In conversation with AK 2019 (Part 1).

As I cannot post stuff in Facebook anymore, periodically, I will share some of the more interesting conversations I have from time to time with readers as blogs in ASSI instead.

If you don't know what I am talking about, you must have missed my last blog post.

See:
Financially free and Facebook free.

Seriously?

Reader #1 says...
I have a friend, she is reaching 55 this year, she is wondering if she should go for enhanced CPF life.
May you share your thoughts? Thank you


AK says...
If your friend is not a savvy investor, having a larger monthly payout from CPF LIFE is a good choice. 🙂


Related post:
FRS and ERS CPF LIFE payouts.

Reader #2 says...
I done some market study with frens in telco n IT biz as well.

I got a feeling singtel will recover sooner than we expected.

Pricing has stabilised at the moment for them in india n oz

I was told to avoid the starhub totally because this coy doesnt has any more drivers fwrd

Airtel ceo has also said that recovery in 2020.

The ambani case of being used by ericcson will see anil coy to be bot over by his brother mukesh jio reliance soon.

Therefore it will reduced another big player in india.

Ak can u write something abt ocbc?
After recent result?
My feel is coy is too giam siap w dividends

AK says...
I still like SingTel.
Nothing to say about OCBC really except that I agree they are giam siap... 😛

Related post:
FY 2018 passive income.






Reader #3 says...
Sell part of ComfortDelgro & buy Soilbuild lor.
R u still holding on to your Soilbuild?

AK says...
No Soilbuild liao.
I blogged about this before.

Related post:
Was Soilbuild REIT shabby?





Reader #4 says...
I had to saved, scrimp and also "avoid" big weddings haha

AK says...
Many people I know, including readers of ASSI, earn more money than I did (as a worker).

It is easier for them to achieve financial freedom (than for many average workers).

Just have to keep our needs simple and our wants few (for a start). 🙂

Related post:
More passive income than richer folks.

3Q 2018 passive income (S-REITs).

In 2Q 2018, there was a bit of action in the S-REITs space for me and one of the things I did was to add to my investment in Starhill Global REIT at 64c a piece.

In 3Q 2018, I was ready to add to my investment in Starhill Global REIT if Mr. Market's pessimism should worsen.

However, Mr. Market felt better about the REIT's prospects and the unit price rebounded.






To understand why I bought more of Starhill Global REIT when I did and how it became one of my larger smaller investments, go to the related post at the end of this blog.

The top 3 income contributors from my investments in S-REITs in 3Q 2018 were:

1. AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT

2. First REIT

3. IREIT Global

I often get asked whether we should continue investing in S-REITs since interest rates are on the rise.

I am aware that this is really another way of asking what is going to happen to the unit prices of S-REITs in future.

I don't know how the prices will move in future.

I only know that investing in bona fide income producing assets has been rewarding and it should continue to be rewarding.






If we believe that real estate has intrinsic value, then, buying at a discount to valuation, we should have some margin of safety.

Also, we have to ask whether the management is honest and capable enough to unlock value for shareholders too.

Of course, S-REITs are not perfect nor are they the only tool available to investors for income.

We also want to be careful not to be overly reliant on S-REITs as the higher yield comes at a price.

Remember, S-REITs pay out 100% of their cash flow most of the time and have no retained earnings.

So, investing in S-REITs, we have to be prepared for the possibility of rights issues.

Those who are fully invested and dependent on S-REITs for income should beware.





This is especially if the dependence on S-REITs for passive income is absolute and critical.

"Absolute" means that these investors have no other sources of passive income.

"Critical" means that any reduction in passive income from S-REITs would be a life altering event for these investors.





Remember, how we invest and what we invest in should depend on our personal circumstances and what we hope to achieve.

It is never my way or the highway.

You should have a plan, your own plan.

However, to have a plan that works for you, you must know what you want and what you are capable of and willing to do.




For example, in middle of September this year, a reader asked me about investing in Soilbuild REIT again.

blazingruby60 said...
I remembered you mentioned that all investment is good investment at the right price.

looking at soilbuild i have sold after reading this article here and wondering would you consider buying soilbuild again at 58 cents?

considering soilbuild has ventured overseas to australia to acquire some properties and all.

thanks n cheers.






