Net Asset Value(s)

Fabian Romania Limited 04 February 2008 4 February 2008 Fabian Romania Limited (FAB.LN) Net asset value as at 31 December 2007 Highlights • Fabian Romania Limited ("Fabian", "Fabian Romania" or the "Company"), is an experienced and leading investor in the Bucharest and wider Romanian real estate market and is quoted on AIM. • Fabian seeks to generate attractive total returns for its shareholders through a portfolio of income producing buildings, co-development projects with experienced partners and land investments. Fabian receives investment advice from Fabian Capital Limited, an independent investment management firm that specialises in Romanian real estate investments advice. (Fabian Capital does not carry out any regulated activities in the UK) • As at 31 December 2007, the Net Asset Value ("NAV") per share of the Company as determined in accordance with its Articles of Association was €1.700 (at 30 September 2007: €1.607) an increase of 5.79 per cent. over the third quarter and 25.37 per cent. for the full year (at 31 December 2006: €1.356) • Adjusting the current NAV for the estimated future development profits of €0.514 per share indicates a potential future NAV ("Development Profit NAV" or "DPNAV") of €2.214 per share (at 30 September 2007: €2.142) an increase of 3.36 per cent. over the third quarter and 43.21 per cent over the year (at 31 December 2006: €1.546) • Lakeview, the office joint venture development with AIG/Lincoln, is subject to heads of terms with prospective tenants for 90 per cent of the building's space. Construction tendering is nearing completion and work is expected to start on site towards the end of the first quarter • Four new leases have been signed at Baneasa Business Centre contributing to a value uplift of €1.1 million in the 31 December valuation compared with the previous quarter. The leases represent a total of 2,421 square metres (" sqm") of offices, 127 sqm of storage and 38 parking spaces. The average lease length in the building has jumped from 1.7 years unexpired to 3.9 years • Strong rental growth in the Bucharest office market has led to a valuation gain over the quarter of €2.5 million from the company's ownership of the Cascades and Banu Antonache office buildings • The New Town residential scheme continues to experience strong forward sales of its residential units. Sales commenced in July and 227 apartments have now been reserved off plan comprising 94 per cent. of the two first releases of 241 apartments. The sale of the third release of 75 units will start on 1 March with a further price uplift of 10 per cent. • The acquisition of the Evocentre office building comprising 3,213 sqm of office and retail space was completed on 21 November for €5.16 million. The building is 52 per cent. let to Adama, the Israeli developer which constructed the building. The building is now valued at €6.07 million contributing to a net asset value uplift of €0.91 million in less than two months since Fabian has owned the building. • DPNAV is continue to grow driven by the contribution of the Timisora deal with Fabian's share representing €4.8 million, €4.4 million contribution from the Cubic Center forward purchase valued at 7.15 per cent. yield, a €1.6 million uplift of the valuation of New Town and an uplift of €0.33 million in the valuation of the Lakeview office joint venture. • The 50 per cent. joint venture residential project, acquired in the second quarter of 2007 in Timisoara, to develop 350 apartments together with local developer Coltex is reaching final architectural stages. A new planning application ("PUZ") has been lodged with the city planning authorities to upgrade the permissible volume above ground • In total, nine investments executed or committed, with 62,850 sqm of lettable office space in Bucharest secured together with two residential developments (in Bucharest and Timisoara) with a total of approximately 1000 residential apartments in the process of development To the shareholders of Fabian Romania Fabian Romania Limited the AIM quoted dedicated Romanian real estate investor is pleased to announce that its NAV as at 31 December 2007 is €1.70 per share. This represents a rise of 5.79 per cent. from the preceding third quarter NAV of €1.607 per share. For 2007 as a whole, the NAV of the company has risen 25.37 per cent. from €1.356 per share as at 31 December 2006. The published NAV was calculated according to the Company's Articles of Association and the results are summarised below: Fabians' (as at 31 share of Bank Original December'07) Market Value (debt) Net Worth Investment €m €m €m €m Cascades 18.5 (9.2) 9.3 12.2 Banu 17.7 (8.9) 8.8 12.3 New Town * ^ 20.7 (5.2) 15.5 5.8 Lakeview * ^ 10.8 (5.6) 5.1 5.4 Cubic Center 12.4 0.0 12.4 12.3 Baneasa Business 29.5 (19.5) 10.0 23.9 Center Timisoara * ^ 4.0 (2.5) 1.5 1.6 Evo 6.1 (3.7) 2.4 5.2 Net Cash 23.9 Other assets / (liabilities) ** (2.5) Sub-total 119.7 (54.7) 86.4 78.5 Shares (#) 50,831,130 NAVPS (€) 1.7001 Growth in Q3 2007 