Merlin’s Profits Fall by 36% in Q1 as it Extends the Rent Subsidies for its Tenants

The Socimi earned €38.6 million in the first quarter, down by 36%, due to the sale of assets and its provisions for Covid that will have a lesser-than-expected impact on its commercial policy.

New measures, provisions and a lower impact on its commercial policy. That is how Merlin Properties is facing the crisis generated by Covid-19, which has seen the majority of its commercial tenants having to close their premises.

Despite this, Merlin generated revenues of €131.8 million euros during the 3 months to March, down by 0.6%, whilst gross rents after incentives stood at €123.3 million, equivalent to 2.6% less.

Merlin Clings to its Office Business to Protect itself from the Impact of Coronavirus

The largest Spanish Socimi forecasts a maximum decrease of 9% in its annual income from its shopping centres after it waived their rental payments, something it has not done with its offices and logistics assets.

The large Spanish real estate companies are beginning to take stock of the impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic on their businesses. Such is the case of Merlin Properties. The Socimi with the largest number of rental assets in the Spanish market has revealed, in a call with analysts, that the closure of non-essential commercial establishments decreed by the State of Emergency will result in a decrease in its annual income from that type of property.

Specifically, Merlin, whose shopping centres generate 23% of its gross income, points out that only 23% of the stores in its commercial establishments are currently open. The company has given those tenants a 100% payment holiday on their rents for as long as the State of Emergency lasts.

Large Shopping Centre Owners Ask for a Rescue Plan for the Sector

The request has come from Merlin Properties, Unibail, Klepierre, Lar España, Carmila, General de Galerías Comerciales and Castellana Properties.

The large owners of shopping centres in Spain are asking the Government for a rescue plan for the retail sector. Their activity has been shut down since the State of Emergency was decreed on March 14 and they are asking the Executive for a series of measures, including: access to the ICO financing fund; to make sales without VAT for a month; to open on Sundays until 2021; to receive aid for the payment of business rent; and to be granted tax exemptions, amongst other measures, according to Cinco Días.

The request is coming from owners such as Merlin Properties, Unibail Rodamco, Klepierre, Lar España, Carmila, General de Galerías Comerciales and Castellana Properties. These companies point out that the retail sector, which is made up of more than 500,000 companies and 1.8 million professionals across the country, is one of the hardest hit by the Covid-19 crisis – along with tourism and hotels.

Merlin to Build a Logistics Warehouse for DSV in Zaragoza

17 January 2020 – La Vanguardia

Merlin Properties has agreed to build a warehouse in Zaragoza for the Danish transport and logistics company DSV. The Socimi led by Ismael Clemente will lease the 12,000 m2 property to DSV for ten years.

Original story: La Vanguardia 

Translation/Summary: Carmel Drake

Merlin to Make its Portuguese Stock Market Debut on 15 January

9 January 2020 – Europa Press

Merlin Properties, the Socimi led by Ismael Clemente (pictured below), is going to make its debut on the Lisbon stock market on Wednesday 15 January.

Merlin will thus fulfil its objective, announced in 2019, of trading its shares in Portugal (as well as on the Ibex in Madrid), given that it is a strategic market for the entity.

Specifically, the Socimi already owns 9 offices, 2 shopping centres and 1 logistics warehouse in the neighbouring country, assets which together account for 8% of its total portfolio. They span a combined surface area of 113,000 m2 and generating €44 million in annual revenues.

Original story: Europa Press 

Translation/Summary: Carmel Drake

Merlin Properties to Begin Trading This Month on Portugal’s PSI-20

3 January 2020 The Spanish socimi Merlin Properties will debut on the Portuguese Stock Exchange this month. The firm had initially planned to begin trading before the end of last year.

Due to its size, Merlin Properties, which has traded on the IBEX 35 since 2015, will likely debut on Portugal’s PSI-20, which is run by Euronext.

La socimi española Merlin Properties debutará en la Bolsa de Valores de Portugal este mes. Debido a su tamaño, la firma, que cotiza en el IBEX 35 desde 2015, probablemente debutará en el PSI-20 de Portugal, dirigido por Euronext.

Original Story: Expansión

Translation/Summary: Richard D. Turner

Silicius and Merlin in Talks on Transfer of Three Shopping Centres

2 December 2019 – The socimi Silicius is close to finalising negotiations to take on three shopping centres worth €175 million from Merlin Properties. The agreement, which would involve a capital increase, to take the socimi’s total portfolio from €470 million to approximately €650 million, nearer to its goal of reaching one billion euros in assets in the first quarter of 2020.

Silicius only has debts of €200 million, and the firm is currently finalising several other possible acquisitions worth €100 million in Spain.

Original Story: El Confidencial – Ruth Ugalde

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Merlin Properties Sells Portfolio of Office Buildings for €225 Million

2 December 2019 – Merlin Properties announced that it had finalised the sale of a portfolio of 26 office buildings in Madrid and Barcelona to Cain International and the European real estate investment platform Freo Group for 225 million euros. The assets have a total surface area of ​​133,218 square meters, generating a gross rental income of about 11.8 million euros.

Twenty-one of the buildings in the portfolio are located in Madrid, while the rest are in Barcelona. The business parks include the two Muntadas, next to the El Prat airport, the Citypark in Cornellá, the Minipark complexes in Alcobendas and El Plantío in Madrid.

Original Story: Bolsamanía / Europa Press

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Merlin Properties Prepares New Offer for Operation Chamartín

28 November 2019 – Merlin Properties has finalised an agreement with BBVA and the San José construction group to give it the right of first refusal for a stake in the North Castellana District (DCN), where the San José holds a 10% stake and the bank 75.54%. The socimi, however, intends to make an offer right away.

Merlin Properties currently has a 14.46% stake in the Operation Chamartín development and is looking for greater control. Merlin had already offered to trade control of 700 offices that it currently rents to the banking group for the operating rights to Operation Chamartín. The bank, however, is seen to be more interested in taking a stake in Merlin Properties itself, possibly of 2%.

Original Story: OK Diário – Borja Jiménez

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Merlin Properties Nears Sale of Portfolio of 26 Office Buildings

18 November 2019 – Merlin Properties is close to finalising the sale of a portfolio of 26 office buildings in Madrid and Barcelona for an estimated 200 million euros. The socimi is selling assets, with a total area of 133,000 square meters, which it considers to be non-strategic. Merlin expects to finalise the sale by the end of November and disclosed that it already has received a deposit from the presumed buyer.

The sale is taking place a few weeks after the firm managed to enter into Madrid’s Operation Chamartín as a partner. Chamartín is the largest urban development project currently underway in Europe. Merlin acquired a 14.4% stake in Distrito Castellana Norte, the owner to the development rights for Operation Chamartín from the San José construction group. The socimi agreed to pay 169 million euros for the stake, in addition to granting an €86 million loan to the construction group.

Original Story: La Información

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner