Total revenue increased, the number of apartments exceeded 37,000
HELSINKI, May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — This is a summary of the January–March Interim Report, which is in its entirety attached to this release and can be downloaded from the company’s website at www.kojamo.fi/investors.
Unless otherwise stated, the comparison figures in brackets refer to the corresponding period of the previous year. The figures in this Interim Report have not been audited.
Summary of January–March 2022
Total revenue increased by 2.4 per cent to EUR 99.5 (97.2) million
Net rental income increased by 2.8 per cent to EUR 57.0 (55.5) million. Net rental income was 57.3 (57.0) per cent of total revenue
Profit before taxes was EUR 62.9 (177.1) million. The profit includes EUR 27.9 (143.5) million in net gain on the valuation of investment properties at fair value and EUR 0.0 (0.3) million in profits and losses from the sale of investment properties. Earnings per share was EUR 0.20 (0.57)
Funds From Operations (FFO) increased by 3.6 per cent to EUR 28.9 (27.9) million
The fair value of investment properties was EUR 8.4 (7.1) billion at the end of the review period, including EUR 1.1 (0.0) million in Investment properties held for sale
The financial occupancy rate was 91.9 (94.9) per cent for the review period
Gross investments amounted to EUR 48.9 (68.0) million, or 49.1 (69.9) per cent of total revenue
Equity per share was EUR 17.18 (13.63) and return on equity was 4.7 (17.0) per cent. Return on investment was 4.0 (12.0) per cent
EPRA NRV (Net Reinstatement Value) per share grew by 24.8 per cent to EUR 21.90 (17.55)
There were 2,566 (2,619) Lumo apartments under construction at the end of the review period
Kojamo owned 37,168 (35,847) rental apartments at the end of the review period. Since March of last year, Kojamo has acquired 0 (71) apartments, completed 1,507 (458) apartments, sold 0 (15) apartments and demolished or otherwise altered -186 (-59) apartments.
Key figures
Outlook for Kojamo in 2022 unchanged
Kojamo estimates that in 2022, the Group’s total revenue will increase by 3–6 per cent year-on-year. In addition, Kojamo estimates that the Group’s FFO for 2022 will amount to between EUR 153–165 million, excluding non-recurring costs.
The outlook is based on the management’s assessment of total revenue, property maintenance costs and repairs, administrative expenses, financial expenses, taxes to be paid and new development to be completed, as well as the management’s view on future developments in the operating environment.
The outlook takes into account the estimated occupancy rate and rises in rents as well as the number of apartments to be completed. The outlook does not take into account the impact of potential acquisitions or disposals on total revenue and FFO.
The management can influence total revenue and FFO through the company’s business operations. In contrast, the management has no influence over COVID-19 restrictions, market trends, the regulatory environment or the competitive landscape.
CEO’s review
Our operations remained stable and our financial position strong during the first quarter of the year. Total revenue and net rental income as well as FFO increased, and the fair value of our investment properties rose to EUR 8.4 billion.
In the early part of the year, the rental market was still clearly affected by the tighter COVID-19 restrictions introduced late last year and the related uncertainty. Consequently, our financial occupancy rate decreased year-on-year. Nearly all COVID-19 restrictions were lifted at the beginning of March, and we expect this to be favourably reflected in the rental market and the recovery of migration. As urbanisation continues in line with forecasts, the outlook for the demand for rental apartments is stable, especially in Finland’s major growth centres. In the Helsinki region, the number of vacant rental apartments decreased in March–April, and Kojamo’s number of new tenancy agreements began to grow in the same period.
The war in Ukraine has not had a direct impact on our business operations, as we operate only in Finland. Our current projects are primarily implemented on a fixed-price basis, and the projects have progressed according to plan. Higher construction costs and problems associated with the availability of materials for construction companies are increasing uncertainty in the market, particularly with regard to new projects, and the number of new housing start-ups may be lower than previously predicted.
At the end of the review period, we had 2,566 apartments under construction, along with binding preliminary agreements for the construction of 636 apartments. In the first quarter, we started work on the renovation of Helsingin Bulevardi 31, which is the first part of the Metropolia real estate development project. The former chemistry laboratory and teaching facilities, known as Uusi kemia and Vanha kemia, will be renovated and converted into 77 premium apartments to be completed in autumn 2023. In the coming years, the Metropolia project will see us develop as many as 1,000 new apartments in central locations in Helsinki.
We continued to invest in the development of sustainability services for our customers. In the first quarter, we worked on a carbon footprint test for residents and the possibility to compensate for district heating emissions. The services will be launched at the beginning of May. In construction, we made decisions on the use of geothermal heating at seven of our properties in the capital region. We also started our first pilot project that adheres to the principles of Green Deal demolition. The property to be demolished is the old Puotila shopping centre in Helsinki, which will be replaced with residential and business premises.
Volatility in the financial markets has been high in the early part of the year, and market interest rates have continued to rise. In spite of the challenging market situation, we successfully issued a EUR 300 million green bond in late March. It is Kojamo’s second green bond, and the proceeds will be used for energy-efficient real estate development projects. In addition, we signed a new EUR 100 million revolving credit facility linked to our sustainability targets in March. Our liquidity is very good, and the new financing agreements ensure our ability to continue our investments in line with our strategy.
Jani Nieminen
CEO
News conference as a webcast
Kojamo will hold a news conference for institutional investors, analysts and media on 12 May 2022 at 10.00 a.m. EEST at the company’s head office at Mannerheimintie 168A, Helsinki. The event will be held in English. After the event, the media has a possibility to ask questions also in Finnish. Participants are asked to attend the event in person only if they are completely healthy.
The event can also be followed as a live webcast. A recording of the webcast will be available later on the company website at https://kojamo.fi/en/investors/releases-and-publications/financial-reports/.
The news conference can be followed online at https://kojamo.videosync.fi/q1-2022.
You can also participate in the news conference by calling:
FI: +358 981 710 310
SE: +46 856 642 651
UK: +44 333 300 08 04
US: +1 631 913 14 22
The participants joining the news conference will be asked to provide the following PIN code: 69956062#
For more information, please contact:
Niina Saarto, Group Treasurer, Investor Relations, Kojamo plc, tel. +358 20 508 3283, niina.saarto@kojamo.fi
Erik Hjelt, CFO, Kojamo plc, tel. +358 20 508 3225, erik.hjelt@kojamo.fi
Distribution:
Nasdaq Helsinki, Irish Stock Exchange, key media
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