José Benito de Vega | Axiare has outperformed the other listed Socimis, as well as the IBEX-35 since it made its market debut in July 2014. The rise in the company’s NAV per share has reflected this upbeat trend, increasing over 30% in three years.
In 2016, Merlin Properties posted a record profit of 582.6 million euros, almost 12 times more than in 2015. Rental income corresponding to just the fourth quarter rose to 121.5 million euros from 74.9 million in the third quarter thanks to the integration of Metrovacesa’s assets from end-October.
Fernando Rodríguez | Hispania, Axiare, Lar and, above all, Merlin are looking good. Spain’s 4 big Socimis are reflecting the favourable economic cycle, the recovery in the property market and the beneficial tax conditions they enjoy. Risks include the upward tension in interest rates and the profileration of competitors, with the stock market swarming with 30 or so Socimis of all kinds.
Most analysts believe the recovery in the stock prices of Spain’s four big Socimis will continue over the coming months. Between 70% and 80% of all brokerage houses have a buy recommendation. The fact these property investment vehicles have quite high returns and there is very little competition are amongst the positive factors.
Socimis, or Reits as they are called in Europe and the US, have helped revive the damaged real estate sector in Spain since 2009. Merlin Properties has been one of the most successful ones and was listed by Chairman and founder Ismael Clemente in 2014. In his opinion, that was a good year to start because “the cycle bottomed out at the end of 2013.”
Foreign investors are pumping more money into buying, building or converting hotels in Spain, as they cash in on the positive trend in two key industries: real estate and tourism.