AK said... 
I was thinking about it but I decided not to invest in Soilbuild REIT now because

1. I already have a pretty large exposure to industrial property S-REITs which also have exposure to the Australian economy (AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT and Fraser Logistics Trust).

2. I would like to have a much bigger percentage of my portfolio in non-REITs to reduce reliance on S-REITs for income.

Of course, things could change in future. :)

Investing in S-REITs for income, we have to take in a bigger picture and, to be realistic, your picture could be quite different from mine.

My total 3Q 2018 passive income from S-REITs was:

S$ 19,884.80

AA REIT 10-year Anniversary 
- Celebrating 10 years of Partnership!

On a per month basis, it works out to be about S$6,628.00 a month.

Related post:
2Q 2018 passive income from S-REITs.

Was Soilbuild REIT a shabby investment?

Soilbuild REIT had to juggle not one, not two but three hot potatoes up until last month.

With the sale of KTL Offshore's property to its sponsor, they have two hot potatoes left (i.e. Technics and NK Ingredients).






In a blog in September last year (see related post at the end of this blog), I said that with the reduced DPU assumed then, if we demanded an 8% yield, we should only be buyers at 66c a unit.

Now, with KTL Offshore gone, with lower income, we won't be wrong to downgrade the REIT.

I wonder also if the REIT would see lower valuations which would impact its NAV and, therefore, its gearing level?

Estimating a more aggressive 10% reduction in the DPU assumed in September 2017, all else remaining equal, we might be looking at a full year DPU of 4.8c.

At 71c a unit, that is a prospective distribution yield of 6.76%.

From an industrial REIT with leasehold properties in Singapore, to me, it hardly seems adequate.

I say this partly because a REIT distributes cash flow and does not retain earnings.

So, the relatively low distribution yield is just not attractive enough for me.





If we demand an 8% yield, then, we should only be buying at 60c a unit with the reduced DPU assumption.

If we are less demanding, a 7.5% yield means we should pay no more than 64c a unit.

However, if we demand a 7.5% yield, we can get that by investing in AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT which has a lower gearing level too.








How has the investment in Soilbuild REIT turned out for me?

To be fair, Soilbuild REIT's business parks (with relatively long remaining land leases to boot) are attractive and they were the main reason why I invested in the REIT in 2H 2014.

Unfortunately, bad things happen sometimes.

I believe that selling at NAV is a good outcome although I estimate a capital loss of around $4,000 from the sale.







Having said this, I have received more than $17,000 in income distributions from the REIT since I first became a unit holder.

Yes, I did say before that my investment in the REIT was a relatively small one.

So, roughly, the investment returned more than 8% per annum.





Not fantastic but, as an investment for income, not too shabby either.

Having plonked quite a bit of money in SingTel and ComfortDelgro in 4Q 2017, the money from this sale will shore up my cash position.

Related post:
Decline in Soilbuild REIT's DPU likely.

Decline in Soilbuild REIT's DPU likely.

In its 1H FY2017 report, Soilbuild REIT's management said that the biggest challenge they were facing was to lease the entire space at 72 Loyang Way because of the weak oil and gas sector.







Now, they are going to have to deal with 2 hot potatoes instead of 1.

NK Ingredients, one of the REIT's top 10 tenants by revenue, has defaulted and the fact that they accounted for almost 6% of Soilbuild REIT's revenue is going to hurt.

The loss might not be as traumatizing this round but to be hit by another loss before being able to recover from an earlier one is very unfortunate.

The trauma is cumulative.

The rental guarantee from NK Ingredients' insurance will provide another 4 months of rental income.

So, Soilbuild REIT has 4 months to secure another tenant if it is to reduce the negative impact the default has on its revenue.







NK Ingredients signed a 15 years lease which was supposed to provide some earnings visibility till the year 2028 for Soilbuild REIT. 

Such a long lease agreement is necessary because being in the chemicals industry, I believe that the asset was probably purpose built.

It probably means that it would be rather difficult to find another tenant to move in within a short period of time.

So, we should logically expect another reduction in the REIT's DPU with this development.





We could also see the REIT's NAV come under pressure if the asset remains vacant for a prolonged period.

See related post #1 below.

In the worst case scenario, going by the above statement, if the asset remains vacant, with a hypothetical half year DPU of 2.64c, if we demand at least an 8% distribution yield, we would only be buyers at 66c a unit.

