Socimis Account For Almost One Third Of The MAB

14 March 2016 – El Economista

Almost one third of the 49 companies currently trading on the Alternative Investment Market (MAB) are Socimis. The real estate investment vehicles have a combined market capitalisation of €1,600 million and have led the debuts on this market, which have accompanied the recovery of the sector.

The first Socimi to make the move onto this growing business market was Entrecampos, which debuted in November 2013, a year in which Promorent also joined the exchange. In the middle of 2012, the Ministry of Development decided to improve the regulations governing Socimis – created in 2009 – whereby relaxing the requirements for their constitution, in relation to capital and the number of shareholders.

Despite that, in 2014, only two Socimis debuted on the MAB, namely Mercal and Obsido; the latter specialises in hotel assets.

The presence of Socimis was almost symbolic until in 2015, when there was also a change of direction in the real estate sector and this type of company – very common in other countries similar to our own – burst onto the MAB, which had been questioned after having witnessed some high profile failures (Gowex, Grupo Nostrum and Bodaclick, amongst others).

Last year, seven Socimis debuted on the MAB. They included Trajano Iberia, which is managed and promoted by a division of Deutsche Bank; Uro Property, whose portfolio mainly comprises bank branches leased to Santander; Corpfin Capital Prime Retail II; Autonomy; Fidere; Zambal; and Zaragoza Properties, which owns a stake in the Puerto Venecia Shopping Resort shopping centre in Zaragoza.

So far this year, four Socimis have debuted on the MAB, namely, Heref Habaneras, owner of the Habaneras shopping centre (in Torrevieja); Corpfin Capital Prime Retail III; Inversiones Doalca and Jaba I Inversiones Inmobiliarias. Indeed, the last two made their debuts on Friday.

Zambal is the Socimi with the largest market capitalisation on the MAB, almost €570 million, followed by Uro Property (€218 million) and Fidere (€192 million). Promorent and Obsido have the smallest market capitalisations in the Socimi segment on the MAB, with €4.3 million and €6.6 million, respectively.

The tax advantages of these vehicles for investors (they are exempt from Corporation Tax, although they must distribute almost 80% of the profit that is not reinvested in the form of dividends) are part of their appeal.

Nevertheless, even though the MAB is still growing and increasingly more companies are joining it, the heavy weight Socimis are listed on the main stock market (Hispania, Axiare, Lar España Real Estate) and Merlin Properties is even listed on the Ibex 35.

Original story: El Economista

Translation: Carmel Drake