5.79% * represents Fabians' share of the development, Lakeview after post-acquisition debt financing ** includes deposits on Evocenter & Romana plus deferred tax liabilities added back ^ includes development WIP financed by bank debt increase in original investment in the period as set out in text Future Development Profit Under the Red Book methodology of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, residual land valuations for development projects provided to Companies such as Fabian Romania exclude the net present value of future development profits. The Directors believe this approach whilst logical for valuing land plots between buyers and sellers is not ideal for shareholders in quoted property companies where development is a key component of the company's activities. In order to provide transparency to our shareholders as to the potential level of such future development profits that may accrue to the Company, DTZ Echinox ("DTZ") is asked every quarter to provide estimates of these development profits. Shareholders may then choose to discount these profits to estimate their net present value in today's terms based on current market conditions. The forecast development profit figures are stated gross and do not include all costs that may be incurred by Fabian over the course of the projects (in particular transaction fees and any carried interest payable to the investment manager). The implied share of future development profit figures for the New Town, Lakeview, Timisoara and Cubic Centre schemes based on the DTZ estimates is highlighted in the table below. Project Implied Fabian Share of future Development Profit Final Year of from DTZ estimates (€m) Development * New Town 8.1 2009 Lakeview 8.9 2009 Timisoara 4.8 2010 Cubic Center 4.4 2009 NAV contribution (€m) 26.1 NAVPS contribution (€) 0.514 * Fabian Romania estimates Adding these forecast development profits of €26.1 million or €0.514 per share to the NAV produces what the Directors have called the DPNAV of €2.214 per share. This represents a rise of 3.36 per cent. over the 30 September 2007 DPNAV of €2.142 and 43.21 per cent. over the DPNAV comparative figure as at 31 December 2006 of €1.546. Portfolio Mix As at 31 December 2007, the portfolio of the Company comprised the following type of investments as a percentage of the net asset value of the Company. Net Portfolio mix worth (as at 31 Dec'07) Income 35% Developments 44% Cash & Other assets/liabilities 21% 100% Lakeview building now 90 per cent. pre-let In September, final building consent was granted for the Lakeview office building. During the quarter, extensive work has been undertaken by our development partner, AIG/Lincoln, to prepare the site for the start of construction. Construction tendering is on-going and building is forecast to start on site during the first quarter. Detailed negotiations are nearing conclusion to pre-let the majority of the building to a small number of multi-national tenants. At present, 90 per cent. of the building's space is subject to heads of terms with prospective tenants. Leases are expected to be signed during the first quarter at rents in line with the investment manager's expectations. DTZ, the Company's valuers, have given a land valuation, as at 31 December 2007, of €8.8 million for the 50 per cent. share owned by Fabian. Adding work in progress of €1.97 million, the total value of the company's 50 per cent. share of the investment stands at €10.8 million. This has been financed by €2.43 million of equity and bank debt drawn down from MKB Bank of €5.64 million. The resultant gain of €2.73 million equates to a satisfactory 112 per cent. return to date on the company's invested equity of €2.43 million. The forecast gross development value of the scheme, according to DTZ, is €71.8 million at 31 December 2007. This is based on a core yield of 6.8 per cent. and forecast office rents of €15 per sqm per month. After deducting forecast development costs, DTZ's forecast implies future development profits for the company amounting to €8.9 million or some €0.18 per share. The Company currently forecasts project completion to be achieved by the end of 2009. Sales update at New Town The directors are pleased to announce that as of the time of writing, 227 apartments in the New Town residential scheme have now been sold. A full sales launch for New Town commenced in mid July 2007 with the release of the first release, out of six, comprising 119 apartments. All apartments in the first release have now been sold and 108 out of 122 in the second release have, likewise, been sold. The first release had an average selling price of €1,299 per sqm and we are currently selling at an average price of €1,437 per sqm (excluding VAT) New Town is a scheme of 72,000 sqm above ground involving the construction of 636 apartments targeted at Bucharest's emerging middle class. The scheme was granted final building consent at the start of April 2007. The joint venture development company, Phoenix Park SRL, has agreed a fixed