Related posts:
1. An opinion of Soilbuild REIT.
2. 2016 income from S-REITs.

In 2H 2016, I added to my investment in Soilbuild REIT due to a rights issue. This was at 63c per rights unit. I took up my entitlement and also applied for excess rights. From that exercise, I increased my investment in the REIT by more than 10%.

See slides presentation: HERE.

An opinion of Soilbuild REIT.

This came about because of my comment on Facebook that "There are sponsors who are mainly interested to use their REITs to sell their assets to. REITs are their ATMs."

Reader:
Soilbuild owner also use the REIT to sell property right?

AK:
Must see how it is done. 😉
If sponsor sells property with rental support, usually, it is a sign that the property is overpriced.

Reader:
hmmm
Because I haven't heard many favourable talk about soilbuild owner

AK:
Oh, neither have I 😜
But if we are on the same side, it is OK.
LOL
If he hurts me, he hurts himself. 😉

Reader:
Haha I thinking just buy in those with solid management
at good prices
Less headache

AK:
Now, difficult.
So, I settle for good management at OK prices.
Or OK management at good prices. 😜
OK management at OK prices, I also take a bit.

Reader:
Because what I read so far is similar to OUE, soilbuild owner treat the reit as dumping ground to unlock cash

AK:
Eh... I dun see it leh... They do sell but they dun dump. No financial engineering as compared to OUE or Keppel.
Selling does not equal dumping.

Reader:
Sponsor is weak also

AK:
OK. If you say that, OUE and Keppel are strong sponsors. 😉
I like to see what they do and decide.
Saizen REIT didn't have strong sponsor.

Reader:
(Some concerns with valuations of assets.)

AK:
Book value and market value har?
The best way of looking at whether valuations are realistic is to look at market prices.
When a property like XXXXXX was delisted (together with Soilbuild) many years ago, it was undervalued. Of course, when relisted, they want to list at market value.

Reader:
haha I more conservative just worried owner play punk
if own also carry small position only

AK:
I think Soilbuild towkay has business savvy but not crooked.

Reader:
me KIV until better, I also don't like the heavy exposure to O&G

AK:
I remember the towkay has a 25% stake in the REIT. That is not a small stake.

Note:
Although Soilbuild REIT's business parks are attractive assets to own, it is true that their exposure to the O&G sector is a cause for concern. 

With Technics going bust, I estimated that 10% of their income is affected. I believe that Mr. Market has priced this in. 

If the entire O&G sector goes kaput, I guess that is when we might see Soilbuild REIT being punished by Mr. Market and its unit price could decline another 20%, maybe. This is improbable but possible.

Related post:
AA REIT, Soilbuild REIT and VIT.

AA REIT, Soilbuild REIT and VIVA Industrial Trust.

Reader:
may I check with you about AIMS AMP. Its DPU for last 2 quarters have been dropping. But you seem very optimistic about it. Do you think things will get better?


AK:
Management is very important.
There is little they can do about headwinds
But you have to compare it against other industrial REITs and you will see it shines


Rather than acquiring more properties to boost DPU, AA REIT focused on extracting maximum value from their assets.


Reader:
Oh. How would it fare against soilbuild?

AK:
Soilbuild had a stroke of bad luck
Very unfortunate

Reader:
The technics offshore company who vacated the place?

AK:
I like the Biz Parks they own
yup

Reader:
Ok, thank you. Will read more on ur posts of aims amp before deciding

AK:
Unlike very short lease biz park owned by VIVA in Chai Chee, Soilbuild's biz park have relatively long leases.

Reader:
Since Keppel D.C. Reit seems unpromising, I might just switch to AA

AK:
If the management sama sama as Keppel REIT, cham

Reader:
Yes.... I think I'm quite clueless as a industrial reit investor. When I read the viva report, I was quite impressed by it

AK:
People tell us good things only

Reader:
Only heard the other side of the story when I saw your post, even though you kena hantum by that one reader. Haha

AK:
I should talk less. 😞

Reader:
Haha no la. Should talk more. For the greater good
May I check if you've written any articles on assessing industrial reits? I mean, I know the usual of NPI, DPU, gearing, occupancy etc. But the short lease part is something that's new (but makes sense) to me

AK
Er... maybe. I cannot remember liao. Too much talking to myself until I blur.

