This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on January 24, 2019
KUALA LUMPUR: IGB Real Estate Investment Trust’s (IGB REIT) net profit for the fourth quarter (4Q)ended Dec 31, 2018 slipped 9.9% to RM105.51 million, from RM117.13 million a year earlier, due to a lower revaluation surplus on investment properties.
It declared a distribution per unit of 2.28 sen for the quarter, payable on Feb 28 .
Fourth quarter gross revenue, comprising gross rental income and other income, grew by 2.1% to RM137.21 million from RM134.35 million previously, thanks to higher rental income.
Full-year revenue rose by 2.05% to RM535.69 million from RM524.92 million in the previous year, on higher rental income and lower property operating expenses during the period.
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday, IGB REIT said the short-term outlook for the retail space remains one of cautious optimism.
IGB REIT’s share price closed up four sen (2.3%) yesterday to RM1.78, for a market capitalisation of RM6.2 billion.