price build contract with Mivan Kier. The land value for the company's 50 per cent. share in New Town given by DTZ for 31 December 2007 is €15.5 million, an increase on the 30 September 2007 valuation of €13.95 million. Adding work in progress of €8.6 million, but subtracting advances from customers of €3.47 million, the value of the company's investment stands at €20.7 million. This has been financed by €5.75 million of equity and bank debt drawn down from HVB of €5.22 million. The resultant gain of €9.73 million equates to a 169 per cent. return on the company's invested equity of €5.75. DTZ's forecast imply future development profits amounting to €8.1 million or some €0.16 per share. The Company currently forecasts project completion to be achieved by the end of 2009. Timisoara new planning application submitted Fabian's first joint venture residential development project outside Bucharest is reaching final stages in the architectural process with work planned to commence on site in the fourth quarter of this year. A new planning application ("PUZ") has been lodged with the city planning authorities to upgrade the permissible volume above ground. A firm of UK architects has been employed by the development joint venture to develop the concept design and to work with local architects to finalise the planning on the site. To date, the investment manager has been extremely impressed with the quality of the design ideas produced by the architects engaged. The plans seek to advance the quality of design of residential apartments currently undertaken in Romania without sacrificing commercial considerations. During the quarter, the Company, in conjunction with its development partner, Coltex, purchased a further 500 sqm of land to take the total size of the plot to 13,245 sqm of land. This should allow the joint venture to construct 35,000 sqm of residential space above ground, subject to planning. The total purchase price for all the plots purchased between June and October 2007 amounts to €6.54 million representing a price of €494 per sqm of land or €187 per sqm built above ground. The company is planning to target sales of flats to local residents in Timisoara, one of the richest cities in Romania, close to the Hungarian boarder with a large ex-patriate Italian population. The City is the centre for many international companies entering Romania preferring a base in the west of the country towards Hungary and the rest of the European Union. The land value for the company's 50 per cent. share in the Timisoara scheme given by DTZ for 31 December 2007 is €3.7 million, up from the 30 September 2007 valuation of €3.5 million. Adding work in progress of €0.34 million, the total value of the company's investment stands at €4.04 million. This has been financed by €1.6 million of equity, and a proportionate share of bank debt drawn down from Banca Romanesca of €2.53 million Adding in cash balances of €0.48 million results in a small gain to date of €0.39 million on the company's invested equity of €1.6 million. DTZ's forecast imply future development profits amounting to €4.8 million or some €0.09 per share. The Company currently forecasts project completion to be achieved by the end of 2010. Completion of the Evocentre acquisition in Pipera, north Bucharest During the second quarter 2007, Fabian announced the acquisition of the Evocentre office building from its developers, the Adama Group of Israel. On 21 November, the company completed the acquisition of the building for a purchase price of €5.16 million. In December, the company drew down on an investment loan from Investkredit Bank AG for €3.68 million resulting in net equity post drawdown of €1.49 million. The building comprises 3,213 sqm of office and retail space and is 52 per cent. let to Adama. The building is located in a predominately residential area just north of the major development area of Pipera. By agreeing to purchase the building empty, the company took 'letting risk' enabling it to acquire the building at a more advantageous price. This transaction was very similar to the manner in which the company had previously purchased the Banu Antonache building also empty from a developer. As is stated later, vacancy rates in the city remain sub three per cent. according to DTZ. and the office leasing market continues to favour the landlord, thereby much reducing the supposed letting risk. The letting of the reminding space is well under way with the investment manager working in-house and with external agents. The building was valued at €6.07 million by DTZ in the 31 December valuation representing an uplift of €0.91 million or 18 per cent. from the purchase price in the 1.5 months Fabian has owned the building. On actual equity invested by Fabian of €1.49m, the gain equates to a 61 per cent. return. Re-letting at Baneasa Business Centre As was reported in the September update, the Company's purchase of the Baneasa office building in June 2007, was an opportunity for Fabian to acquire another good