Reader:
Haha. It's ok! Thank you. I'll search through your trains of thought via your articles

Related posts:
1. AA REIT levels up.
2. VIVA Industrial Trust.
3. Soilbuild REIT.

2016 full year passive income from S-REITs.

In this final blog on S-REITs in 2016, I want to record a heart felt good bye to Saizen REIT as we knew it. The REIT was one of my largest investments in the S-REITs universe for many years. It was an asset play and an income stock that amply rewarded my strategy of being paid while I waited.

Now, this brings us nicely to the importance of investing in income producing assets. For many of us, not having passive income means working till the day we die. It would also probably mean having a weaker ability to cope with very real financial challenges in life such as inflation.

Warren Buffett once said that we should not depend on a single income and that we should make investment to create a second source. To me,  quite simply, this means investing for income, which is what I have been doing mostly.

If you are a regular reader, I hope my experience will keep you pumped up for the new year. 

If you are a new reader, I hope my experience inspires you to consider investing for income (if you are not doing it already) for a financially more secure future.

2016 full year income from S-REITs.

In 2H 2016, I added to my investment in Soilbuild REIT due to a rights issue. This was at 63c per rights unit. I took up my entitlement and also applied for excess rights. From that exercise, I increased my investment in the REIT by more than 10%.

Some details:

1. Issue of 94,353,672 new units in Soilbuild REIT on the basis of 1 New Unit for every 10 existing units in Soilbuild REIT. 

2. Funds to partially finance the purchase of a building, 2 Bukit Batok St 23, which has an initial annual rental of $8 million. 

Another bit of news of interest to me was the reverse takeover (RTO) of Saizen REIT by Sime Darby. As I am still holding on to my original investment in Saizen REIT, I received another distribution before the RTO was effected. It means that I received a tidy 5 figure sum which, of course, made me happy.

I said this earlier in August:

"We will be paid 9.87c a unit and still get to keep our investment in the REIT."

I haven't been doing much with regards to my investments in S-REITs. 

Mostly, I am just collecting dividends regularly and letting professional managers take care of the day to day operations.

Total income from S-REITs in 2016: 

S$ 452,243.52

This figure includes the bumper distribution from Saizen REIT which will not be repeated in future.

If we were to exclude all income distributions from Saizen REIT this year, total income from S-REITs in 2016 would only be:

S$ 66,933.70

Quite shocking how much smaller the number is, isn't it? This shows how big an investment I had in Saizen REIT. 

The lower income, without any contribution from Saizen REIT, translates to S$ 5,577.80 a month.

This is still quite comfortable for one person to live off but unless I can make up for it somewhere, this lower income from my investments in S-REITs is something I would have to live with in future. 

Of course, if you have been following my blog, you would know what I have been doing to make up for the shortfall.

A few years back, I had 5 relatively large investments in S-REITs. Today, only 2 are left.

If you are wondering which 2, with the value of my investment in Saizen REIT drastically reduced in the past year, 

AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT 
and 
First REIT 

are now the only S-REITs which have significantly more weight in my portfolio.

Some might remember that, a few years ago, I drastically reduced my exposure to LMIR and Sabana REIT for different reasons, locking in some decent gains in the process. So, my S-REIT portfolio has been shrinking in size for some time.

With interest rates probably going higher, there is a reasonable need to be cautious when investing in S-REITs but there is no need to be pessimistic.

In response to a reader who was rather pessimistic:

The worry is probably common amongst investors.

This was a conversation with a reader who raised two questions:

What do I find more important?
1. Relatively reasonable gearing.
2. Relatively strong cash flow.
3. Relatively good manager.

(If you want to listen to AK talking to himself a bit more, go to related post #3 at the end of the blog.)

That ends this blog post and I will share some thoughts on my non-REITs portfolio, hopefully, before the year ends.

Related posts:

1. Saizen REIT RTO.

2. 1H 2016 income from S-REITs.
3. REITs and interest rates (2014).
4. 2016 income from non-REITs. 

2015 full year income from S-REITs.

I did not do anything substantial to my investments in S-REITs in 4Q 2015. I just collected dividends, mostly.

However, it seems that I would be receiving less income from S-REITs in the not too distant future as Saizen REIT looks likely to be delisted as a firm offer of $1.17 per unit was received from a potential buyer.

