Local Industry Review
The economy grew strongly by 6.4% in 2005, above earlier expectation of 3 to 5% and unemployment rate fell to a record low of 2.5%, its lowest in four years.

The property market performed well in 2005. Private residential property prices increased by 3.9%. The high-end luxury market segment led the price recovery with very strong performance, particularly for niche projects. Significantly, transaction volumes increased by 55% from 5,800 units in 2004 to 9,000 units in 2005. In Q4, HDB Resale Price Index also registered some improvement.

The office sector has also done well. Office values increased by 4.5% while rental improved significantly by 12.7%. Meanwhile, average occupancy also improved by 3.2%. The retail sector, likewise, has done well.


Group Performance
For the year ended 31 December 2005, excluding the Group’s share of revenue from jointly-controlled entities which has not been consolidated, Group revenue amounted to $2,374.3 million (restated 2004: $2,380.1 million). Profit from operations increased by 24% to $497.7 million (restated 2004: $400.4 million). After accounting for lower finance costs incurred in the year, the Group’s profit before share of results of associates and jointly-controlled entities increased by 56% to $345.2 million (restated 2004: $222.1 million).

Pre-tax profit of $403.9 million (restated 2004: $502.6 million) was achieved whilst profit after tax and minority interests amounted to $200.4 million (restated 2004: $227.1 million). Higher profits were achieved in year 2004 mainly on account of greater profit contributions from jointly-controlled entities arising primarily from the sale of The Plaza, New York.

Although the Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) allows the option for investment properties to be stated either at depreciated cost or at valuation, the Group has continued to be the only listed Singapore property company that has adopted a conservative accounting policy of depreciating its investment properties.

During the year, the Group also reduced its borrowings by 10% to $3.60 billion (2004: $4.02 billion).

In view of the good operational results and the expected strong cash flow of the Group, the Board recommends the payment of an additional special ordinary dividend of 5 cents per share, in addition to the normal ordinary dividend of 7.5 cents per share.


Property
2005 was an active year for the Group. The Group sealed its leadership position as the top seller of private residential property for 2005. It sold almost 2,100 residential property units, which is equivalent to the market share of over 23%. This remarkable achievement represents a 108% increase compared to the Group’s property sales in 2004. For 2005, the Group’s property sales value amounted to $1.66 billion.

City Square Residences, the 910-unit condominium, located at the junction of Serangoon and Kitchener Roads, which was launched in April 2005 with overwhelming response, is now 90% sold.

The most spectacular launch of the year was the 430-unit Tower 2 of The Sail @ Marina Bay. Launched in late October 2005, over 400 units were snapped up within one week. The project is now almost fully sold, with only 3 units remaining.

The 295-unit Parc Emily, which is located in the quiet enclave of Mount Emily Park in downtown District 9 also contributed to the sales. This development, in which the Group has a 50% share, was also well received. To-date, 89% of the project has been sold.

The sales of The Sail @ Marina Bay and City Square Residences were overwhelming. However, these high-rise developments, especially The Sail @ Marina Bay, are still in the preliminary construction stage as they require specialised deep-foundation engineering and construction works.

Thus, in accordance with the accounting policy of recognising profit based on progressive stages of construction, only a relatively small percentage of profit has been recognised in 2005 for these two developments. As the construction progresses, more profits will be recognised progressively from the current year.

During the year, profits were also realised from existing projects such as Savannah CondoPark, The Pier at Robertson, The Esparis and Monterey Park.

The office market has fared well with improving occupancy and rental rates. The office portfolio in the Group now enjoys occupancy of over 90%. Rental rates will be adjusted upwards in line with the market trend when existing leases are due for renewal.

Meanwhile, leasing of the Exchange Tower in Bangkok is progressing well with strong interest from numerous prospective tenants. This Grade A office tower and a modern retail mall, offers approximately 455,000 sq. feet of lettable area.

The proposed sale of the portfolio of 11 properties to Suntec REIT was not proceeded with as reported in our Q3 results announcement. The Group has reserved the right to take legal action on the matter.

In December 2005, the Group announced that it had entered into a memorandum of understanding with Las Vegas Sands Corp. (Sands), to take a 15% equity stake in relation to the bid for the Integrated Resort (IR) in Marina Bay. Subsequently, upon clarification on some of the regulatory requirements, the Group, with the agreement of Sands, decided not to participate, but will continue to provide expertise and counsel on the non-gaming aspects of Sands’ proposal, particularly in those areas relating to design, development and construction planning.

The IR is an exciting opportunity to help transform Singapore’s new downtown cityscape. With over 40 years of experience in the local market, the Group remains committed to value-add to Sands’ proposal and developing an IR concept that has strong tourism appeal and that will dynamically transform this city.

As a property developer and owner of an extensive portfolio of properties and land bank, the Group will definitely benefit from the spin-offs from the IR. In addition, the Group’s hotels in Singapore will also be able to capitalise on the increase in tourism.


Hotel
In 2005, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc (M&C), in which the Group has 52% interest, delivered strong growth in profitability. Backed by an improving trading environment, all regions experienced RevPAR growth with improvements in each quarter.

M&C reported that its profit before tax excluding other operating income and impairment increased by 45% to £74.0m (2004 restated: £51.2m). Profit after tax and minority interests increased by 20% to £61.1m (2004 restated: £50.9 m).

