Company hopes to leverage positive sentiment unleashed by the removal of Hong Kong’s property curbs, CEO Adrian Cheng says
NWD announces an interim dividend payout of HK$0.20 per share, 56.5 per cent below last year’s HK$0.46 per share
New World Development
(NWD), the conglomerate owned by one of Hong Kong’s wealthiest families,
plans to launch 2,500 units ahead of schedule in a move aimed at
capturing the improved sentiment unleashed by the withdrawal of all
property curbs in Hong Kong.
The company unveiled the
plan on Thursday after it reported that its profit attributable to
shareholders arising from continued operations for the six months ending
on December 31 fell 12.8 per cent to HK$502 million (US$64 million).
Its shares slipped 2.1 per cent to HK$9.87 on Thursday, bringing its
loss so far this year to 18.6 per cent.
“As the financial
secretary has announced the lifting of property curbs, and the Hong Kong
Monetary Authority has relaxed mortgage loan policies, which are in
effect attracting the public and investors to the market and driving its
recovery, the group will leverage this positive sentiment,” said Adrian
Cheng Chi-kong, NWD’s CEO.
“We hope that we can achieve a positive sales revenue result in the coming year.”
Financial Secretary Paul
Chan Mo-po scrapped all cooling measures restricting property
transactions on Wednesday as he unveiled a budget aimed at restoring the
city’s flagging fiscal health with a raft of belt-tightening policies
and launched a hunt for new revenue streams.
Analysts said these
measures are unlikely to trigger a rebound in prices, with the
prevailing weakness being caused by a combination of elevated borrowing
costs, a sluggish economy and a bloated supply pipeline. They do,
however, expect the decline in prices to slow down and transaction
volumes to rise.
NWD’s projects, given their prime locations, can “bring good cash flow to the group in a short period of time”, Cheng said.
These
include a redevelopment project at the site of the former State Theatre
in North Point, as well as joint-venture projects in the Kai Tak area,
such as a 1,305 unit development with Far East Consortium.
Phase
one of the State Theatre project comprises 400 units and had been
scheduled for sale in the second half of this year. It will be offered
for sale within the next four months.
NWD announced an interim
dividend payout of HK$0.2 per share, a 56.5 per cent drop from last
year’s HK$0.46 per share. If the group’s profitability improves in the
future, it will increase dividend payouts or conduct buy-backs to
enhance shareholders’ returns, Cheng said.
The
group’s continuing operations revenues recorded a year-on-year decrease
of 25 per cent to HK$17.06 billion due to fewer bookings in property
developments in both Hong Kong and mainland China. Gross profit was up
by 2 per cent to HK$7.25 billion, thanks to a higher margin from
property investments in its K11 portfolio.
Losses
for the year amounted to HK$5.77 billion, against a net profit of
HK$2.48 billion previously. The loss included discontinued operations,
which includes the one-time non-cash impact from the sale of New World
Services Holdings, according to the company.
Revenue
from property investment in Hong Kong stood at HK$1.74 billion, up by
17 per cent. The increase was attributed mainly to an improvement in the