Saizen REIT is currently one of my top three investments in S-REITs. Off the top of my head, it contributes to around 20% of my passive income from S-REITs.

So, losing Saizen REIT will greatly impact my income level in future, for sure.

Readers who have been following my blog since its inception in 2009 will remember that I was, back then, already a strong proponent of investing in Saizen REIT for income (and for its very cheap valuation).

Needless to say, I ate quite a bit of my own pudding.

So, I have grown somewhat attached to Saizen REIT after so many years. It is like having a good son who has been giving me regular and meaningful pocket money.

Now, this good son is going to give me a lump sum payment which is not a bad thing either but on the condition that there will be no more pocket money in future.

I just have to make sure that I remain financially prudent, I guess. Of course, there is no guarantee of this. Stress...

15A Changi Business Park Central 1.

Did I do anything at all in the S-REIT space?

I did increase my exposure to Soilbuild REIT by about 15%, taking advantage of the weakness in its unit price. I was waiting to see if Mr. Market would sell to me at an even lower price than 73c a unit but it didn't happen. Not for me, anyway.

However, 73c a unit was a fairly good deal and it is still lower price than the additional investment I made in the REIT back in August when stock prices plunged badly. That was 75c, if I remember correctly.

Including Q4's income distributions from my investments in S-REITs, my 2015 full year income from S-REITs is: S$90,344.81

This works out to be about S$7,528.00 a month.

I will be blogging about my investments in non-REITs next week. If you are interested, look out for it.


Related posts:
1. Saizen REIT: A firm offer.
2. Soilbuild REIT: A nibble.
3. 9M 2015 income from S-REITs.

9M 2015 passive income from S-REITs.

The stock market has declined a fair bit in the last three months. For a while, there was some panic. Even now, there is probably a lingering sense of unease in the air.


We must know what to do when presented with a situation. Knowing what to do depends on our own set of circumstances and also motivations. 

Recently, a reader asked me if she should sell a stock which she said she bought at a much higher price some time ago. 

I asked her to consider if she would buy that stock now at the current price if she didn't buy it at a much higher price earlier.

We want to buy at a price we would not sell at and to sell at a price we would not buy at.

There isn't a universal right or wrong answer. At least I do not believe there is. We could each have an opinion on something's value or the lack of it.

Anyway, what have I done in the last three months?

In the last three months, in the S-REIT space, I added IREIT Global to my portfolio as its unit price declined. I like the properties the REIT holds but I thought its IPO price unattractive.

To own freehold office buildings in Germany, arguably the strongest economy in Europe, is an attractive idea. At the current unit price, an 8% distribution yield is achievable.

My initial investment in the REIT is not a big one. In fact, it is relatively small and probably gives me only a toehold.

IREIT Global's relatively high gearing level and the weak Euro are pertinent concerns. 

However, IREIT Global's loans are in Euros. So, they do have a natural currency hedge. This is unlike LMIR's situation. 

Having said this, I feel that the largest decline in the Euro against the S$ could well be behind us. The S$ has weakened considerably as well. 

My reasoning here is really similar to my earlier reasoning on how we shouldn't see much more weakness in the JPY against the S$ when considering whether to invest in Saizen REIT or Croesus Retail Trust.

I also added to my long position in Soilbuild REIT at the end of August, paying 75c per unit, having avoided adding to my position as the REIT's unit price rose to the mid 80s earlier.

I like the fact that the REIT benefits from the shifting of certain commercial activities from office buildings to business parks which form a relatively big percentage of its assets.

I believe that Soilbuild REIT and AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT are well managed industrial properties S-REITs. They will face challenges as the economy soften but they should be more resilient than office REITs which predominantly have office space in Singapore's CBD.

Next, I think it is probably timely to comment on a development which has been gaining momentum in the S-REIT space.

Many S-REITs have DRPs (or DRIPs), Distribution Re-investment Plan. Some readers asked me if I would take part in these plans. 

My answer is that I invest in S-REITs for income. So, I would usually take the cash distributions unless there is a chance to benefit from arbitrage which happened once before for AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT and some might remember that I blogged about it.

We must stay realistic. Remember that S-REITs' unit prices could come under pressure in the short term. What is short term? Maybe, the next one or two years.