quality office building at an attractive price offering the possibility for the investment manager to renegotiate existing leases as they came up for renewal. The directors are pleased to report that three new leases have been signed with existing tenants increasing the average remaining unexpired lease lengths for the building from 1.7 years as at 30 September to 3.5 years as at 31 December. New leases had been signed with Fresenius, one of the world's leading suppliers of dialysis products, Schering Plough, the international pharmaceutical company and Johnson Diversey, one of the worlds leading providers of cleaning and hygiene products. Combined, the three new leases have added a further €264,000 to the annual rent roll at acquisition of €1.8 million, or 14.6 per cent. Of the gain, €102,000 had been achieved by 31 December. Since the year end, a further tenant, has taken a further 288 sqm for five years at rents just below €20 per sqm and extended the lease over the company's existing space at the same rent for a further three years taking all their let space to five years unexpired.The net annual gain for the company from the new Volksbank lease amounts to a further €56,000 per annum as from 1 February 2008. The average lease length unexpired for the building has now risen to 3.9 years. As at 31 December 2007, the building was valued by DTZ at €29.5 million, representing a gain of €1.1 million over the third quarter valuation or a 23 per cent. gain over the purchase price of €23.9 million in late June 2007. As previously announced, the Company, in July, had drawn down on a debt facility with Investkredit to increase total borrowings secured against Baneasa to almost €19.7 million. This has resulted in a net equity invested by the company of approximately €4.2 million pre revaluation. With a gain of €5.6 million since acquisition, the Company will have achieved a pleasing pro forma return on equity invested of 133 per cent by the year end. Further gains on Banu Antonache and Cascades The company's first two office buildings, Banu Antonache and Cascades, have seen further gains in value over the quarter. DTZ has valued Cascades at €18.5 million representing a gain of €1.9 million or 11 per cent. over the third quarter valuation of €16.6 million. On the original equity investment of €2.6 million, post debt drawdown, the return on the company's equity invested in Cascades has now grown to 257 per cent. since acquisition in April 2006. The Banu Antonache investment has also shown growth. The value by year end, according to DTZ, amounted to €17.7 million, a gain of €600,000 over the quarter or 3.5 per cent.. On the original invested equity of €3.4 million, the return on the company's equity has grown to 158 per cent. since acquisition in December 2005. The growth in value during the fourth quarter has come mainly from the Company's valuers taking the view that both buildings are now 'under-rented' compared to the average achievable office rents in the market for similar quality and located buildings if they were being leased out today. This rate, based on current market indicators, is termed the estimated rental value ("ERV"). DTZ believe Cascades could now achieve rents of €22 per sqm per month compared to the actual rents of €18.5, Banu Antonache could achieve €20 per sqm per month versus actual rent of €19.2, Baneasa could achieve €17.5 per sqm per month versus actual rents of €15.6 and Evocentre could achieve €14 per sqm per month versus actual rents of €13. To value this imputed surplus rental income, DTZ have applied "reversionary" yields as set out in the table below. However, if the buildings were actually leased out now and achieved the expected ERV rent, the rental income would clearly cease to be theoretical and become actual. As such, actual income is valued using the current yield or "core" yield. If one was, therefore, to apply the core yield to the ERV rent, one can calculate the value of the buildings as if they were rented today and achieved the full ERV rent. The final column of the table below shows the value of each building under this scenario. This, the directors believe, is the further potential upside from the portfolio. Using DTZ's assumptions, this amounts to a further €1.75 million of potential total value for the four income producing buildings or €0.034 per share. Valuation Current Yield on Reversionary ERV rent, ERV rent ERV / core Future Value Income existing yield €sqm/ yield uplift income month € € € € € Banu 17,700,000 1,175,616 6.8% 7.8% 20 1,221,462 18,042,275 342,275 Cascades 18,500,000 1,130,860 6.8% 7.8% 22 1,305,886 19,204,206 704,206 Baneasa 29,500,000 1,936,378 6.8% 8.0% 18 2,032,302 30,108,178 608,178 Evo Centre 6,070,000 261,682 7.8% 9.8% 14 478,245 6,170,903 100,903 Total 71,770,000 4,504,536 6.9% 8.0% 19 5,037,895 73,525,562 1,755,562 Cubic Centre on time and on budget The construction of the building for the company is now well under way and is proceeding according to plan and to budget. The developer estimates