments are entering fair value range again.
Mr McBain said “Our research indicates that there is excellent support for these investments, both from our existing client base and from advisers wishing to gain exposure to direct rather than listed property.”
Enquiries: Tim Allerton - City PR (02) 9267 4511 John McBain - Chief Executive Over Fifty Group – 02 8923 8923