Many S-REITs' unit prices have already declined somewhat in recent months. This is probably in response to interest rates which have risen because the S$ has weakened quite significantly against the US$.

When the US Fed finally moves to increase interest rate by, say, 0.25%, before the end of the year we might see a knee jerk reaction which could send S-REITs' unit prices lower as risk free rate rises.

Taking distributions in cash would give us more resources to take advantage of such a situation if it should come to pass.

I do not think that S-REITs' distribution yields would rise to the levels seen a few years ago during the Global Financial Crisis but the possibility that we could see yield expansion happening exists.

To be sure, there is really no need to be pessimistic. S-REITs remain relevant tools for income investors. They are not going to go kaput. We should try to stay pragmatic.

How much? Oh, sorry, I have been rambling.

Total income from S-REITs for first 9 months in 2015: S$73,139.35.

This works out to be S$8,126.59 per month.

Related post:

6M 2015 passive income from S-REITs.

6M 2015 passive income from S-REITs.

I shared how and why I reduced my investment in Sabana REIT substantially and the much lower level of passive income received from my S-REIT portfolio last year was mostly due to this. I retain a very small position in Sabana REIT as a reminder or incentive for me to track new developments, if any. The REIT could become a good investment again in future if the management get their act together.

I feel that although the distribution yield looks relatively attractive for Sabana REIT now, investors want to be cautious and remember that there are only a few months "before the expiry of 11 master leases (and) the Manager is working towards renewing or securing new master leases for 7 of them. The remaining 4 will likely be converted into multi-tenanted buildings." Occupancy level will most likely fall and DPU will most likely take a hit, all else remaining equal.

I am still rather happy with AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT. They are doing the right things to add value for unitholders, especially in the way they go about re-developing their properties to max out their plot ratios. I really like how they secure pre-commitment before embarking on such projects and I like the fact that insiders have a meaningful stake in the REIT too. This REIT is definitely one up on Sabana REIT.

I haven't really made any changes to my portfolio of S-REITs (from July 2014 to June 2015) apart from initiating a long position in Soilbuild REIT. The expectation that the REIT would benefit from commercial entities moving their activities (like call centres and IT departments) to business parks should pan out nicely.

So, although industrial properties S-REITs are expected to face challenges from more supply of industrial space in the next 2 years or so, Soilbuild REIT should weather this relatively well.

What about my investment in Saizen REIT? Well, there is some talk on how residential property prices in Japan have gone up in recent times because foreigners are more enthusiastically investing in Japan again. There is also some talk about how prices have gone up too much because rentals have not gone up in tandem. So, some are saying that prices must come down and maybe they would.

Now, perhaps, it is timely to remind ourselves that Japanese residential property prices continually fell for two decades and the fall in prices had been much sharper than the fall in rental in those twenty years.

Something I blogged about in December 2009: here.

The increase in property prices since the introduction of Abenomics is just a bump in comparison to the fall off the cliff in those twenty years. Saizen REIT remains very undervalued and should be a natural beneficiary of the recovery of the Japanese housing market.

My three largest investments in S-REITs are still:

1. AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT
2. First REIT
3. Saizen REIT

They account for the bulk of my passive income from S-REITs.

I also have smaller long positions in the following S-REITs:

4. Sabana REIT
5. FCOT
6. Suntec REIT
7. LMIR
8. Cambridge Industrial Trust
9. Cache Logistics Trust
10. Keppel REIT
11. Soilbuild REIT



Half year (2015) passive income from S-REITs: $45,626.80.

On a monthly basis, this works out to be $7,604.46 a month. The slight improvement compared to 2014 is probably due to the addition of Soilbuild REIT to my portfolio.

Although interest rates are expected to rise in the near future, it would be a mistake to think that S-REITs will all go the way of the Dodo. Remember that S-REITs might be bond-like but they are not bonds.

S-REITs are really property leasing businesses and they are more likely to do better compared to bonds in a rising interest rate environment. S-REITs are, generally speaking, still relevant instruments for income investors.

Related posts:
1. 2014 full year income from S-REITs.
2. AK says create your own Dividend Machines.

2014 full year income from S-REITs.

For my investments in S-REITs, the biggest thing that happened this year was the reduction in exposure to Sabana REIT.