practical completion to be achieved during the second quarter of 2009. Fabian has paid an initial instalment of €12.2 million towards the anticipated purchase price. This is also expected to be the total equity requirement for the company. At the practical completion of the building, Fabian will pay the final instalment based upon a forward purchase yield of 7.4 per cent. to 7.8 per cent. applied to the rents achieved by the developer. DTZ, has estimated the future value of the Cubic Centre at €64.8 million based on a yield of 7.15 per cent. as at 31 December 2007. After deducting the balance of the purchse price still to be paid by the company, DTZ estimates a future developer's profit of €4.4 million to Fabian or €0.09 per share. The Property Market The sub-prime lending crisis in the US has had a limited impact on the Romanian property market so far. There is anecdotal evidence that some investors, whose investment strategy involves high levels of gearing, have stepped back from transactions at the more speculative end of the office investment market. In addition, some overseas developers seeking to enter Romania or add to existing land holdings have become more cautious in the size of schemes they are seeking to develop. The investment manager believes this may be somewhat beneficial to Fabian. As Romania continues to develop, it is not in the company's interest for the property market to move from boom to bust but rather to exhibit a more steady rate of growth. If some of the more ambitious plans, from last summer, by foreign developers have been scaled back or cancelled, this is much to the benefit of the existing players in the Romanian property market such as Fabian. It may also mean some further attractive opportunities for the company to pick up buildings, like Baneasa, where the shorter lease lengths unexpired mean they no longer fit into the investment grade category. Given the strength of the office leasing market to the benefit of the landlord and the investment manager's experience in this sub-sector, if opportunities appear to acquire such buildings cheaply, they will be actively pursued. The investment manager believes that there is evidence that the credit market is tightening. In certain instances, banks appear to have increased their funding costs by up to 50 basis points ("bp"). However in the investment manager's opinion the availability of debt is still comfortable and fundamental lending parameters, such as loan to value, debt service coverage ratios or amortisation periods have not changed. For offices, headline yields, as reported in the third quarter 2007 NAV statement, have fallen to around 6 per cent. They are believed to have remained at similar levels during the fourth quarter. Office rents are continuing to increase and prime city centre rents are now well above €20 per sqm per month with long term sustainable rents of up to €19 per sqm per month for prime locations now believed to be achievable. The vacancy rates remain very low and below 3 per cent.. A number of international investors have been active on the market including investors from Austria with Immoeast historically most active but now with UK and German funds having surpassed Austrian investment funds in terms of number of transactions in the market. Other active funds on the market are APN Funds, Europolis, North Real Estate and Generali. In the beginning of 2007, the forecast new office space to be delivered onto the market during the year was around 300,000 sqm. Reports from agents suggest that around half of this volume was actually delivered during 2007, highlighting a long term tendency to over optimism upon the part of local agents in respect of how much space developers are physically able to construct in a given year. Construction capacity, land title issues, difficulties over financing and planning delays are all major contributory factors particularly for the less experienced local developers. There are a number of new projects in the pipeline, on site, or in advanced planning stages, but in the investment manager's opinion it is likely that the delivery volumes will not materially increase in 2008 reflecting some of the caution that is spreading to the Romanian market as well as the specific difficulties highlighted. This should be supportative of an equilibrium in the office leasing market at the very least although further rental rises are expected by local agents. In the medium term, the investment manager believes that Bucharest can sustain two million square metres of class A office space compared to the current 800-900,00 square metres at present. Even at two million square metres, it will put Bucharest only level with Budapest in today's terms and Budapest is the capital city of a country, Hungary, with a population half that of Romania. Construction costs are forecast by Bucharest based cost consultants to increase further in 2008, a trend seen throughout Eastern Europe. This will have some impact for developers on returns for new projects