operational efficiency and occupancy rate of K11 Musea and K11 Art Mall
in Tsim Sha Tsui, the company said.
Meanwhile,
Hong Kong’s property market has seen an immediate uptick in
transactions after the removal of all curbs. Twelve deals had been
recorded as of 4pm on Thursday at Yu Tai Hing’s residential project The Uptown in To Kwa Wan, according to a local property agency. It was first launched in November last year.
The contract prices of the 12 units sold ranged from HK$8 million to HK$11.8 million.
“Many
end users and long-term investors visited the show flats before the
budget speech, and seized the opportunity to enter the market as soon as
the government scrapped the cooling measures,” the agency said.
(South China Morning Post)
新甲廈 One Causeway Bay 提供50萬呎
銅鑼灣將有全新甲廈項目，前身為香港怡東酒店的商業重建項目，最新命名為One Causeway Bay，預計於2025年第二季落成。
項目位於銅鑼灣告士打道281號，比鄰世貿中心，是次獲委任為首席行銷代理，負責該物業的寫字樓租賃及市場行銷諮詢服務的外資代理行指，項目將設有24層寫字樓樓層，提供約50萬平方呎的辦公空間，及4層零售樓層加天台及平台，提供約5.5萬平方呎的購物、娛樂及餐飲空間。每層辦公室樓層可出租面積約2萬平方呎，外望維多利亞港景色。
該行代理指，項目租金將因應市場而定，並將為具有競爭力的水平，暫時沒有出售計劃，對預租情況具信心。
前身為怡東酒店
怡東酒店早於1973年落成，樓高34層，提供884間客房。業主在2017年曾將酒店推出招標，惟財團出價未達意向價，大業主自行重建，其後文華東方就項目向城規會申請以15倍地積比率，重建成集商場及商廈的項目。
(經濟日報)
更多世貿中心寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：世貿中心寫字樓出租
更多銅鑼灣區甲級寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：銅鑼灣區甲級寫字樓出租
銅鑼灣希雲大廈批強拍底價逾24億
港島核心商業區土地新供應罕有，金朝陽併購約17年的銅鑼灣希雲大廈，再有新進展，昨日終於獲土地審裁處批出強拍令，底價為24.25億，對比2019年申請時，估值約15.7084億，高出約8.5416億或54.4%。
金朝陽於2019年7月申請強拍時持有約80.04%業權，直至審訊時持有約84.04%業權，目前餘下約19個物業並未成功收購，而發展商曾於2019年6月至2022年1月期間曾出價收購仍遭小業主拒絕。
重建發展做法合適
其中有單位於2019年出價3460萬，最新2022年則出價2948萬，期內跌價約512萬或約17.4%。
據判詞指出，申請人曾委託結構工程師對該舊樓進行結構評估，由於大樓現時維修狀況不佳，而且建築物已達設計使用壽命，該建築大樓設計在許多方面都已經過時，不符合現代安全標準和法定要求，認為維修成本與重建成本不成比例，故重建發展是合適做法。再者申請人已採取一切合理步驟取得全部業權，故批出強拍令。
可建總樓面11.8萬呎
資料顯示，金朝陽曾於2022年8月以32.09億售出希雲大廈，買家徐意為一間中資發展商相關人士，其後於去年取消交易，金朝陽除沒收買方逾3.2億元初始按金之外，買方同時需要支付和解金及額外費用，涉及金額合共逾3.64億元。
希雲大廈位於銅鑼灣禮頓道128至138號及希雲街2至30號，現為1幢樓高約10層的商住物業，地面層設有45個地舖，樓上共有125個住宅單位。該廈早於1959年落成入伙，至今約65年樓齡。
項目地盤面積約1.315萬方呎，若重建作商業項目，以地積比率15倍計算，可建總樓面約19.725萬方呎；若發展為住宅項目，以地積比率9倍計算，可建總樓面約11.835萬方呎。
(星島日報)
銅鑼灣啟超道地舖月租50萬 較疫市前跌61%鐘錶店進駐
隨着零售業逐漸復甦，核心區舖受捧，奢侈店鐘錶店亦趨積極，銅鑼灣啟超道一個地舖，獲鐘錶店以每月約50萬承租，平均呎租333元，較疫市前跌61%。
啟超道為銅鑼灣區內一條僅次於羅素街的指標街道，即使淡市時，舖位仍然受追捧，街道上除了鐘錶珠寶店外，還有品牌連鎖店，時裝店及鞋店等，種類多元化。市場消息透露，啟超道8號地舖，建築面積約1500方呎，以每月約50萬租出，平均呎租333元，新租客為奢侈品鐘錶店，簽署三年租約。
該舖位前租客江詩丹頓，早於2020年初進駐，當時疫情未肆虐，市場憧憬隨着動亂結束，經濟將錄增長，該舖月租高達130萬，最新月租較疫市前跌61%。
平均呎租333元
啟超道向來放盤少，過去一年，該街道只錄1宗租賃，包括化妝品及保健品連鎖店櫻花薈，去年9月租用啟超道4號地舖，建築面積約1500方呎，月租53萬，呎租約353元，此舖亦是「櫻花薈」6間店舖當中，月租最貴的分店，惟租金仍較高峰期周大福承租時每月約230萬，下跌77%。
啟超道近年亦見有食店進駐，啟超道16號地下至2樓共3層舖位，建築面積共約3400方呎，於2022年獲人氣麵包店Bakehouse租用，月租約30萬，較前租客太子珠寶鐘錶月租跌近80%，該舖屬啟超道及恩平道單邊旺舖，店面正對希慎廣場。
(星島日報)
更多希慎廣場寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：希慎廣場寫字樓出租
更多銅鑼灣區甲級寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：銅鑼灣區甲級寫字樓出租
金鐘廊屬「寶地」抽起不賣 洽商戶續租
商業市道氣氛未好轉，寫字樓空置率高企，位處金鐘核心地段的金鐘廊商業地皮推售部署也要變陣，發展局透露，考慮到現時經濟環境，加上政府正與現有租戶磋商續租安排，決定剔走該用地，不會滾存至2024/25年度 (下年度) 賣地表之中。
政府2023/24年度 (本年度) 賣地計劃共包括3幅商業地，惟全部未有推出招標，其中佔地約9.62萬方呎，可建總樓面面積接近107萬方呎的金鐘廊商業地，當時市場估值高達220億元，是本年度賣地表中最貴重的一幅地皮。
發展局局長甯漢豪昨天形容金鐘廊商業地是「寶地」，在目前經濟環境未活躍之際，政府亦正與現有租戶磋商續租，應給予合理的租期，故決定不滾存至下年度的賣地表中，視乎續租的租約，再決定會否重新納入2025/26年度的賣地表內。
剔除灣仔駱克道商地
政府同時剔除灣仔駱克道一幅商業地，甯漢豪解釋，該用地毗鄰將改建為國際調解院總部的舊灣仔警署，前述駱克道商業地暫時用作後援工地。
下年度賣地表將提供兩幅商業地，包括一直滾存的九龍東啟德第4C區4號商業及酒店地，以及新增的沙田石門安心街與安平街交界地皮。
對於政府抽走金鐘廊商業地皮，有測量師預計，該用地未來一至兩年都不會再納入賣地計劃，希望向市場釋出訊息，中區核心商業區於中短期內不再有政府主導的新供應，減低對租金的壓力，亦有利消化待租樓面。另一測量師表示，抽走金鐘廊商業地皮，反映政府不希望像過去兩年般，在淡市低價賣地，避免浪費貴重地皮。
(信報)