Some might remember that I first invested in Sabana REIT in March 2011 at 92.5c a unit. As its unit price declined to under 90c, I bought more. It became one of my top two investments in S-REITs for about three years, delivering a distribution yield on cost of about 10% during that time.

I actually started reducing my investment in Sabana REIT in late 2013 and not this year as I started to build a larger position in Croesus Retail Trust then. I chose to reduce my investment in Sabana REIT instead of AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT because I felt that the latter was doing a better job of building value for unit holders as an industrial properties S-REIT.

After the major divestment of Sabana REIT early this year, my remaining exposure to the REIT is barely 10% of what it was at its peak. Now, my top three investments in S-REITs are:

1. AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT.
2. First REIT.
3. Saizen REIT.

AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT's Mr. George Wang constantly adds to his investment in the REIT, aligning his interests with those of minority shareholders'. The management have shown themselves to be capable in creating value for unit holders in their exploitation of existing properties' plot ratios. They have also improved the financial resilience of the REIT by securing other forms of funding and in strengthening its debt maturity profile.

This year, I took part in AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT's rights issue and sold the rights units for a profit some time later. Although the REIT has been doing well, it is my single largest investment in the S-REITs universe and I want to keep my exposure to a level I am more comfortable with.

In January this year, I wrote a blog titled "A simple way to a double digit yielding portfolio". It was an account of my journey as an investor with First REIT, more or less. First REIT is another example of how a REIT, if properly managed, could be a very good investment for both income and growth. It is also a REIT in which the CEO constantly puts more of his own money in.

With its DPU growing while its balance sheet stays relatively strong, my blog post titled "First REIT: This one is for keeps." in March 2010 could turn out to be quite prophetic. As long as the management continues to be prudent and as long as there is stability and a gradual pace of growing prosperity in the economies of Singapore and Indonesia, the REIT should continue to deliver good results.

Saizen REIT, my third largest investment in the S-REIT universe, has been a very rewarding investment so far. It seems to be a more complicated investment in more ways than one and as an income investor, the fact that it receives income in JPY and pays its investors in S$ is something we must consider.

The weakness in the JPY is definitely a concern. Although the downside can be hedged, it is not cheap to do so. So, realistically, I would expect some decline in future income distributions in S$ terms as the BOJ continues to expand money supply. Whether Prime Minister Abe's QQE will work or not is still a matter of contention but a weaker JPY is the new reality.

However, Saizen REIT remains a strong value proposition and the fact that a substantial shareholder has been fighting to unlock its value is proof of this. I have said time and time again that patience will be rewarded for investors of Saizen REIT's. I am sure it is beginning to sound rather tired but I will say it again. Patience will be rewarded.

For both First REIT and Saizen REIT, I have not done anything to add or reduce exposure this year. I have simply sat back, relaxed and collected income from them.

So, what did I buy this year in the S-REITs universe? I nibbled at Soilbuild Business Space Trust in August. It was a nibble because I thought it was a fair price but not undervalued. I rather like the numbers and the management seem to be competent. For those who have not read my blog post on the REIT and why I decided to buy some, please see related post no. 6.

I also have investments in the following S-REITs:

A. Keppel REIT
B. Frasers Commercial Trust
C. Lippo Malls Retail Trust
D. Cambridge Industrial Trust
E. Suntec REIT
F. Cache Logistics Trust

These are largely legacy positions or what are left after I reduced my investments in these REITs in a big way. My investment in Sabana REIT should rightly join their ranks.

With income from Sabana REIT significantly reduced this year and the fact that it was one of my largest investments in S-REITs, 2014 full year income from S-REITs has reduced drastically.

Total income received from S-REITs in 2014:
S$ 88,476.22

Although this gives me some $7,373.02 of income per month, this is a more than 25% reduction from what was received in 2013 last year. This is a significant reduction, no matter how we slice it.

Some might wonder what is AK the income investor to do? Well, I have been increasing my exposure to some other investments to make up for the shortfall in income. I might have to talk to myself in another blog post regarding these investments.

Related posts:
1. 2013 full year income from S-REITs.
2. Added Croesus Retail Trust and reduced Sabana REIT.
3. AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT: 7 for 40.
4. A simple way to a double digit yielding portfolio.
5. Saizen REIT: Rewarding patient investors.
6. Soilbuild REIT: A nibble.