The positive results achieved are due to M&C’s focus on optimising operational efficiency and sustained operational excellence. It also benefited from its twin strategy of being an integrated owner and operator of international hotel assets, across a balanced geographical portfolio. Leveraging on its real estate expertise and resources, M&C maximised value from its disposal of selected real estate assets, redevelopment opportunities and in addition, announced ten new management and franchise contracts for the year.

CURRENT YEAR PROSPECTS

Property
The economy is expected to continue to perform well with GDP forecast to grow by between 4% and 6%.

The residential property market, especially the high-end niche sector, is expected to continue its upward trend. Property consultants are forecasting that average prices of residential properties will grow by 10% this year.

With the phenomenal success of The Sail @ Marina Bay, the Group has carved a niche for itself as a developer of high-end luxury residential projects. The Group is poised to enhance this position and establish itself as the market leader by launching another two signature upmarket projects in the first half of 2006.

The first is the branded super luxurious 173-unit St. Regis Residences located at Tanglin/ Tomlinson Road. Demand is expected to be good as we already have a long waiting list of eager potential purchasers. This development will redefine the benchmark for luxurious living and hospitality in Singapore.

The second project is the proposed residential development at Sentosa Cove, which was won through a successful tender based on outstanding design. With its strategic location at the gateway to the marina basin and standing at the maximum permissible height of 15 storeys, this will be the tallest residential development in Sentosa. With unobstructed view of the sea, the launch of this 264-unit waterfront development is eagerly anticipated and there is a growing waiting list of potential buyers.

Slated for launch are another two freehold projects. Firstly, the 175-unit King’s Centre Plot 3 located next to Grand Copthorne Waterfront and facing the charming Singapore River. The second property is the 208-unit Residences @ Evelyn, a 50% joint venture project.

The Group is also planning for the redevelopment of No. 1 Shenton Way (formerly known as Robina House) which will become the Group’s latest proposed
jewel in the city. This proposed 50-storey development will comprise about 360
residential apartments and will have a retail component on the ground floor. The stunning twin-tower, high-end luxury development next to Marina Bay, will be a distinctive addition to the city’s skyline.

The Group has recently acquired a 30,368 sq. feet site at Shelford Road, through
an enbloc sale tender exercise, for $19 million. It will be amalgamated with a larger neighbouring plot already owned by the Group for redevelopment.

Development of the exciting City Square Mall with over 700,000 sq. feet is progressing well and construction is expected to begin this year. This proposed development has attracted much interest from retailers and is set to be the flagship retail mall for the Group.

On the overseas front, the Group is preparing to launch two residential developments later in the year. They include a freehold 600-unit luxury residential condominium in Thailand, located in a prime residential land parcel in
Sukhumvit, Central Bangkok, and a 132-unit freehold residential project in Kuala Lumpur, adjoining to our Regent Hotel.

While some real estate companies may be expanding overseas and relying more on overseas revenue, the Group’s strategy is to remain the proxy to the real estate market in Singapore. Singapore’s property market has been down for almost 7 years and recovery has been slow compared to other countries in the region. However, we are now beginning to see the recovery of the domestic market. With over 40 years of experience in property development and investment, the Group has harnessed a reputation of understanding the local market very well. The Group will exploit its years of experience and capitalise on all opportunities in the market it knows best. With its significant land bank and other classes of real estate assets, the Group can now maximise its real estate potential and utilise these by extracting value from this upswing trend.

In addition to its overseas portfolio through M&C, the Group will continue to embrace overseas ventures and investments that complement its overall business strategy. It will strategically nurture new markets overseas and select the optimal time to enter, with the intent to maximise shareholder value.

Collective sales for land parcels have been aggressively pursued and some are
substantially above the reserve list price, setting new benchmark prices. Consensus is that there is a continuous uptrend. The Group will continue to source for suitable land replenishment only at appropriate prices.

The office market is expected to continue with its upward momentum. With very limited new supply coming onto the market over the next 3 years and with improving business conditions, rental occupancy rates are slated for further improvement. Market experts projected that office rentals will improve by 15 to 20% this year.

The Group is mindful of the recent tax incentives and the enhancements to the regulatory framework for REIT vehicle(s) in Singapore. With the improving rental rates for the office market and the growing appetite for REIT offerings, the Group will re-evaluate the merits and feasibility of various REIT transactions involving our existing asset portfolio through the listing of new REIT vehicle(s) and other REIT related transactions. The Group places no time frame on this decision and will consider all options and decide in due course.

Hotel
The Group remains committed to continuing its established ability to combine its operating and real estate strengths, as well as carving its competitive edge.

These strategies helped to manage M&C’s real estate assets efficiently, exploiting their potentials and to unlock medium to long-term value to ensure superior value creation.

Group Prospects
The Group expects to remain profitable over the next 12 months.

Appreciation
On behalf of the Board, I wish to express our sincere appreciation to Mr Ong Pang Boon, who will be retiring from the Board at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting, for his valuable contribution to the Group for more than 20 years. I would also like to thank the Management and staff for their unwavering dedication and hard work in the past year. We are also deeply appreciative of the continued support of our stakeholders including our investors, customers, business associates and the community.


Kwek Leng Beng
Executive Chairman
28 February 2006

back to top