especially in weaker locations or where the land is over-priced. On the other hand increases in construction costs are anticipated to be more than off-set by continuing growth in rental and sales values. The investment manager continues to be prudent in selecting projects for consideration by the Fabian's directors, having turned down at the appraisal stage upwards of 100 opportunities in 2007 alone. Other activity and outlook As at 31 December 2007, approximately €23 million of equity (after refinancing) from the €38.1 million of net proceeds from the AIM listing has been earmarked for investment in the five transactions either executed or announced during the year. After allowing for a cash reserve at the Jersey level, this leaves approximately €11 million of equity to commit to further investments. Fabian is working actively in the market to source new projects and is in advanced negotiations to finalise a number of important transaction. The company will continue its successful development strategy acting together with local and international development partners. The Timisoara deal which represented the first deal for Fabian outside Bucharest, has marked the start of a greater focus going forward for the company both on the residential sub-sector and the regional cities. With real wages growing 26 per cent in 2006 and again in double digits in the first nine months of 2007, Romanian consumers are now increasingly able to afford new apartments of around 100 square metres selling for between €1,100 to €2,000 a square metre plus VAT. The growing availability of mortgage finance has further accelerated this trend. In most regional cities, there has been virtually no large scale residential development, aimed at the country's emerging middle class, since 1990. As stated previously, the investment manager no longer regards fully let offices at yields below 7 per cent. as attractive either on an absolute basis or relative to the opportunities available in Romania in other sub-sectors of the market or through co-development opportunities. Exciting opportunities continue to be pursued through participation in office co-investment developments. The investment manager will continue to look at a number of opportunities arising to purchase high quality offices with short lease lengths offering active management opportunities. In retail and logistics, yields for fully let buildings or for forward purchases of buildings once let continue to offer attractive yields of between 7.25 - 8.00 per cent. To date, the Company has not purchased any such assets. This is in large part due to their scarcity value, their large unit price relative to the size of Fabian Romania and legal title issues. However, the investment manager is looking at a number of opportunities in both of these sub-sectors. The threat from a global recession driven by the sub-prime crises and decreased consumer spending in the US and the emerging instability in world credit and equity markets may impact to some extent on Romania. The investment manager is keeping a close watch on the recent changes in the country's trade balances and signs of increased inflation in Romania in order to be sensitive to potential sudden and unexpected changes in the market. However Fabian is mitigating major risks by having implemented measures to limit any dependency on certain market events. For example in financing, the investment manager is working actively on spreading the credit risk to not only different financial institutions but with different and interpolating lengths of the credits and a mix of fixed and floating loans. On the letting side, Fabian is working to secure pre-lets on an early stage and to sign up strong and reputable tenants. Construction procurement and costs are secured by not relying on a single developer and by locking in fixed construction contracts once building consent is achieved. By spreading investment into different sub sectors of the country's property market and between Bucharest and the regions, the company will have achieved some measure of diversification. The Company's development projects, with strong development partners, continue to make excellent progress and to set standards in the country in their respective sub-sectors. Fabian's portfolio of office buildings is set to continue to benefit from the strength of the office leasing market. A number of attractive acquisition opportunities are currently under consideration. The investment manager regards the outlook for the Company, the Romanian property market and Romania in general as attractive for 2008. Mark Holdsworth Fabian Capital Limited 31 January 2008 The directors of Fabian accept responsibility for the information contained in this announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors of Fabian (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case) the information contained in this announcement is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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