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SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust Releases Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results for 2024

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SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust
SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust

TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust (“SmartCentres”, the “Trust” or the “REIT”) (TSX: SRU.UN) is pleased to report its financial and operating results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024.

“Reflecting on our 2024 results, I am pleased with our strong financial and operational performance," said Mitchell Goldhar, CEO of SmartCentres. "Our net operating income has shown steady and consistent growth through the year fueled by strong leasing momentum in all areas, resulting in an industry-leading 98.7% in-place and committed occupancy rate up from 98.5% in the prior quarter. Same property NOI continued to deliver strong results in the fourth quarter, growing 3.8% from the same period a year earlier. The strong interest stems not only from our CRU and mid-size users, but also from large format retailers like Walmart, Costco, TJX, Canadian Tire and virtually all of the food stores. Walmart Canada recently announced it will open a new Supercentre later in 2025 in South Oakville, Ontario, Hopedale Mall as part of its announced $6.5 billion expansion in Canada. The Millway, our purpose-built rental project in the VMC achieved occupancy of approximately 95% by the end of the quarter, at average rental rates above our original budget. Our mixed-use development pipeline continues to add to the bottom-line with the completion of our self-storage facility in Stoney Creek this quarter, and the closing of 11 additional townhomes at our Vaughan NW project. We are executing on various levels adding FFO and NAV now and for the long term.  Subsequent to the quarter end, we also raised $300 million via a 6.5-year term debenture which we used to repay our recent $160 million debenture maturity and outstanding floating rate debt on our operating lines, all on an accretive basis while filling gaps in our ladder and extending the average term to maturity of our debt.”

2024 Fourth Quarter Highlights

Retail Operations

  • With growing demand for our retail centres, Same Properties NOI excluding Anchors(1) for the three months ended December 31, 2024 increased by 6.0% (3.8% including Anchors) compared to the same period in 2023.

  • 192,353 square feet of vacant space was leased during the quarter, resulting in an in-place and committed occupancy rate of 98.7% as of December 31, 2024 (September 30, 2024 – 98.5%). In addition to vacant space lease-up, there is growing demand for new build retail, for which we executed 253,000 square feet in the year.

  • Renewed and extended over 91% of leases maturing in 2024 representing 5.0 million square feet at strong rental growth of 8.8% (excluding Anchors).

  • Completed a deal with Costco for the vacant ex-Rona store at Highway 401 and Winston-Churchill Boulevard, which will open in the fall of this year.